Leland+ Content Library

Breaking into MBB as an Underdog

Breaking into MBB (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) is challenging even if you're at an Ivy League School with a top GPA and you start preparing for interviews six months in advance. But imagine trying to break in from a non-target school with a sub-3.5 GPA, having never heard of a case interview until two months before the application deadline. In this event, you'll hear Matt's story overcoming those exact circumstances to land a Bain Associate Consultant Internship. And you'll hear from Jeremy, his Leland coach, who helped him navigate the entire application process and put in place a strategy to overcome obstacles that most candidates see as insurmountable. If you feel like an underdog, or don't know how to you could possibly land an MBB offer, come to this event to revitalize your belief and learn the exact steps you need to take to get there.

AI Monthly News Update - January 2026 (Slides)

These slides are from the first of a series of monthly news updates related to advancements in AI. This update covers AI tools and LLMs, global AI and infrastructure, robotics and gadgets, and the impact of these advancements on daily life and business. Check out the event here: https://www.joinleland.com/content/item/urn:contentEntry:69839327a1f4968d5ca1feb5?fromName=all

Which law schools should I apply to?

Building the right law school list is a critical step in the application process. This session is designed to help you choose schools that align with your goals, profile, and chances of admission. In this event, you’ll learn how to evaluate schools based on outcomes, location, fit, and scholarships, and how to build a balanced list of reach, target, and safety options. We’ll also cover common mistakes applicants make when finalizing their choices. Walk away with a clear framework and confident next steps.

Start Now: Creating a Strong MBA Application Early

Starting your MBA application early gives you a major advantage. In this session, we’ll break down what strong applicants do months ahead of deadlines, from shaping a clear career narrative and school strategy to building relationships, test plans, and experience gaps. You’ll leave with a practical roadmap for how to use the early months intentionally, avoid last-minute stress, and position yourself as a compelling, well-prepared candidate when applications open.

How to Turn Your Product Management Interviews into Offers

Getting interviews is only half the battle. In this session, you’ll learn how to convert strong interview performance into actual PM offers by mastering what hiring teams evaluate at each stage of the process. We’ll cover how to communicate product thinking clearly, handle product sense and execution questions, demonstrate leadership and collaboration, and avoid the common pitfalls that stall otherwise strong candidates. You’ll leave with a clear framework for showing up confidently, differentiating yourself, and closing the gap between interviews and offers.

Positioning Your Military Experience for an MBA

Military experience can be a powerful differentiator in MBA admissions when it is translated clearly into leadership, impact, and future potential. This session will show you how to reframe service roles into business-ready language, quantify outcomes, and connect your experience to post-MBA goals that resonate with top programs. We’ll cover essays, resumes, recommendations, and interview positioning, along with common pitfalls veterans face and how to avoid them.

What Sets Great Cases Apart: Insights from an Ex-Mckinsey Interviewer

Great consulting candidates don’t just solve cases—they stand out in how they think, communicate, and lead the conversation. This workshop is designed to break down what truly separates strong case interviews from exceptional ones, drawing on insights from a former McKinsey interviewer. In this session, you’ll learn how interviewers evaluate structure, problem-solving approach, synthesis, and communication under pressure. We’ll cover common mistakes candidates make, what top consulting firms consistently look for, and how to elevate your case performance across interview rounds. Whether you’re building your foundation or fine-tuning for final-round interviews, you’ll leave with practical strategies and a clearer interviewer’s perspective.

How to Ace Master’s Interviews

Master’s interviews are your chance to bring your application to life and show why you’re a strong fit for the program. In this session, you’ll learn what interviewers are really evaluating, how to answer common questions with clarity and confidence, and how to communicate your academic goals, experiences, and motivation effectively. We’ll cover proven preparation strategies, common pitfalls to avoid, and tips for standing out across different types of master’s programs. You’ll leave with a clear framework and actionable guidance to approach your interviews prepared, polished, and confident.

Acing the Harvard Business School Interview

The HBS interview is a high-stakes conversation that tests clarity of thought, self-awareness, leadership potential, and impact under pressure. In this series, you’ll learn how Harvard evaluates candidates, how to prepare for the case-style discussion and follow-up questions, and how to communicate your story with confidence and precision. Whether you’re awaiting an invite or preparing for interview day, this workshop will give you a clear playbook to perform at your best.

How to build MECE and Customized Frameworks

Strong case performance depends on your ability to build clear, MECE, and customized frameworks, not memorized templates. In this session, Karthik R., an ex-BCG Project Leader and interviewer and former President of Consulting Prep at both Wharton and UT Austin, will teach a foundations-first approach to frameworking that top firms actually reward. Drawing on his experience helping 200+ candidates earn offers at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Oliver Wyman, Deloitte, and Accenture, Karthik will break down how to structure problems from scratch, tailor frameworks to the case context, and integrate quantitative and qualitative thinking into a coherent storyline. You will also learn how interviewers evaluate frameworks and how small improvements in clarity and logic can dramatically raise your case scores.

