Leland+ Content Library

Ask an HBS Grad Anything: R1 Polish, R2 Timeline, & Standout Strategies [9/16/2026] (Recording)

Have burning questions about your MBA application strategy? Get direct, candid answers from an HBS graduate in a fast-paced, 30-minute AMA. Bring your questions on: Round 1: Last-minute R1 polish, essay tweaking, and optional essays. Round 2: Fall timeline planning, test retakes, and application strategy. Top-Tier Admissions: What HBS and M7 programs look for during application review. No slides, no filler—just 30 minutes of live Q&A. Stick around at the end to learn how to lock in a 1:1 review before Round 1 deadlines!

What Deferred MBA Admissions Committees Really Look For: How to Strengthen Your [8/26/2026] (Recording)

Deferred MBA admissions are about much more than a high GPA, strong test scores, or a prestigious internship. Admissions committees are evaluating your potential: the choices you’ve made, the impact you’re already creating, and the trajectory you’re building. In this session, I’ll break down what top deferred MBA programs are actually looking for and how to assess your profile from an admissions committee perspective. We’ll cover academics, internships, leadership, extracurricular involvement, career direction, and personal positioning—and, most importantly, what you can still do before the next application deadlines to become a stronger candidate. Whether you’re just starting to consider deferred MBA programs or already planning to apply, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of where you stand and what to prioritize next.

Studying Abroad at Oxford [9/15/2026] (Recording)

Studying abroad at Oxford can be an exciting opportunity, but figuring out what the experience is actually like—from academics and student life to navigating a new country—can feel overwhelming. This session is designed for students considering studying abroad at Oxford who want a firsthand look at what to expect and how to make the most of the experience. You’ll learn about the academic environment, what day-to-day life as a student can look like, and practical considerations for preparing for life and study abroad. Attending live gives you the opportunity to ask questions about the experience and hear directly from someone who has studied at Oxford. The speaker will share firsthand lessons from their own journey, including what they wish they had known before going and how they made the most of their time abroad. If you’re considering studying abroad at Oxford and want a more realistic picture of the experience, it’s worth joining live.

Home for Ambition #25 — Weekly Live Show [9/30/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, hosted by Leland CEO, John Koelliker, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

Secondary Applications: Writing Excellent Essays [6/9/2026] (Recording)

Secondary applications can quickly become overwhelming, and many strong applicants lose momentum when it comes time to write dozens of school-specific essays. This session is for medical school applicants who want a clearer strategy for writing compelling secondary responses efficiently and effectively. You’ll learn how to approach common prompts, maintain quality across multiple applications, and craft essays that feel personal without becoming repetitive. Join live to ask questions about your own secondary essays and hear guidance from a coach who completed over 40 secondaries and earned 13 medical school acceptances. The speaker has firsthand experience navigating the volume and pressure of the process and now helps applicants strengthen their writing and application strategy. Expect practical advice and insights similar to what’s covered in 1:1 coaching conversations.

What Made You a Strong Operator May Be Costing You as a Leader 6/16/26

Strong operators usually get promoted because they’re sharp, reliable, useful, and good at figuring things out. But people leadership asks for a different kind of strength. At some point, the same habits that made you valuable as an operator can start creating drag as a leader. You may find yourself overexplaining, second-guessing, carrying too much in your head, jumping in too quickly, delaying hard conversations, or trying to stay useful in ways that make it harder to actually lead. This session is a practical working session for technical managers and technical leads moving into people leadership. We’ll look at why strong operator habits can become leadership drag, how to spot what is costing you the most right now, and why clearer leadership usually starts with better operating design. You’ll leave with a simple Leadership Drag Audit you can use immediately to identify where your current way of operating is creating unnecessary cost for you, your team, and your leadership presence. This session is especially useful if you are a technical manager who was promoted because you were strong technically, but now you are responsible for delegation, performance conversations, trust, communication under pressure, and leading people without carrying everything yourself. This is the front door to the work I call the People Leadership OS: building a way of leading that fits who you actually are and what your role now requires. This session is for: Technical managers Engineering managers Data engineering managers Analytics engineering managers ML and data science managers Platform, infrastructure, DevOps, and security managers Technical leads moving into people leadership Former senior, staff, or principal ICs who now manage people or are about to

