Karla M.

Karla M.

4.9

150+ M7 Admits | AdCom-Trained Strategist | Leland Top Coach ('23 & '24)

Harvard University Logo

Studied at Harvard University

J.P. Morgan & Co. Logo

Works at J.P. Morgan & Co.

Admissions Committee

Available tomorrow at 6:30 PM UTC

Usually responds within 10 hours

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Karla's Coaching Offerings

Pay as you go

Get help with Financial Aid & Scholarships, Editing, and .

Karla is a contributor to Leland+

Access a library of videos, templates, and examples curated by Leland’s top coaches.

Karla’s free events & group classes

The Right MBA, Not the Same MBA: Uncovering Program Nuance

The Right MBA, Not the Same MBA: Uncovering Program Nuance

Wed, Jun 18 from 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM UTC

Karla’s MBA Qualifications

Coaches professionally

250+ people coached for MBA

Open to working with clients outside the U.S.

Karla has helped clients get into these schools:

With over a decade of experience, I’ve helped candidates break into the world’s most competitive MBA and master’s programs, consistently delivering results across applicant types and industries. My unique qualifications include: ◉ Leland Top Coach in both 2023 and 2024 (since rankings began), with reviews attesting to strategic, high-touch coaching ◉ 150+ M7 admits and tens of millions in scholarship funding secured across MBA, MPP, and master’s programs ◉ Proven success with traditional (consulting, banking), deferred, joint-degree, international, and non-traditional candidates ◉ At Harvard Kennedy School, collaborated directly with the head of Admissions to revamp evaluation processes and led formal knowledge-sharing with M7 MBA programs (e.g., HBS, Wharton, Booth) to align HKS selection standards with leading graduate admissions practices With deep insight into how top programs evaluate applicants, I specialize in translating resumes into compelling narratives that highlight leadership, trajectory, and potential. Some big wins include helping an individual with a 3.2 GPA and 145 (Quant GRE) / 158 (Verbal GRE) secure admission to a top 5 MBA with 60% tuition scholarship and negotiating another candidate's M7 waitlist offer to admission with 100% tuition funding. Given my client-facing experience, I am extremely responsive and usually take no more than 24 hours to turn around materials. I am especially helpful to: ◉ applicants from established pre-MBA careers (e.g., consulting, banking) hoping to differentiate themselves in a crowded field ◉ international applicants looking for guidance on the U.S.-specific nuances for MBAs ◉ non-traditional candidates without cookie-cutter GPAs or test scores looking to highlight strengths in other areas ◉ deferred candidates looking to show their future *potential* through storytelling ◉ candidates seeking scholarship funding ◉ underrepresented minorities, especially LGBTQ+ / BIPOC applicants, who want to work with someone with a shared lived experience ◉ joint / concurrent degree applicants ◉ candidates who want to make a great impression during interviews. I take special pride in one of my interviewers saying I was the best-prepared applicant he had seen in 10 years :) ◉ waitlisted or rejected applicants who want to make a compelling case for their candidacy through informal channels

Karla can help with:

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Editing

Recommendations

Interviews

Ding Analysis

Waitlist Strategy

School Selection

Secondary Review

Application Strategy

Essays

Resume

Karla also coaches for Master’s Programs, Investment Banking, and Management Consulting. View all.

About Karla

I’m a seasoned career coach with 10 years of experience helping candidates break into top MBA, MPP, and master’s programs across the U.S. and Europe. I’ve supported applicants from all backgrounds—traditional and nontraditional—in landing spots at schools like Stanford GSB, HBS, LBS, and INSEAD, often with significant scholarship support. My coaching draws on formal admissions committee experience at Harvard Kennedy School, where I also collaborated with top M7 business schools to exchange best practices and deepen my understanding of how elite programs evaluate applicants. Clients I’ve worked with have gone on to secure roles in investment banking, consulting, and social impact—at firms like Morgan Stanley, McKinsey, and leading global NGOs. I’m known for clear, honest advice, fast turnarounds, and a strategy-first approach that delivers real results. Outside of coaching, I’ve spent the past decade at the intersection of finance and public policy—first advising on high-profile tech transactions in J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division, and now leading impact investment strategy at Candide, where I focus on deploying capital across asset classes to build a more equitable economy. I’ve also advised philanthropic initiatives at organizations such as the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and LinkedIn’s Global Impact team. I hold an MBA/MPP from Chicago Booth and Harvard Kennedy School, respectively, and continue to stay close to the work by serving on investment committees and mentoring through programs such as Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). My work has been recognized by organizations such as: Leland (Top Coach - 2023 & 2024), Negocios Now (40 Under 40), ALPFA (Most Powerful Latinas Rising Star), and Toigo Foundation (Top 35 Rising Leaders).

