
Drake P.
Stanford MBA President, NYTimes, Top GSB Award, perfect for underdogs

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Worked at Kearney
Drake's Coaching Offerings

Standard Comprehensive Package
Starting at $2,600

Stanford GSB Essay Prep
Starting at $400

HBS Essay Prep
Starting at $350
Custom hourly coaching · $200/hour
Get help with School Selection, Application Strategy, and .
Drake's MBA Qualifications
20+ people coached for MBA
Open to working with clients outside the U.S.
As the President at Stanford's MBA program, I became exceptionally knowledgeable about all MBA programs as I worked with leaders across our peer schools. I know the in's and out's of nearly every top program, and have helped students at all of them get admitted. I received the highest grade in Stanford GSB's Winning Writing class, so I know what writing styles work well for which parts of the application and at different schools.
Drake can help with:
School Selection
Application Strategy
Resume
Recommendations
Essays
Editing
Interviews
Waitlist Strategy
Secondary Review
Ding Analysis
Scholarships
Drake also coaches for Management Consulting and Undergrad
About Drake
I am a Stanford MBA grad ('22), where I served as the Student Body President and won the Arbuckle Award, voted by graduates as the person who has most fulfilled the mission of Stanford GSB. I'm here to help you create a stellar MBA application that can launch you into a top program regardless of your academic background. I was the only person from my hometown, undergrad, or company to go to the GSB. Whether you have a similar story or come from an overrepresented background, I know how to make someone stand out. I've gone to public school my entire life. I earned a BS from Auburn, an MS from UVA, then an MSc from ESADE (in Barcelona). I've also attended community college and studied at two different universities in China—Stanford is my 7th higher ed Institution! That's all to say, I'm all about striving for something bigger. After UVA & ESADE, I worked at Kearney in New York, where I consulted for Fortune 50 retail companies. Many of my projects were featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other publications. I led Kearney's undergrad and MBA internship program, and led undergrad recruiting for 6 universities. I also spent 8 months in the Middle East where I helped design the national hobby strategy for 40 million people. After that, I pivoted to a pre-MBA internship at IGNIA, Mexico's largest VC fund. My MBA internship was at Lattice, an HR tech unicorn in SF, and a second internship at Emirates (the airline) in Dubai. I have also been featured in CNBC and my writing has been published in the New York Times. As a coach, I'm all about making the application process fun, exploratory, and insightful. The admissions process isn't just for getting into school; it also helps you understand your career and life. I'll give you straightforward advice throughout the process, the same advice that helped me get into Stanford, Wharton, Booth, and Dartmouth, with more than $200K in scholarships. I'm the only one from my home town, undergraduate institution, and my pre-business school company to attend the GSB, so I know what it takes to create an application that will really stand out, and I can't wait to work with you to create yours. If you come from a non-target or unusual background, I'm the guy for you.
Work Experience
Consultant
Emirates
August 2021 - September 2021
• Created report on the future of contact centres, specifically focused on partnerships, AI, analytics, and ancillary opportunity identification
Consultant
Lattice
June 2021 - August 2021
• Created Lattice's first-ever partnership structure around core offering, crafting referral agreements and legal frameworks, go-to-market strategies, and approach to services • Designed B2B customer journeys for each stage and segment with Chief Customer Officer and VP of Customer Success to create new levels of operational rigor, enabled by 40+ interviews • Presented to C-suite at end of work and discussed implementation opportunities
Summer Associate
IGNIA
June 2020 - August 2020
● Created digital economy study on Latin America, distributed via one of Mexico's largest media companies, MILENIO (with ~2Mn social media followers) ● Evaluated InsurTech trends and investment opportunities in Latin America, including recommendations on pipeline start-ups ● Developed formal governance guidelines for 20+ portfolio companies

Associate
Kearney
September 2017 - May 2020
Career progression: Top 10%, Analyst to post-MBA Associate in 18 months (vs. traditional 36 mo.). Placed on fastest track to Manager. All-Kearney project highlights: ● Fund design for Middle Eastern public sector non-profit strategy ● Performance management for Global Top 50 Retailer pilot program ● E-Commerce negotiation for U.S. Top 15 Retailer ● Scenario modeling for Global Top 50 Retailer partnership ● Payments strategy for U.S. Top 20 Retailer ● Capital cost reduction for Global Top 10 CPG client ● Fourth Industrial Revolution modeling for the World Economic Forum ● Organizational design for Fortune 200 Life Sciences client ● Negotiation regression modeling for Fortune 200 Life Sciences client
Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business
MBA
2020 - 2022
• Co-President of the Student Body, leading all clubs, budgets, and working with Stanford administrators • Winner of the Ernest C. Arbuckle Award, voted by 430 classmates as the graduate who has contributed most to the goals of the school to Change Lives, Change Organizations, and Change the World, in school and the broader world • Recipient of Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation • Contributor to Innovate Alabama, Hoover Institution Report led by Condoleezza Rice for the innovation strategy for the Alabama Department of Commerce • Involved in other clubs (Venture Capital club, Entrepreneurship club, Epicurean club, Wine Circle) • Developed the inaugural free Dream Big, Lead Boldly workshop for 250+ Black undergrads across the world to be exposed to the GSB, Stanford, and MBA career paths • Awarded social impact grant to research financial aid relating to equity in public universities
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
MS, Global Commerce
2016 - 2017
ESADE
MSc, Global Strategic Management
2016 - 2017
Lingnan University
Certificate, Global Management
2016 - 2017
Auburn University
BSBA, Finance and International Business-Chinese
2013 - 2016
Drake was also personally admitted to
The Wharton School (UPenn)
Chicago Booth
Dartmouth College
Reviews
5.0
Articles

Not Every MBA Program is Made Equal–An Overview of the Program Structures of Top Business Schools
May 4, 2023
The program structures of the top 15 business schools, including the number of credits and courses required for graduation, the percentage of electives vs. core classes, the proportion of required classes, and more.

Why I Coach—Drake Pooley
Aug 22, 2022
Drake P., an expert Leland coach and Stanford MBA/Co-Class President, outlines why he chooses to coach and what it means to him.

An Expert’s Guide to Resumes: Five Tips to Make You Stand Out
Aug 19, 2022
One of our couches reveals his best advice on improving your resume, cultivated by years of experience running a resume review organization.