Leland+ for Master’s Programs

Personal Statements: A Guide to Getting Started

In this quick guide, you'll find top tips and guidelines on how to get started writing your personal statements for your graduate school applications.

Avoiding Hard Algebra [6/17/2026] (Recording)

Many GMAT quant questions look harder than they actually are, and top scorers often solve them without heavy algebra at all. This session is for test takers who want faster, more efficient ways to approach quantitative problems under time pressure. You’ll learn how to recognize opportunities to simplify questions, apply strategic shortcuts, and avoid the slow calculations that commonly trap candidates on test day. Join live to work through problems in real time and see how a 790 scorer approaches the GMAT efficiently. The speaker is an experienced GMAT coach who regularly helps students improve both speed and accuracy on the quant section. They’ll share the patterns they see across high scorers and the kinds of strategies typically covered in focused 1:1 prep sessions.

AMA: Prepare NOW for Admissions This Fall - MFE & STEM Master's [6/5/2026] (Recording)

Thinking about an MFE, MSCS, Data Science, Analytics, or other STEM master’s program? Join this AMA for honest advice on admissions, competitiveness, recruiting, career outcomes, and whether a program is actually worth it. We’ll cover: - School selection - Resume & profile positioning - Career changer applications - Essays & materials - Networking as part of your strategy Bring your questions — especially if you’re targeting Financial Engineering, quant finance, AI/ML, or technical career pivots.

Crafting a Standout Personal Statement for Master’s Programs [6/25/2026] (Recording)

Writing a personal statement for master’s programs can feel difficult when you’re trying to balance your experiences, goals, and qualifications into a story that feels both authentic and compelling. This session is designed for applicants who want to understand what separates a solid personal statement from one that leaves a lasting impression on admissions readers. You’ll learn how to structure your narrative, connect your experiences to your future goals, and avoid common mistakes that weaken otherwise strong applications. Attending live gives you the chance to ask questions about your own essay ideas and get real-time feedback on challenges you’re facing in the writing process. The speaker works closely with applicants and will share the patterns they see across successful candidates, along with what they look for when evaluating personal statements in practice. If you want a clearer framework for approaching your essays, it’s worth joining live.

How to Make a Big International Career Move Without Wrecking Your Momentum [7/11/2026] (Recording)

Most international moves are planned as logistical exercises of visas, postcodes, and shipping boxes. But for high-performing professionals, the real risk isn't the paperwork; it’s the loss of career momentum. Whether you are choosing between staying where you are, applying for a degree abroad, or making a direct leap into a new market, the stakes are high. In this session, we move beyond the "backpacking expat" advice. We will look at how to evaluate international opportunities through a strategic lens, ensuring your next move compounds your future rather than interrupting it. We’ll discuss the exact frameworks used with mid-career professionals and high-achieving students to choose between cities like Copenhagen, Vienna, or Sydney, and how to know when a degree is a bridge, and when it’s just expensive avoidance. By the end of this livestream, you will be able to: 1. Apply the 4-Part Decision Lens: Evaluate any move based on career upside, visa/work-right reality, ROI/financial runway, and emotional sustainability. 2. Audit Your Path: Determine whether a direct job search, a Master’s/MBA bridge, or a hybrid strategy is the most viable route for your specific career stage. 3. Identify Momentum Killers: Recognize the common mistakes (like over-researching or under-translating experience) that cause high-performers to stall during relocation. 4. Draft a Post-Move Narrative: Begin framing your move so it fits into a coherent professional story that international recruiters actually trust. Outcomes 1. A Clearer Go/No-Go Framework: A structured way to stop second-guessing your choice between staying or going. 2. A Bridge Audit: Clarity on whether that degree you're considering is actually necessary for your target market's visa and hiring rules. 3. The Translation Checklist: A list of what in your current background needs to be pruned or massaged to make sense to an employer in a different system.

