Traditional Full-Time MBA Admissions Consultants

I recently completed by MBA at Harvard Business School. I started my career in banking, and spent a few years prior to school at growth stage startups doing finance, strategy, and operations. During business school, I explored and worked with early stage startups, and now I work as an early stage health tech investor. Whether you need guidance on application strategy, essay writing, or interview preparation, I'm here to support you every step of the way.

Welcome! European, without a consulting or finance background, never been in the US, no Ivy League undergrad… I once thought joining Stanford GSB would be impossible. But by being strategic, resourceful, and persistent, I made it happen ! And now I want others to pursue the same path and made their dream happen ! That is why I am on Leland ! For over 12 years, I built a career in telecom across France, Spain, South Korea and Poland, leading large teams and managing multi-hundred-million-dollar businesses. On paper, I didn’t fit the “classic” MBA mold. Yet through careful storytelling, clear positioning, and a deep understanding of what schools truly value, I turned what seemed like weaknesses into my greatest strengths. My journey showed me that admissions success is about owning your story, showing your potential, and finding the right strategy to shine. Along the way, I’ve coached dozens of applicants, especially international students, helping them break through their doubts and land at the GSB. I know how transformative the right mentorship can be, because I’ve lived it. Now, I’m here to pay it forward. If you’re ready to pursue your dream, I’d be glad to guide you step by step.

With a rich academic background from Harvard Business School and a PhD in Innovation from the University of Hong Kong, I bring a unique blend of academic excellence and practical experience to MBA coaching. As a former MBA Career Advisor at HBS and a researcher at HBS's Asia-Pacific Research Center, where I co-authored case studies with HBS faculty, I have a deep understanding of the MBA journey and what it takes to succeed. My professional experience spans leadership roles in venture capital and investment banking, where I have honed my skills in strategic analysis and innovation. I am passionate about helping aspiring MBA candidates craft compelling applications and navigate the admissions process with confidence. Let's work together to unlock your potential and achieve your MBA dreams!

I'm a Harvard Business School MBA with a Northwestern undergrad degree in journalism. In my 10 years of MBA admissions work, I've coached clients who have been accepted at all M7 schools and they have earned more than $2 million in merit scholarships. I absolutely love helping applicants uncover their unique differentiators, which we all have but often people don't know how to identify them. I've worked with hundreds of applicants on every aspect of MBA applications from school selection to essays to interviews. My experience in journalism and public relations before my MBA and human capital consulting after HBS allows me to help my clients craft the most compelling and clear narratives for business school. I can also relate firsthand to those who have a more untraditional background (public relations certainly was not a popular entry point to HBS when I applied!) although I've worked with many clients from all industries, functions and geographies. I would love to meet you and be your guide on the path to your dream MBA program.

I'm Ryan, a former musician turned consultant turned Duke Fuqua MBA, now working in F200 corporate strategy. My journey to business school was driven by a mission to leave communities better than I found them—through work in climate/sustainability, impact investing, and international development. As the first in my family and network to pursue an MBA, I had to navigate the application process largely on my own. Now, I help others avoid the guesswork. Since graduating, I've worked with a dozen prospective students on every stage of the MBA journey—crafting applications, preparing for interviews, and choosing between top programs like Duke, Columbia, MIT, Cornell, and UVA. My insights have even been featured by Fuqua in their student blog: Read more here (https://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mba/2024/03/21/ryan-vanslyke/knowing-fuqua-was-the-right-fit-for-my-mba). If you're looking for guidance from someone who's been in your shoes, let’s connect—I’d love to help you get into the school of your dreams!

-Coached 200+ paid clients (at professional, market rates) through the MBA admissions process -Have placed multiple clients at each of the Top 25 US schools (~75% M7; ~95% M7 + S7; ~99% Top 25), as well as European schools (INSEAD, LBS, IESE, Oxford, Cambridge) -Accepted as member of AIGAC (Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultations) - an international organization that monitors ethics in admissions consulting and collaborates with Admissions Directors to discuss ideas and trends -Attend annual AIGAC Conference to network, learn about schools, and discuss admissions trends. Attended by AdCom Directors at most top US / European Schools as well as the CEO and / or head consultant(s) at many of the large, well-known firms -Worked at mbaMission for five years -Experience consulting to a range of candidates both from traditional feeder fields (e.g. Investment Banking, Consulting) to non-traditional fields (e.g. fitness coach, independent film director) -Strong business acumen with strategy experience at multiple Fortune 500 companies -Strong informal network of the top solo MBA consultants globally

