Jake Kirschner

Urbanist Helping Urbanists Pursue Grad School | Wharton MBA & Penn MCP

The Wharton School (UPenn)
AJ Capital Partners
Successful clients at

Available tomorrow

Starting at 2:30 AM UTC

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About

I’m an urbanist that found his professional purpose and community in grad school, and I help other urbanists get into the MBA and graduate programs that will move their careers forward. I recently earned an MBA from Wharton and a Master of City Planning from Penn’s Weitzman School of Design, and I now work as a Development Manager at AJ Capital Partners on a mixed-use development in a culturally rich, evolving neighborhood in Miami. Before grad school, I worked in real estate as a consultant and multifamily owner/operator. Grad school changed the trajectory of my career, and I want to help you change yours. I believe my success in admissions came down to one strength: I could clearly explain how my experiences had shaped me, what I planned to do with my degrees, and where I wanted to go after school. I work with applicants pursuing real estate-focused MBAs, master’s programs in real estate and urban planning, and dual degrees that combine them, whether you’re pivoting into the field or growing within it. If you are passionate improving cities and the built environment makes you passionate and want to put it into words as you apply to grad school, I'm your coach. It would be my pleasure to help you navigate a process that meant so much to me.

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Jake’s Master’s Programs Qualifications

- Three years of helping applicants like you: I’ve spent three years on coffee chats with people following a path similar to mine. Joining Leland let me expand my services and offer more than a coffee chat. - Execution of professional plan at Penn’s Weitzman School of Design: I knew what made me passionate, built a plan for my Master of City Planning degree in my admissions materials, and executed on it. - Planning put into practice: I spent a summer at a West Philadelphia nonprofit on retail corridor revitalization strategy. Today I bring a planning lens to my work at AJ Capital Partners on a thoughtful, placemaking-centered mixed-use development. - Exposure to what’s out there: When I applied, I knew what sparked my passion but not what was out there. After three years researching this space, I can show you the paths a planning or real estate master’s can open up. - Help finding your direction: If you know your passion for the built environment but are not yet sure which program fits, I’ll help you weigh planning programs against real estate master’s programs, introspect, and sharpen your pitch. - Positioning your background: Planners and urbanist types need to show they can handle the financial side of development, and real estate professionals need to show a real commitment to communities and the public realm. I know what committees want to hear and help you articulate your pitch. - Penn and dual-degree guidance: I recently went through the admissions process myself.

Jake can help with:

Application Strategy

Editing

Essays

General Exploration

Resume

School Selection

Secondary Review

Waitlist Strategy

Why do I coach?

I coach because I know what it’s like to have a clear passion without a clear path. I knew I wanted to build my career on using real estate as a tool to improve cities and the built environment, but I didn’t know what grad school options were out there until I started reaching out to people who had pursued similar degrees. Those conversations showed me that this path was possible for me. I want to make pivoting into a career that excites you more accessible to anyone who shares a passion for improving the built environment, whether through an MBA, a master's in urban planning, a master’s in real estate, or a related program. I find it deeply fulfilling to help people look inward, figure out what they want from grad school and their career, and put it into words. Most of all, I want my clients to feel that they can change the trajectory of their careers, too, and launch into work that is aligned with their professional values and interests.