Funding Your Future: Fellowships & Scholarships for Masters Programs [6/18/2026] (Recording)

The cost of graduate school can feel daunting, but many applicants overlook funding opportunities that can dramatically reduce the financial burden. This session is for prospective MBA and master’s students who want to better understand the world of fellowships, scholarships, and competitive funding programs. You’ll learn where to find high-impact opportunities, how successful applicants position themselves, and what scholarship committees are often looking for beyond academics alone. Join live to ask questions about your own funding goals and hear directly from a Gates Cambridge Scholar with deep expertise in competitive programs and scholarships. The speaker has firsthand experience navigating highly selective funding processes and will share the strategies, patterns, and application insights that can help you maximize your chances of securing support for graduate study.

Essay Edit: Watch Me Transform an Underwhelming Draft [6/18/2026] (Recording)

Strong master essays are built through strategy and revision, not first drafts. In this live workshop, attendees will watch a real-time transformation of an underwhelming master essay into a far stronger and more compelling submission. Along the way, the session will unpack the strategic thinking behind each edit, illustrating how top applicants improve storytelling, structure, reflection, and differentiation throughout the drafting process.

Insider Tips for the Harvard Kennedy School App from Former AdCom [6/16/2026] (Recording)

Applying to Harvard Kennedy School requires more than simply demonstrating policy interest or public service commitment. This session will provide insider perspective on how the HKS admissions committee evaluates candidates, what distinguishes successful applicants, and the common mistakes that undermine otherwise strong profiles. Attendees will gain practical guidance on how to position their experiences, essays, and career vision to align with what HKS looks for in future public leaders.

Admissions Insights Part 1: Should You Go to Grad School? [7/9/2026] (Recording)

Are you contemplating whether grad school is the right path for you? Ask yourself these 5 questions first. This is Part 1 of my Admissions Insider Series, where I share my perspective as a former AdCom member of Carnegie Mellon University's MSCF program (the #3 financial engineering master's in the US). I'll share what I wish I knew about my own Master's program, as well as what I've learned from coaching 500+ applicants to graduate programs, including students admitted to Stanford, Yale, Duke, Columbia, UChicago, Cornell, and others. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot today!

Nailing the CBS MBA Essays w/ New 2026 Tips! [7/8/2026] (Recording)

Are you ready to tackle the Columbia Business School MBA essays with confidence? Join me, Melanie, for an exclusive session where we'll dive into the latest tips for the 2026 application cycle. With my background as an MBA Admissions Interviewer at CBS and an MBA alum from both Columbia Business School, I have the insights you need to craft compelling essays that stand out. In this session, we'll cover proven, actionable strategies specific to each of Columbia's essays. Whether you're applying for a traditional full-time MBA or a dual degree program, this event is designed to help you succeed. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot. I look forward to helping you on your journey to CBS!

The International Applicant’s MBA Blueprint [6/24/2026] (Recording)

Applying to a U.S. MBA program as an international candidate presents both unique opportunities and unique challenges. While international applicants bring valuable global perspectives, cross-cultural experiences, and diverse professional backgrounds, they also face a highly competitive admissions environment and must effectively translate their experiences to a U.S.-based audience. The most successful international applicants do more than present impressive credentials. They demonstrate leadership, articulate a compelling career vision, and clearly communicate how their experiences, goals, and perspectives will contribute to the MBA community. This workshop explores how international candidates can navigate the admissions process strategically, build a compelling application narrative, and identify programs that align with their professional ambitions. By the end of this session, you will be able to: * Understand how U.S. MBA admissions committees evaluate international candidates. * Identify the key factors that distinguish successful international applicants. * Translate your professional accomplishments into language and examples that resonate with U.S. admissions readers. * Craft a career vision that connects your pre-MBA experience, MBA goals, and long-term aspirations. * Understand how academic performance, test scores, and professional experience are evaluated in an international context. * Avoid common mistakes international applicants make in essays, resumes, interviews, and recommendations. * Leave with a practical roadmap for strengthening your candidacy and maximizing your chances of admission.

5 Actions that can Make or Break your MBA Application

It’s not enough to do all the right things - you also need to know what not to do! Join me in this webinar as we review the dos and don'ts and uncover small yet crucial details that can help you win admission to your dream school. This event is designed to make you better informed, so you can make the right decisions about your applications!

How to Ace the Master's Personal Statement

I've helped dozens of candidates land spots at top master's programs in fields ranging from public policy and business to architecture and engineering. In this video, I share with you the essay writing insights that helped me and my clients get into the Ivy League, Oxbridge, M7, and Schwarzman Scholars (Tsinghua University).