✨Coached 130+ clients from 25+ countries across various industries including consulting, investment banking, PE/VC, fintech, big tech, consumer goods, defense and aerospace, family business, law, military, mining, and social impact. ✨Client metrics from 2018 to 2025 (7 seasons) include:  ✓ More than 70% of clients admitted to, waitlisted by, and/or interviewed by HBS/Stanford GSB/Wharton  ✓ 85% of clients admitted to a top MBA program (U.S. & European)  ✓ 90% of clients admitted to or waitlisted by a top MBA program (U.S. & European)  ✓ 100% of clients admitted to or waitlisted by a top European program (INSEAD, LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, HEC Paris, IESE) ✨Worked with diverse set of clients that includes:  ✓ First-gen college students (FGCS)  ✓ First-gen Americans  ✓ Internationals (roughly 50% of clients to date)  ✓ LGBTQA  ✓ Military candidates  ✓ Non-traditional candidates making major career transitions  ✓ Third-culture kids (TCK) and adults ✨In 2022 and 2023, ranked among Poets & Quants top MBA Admission Consultants globally. To view testimonials, please see https://poetsandquants.com/consultant/jenifer-raver/ I’m happy to share my success metrics sheet and more testimonials with you – Just ask when you sign up for a free consultation with me!

As a current Harvard Business School student admitted through the 2+2 Deferred Enrollment Program, I have firsthand experience navigating both the deferred and traditional MBA admissions processes. I successfully gained admission to multiple top MBA programs, including my top choice HBS, and understand what it takes to craft a compelling application at every stage. Whether you're applying through a deferred program like HBS 2+2 or Yale Silver Scholars, pursuing a traditional full-time MBA, or exploring a combined degree like an MS/MBA, I can help you develop a differentiated application strategy, refine your essays, and prepare for interviews with confidence.

Good advice should not break your bank. And good advice should be unique. I help MBA applicants find the story that makes everything make sense. My specialty is connecting the dots — personally, professionally, and strategically — so your application reads as a coherent, compelling story rather than a collection of disconnected achievements. I am especially strong at helping applicants find their unique voice and differentiation. This is not a Mad Libs approach, and it is not a factory or template. I help you uncover the most powerful unifying storyline behind your life, career, decisions, ambitions, and future direction. Why this path? Why now? How does everything you have done so far logically lead to what you want to do next? What is the deeper pattern behind your experiences? What makes your candidacy feel not just impressive, but inevitable? Over the past 12 years, I have advised roughly 100 applicants, most targeting top 10 MBA programs. My coaching style is intense, direct, and highly detail-oriented. I am a perfectionist about narrative coherence. I push candidates to go beyond surface-level achievements, uncover the strongest themes in their background, clarify credible short- and long-term goals, and translate their experience into essays and interviews that feel specific, mature, and authentic. The final application should not sound manufactured; it should feel honest, distinctive, and unmistakably yours. I am particularly helpful for candidates with complex, international, technical, finance-heavy, startup, or non-linear backgrounds. If your story has many moving pieces, I can help you connect them into a compelling admissions narrative: where you have been, what shaped you, what you are building toward, and why an MBA is the right bridge. My background combines education from MIT Sloan MBA / undergrad at UPenn, international business experience across the U.S. and China, and years of advising students and professionals on applications, essays, interviews, and career positioning. I have worked across strategy, operations, venture capital, M&A, clean tech, and startup commercialization, which gives me a practical understanding of how ambitious candidates should frame their leadership potential, career goals, and personal differentiation.

Hi, I’m Selina! I was accepted into 3/3 deferred MBA programs I applied to: Stanford GSB, Harvard Business School, and Wharton. My edge is storytelling. I’m a former Top 2 nationally ranked debater, published writer, editor, and AI product / strategy operator with experience at TikTok, Microsoft, The Walt Disney Company, and Brookings. I excel in helping candidates with application polishing, essays, resume, short answers, interviews, etc. in a way that is unforgettable.