Why do I coach?

As a coach, I believe that with the right guidance, anyone can position themselves for success—whether in graduate admissions or competitive career paths. Over the past decade, I’ve helped candidates from all walks of life translate their experiences into compelling narratives that stand out in crowded fields. I’ve worked with clients like Sarah, a scientist from Australia, who we repositioned for top MBA programs despite a sea of similar consulting resumes; Rozalyn, a first-gen applicant from rural Oregon, who turned her background into a differentiator; and James, an investor relations professional who broke into investment banking after we reframed his story for a tech coverage group. My approach is grounded in the belief that resumes and test scores alone don’t tell the full story—and I help clients shape the rest. While working closely with the Harvard Kennedy School admissions committee, I led programming to expand applicant access and collaborated with peers at top M7 MBA programs to exchange best practices. That knowledge-sharing gave me rare insight into how elite schools assess fit, potential, and readiness—perspectives I now bring to every client conversation.

Work Experience

J.P. Morgan & Co. Logo

Investment Banking Associate

J.P. Morgan & Co.

June 2021 - Present

• Former UChicago and Harvard school Captain for on-campus investment banking recruiting • Participate in interviewing and onboarding new Analyst and Associate classes

Ivy Advisors Logo

MBA Admissions Coach

Ivy Advisors

June 2019 - Present

• Top-rated coach specializing in deferred, dual degree, underrepresented, and traditional profile (e.g., consulting and investment banking) candidates • 12 admissions cycles guiding candidates with end-to-end application strategy

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity  Logo

Career & Leadership Coach

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity

August 2013 - Present

• Coach hundreds of BIPOC applicants through consulting, investment banking, and MBA admissions processes

Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Logo

Research Assistant

Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

November 2020 - June 2021

LinkedIn Logo

Applied Researcher

LinkedIn

May 2020 - May 2021

• Harvard master's thesis for LinkedIn client, *High Pass*

EY Logo

Senior Consultant

EY

May 2015 - August 2018

Karla was also given offers to work at

  • IBM Logo

    IBM

Education

Harvard University Logo

Harvard University

Master in Public Policy, Government

2019 - 2021

Admissions Committee Experience

• Partnered directly with the head of Admissions to revamp evaluation criteria and selection processes, drawing on insights from structured knowledge-sharing sessions with top M7 MBA programs to align HKS’s approach with leading graduate admissions practices • Designed and led a 3-part admissions series that drew over 500 prospective applicants and strengthened pipeline transparency around academic and professional fit • Founded the Essay Buddy Review Program, which matched 100+ current students with applicants and doubled admit rates among historically underrepresented candidates after a decade of stagnant outcomes

Chicago Booth Logo

Chicago Booth

MBA, Business

2018 - 2021

• Concentrations in Finance and Accounting • Selected Honors: J.P. Morgan Early Advantage Fellow ($90,000 scholarship), Forte Foundation MBA Fellowship (full tuition merit-based scholarship), MLT MBA Prep, Toigo MBA Fellowship, LunaCap MBA Scholarship • Selected Involvement: Graduate Business Council Representative, Hispanic American Business Students Association (HABSA) Co-Chair and Admissions Liaison, Investment Banking Group Member

Karla was also personally admitted to

  • Tuck School of Business Logo

    Tuck School of Business

  • Darden School of Business (UVA) Logo

    Darden School of Business (UVA)

  • Yale School of Management Logo

    Yale School of Management

  • Duke's Fuqua School of Business Logo

    Duke's Fuqua School of Business

75 Reviews

Overall Rating

4.9


Knowledge

4.9

Value

4.9

Responsiveness

4.9

Supportiveness

4.9


Karla has helped clients get into these schools:


Karla has helped clients get into these companies:

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Karla M.

Karla M.

4.9

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