Leland+ Content Library

Deferred MBA M7 Series: Columbia

Applying to Columbia Business School’s deferred MBA program is a unique opportunity—and a uniquely competitive one. In this session, Melanie E.—a multi-disciplinary coach featured in Forbes, NBC, ABC, CBS, Business Insider, and TEDx—will break down exactly what CBS is looking for and how to position yourself as a standout candidate. With deep experience coaching applicants into top MBA programs and a coaching style tailored to each individual’s strengths, Melanie will walk you through how to craft a compelling narrative, highlight leadership potential, and approach Columbia’s essays and recommendations with clarity and strategy. Whether you’re early in your MBA exploration or preparing to hit submit, this session will give you actionable insights to strengthen your CBS deferred application.

How to Vibecode Your First Project

Vibecoding is all about skipping the syntax stress and getting straight to the fun part: actually building something cool. In this session, we’ll show you how to use natural language to guide your code, iterate fast, and turn a "vibey" idea into a functional first project. You’ll learn how to prompt like a pro, troubleshoot when things feel off, and adopt the mindset needed to build apps even if you’ve never written a line of code. It’s the perfect way to bring your side projects to life without the usual technical headaches.

From Applicant to AI Marketer: Your Blueprint for Landing a Dream Job

Landing your dream job at the intersection of AI and marketing demands more than just a sharp resume—it requires strategic positioning, domain fluency, and an ability to tell your story through data. Join Arthur B., seasoned product marketing leader with experience at Meta, TikTok, Adobe, and now Google AI, to get the inside scoop on what it really takes to break into the AI marketing world. ​Arthur will walk you through how to identify and build the right skills, tailor your narrative for AI-driven roles, and structure your application to land attention in a crowded field. ​Whether you’re pivoting from a traditional marketing role or entering the AI space for the first time, this session will give you a clear blueprint to differentiate yourself and move confidently toward your ideal role.

Veterans MBA Admissions Fireside Chat + Panel Discussion

This exclusive event is designed specifically for veterans or those currently in the military interested in pursuing MBA programs. Led by a distinguished panel of veterans who have successfully navigated their own MBA application journeys, this fireside chat offers a unique opportunity to hear firsthand experiences, learn proven strategies, and gain insider knowledge on how to showcase your military background and skills effectively. ​From translating your military service into a compelling story to leveraging your leadership experience, paying for your MBA, and more, the panelists will share actionable advice to help you stand out amongst fellow applicants. ​​Leland is cohosting this event with Sitreps2Steercos, an incredible organization that was founded to help those in the military transition into top graduate programs and competitive career paths. ​Meet our panelists: ​Wyatt F, United States Military Academy, Warton MBA, US Army, helps clients write their "hero's journey" story for admissions committees, craft their resumes to make sure civilians understand their roles and impact, and nail the GMAT. ​Kelsey K, former M7 Admissions Director, partners with applicants to help them clarify who they are, what they want, and why they belong at the world’s best business schools. ​Alex S., Marine Academy, Ross MBA, US Army, alumni interviewer for Ross, expert MBA admissions coach for veterans and non-traditional backgrounds, has coached and prepped over 100+ people on MBA applications with a high rate of success.

Great First MBA Interview Answer. Ready for Follow-Ups? Learn to be!

▶ Your first answer went well. Then the follow-ups started. And they didn’t stop. In many MBA interviews, interviewers drill far beyond your initial response. If you are prepared, this is where you shine. If you are not, this is often where an otherwise strong application quietly slips away. I have helped applicants succeed in even the most demanding interview formats. In this 30-minute live session, I will introduce and demonstrate one of the core techniques I use with clients, the Dual Lens Interview Prep method, a practical approach designed to help you prepare not just answers, but real interview conversations. 🚩Do not miss this event - you will not learn this technique anywhere else!🚩 ▶You will learn how to: ◆ Prepare for follow-up questions that dig beneath your initial response ◆ Step into the interviewer’s mindset to anticipate deeper probing ◆ Build a flexible story bank that adapts across questions and schools ◆ Practice effectively on your own using recorded responses and structured reflection ◆ Go multiple layers deep on a single story without sounding rehearsed or scripted ▶ What we’ll do live I will walk through an example of the Dual Lens method in action, showing how one core story can generate multiple rounds of natural, high-quality follow-ups. I will also show how to organize this practice using simple tools, how to evaluate your own responses, and how this method fits into the broader interview prep system I use with MBA admits each year. ✔ What you’ll leave with A clear, repeatable framework you can start using immediately, whether you are preparing solo, with friends, or alongside a coach. ▶ Register now to learn how to handle MBA interview follow-ups with confidence.