Driver or Passenger? Taking Control of the College Admissions Process 

The college admissions process can be daunting, but adopting a driver's mindset can make the difference between your dreams and disappointment. In this session, Harvard educated college admissions advisor Jessica F. discusses how to cultivate the essential qualities of leadership, curiosity, character and impact by moving from the passenger seat into the driver's seat. Did you join the debate club or start a debate program for middle-schoolers in underserved areas? Are you choosing colleges because they're prestigious or because you've found your matches? Are you taking classes you should or love? Do your essays use passive or active language? From a high level to specific details, this session will give you valuable tools to help you successfully navigate the college application process to achieve your dreams. Jessica F. has been holistically guiding students through the college application process for thirty years. She's helped students earn perfect scores, write brilliant essays, craft winning narratives and gain admission to the likes of Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Dartmouth, Yale and many more top colleges. She'd love to support you too!

Integer Properties: A Lesson on Divisibility

Integer properties can be a major source of easy points—or costly mistakes—on the GMAT. In this lesson, top Leland test prep coach and 790 scorer Marie B. will break down divisibility rules and common traps in a clear, intuitive way. You’ll learn how to recognize patterns quickly, apply concepts efficiently, and approach integer property questions with confidence and precision.

From Service to Grad School: Getting into an MBA Program

Transitioning from service—military, nonprofit, public sector, or community leadership—into an MBA program requires translating impact into a language admissions committees understand. In this session, you’ll learn how to position your service experience as leadership, quantify outcomes, and craft a compelling narrative that highlights readiness for business school. We’ll cover program fit, essays, recommendations, testing strategy, and common pitfalls unique to service backgrounds, so you can present a clear, confident case for admission.

The Startup Accelerator Playbook: What Programs Want, Who They’re For, and How to Win

Startup accelerators can fast-track your growth—but only if you understand how to leverage them. This session is designed to explain what accelerators look for, who benefits most, and how to position your startup to succeed. You’ll learn the value accelerators provide, how programs evaluate teams and ideas, and strategies to stand out in the application process. Whether you’re exploring your first accelerator or planning your next step, you’ll leave with clear insights and actionable guidance.

Landing an MBB / Consulting Offer - From A to Z

Breaking into top consulting firms requires more than strong academics and case prep - it requires avoiding countless pitfalls, common misconceptions, and time-wasting work. In this session, Leland coach Ian G will walk you through the entire consulting recruiting and interviewing process end-to-end, providing you with the tools and tips to optimize your chances of success and minimize time wasted. As an ex-BCG consultant Ian brings a proven track record, having aced all 8 of his consulting interviews, with a 95% success rate helping candidates land consulting offers over the past 5 years. After this session you’ll leave with a clear, structured playbook for what to focus on at each stage of the journey - from building the right profile and networking effectively to get offers all the way to mastering case and behavioral interviews to convert interviews into offers.

Operating Like a Top Tech Company

Top tech companies don’t just build great products—they operate with clarity, discipline, and strong systems. This session is designed to help founders and operators adopt the mindset and practices that high-performing tech companies use to scale effectively. In this event, you’ll learn how to set clear priorities, build repeatable processes, and create alignment across product, engineering, and growth. We’ll also cover how top teams make decisions, measure performance, and avoid the operational mistakes that slow startups down. Whether you’re early-stage or preparing to scale, you’ll leave with practical frameworks to operate like a top tech company

Mock McKinsey PEI with 2 McKinsey Alums

Join this live mock McKinsey Personal Experience Interview led by two former McKinsey consultants who have interviewed and evaluated real candidates. You’ll see exactly how strong PEI answers are structured, what interviewers listen for, and where candidates commonly lose points. This session will help you understand how to tell clear, compelling stories that demonstrate leadership, impact, and fit with McKinsey’s values.

The Interview Playbook: From First Impression to Offer

Interviews are a process, not a single moment, and success depends on how you show up at every stage. This session walks through the full interview lifecycle, from making a strong first impression to handling behavioral and technical questions and closing confidently. You’ll learn how interviewers evaluate candidates, how to communicate clarity and impact, and how to avoid common mistakes that prevent offers.

The PhD Interview Playbook: Strategy, Preparation, Confidence

PhD interviews can be intense, but the right preparation makes all the difference. This session is designed to help you approach PhD interviews with a clear strategy, strong preparation, and confidence in your research narrative. In this event, you’ll learn how to prepare for common interview formats, articulate your research interests and experiences effectively, and handle challenging academic questions with poise. We’ll also cover how to communicate fit with a program and faculty, and how to stand out in a competitive applicant pool. Whether you’re interviewing for your first PhD program or refining your approach, you’ll leave with practical frameworks and greater confidence.

Wine Import Venture Feasibility Model (Excel)

Excel-based feasibility and financial model for planning a wine import venture. Enter SKU-level pricing, landed costs, shipment size, channel mix.