GMAT Quant Short-Cuts Used by Top-Scorers [5/26/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you will learn how top GMAT scorers approach quantitative problems faster and more accurately by recognizing pattern types before choosing a method. The focus will be on number properties shortcuts that eliminate answer choices early, strategic back-solving for algebra-heavy problems, and how to identify when estimation beats exact calculation on data sufficiency questions. The coach works with GMAT candidates regularly and will be sharing the reasoning process they actually teach, the kind of situational thinking that is hard to absorb from a recording alone.

Starting Your GMAT Journey: An Introduction to the GMAT Focus Edition [5/21/2026] (Recording)

Starting GMAT prep can feel confusing when you’re not sure what’s changed in the Focus Edition or how to begin effectively. This session is for anyone looking for a clear introduction to the GMAT Focus Edition and what it takes to succeed. You’ll learn how the exam is structured, what each section tests, and how to build a study plan that aligns with your strengths and target score. Join live to ask questions about your starting point and get guidance on how to approach your prep with confidence. The speaker is an expert GMAT coach who regularly helps candidates navigate the early stages of studying. They’ll share the patterns they see across successful test takers and the foundational strategies typically covered in 1:1 prep sessions.

Starting Your GRE Journey: An Introduction to the GRE General Test [5/14/2026] (Recording)

Starting your GRE prep can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure what the test actually involves or how to begin. This session is for anyone looking for a clear introduction to the GRE General Test and how to approach it effectively. You’ll learn how the exam is structured, what each section tests, and how to build a study plan that sets you up for steady improvement. Join live to ask questions about your starting point and get guidance on how to approach your prep with more confidence. The speaker is an experienced GRE coach who regularly helps students navigate the early stages of preparation. They’ll share the patterns they see across successful test takers and the foundational strategies typically covered in 1:1 prep sessions.

The Key to Mastering Combinations and Permutations on the GMAT [5/7/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know exactly how to recognize when a GMAT problem calls for combinations versus permutations and how to set up the math without second-guessing yourself. We will cover the slot method for counting arrangements, how to handle restrictions like repeated elements or fixed positions, and the fastest way to simplify factorial expressions under timed conditions. Attending live means you can bring a specific problem type that keeps tripping you up and hear how to think through it in real time, not just watch a solved example. The coach works through these problems with GMAT students regularly and will share the reasoning patterns that consistently separate confident solvers from those who guess and move on.

Land your Job or Study in ... Switzerland

Switzerland is not part of the EU. It does not have the largest job market in Europe. And it is, by most measures, one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in. None of that stops it from being one of the most attractive destinations on the continent for ambitious non-EU graduates and young professionals: it simply requires knowing what you are walking into. The country hosts the European or global headquarters of Nestlé, Novartis, Roche, ABB, UBS, Credit Suisse's successor operations, and dozens of precision engineering and medtech companies that most people outside Europe have never heard of. Salaries are the highest in Europe by a significant margin, which is the other side of the cost equation. ETH Zurich consistently ranks among the world's top ten universities. English is widely used in professional environments, particularly in Zurich and Geneva. This session covers the study path and the direct job path side by side: how the permit system works for non-EU nationals, what living in Zurich or Geneva actually costs, language realities across the four linguistic regions, and how to position yourself in a market that rewards precision, reliability, and depth over volume. Two real cases show how international candidates made it work. Switzerland is selective. It rewards those who come prepared. In this session, we lay out exactly what that means in practice. New episodes in this series cover a different European country every Thursday.

How to Solve GRE Math Questions in Half the Time [5/5/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you'll learn how to identify question types faster and apply targeted shortcuts that cut time without sacrificing accuracy. The focus will be on three high-frequency GRE math areas where most test-takers lose unnecessary time: quantitative comparison traps, data interpretation setups, and plugging-in strategies for algebra problems. Attending live means you can describe the specific question types giving you trouble and get a direct answer calibrated to where you are in your prep, not a general response. The coach works with GRE students regularly and will be sharing the patterns that consistently separate efficient scorers from those who run out of time.