Master the Mindset That Keeps You Moving [9/29/2026] (Recording)

Sometimes the biggest obstacle between you and your goals isn’t knowing what to do. It’s the thoughts and mental patterns that make it harder to keep doing it. Overthinking, perfectionism, fear of failure, self doubt, and harsh self criticism can quietly influence the actions we take, the risks we avoid, and whether we continue moving forward when progress becomes difficult. In this session, we’ll explore the mental habits that can interfere with progress and practical tools for responding to them more intentionally so you can keep moving toward what matters. We’ll cover: • How thoughts influence emotions, behaviors, and the actions we take • Common mental patterns that can interfere with progress and follow-through • A practical framework for identifying and questioning unhelpful thoughts • How to reframe mental narratives that contribute to overthinking, perfectionism, or self doubt • Simple mindset practices that help you navigate setbacks and continue moving forward You’ll leave with practical tools to better manage your internal dialogue, respond more intentionally when your mind gets in the way, and continue taking meaningful action even when motivation or confidence fluctuates. This workshop is part of a 3-part goal achievement series for ambitious professionals.

Your Networking Playbook: What it Takes in 2026 [10/6/2026] (Recording)

Networking is no longer about collecting connections or sending endless cold messages. In a competitive consulting market, the right conversations can open doors, but only if you know how to build genuine relationships and turn them into opportunities. This session is for aspiring consultants who want to network more strategically and build relationships that actually move their recruiting forward. You’ll learn how to identify the right people to reach out to, craft messages that get responses, and turn networking conversations into meaningful connections. Join live to hear from a former McKinsey consultant who knows what effective networking looks like from inside a top consulting firm. The speaker will share practical outreach strategies, common networking mistakes, and advice for building relationships that can strengthen your path into consulting. Bring your questions and leave with a playbook you can put to work immediately.

Interview Insider: Decode the Hiring Manager [9/22/2026] (Recording)

You prepared for a Q&A session. The hiring manager is looking for a business solution. That gap is why great candidates get rejected without feedback or don't get the offer, and it's what this session is built to close. Here's what we'll cover: The Offer Void: Why strong candidates lose offers they should have won, and what's actually happening behind the scenes. Two Audiences, One Room: The recruiter is your gatekeeper. Mitigates risk, confirms fit. The hiring manager is your decision maker. Solves a specific team pain point. Most candidates only address one of them. Impactful Storytelling: The STAR method, built for business value. Use owner verbs. Lead with results. Keep Situation and Task under 30 seconds of a 2-minute answer. Decoding Hidden Questions: What "Tell me about a time you failed" and "Why are you leaving?" are actually asking and how to answer the question behind the question. Interview Do's and Don'ts: The specific habits that cost candidates offers, and the moves that build trust fast. The Offer Call: The Triple Win strategy across financial, lifestyle, and growth. How to use market data instead of "I want" and the rule for handling any offer without leaving money on the table. Come with your toughest interview question. We'll address as many as we can in live Q&A.

Ask Me Anything: The Personal Statement [8/13/2026] (Recording)

Join me, Chris, for an engaging "Ask Me Anything" session focused on crafting the perfect personal statement for your college applications. With a rich academic journey through UC Berkeley, NYU, and Harvard, and experience as a Creative Writing and Personal Statement Coach, I've helped over 60 students gain admission to their dream schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Brown. Whether you're just starting your application journey or refining your essays, this is your chance to get personalized advice on essays, editing, school selection, and more. Don't miss out on this opportunity to make your application shine—RSVP now to secure your spot!

