Leland+ Content Library

Leland MBA Week (June 2-6) Kickoff

​Join us for Leland's FREE MBA Week (June 2-6) Kickoff! You’re invited to the ultimate MBA admissions prep week, designed to help you get into your dream program. ​This week will feature a series of online sessions hosted by some of Leland’s top admissions coaches—former admissions officers and application experts who have helped hundreds of applicants get into schools like GSB, HBS, Wharton, Booth, and more. ​Throughout the week, you’ll gain extremely tactical insight on school selection, application strategy, essay writing, interviews, and more. Last year, more than 3,000 participants joined us, and we can’t wait to welcome even more of you this year! ​In this kickoff session, we’ll cover essential topics like crafting your personal story, selecting the right schools, and what MBA programs are really looking for. Our expert panelists include Timothy F. (former Chicago Booth Admissions Fellow with 150+ M7 admits), and Geri T. (former Associate Director of Harvard Business School with 75+ M7 admits). With their extensive experience reading applications, conducting interviews, and coaching successful applicants into every M7 school, they’ll provide top insights to help you stand out in a competitive admissions process.

MBA Strategy Session: Pick the Right Schools, Tell the Right Story, Apply at the [8/27/2026] (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.

Find Your Fit: Selecting The Right Schools For You [9/11/2026] (Recording)

Part 1 of 6 — Build Your Best MBA Application: One Piece at a Time, a free series (5:00–5:45pm ET). Pick the right schools — on purpose, not by ranking. This session walks through the exact fit framework I use with my 1:1 clients: start with the big three — geography, career pursuits, and community/culture — then layer in pedagogy, selectivity, cost, and network. From there we'll build the weighted scorecard my clients use to rank every program by personal fit, not someone else's list. We'll also pressure-test: balancing reach, target, and likely schools, confirming each program actually places grads into your target post-MBA roles and companies, and what to capture for every school once the list locks — deadlines, decision dates, rec counts, interview formats. Your school list should be locked before the essay sprint begins. You'll leave with the framework to lock yours this month.

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.

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.

MBA Strategy Session: Pick the Right Schools, Tell the Right Story, Apply at the [8/6/2026] (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.

MBA Strategy Session: Pick the Right Schools, Tell the Right Story, Apply at the [9/8/2026] (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.

What Law Schools Are Really Looking For This Cycle [10/1/2026] (Recording)

Law school admissions can feel unpredictable when you’re trying to understand what schools are prioritizing from one application cycle to the next. This panel is designed for prospective law students who want a clearer picture of what admissions committees are looking for in this cycle and how those expectations should shape their applications. You’ll hear experts discuss how schools evaluate applicants, what makes a candidate stand out, and where applicants should focus their efforts across their applications. Attending live gives you the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives from admissions and coaching experts and ask questions about how current trends may apply to your own candidacy. Our panelists will share practical guidance, common mistakes to avoid, and what they’re seeing from successful applicants this cycle. If you want a better understanding of how to approach this year's law school admissions process, it’s worth joining live.

The Layered Approach to Law School Personal Statements (Straight From an Admissions Insider) [8/3/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know how to build a personal statement that works on multiple levels at once, revealing character, demonstrating self-awareness, and giving admissions readers a clear reason to advocate for you. The coach will walk through how successful candidates layer narrative and reflection, and what separates statements that feel complete from those that read as surface-level. Attending live means you can ask how this approach applies to your specific story, background, or circumstance, and hear the coach reason through it in real time. This coach works directly with law school applicants and brings a reader's eye to every session, shaped by recognizing the patterns that consistently move applications forward.

How to Overcome Admissions Obstacles…and Still Get into Your Dream Law School  [7/30/2026] (Recording)

If your application has a weak GPA, an employment gap, or a disciplinary record, this session will show you how to address it directly rather than hope admissions committees overlook it. You will leave knowing how to frame a setback in your personal statement, what addenda actually accomplish when written well, and how to position the rest of your application to carry more weight. Attending live means you can ask about your specific obstacle and hear how an experienced coach thinks through a case like yours in real time, which a recording cannot replicate. The coach works with law school applicants through this process regularly and will be sharing the reasoning behind what actually moves complicated applications forward.

Dental Interviews 101

Dental school interviews can feel high-stakes, but with the right preparation, they’re an opportunity to bring your application to life. In this session, you’ll learn what dental schools are really evaluating in interviews, how to answer common questions with confidence, and how to communicate your motivation, experiences, and professionalism effectively. You’ll walk away with practical strategies, preparation tips, and a clear game plan to approach your interviews prepared and poised.

The Right MBA, Not the Same MBA: Uncovering Program Nuance [6/3/2026] (Recording)

Not all MBA programs are created equal, and treating them interchangeably is one of the most common mistakes applicants make. This session will examine the subtle but important differences across top business schools, from culture and academic philosophy to recruiting strengths and leadership development models. Attendees will learn how to assess fit more thoughtfully and how to leverage program-specific nuance to build stronger school lists and more tailored applications.

An Example of a Deferred Candidate’s “Why Columbia” Essay

A top MBA admissions expert analyzes a successful deferred MBA essay for Columbia Business School and breaks down how to answer the "Why this school?" question.

Waitlist Strategy

Updates, new achievements, school engagement

Before You Apply: 5 College Admissions Myths Busted!

Join Will F. (former admissions officer at Penn Engineering and Fox School of Business, Senior Counselor at InGenius Prep) and Annabella G. (college admissions expert with 20 years guiding students to the right schools) as they host a webinar dispelling the biggest myths about the college admissions process. They'll cut through the hype and the chatter from talking heads, podcasts and your neighbor's uncle's best friend, and tell you why what you've heard on TikTok or read on Facebook isn't going to be the "secret" to getting into a top school. They'll also take part in an AMA, answering your toughest questions with honest answers about a complex process - making sense of college admissions.

Top 5 Tips for Your Law School Apps by Indrani, Former SLS Admissions Officer! [7/20/2026] (Recording)

Join Indrani, former Associate Director of Admissions at Stanford Law School, as she goes over her top 5 tips to help you put your best foot forward as you apply to law school! A great law school application requires research, authenticity and hard work, and Indrani will help you strategize. She will go over the importance of the LSAT, putting together a thoughtful school list, who should submit letters of recommendation, how to go about writing your essays and the optimal timeline for getting it all done! The session will end with ample time for questions and answers.

Top 5 Tips for Your Law School Apps by Indrani, Former SLS Admissions Officer! [8/26/2026] (Recording)

Join Indrani, former Associate Director of Admissions at Stanford Law School, as she goes over her top 5 tips to help you put your best foot forward as you apply to law school! A great law school application requires research, authenticity and hard work, and Indrani will help you strategize. She will go over the importance of the LSAT, putting together a thoughtful school list, who should submit letters of recommendation, how to go about writing your essays and the optimal timeline for getting it all done! The session will end with ample time for questions and answers.

Finding Your 'Why Law, Why Now?' and Building a Cohesive Law School Admissions Narrative [7/27/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know how to identify the specific experiences and motivations that make your "why law, why now" answer genuinely compelling, not just technically complete. You will leave with a framework for connecting your personal story to your law school goals, a method for stress-testing narrative consistency across your personal statement and résumé, and clarity on what actually separates cohesive applications from ones that feel scattered. Attending live means you can bring your own background and get a direct read on whether your current narrative holds together, which a recording simply cannot give you. This coach works with law school applicants regularly and will share the patterns they see across successful candidates, giving you a real look at how an experienced reviewer thinks about the stories that move applications forward.