Leland+ for MBA

MBA Interview Story Bank: Build Your Best Stories Before the Invite [9/10/2026] (Recording)

Great MBA interview answers rarely start with memorizing answers to a list of questions. They start with knowing your own experiences well enough to draw on the right story when you need it. In this session, we’ll show you how to build an MBA interview story bank before interview invitations begin arriving. You’ll identify the strongest experiences from your background and learn how to turn them into flexible stories you can use across dozens of behavioral and school-specific questions. We’ll cover: Which types of stories every MBA applicant should have ready, including leadership, teamwork, conflict, failure, influence, initiative, impact, difficult decisions, and personal growth How to choose your strongest example when several experiences could answer the same question How one experience can support multiple interview questions without giving the same answer repeatedly How to structure stories clearly without sounding rehearsed or robotic How to make your answers specific, reflective, and memorable How to identify gaps in your story bank while you still have time to prepare Whether you have already submitted or are finishing your Round 1 applications, you’ll leave with a practical framework for building the core stories that can support your interviews across multiple MBA programs.

MBA Strategy Session: Pick the Right Schools, Tell the Right Story, Apply at the [7/28/2026] (Recording)

In this free 45-minute strategy session, I’ll help you understand how to approach the MBA decision before jumping into applications. We’ll cover how to choose the right MBA format, build a smart school list, assess timing, and start shaping a compelling admissions narrative. What we’ll cover: How to decide whether now is the right time for your MBA Full-time vs Executive vs one-year MBA options How to choose schools beyond rankings What admissions committees look for in strong candidates How to connect your career goals, story, and school selection Common mistakes candidates make when starting too late or applying too broadly This session is especially useful for applicants targeting European and global MBA programs such as IESE, INSEAD, LBS, HEC, Oxford, Cambridge, IE, ESADE, and top US schools. I’ll also share practical insights from my experience as an IESE MBA alumnus, admissions collaborator, professor, and MBA coach.

Round 2 Roadmap: 5 Things to Do Now (Not in November) [9/10/2026] (Recording)

Round 2 deadlines feel far away, but many applicants vastly underestimate the time and effort it takes to produce truly standout applications. Do yourself a favor and get started early! Join me as I cover the tactical prep and foundational groundwork you should be doing right now, so when it's time to dive into essays and other application materials, you can hit the ground running and maximize your chances of success.

Finding Your MBA Story: Confused About What Makes You "Unique"? [8/4/2026] (Recording)

Most MBA essays sound exactly alike. Yours doesn't have to. If you have ever stared at a blank essay prompt and thought "I don't know what makes me different" — this session is for you. The truth is that uniqueness is almost never what you think it is. It's rarely the startup you launched or the award you won. It's usually something quieter — how you think, how you connect, how you move through the world. And it's almost always already there. We just have to find it. In this drop-in session we'll cover: Why "standard" profiles actually have more to work with than they think How to find the thread that makes your story specific, coherent, and unmistakably yours How to align your essays, recommendations, and goals around one identity What admissions committees are actually looking for — and why being "impressive" is not the same as being memorable Bring your blank page. Bring your doubts. Bring the question you're embarrassed to ask. We'll find your story together — and we'll give you real answers, not generic advice. Your story is in there. We just have to find it.

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.

MBA Strategy Session: Pick the Right Schools, Tell the Right Story, Apply at the [6/18/2026] (Recording)

In this free 45-minute strategy session, I’ll help you understand how to approach the MBA decision before jumping into applications. We’ll cover how to choose the right MBA format, build a smart school list, assess timing, and start shaping a compelling admissions narrative. What we’ll cover: How to decide whether now is the right time for your MBA Full-time vs Executive vs one-year MBA options How to choose schools beyond rankings What admissions committees look for in strong candidates How to connect your career goals, story, and school selection Common mistakes candidates make when starting too late or applying too broadly This session is especially useful for applicants targeting European and global MBA programs such as IESE, INSEAD, LBS, HEC, Oxford, Cambridge, IE, ESADE, and top US schools. I’ll also share practical insights from my experience as an IESE MBA alumnus, admissions collaborator, professor, and MBA coach.

