Melissa Merchant

Senior Consultant

MBA from: Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Working style: Collaborative, direct, partnership minded, down-to-earth

What I love about my job: When clients tell me that their application was stronger because of my help—and knowing they are about to have an amazing, life-changing experience.

Since 2014, Melissa Merchant has brought her extensive, 15-year background in marketing and strategy consulting to her work helping mbaMission clients position their stories and craft their essays in pursuit of their MBA goals. Although accepted at several top programs, including Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Melissa chose to earn her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management, where she was an Austin Scholar and specialized in marketing and strategy. She has a natural knack for identifying what makes people shine and helping them communicate that value in writing, and her years as an alumna interviewer for Kellogg gave her valuable insight into that aspect of the admission process, as well. She is passionate about ensuring candidates find the right “fit” when selecting an MBA program, having herself made what she deems difficult but ultimately incredibly positive decisions during the application process.

While at Kellogg, Melissa was president of the Business Leadership Club and helped drive the Marketing Club and its annual conference. She returned to Deloitte Consulting after graduating and helped establish the firm’s business school readiness program and formalize an application mentorship/sponsorship program. Melissa soon craved direct product marketing and joined the brand management ranks at Kraft Foods, where she excelled at marketing positioning, branding, and communications, ascending through Kraft’s beverage division to become senior brand manager of such brands as Kool-Aid and Crystal Light. Melissa eventually departed Kraft to share her expertise through her own successful marketing consulting practice.