Leland+ Content Library

Stop Competing With Everyone Else. Start Mastering Your Own Mind [6/24/2026] (Recording)

Unlock the power of your mind and elevate your leadership skills in our upcoming event, "Stop Competing With Everyone Else. Start Mastering Your Own Mind." Join David, an experienced talent acquisition expert and strategist, as he guides you through the essential skills of decision-making, strategy, leadership development, and communication. With a rich background that includes roles at Meta, Intuit, and Andreessen Horowitz, David brings a wealth of knowledge in fostering growth and innovation. He is currently enhancing his expertise with a Masters in coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas and holds a certificate in People Analytics from The Wharton School. This session is designed for executives and leaders eager to refine their strategic thinking and communication prowess. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your approach to leadership. Space is limited, so RSVP now to secure your spot!

How to Build a Winning MBA Application

Many MBA applicants have strong profiles but struggle to bring all the pieces together into a cohesive, competitive application. This session is designed for candidates who want to understand how admissions committees evaluate applicants across essays, resumes, recommendations, and interviews. You’ll learn how to define clear career goals, build a compelling narrative, and position your experiences in a way that demonstrates leadership, impact, and fit with your target programs.

Next Cycle, New Reality: Preparing for Law School Admissions in 2026-2027

Law school admissions continue to evolve, with shifting applicant volumes, changing evaluation priorities, and increasing competition at top programs. In this session, we’ll break down what to expect in the 2026–2027 cycle, how to interpret trends in LSAT scores and medians, and what admissions committees are prioritizing beyond the numbers. You’ll learn how to build a smart timeline, strengthen your narrative, and position yourself strategically in a competitive landscape.

Positioning Your Military Experience for an MBA

Military experience can be a powerful differentiator in MBA admissions when it is translated clearly into leadership, impact, and future potential. This session will show you how to reframe service roles into business-ready language, quantify outcomes, and connect your experience to post-MBA goals that resonate with top programs. We’ll cover essays, resumes, recommendations, and interview positioning, along with common pitfalls veterans face and how to avoid them.

Making Your “Why This School” Essays Impossible to Ignore

“Why this school?” is one of the most common—and most poorly executed—application essays. In this session, expert Leland coach and former AdComs at Chicago Booth Tim F. will break down what admissions committees actually look for and why generic answers fall flat. You’ll learn how to research programs deeply, connect your goals to specific resources, and write essays that feel personal, credible, and impossible to ignore.

Get Started on Your Deferred MBA Panel: Actionable Tips from Experts

Kick off your Deferred MBA journey with a panel of top Leland coaches who have helped countless applicants earn admits to programs like HBS 2+2, GSB Deferred, and Wharton Advance Access. They’ll break down what you should be doing right now—from crafting your narrative to securing impactful recommenders—to stay competitive ahead of this year’s deadlines. You’ll leave with clear, actionable next steps to start your application strong.

The Deferred Blueprint: A Detailed Guide to Breaking into M7 as a Deferred Applicant

Applying to deferred MBA programs can feel like a black box—especially when it comes to the ultra-competitive M7 schools. In this session, expert coach Tim F. will break down exactly what it takes to stand out as a deferred applicant. ​By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step blueprint for building a competitive application and putting yourself on the fast track to an M7 admit.

Ace MBA Interviews & Essays: Strategies for Why an MBA/Now/This School

Are you struggling to clearly answer “Why an MBA?”, “Why now?”, and “Why this school?” in both interviews and written applications? These three questions are the backbone of every strong MBA candidacy. In this focused 60-minute session, you’ll learn exactly how to approach them with clarity, specificity, and confidence. We’ll break down what admissions committees are really looking for, why these questions matter, and the most common mistakes applicants make. You’ll see detailed examples drawn directly from successful applicant materials, along with in-depth analysis of what makes each example strong or weak. We’ll cover how to link your background, needs, and goals to the right program features, how to avoid generic phrasing, and how to bring authenticity and structure into your responses. Throughout the session, I’ll highlight specific dos and don’ts and walk you through the progression from vague answers to compelling, school-ready responses. You’ll also see how your approach should differ between essays and interviews so your answers feel natural and appropriate in each format. We will close with a Q&A where you can ask about these three questions, your approach, or anything that wasn’t fully clear in the presentation. By the end, you’ll have a sharper understanding of what makes a strong response, how to integrate school-specific research, and how to communicate your story in a way that resonates in both interviews and written applications.

MBA Submit & Speak Part 1: The Final Ten Days [8/27/2026] (Recording)

Ten days out from your Round 1 deadline, everything feels urgent, and much of it truly is. What you may not have is time to do it all. This session opens a new three-part series, MBA Submit & Speak. We start where you are right now, in the last stretch before Round 1 closes, and we make the decisions that are still genuinely open to you. Not another round of line edits, but the calls that change what an admissions committee receives. Across the three sessions, we move from the last days before you submit to the interviews that follow. Attend all three to go from deadline to interview with one continuous plan, or drop into the single session you need most. In this session, you will learn how to spend your final ten days: • Decide school by school which programs belong in Round 1, and which one you should move to Round 2 on purpose rather than by accident. • See why the online application form itself, the biographical, employment, education, and activities sections that feel like paperwork, is read as closely as anything you write. • Learn when an optional essay or addendum helps you, and when saying nothing is the stronger answer. • Handle a recommender who has gone quiet with days left, without damaging the relationship or the recommendation. • Rank what is worth fixing in the last seventy-two hours and give yourself permission to leave the rest alone. The hardest part of the final ten days is not effort, it is order. A dozen legitimate tasks compete for the same few evenings, and from where you are sitting they all look equally important. This session puts them in sequence, so you know what to do first, what can wait until the night before, and what to let go of entirely, and you submit an application you chose rather than one the clock chose for you. I have guided more than 100 applicants into every M7 program, across the top 20 in the U.S., and into leading international programs, including INSEAD, London Business School, IESE, Esade, Oxford, Cambridge, NUS, and more. Spend your last ten days on what actually changes the outcome. Register now to claim your spot.