Intel Collection for the MBA: Schools, Careers, and the Application [6/11/2026] (Recording)

This is the second session in the MDMP for MBA series series structured around the seven phases of the Military Decision-Making Process. Each session stands on its own, but together they form a complete framework for military and veteran applicants to systematically and strategically approach the MBA admissions process. In this session, we'll focus on mission analysis and cover how to collect HUMINT and AI-enabled SIGINT to improve your understanding of the critical elements of MBA application: target schools (including class profiles, employment outcomes, and culture), post-MBA career paths (industries, functions, recruiting pipelines, compensation), and the components of the application itself (essays, recommendations, and academic preparation. We'll also cover resources available to military and veteran applicants, from the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon to Service to School and school veterans clubs. By the end, you'll know how to build your candidate school list, how to research post-MBA careers, and how to gather the intelligence that makes every later decision in the process a sound one. Hosted by Ian Kennedy, former Army Special Forces (18E, 1st SFG) and Stanford MBA/MS, who has coached military and veteran applicants into admissions at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, LBS, Duke, and more.

Winning Essays from My Stanford GSB Admits [7/24/2026] (Recording)

Many applicants find a way to write at least one strong essay. But those who really maximize the essay-writing process develop clear narrative through-lines that connect the dots of their life, and articulate how they'll contributions to their target brand. Their two-dimensional writing brings out a three-dimensional personality. They have a “brand”. You know what they’re all about. This event will draw from example essays written by successful admits who I've personally coached, and helped land a spot at one or more top MBA programs. These essays were particularly strong in how they spoke to one another—how they created a holistic applicant who admissions committees could envision on campus. Their professional and judiciously placed personal experience offer evidence for why they’re the kind of person who will make a specific, meaningful difference in the world. During this session, we'll analyze these essays alongside you so you have a clear view into how you can apply what you've learned to your own writing, and put your best application forward for Stanford's top MBA program.

The most important Sentence Equivalence pairs for your real GRE exam.

This resource contains the most important Sentence Equivalence (SE) vocabulary pairs to prepare for the real GRE. This list has been carefully crafted and refined over years of student feedback. After their official GRE attempts, my students have consistently shared the vocabulary they encountered, the kinds of word relationships they saw, and the Sentence Equivalence pairs and patterns that appeared on their exams. Over time, I have used that feedback to identify the vocabulary and pairings that are particularly valuable for GRE preparation. Rather than overwhelming you with thousands of words, this resource focuses on high-value vocabulary pairs and relationships that closely reflect what students have reported encountering on the actual GRE. The goal is not simply to memorize definitions. Learn these words as pairs and relationships, understand their nuances, and train yourself to recognize when two seemingly different choices ultimately produce sentences with equivalent meanings. Use this alongside official ETS Sentence Equivalence questions. If you know these pairs thoroughly and can recognize them in context, you will be much better prepared for the vocabulary and pairing patterns you may encounter on test day.

Investment Banking Networking Guide

A practical, step-by-step guide to investment banking networking, covering target bank selection, cold outreach, networking calls, follow ups, relationship building, and converting conversations into recruiting momentum and interviews.

Kellogg Video Essay Prep Guide

Kellogg overhauled its application this year: five video essays instead of three, and the standalone goals essay is gone. That means goals and fit now have to come through on camera. This guide covers the confirmed format, what the adcom is actually assessing, a 60-second answer structure, 60 practice questions across six categories, and the mistakes that cost applicants the most.

The Only Interview Question Bank You Need for Law School Interviews

This is a comprehensive guide to preparing for law school interviews that past successful applicants have used to ace the law school interview process

The Resume that Got a Full Scholarship to Columbia

The applicant received a full merit based scholarship to Columbia and multiple offers from other T14 schools

Law School Recommendation Sample

This is a real letter that one of my law school recommenders shared with me. I ultimately got into multiple T14 law schools with full merit-based scholarships.

Example Admitted Wharton Essay

Example successful Wharton essay - accepted to the class of 2028.

The Resume That Got Into Wharton - Deferred Admit

Get an in-depth look at a resume that earned an acceptance to Wharton. See how impressive work experience, leadership, and skills come together.

Wharton Short Answer Examples

Example successful Short Answer questions for Wharton - admitted to the class of 2028.

Stop a Generic LOR Before It's Written: 3 Things to Do Now [8/4/2026] (Recording)

A strong candidate with a weak, generic letter is a common and preventable mistake. Learn exactly what to send your recommenders so their letter reinforces your narrative instead of undercutting it.

The Best Recruiting Companion - Networking Tracker

There is no better way to tackle application cycle stress, than without this simple and fool-proof networking tracker! Navigating recruitment can be overwhelming, but managing your contacts does not have to be. Designed for ultimate efficiency, this foolproof tracker keeps everything you need to know perfectly organized and easy to access. It cuts out the unnecessary data so you can focus strictly on building relationships that matter. Download it now to streamline your process and start growing your professional network.