GMAT Quant Strategies for 90%+ Scores [7/22/2026] (Recording)

Rusty on your Math skills? Eager to start studying for the GMAT, but need a refresher of the basic Arithmetic and Algebra topics tested on the exam? In this fun and engaging webinar designed and taught by the 99%-ile GMAT instructor with many years of teaching experience, you'll learn the strategies that will help you achieve success on the Quant section of the GMAT! If you're serious about mastering the GMAT and applying to the very best business schools, you can't afford to miss the FREE GMAT Strategies Workshop!

Are You Quant Enough for a MFE? [9/29/2026] (Recording)

Are you quant enough to get into a top MFE program? I'll 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 also share what I've learned coaching clients who have gotten into quant finance programs at Stanford, Columbia, UChicago, Cornell, Duke, and NYU. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot today!

How to Pivot into Consulting [10/7/2026] (Recording)

You don't need a traditional consulting background to build a career in consulting, but you do need to know how to make your experience work in your favor. Career pivots can be challenging when you’re competing against candidates with more conventional backgrounds, so positioning and strategy matter. This session is for professionals and students looking to transition into consulting who want a clearer path forward. You’ll learn how to position your existing experience, identify the skills consulting firms value, and approach recruiting as a career switcher. Join live for a panel of consulting experts who have experience navigating the path into the industry. They’ll share practical advice on positioning your background, breaking into the recruiting pipeline, and avoiding common mistakes that can hold career switchers back. Bring your questions and leave with a clearer roadmap for making your pivot into consulting.

From Generic to Hired | How to Polish Your CV for AI & Tech Jobs [6/15/2026] (Recording)

Join this practical mentoring session designed to help students, graduates, and early-career professionals improve their CVs for tech and AI roles. Led by an Ex-Microsoft professional and current Agentic AI Engineer at Accenture/Avanade, this session will show you how to move beyond a generic CV and tailor your experience for every job you apply to. We’ll cover how to read job descriptions properly, identify the skills recruiters actually look for, highlight projects and technical experience, use AI/ML keywords naturally, and structure your CV so it feels relevant, clear, and competitive. Whether you’re applying for internships, graduate schemes, AI roles, software engineering positions, data jobs, or consulting roles, this session will give you practical tips you can apply straight away. You’ll learn how to: -> Tailor your CV for each tech or AI job -> Make projects and experiences sound more impactful -> Use keywords without making your CV sound robotic -> Avoid common mistakes that get CVs ignored -> Present yourself clearly, even if you have limited experience A great session for anyone looking to stand out in a competitive tech job market.

Solidifying Your Secondaries [7/31/2026] (Recording)

If you're in the medical school admissions cycle, chances are you are staring down the secondary essays. You might be almost done, have not yet started, or somewhere in between. No matter where you are at, this session is here to help you craft stand out responses! We will spend the first part of this session going through the major essay archetypes that most institutions ask in some form (e.g., why us, diversity, challenge) and talk about how to make yourself stand out while keeping your secondaries congruent with your larger narrative. Then we will move to an open Q&A, so bring your prompts, drafts, or any other questions you have as you navigate the process!

How to Create an Application That Gets You Admitted [9/14/2026] (Recording)

Getting admitted to a top master’s program takes more than meeting the basic requirements. The strongest applicants know how to turn their experiences, goals, and qualifications into a cohesive application that gives the admissions committee a clear reason to choose them. This session is for prospective master’s students who want to build a stronger, more strategic application from the ground up. You’ll learn how to position your background, communicate your goals, and strengthen the parts of your application that can make the biggest difference. Join live to hear from a master’s admissions expert with more than two decades of experience as a Graduate Degree Admissions Consultant, who has guided countless clients to top programs across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The speaker will share practical insights from years of helping applicants succeed, including how to approach your essays, resume, recommendations, and overall application strategy. Bring your questions and leave with a clearer understanding of how to create an application that earns attention.