AI Evals for PMs - The GenAI PM's Secret Weapon [6/25/2026] (Recording)

Transitioning to GenAI product management can feel like learning a whole new language. But here is the truth: the best GenAI PMs aren't just throwing features at the wall to see what sticks. They are building rigorous evaluation systems. Join us for an exclusive, 30-minute session designed for senior PMs to help you cut through the noise. We’ll start with a high-level look at the core skills you need to thrive in GenAI, then dive deep into the one practice that separates a "cool demo" from a "reliable product": AI Evaluation. Led by a GenAI PM Lead from Meta, you will walk away with real-world examples and tools to help you: Define and measure AI output quality with precision. Improve and iterate on your GenAI products systematically. Move beyond the prototype phase to build systems that actually work at scale. If you are ready to stop guessing and start building with confidence, join us!

GMAT Quant Isn't About Math: The 4 Skills That Decide Your Quant Score [6/16/2026] (Recording)

About this event You've done hundreds of problems. You know the formulas. Your score isn't moving. Here's why: the GMAT isn't actually testing your math. The math on Quant is high school level — it has to be, because there's no calculator. What separates a 600 from a 700+ isn't more content knowledge. It's the four test-taking skills that decide how every problem unfolds: how you choose your path, how you manage time, how you handle stress, and how you maintain focus across 45 minutes. In this 60-minute session, we'll deep-dive each of those four skills using the same framework I use with my 1:1 students on Leland. You'll see live problem walkthroughs showing the difference between a 4-minute "compute the obvious thing" path and a 20-second "make your life easy" path — and you'll learn the single mental move that makes the second one feel natural. By the end, you'll have a personalized diagnostic of your own weakest skill — and a concrete 4-week plan to actually move your score. --------------------------------------- What you'll learn Why "more practice" doesn't fix the plateau — and what does The 4 Test-Taking Abilities behind every top score (Strategy / Methodology, Time Management, Stress Management, Focus) and how each one maps onto specific in-the-moment moves The one mental question to ask before every Quant problem that re-routes you from the long path to the short one The skip decision framework — when to invest, when to bank time, and how to make the call at the 1-minute mark instead of the 2-minute mark An anti-paralysis protocol for the moment you go blank on test day Your personal TTA profile via 3 live polls — including a 4-question diagnostic that tells you exactly where your prep should focus next --------------------------------------- What you'll walk away with A clear picture of your weakest skill out of the four — and why it's almost certainly the lever that will move your score the most A calibrated 4-week prep plan A short list of pattern-recognition moves you can use on your very next practice session --------------------------------------- Who this event is for - Pre-test or mid-prep MBA applicants targeting 700+ - Students who have plateaued despite putting in significant prep hours - Anyone whose mock scores consistently trail their practice scores by 5+ points - Students who have done content review and want to know what to do next This is not a content-review session. We will not cover formulas, definitions, or "how to solve a quadratic." If you're at the foundational-content stage, this event will be most useful after you've done your first content pass. --------------------------------------- Format 60 minutes, live Fully worked problems demonstrating compute-first vs. think-first approaches Open Q&A at the end --------------------------------------- About the host Josh P. is a GMAT coach on Leland who works with students across all three sections — Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights. He has developed a structured methodology for diagnosing and addressing the test-taking skills that determine scores — refined across hundreds of 1:1 students over multiple years. The four-skill framework taught in this event applies across the whole test; tonight we focus it on Quant. His students span pre-MBA candidates targeting top-10 programs, professionals returning to the test after a long gap, and applicants who have hit a plateau and need a fresh diagnostic to break through. Book a free 1:1 intro on his Leland profile to discuss your own GMAT prep.