Fix Your GMAT Mistakes: Study Smarter, Score Higher

If you’re stuck at a plateau, constantly making the same mistakes, or unsure how to study more strategically, this workshop will show you how to turn things around. Jennifer P. D.—a leading GMAT expert in Europe with 11 years of teaching experience and a 770 personal score—will break down how to diagnose your errors, rethink your study habits, and apply targeted techniques to boost your performance. With a perfect 51 Verbal score, deep knowledge of GMAC’s adaptive scoring logic, and years of experience preparing candidates worldwide, Jennifer brings a uniquely expert, personalized approach to GMAT mastery. You’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, create a smarter prep plan, and walk into test day with clarity and confidence.

Mastering this Skill Unlocked the 99th percentile LSAT for Me

The LSAT is one of the biggest hurdles on the law school path—but mastering the right skills can completely change your score trajectory. In this session, we’ll dive into the single most impactful skill that propelled Eshaan S. to a 99th percentile score. You’ll learn why this skill matters, how to practice it effectively, and how to apply it under timed conditions. ​We’ll also cover broader strategies for test-day preparation, common pitfalls that hold students back, and ways to approach the exam with confidence. Whether you’re just starting LSAT prep or aiming to push from good to great, you’ll leave with concrete techniques you can put into action right away.

Build Your Test Prep Study Plan: GMAT & GRE

Your target score is not a dream. It is a strategy. The GMAT and GRE are beatable, but only if you stop winging it and start training with intention. In this session, you will build a personalized, high-performance study plan designed around your strengths, weaknesses, and timeline. You will learn how to diagnose your baseline, prioritize the sections that move the needle fastest, structure practice for maximum retention, and time your prep so you peak exactly when it matters. No more scattered studying. No more second guessing. Just a clear roadmap to a score that changes your trajectory. If you are ready to take control of your prep and unlock your full potential, this is your starting line.

Ben L. (GSB Alum) Podcast Feature

Ben’s career has been anything but linear, from working at McKinsey helping prisons improve rehabilitation outcomes, to diving into politics, to supporting chess startups, his experiences are as diverse as they are fascinating. After struggling through the MBA application process himself, Ben became driven to help candidates craft powerful, authentic applications that truly reflect who they are. In this episode, Ben shares: How his varied career shaped his perspective on business school and beyond Why storytelling is the key to a standout MBA application How he helps candidates align their applications with their unique strengths and passions If you’re navigating the MBA application process, Ben’s insights will help you focus on what truly matters and make your story shine.

October Series - Managing a Job Search (Session 4)

Stop moving in the wrong direction! It’s easy to confuse being busy with making progress. Not all activity is created equal. Many job seekers spend hours applying blindly or scrolling through job boards. But this kind of busywork often leads to burnout and disappointment. The real trap is measuring effort instead of results. (Read that again). What matters is focusing on high-impact activities and tracking meaningful metrics. If you don’t, you risk throwing darts in the wrong direction and wondering why you’re not hitting the board. While you might get lucky with sheer volume and the law of averages, it’s ultimately the quality and direction of your activity that truly counts.

Comprehensive Guide to Letters of Recommendation

​Letters of recommendation can make or break a graduate school application—but too often, applicants underestimate their importance or don’t know how to manage the process strategically. In this session, we’ll cover everything you need to know: whom to ask, when to ask, how to prepare your recommenders, and how to ensure your letters complement and strengthen the rest of your application. ​You’ll also learn how to approach potential recommenders with confidence, provide the right context and materials, and avoid common pitfalls. With clear guidance from Jennifer P., a Harvard master’s graduate and experienced coach, you’ll walk away with a roadmap to securing strong, authentic recommendations that highlight your strengths and align with your overall story.

Comprehensive Guide to Letters of Recommendation

​Letters of recommendation can make or break a graduate school application—but too often, applicants underestimate their importance or don’t know how to manage the process strategically. In this session, we’ll cover everything you need to know: whom to ask, when to ask, how to prepare your recommenders, and how to ensure your letters complement and strengthen the rest of your application. ​You’ll also learn how to approach potential recommenders with confidence, provide the right context and materials, and avoid common pitfalls. With clear guidance from Jennifer P., a Harvard master’s graduate and experienced coach, you’ll walk away with a roadmap to securing strong, authentic recommendations that highlight your strengths and align with your overall story.

Military to MBA with Alex S.

Join us for a focused workshop designed to help veterans and active-duty service members navigate the transition from the military to top MBA programs. Military veteran and Ross MBA Alex S. will break down how to translate your experience into civilian leadership language, highlight impact in a way admissions teams understand, and build a compelling narrative that showcases your trajectory. Learn to turn military experience into a powerful competitive advantage in MBA admissions!

MBA Essays That Get You Admitted: Do’s and Don’ts from an M7 Expert

MBA essays are where strong candidates separate themselves, but many applicants struggle to turn their experiences into a clear and compelling story. This session is for MBA applicants who want to approach their essays with more strategy and confidence. You’ll learn what makes an essay memorable to admissions readers, common mistakes that weaken otherwise strong profiles, and how to structure your story so it aligns with what top programs are looking for.