AMA: Breaking into MBB - Nailing the Recruiting Process and Case Interviews [10/13/2026] (Recording)

Recruiting for MBB consulting? Join this session as we discuss what you can do to set yourself apart to secure an interview, and eventually nail those interviews. Having just gone through the MBA consulting recruiting process at Chicago Booth last fall, securing offers from Bain, BCG, and McKinsey, I’ll give you the latest tips and tricks on how to bring out your best self and maintain composure during the intense recruiting process and case interviews. This session is designed for anyone trying to pivot into consulting, including MBA candidates, career switchers, and undergraduate students. I’ll tailor which topics we cover to the specific questions you all have, but below are key topics I’ll come ready to discuss. We'll discuss the following best practices that apply to anyone recruiting for consulting: -How often to practice casing, who to practice with, and how to practice (which frameworks to learn, case logs, etc.) -Simulating case day, such as preparing for interviewers who try to throw you off -Nailing pre-interview assessments (McKinsey Solve, Bain TestGorilla, BCG Casey, etc.) -How to prepare for the behavioral interview (what stories to come prepared with, having a great answer for “why this consulting firm”, etc.) -Resume tips For current MBA and undergraduate candidates, we'll discuss how to navigate the on-campus recruiting process, including: -Making a good first impression as you meet firm reps on campus -How to reach out for coffee chats and who to reach out to -Best practices during those coffee chats -Nailing your 15- and 60-second intro and your “why consulting” -Best practices at invite-only events -How to prepare for practice cases with MBB reps (Bain loves to do these) Feel free to come with questions and RSVP to secure your spot!

GRE Quant: The Most Important Strategies for a 90th-Percentile Score [10/15/2026] (Recording)

Aiming for a 90th-percentile GRE Quant score? Join Matt Doyle for a practical livestream on how to study effectively, approach challenging questions, and avoid mistakes that cost valuable points. Through worked examples, you’ll learn how to: - Prioritize the math concepts and question types that deserve the most attention. - Approach Quantitative Comparison questions systematically and recognize common traps. - Manage your time and decide when to keep working, skip a question, or make an educated guess. - Use official practice questions, practice tests, and an error log to identify weaknesses and guide your preparation. You’ll leave with a clearer study plan and practical strategies for improving your accuracy, speed, and confidence. Whether you’re returning to math after years away or working to move an already strong score into the 90th percentile, this session will help you make your preparation more focused and productive. Matt Doyle has more than 25 years of standardized-test tutoring experience and holds degrees from Duke, Stanford, and Northwestern’s JD/MBA program.

Building a Case Prep Game Plan: How to Structure You're Prep to Land an Interview. [8/21/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you will walk away with a clear, week-by-week framework for structuring your consulting case prep from first exposure through final-round readiness. You will learn how to prioritize case types based on your target firms, how to self-diagnose the gaps that most commonly stall candidates in the screening stage, and how to build a practice rhythm that compounds over time rather than plateauing. Attending live means you can describe your actual timeline and target list and hear a direct response to your specific situation, not a generic answer a recording cannot adapt to. The coach works with consulting candidates daily and will share the patterns that consistently separate structured, hirable thinkers from candidates who prepare hard but still fall short.

Crack the Quant: A Framework for Case Math and Exhibits [7/1/2026] (Recording)

Case math and exhibits are where most candidates lose points, and most prep resources gloss over them. As a former Ross peer coach and BCG interviewer, I know what interviewers are actually looking for, and this session will help prepare you to excel. We'll walk through a custom framework for tackling quant questions and chart reads with structure and confidence, then apply it live to a real exhibit so you can see exactly how it works in practice. A Repeatable Framework for Case Math & Exhibits: Stop reacting to exhibits and start working through them with a repeatable process from the moment the chart hits the table to the moment you drive toward a recommendation. -How to orient yourself to any exhibit quickly: what to read, what to flag, and what to ask before you share insights -A structured way to surface insights at two levels: what the chart shows and what it actually means for the case -A three-part calculation approach that keeps you from doing math aimlessly, so every number you solve for has a purpose and a payoff -What interviewers are actually evaluating when they hand you an exhibit Live Walkthrough: Watch the framework applied to a real exhibit from start to finish.