Leland+ Content Library

What Successful MBA Applicants are Doing in January

January is a critical month in the MBA admissions cycle, and how you use it can set the tone for the rest of your application. In this session, Leland coach Jenny R., who has admissions committee experience at Wharton and has coached hundreds of MBA applicants, will share what she consistently sees top candidates focusing on during this window. Drawing on her years of admissions and coaching experience, Jenny will break down the specific actions successful applicants take in January, from refining their narrative and strengthening their profile to planning test retakes, recommendations, and school research. You’ll leave with a clear checklist of priorities and a smarter strategy for using January to position yourself competitively for the months ahead.

Professionalism in Big Law Recruiting

The legal hiring market is accelerating! Not too long ago, most firms would engage in on-campus recruiting in between the first and second years of law school. Now, many big firms invite 1Ls to apply as early as their first semester. This session will cover how to search for summer associate positions, how to network professionally, and how to conduct yourself during interviews. As someone who has worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, one of the top law firms in the country, and navigated legal recruiting in smaller markets as well, I want to share with you the important tips that will help you highlight your strengths and pitfalls to avoid that could sink your candidacy.

FAFSA 101

​Leland is excited to partner with CareerVillage to host this free event on navigating FAFSA! Paying for college or graduate school starts with understanding financial aid—and that means knowing how to navigate the FAFSA. In this session, Leland coach Loubna B., who has years of experience guiding students through competitive admissions and funding opportunities, will walk you through the FAFSA process step by step. ​You’ll learn how to complete the application accurately, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your eligibility for grants, loans, and work-study programs. Whether you’re applying for the first time or renewing your FAFSA, this session will give you the clarity and confidence you need to take control of your financial aid journey.

Strategies for Crushing the New HBS Essays

​The Harvard Business School essays have changed—and so has the strategy you’ll need to stand out. In this workshop, Leland coach Andy P. will walk you through proven approaches for tackling the new prompts with clarity and impact. ​You’ll learn how to identify the stories that best showcase your leadership, values, and potential, while avoiding common pitfalls that weaken otherwise strong applications. Andy will also share practical tips for structuring your essays, weaving a cohesive narrative across your application, and highlighting the qualities HBS is really looking for. Whether you’re just getting started or refining a draft, this session will equip you with actionable strategies to make your essays rise to the top.

How to Prepare for MBA Interviews with Former M7 Admissions Officers

​In this session, former M7 admissions officers Kelsey K. (Columbia), Mike H. (Stanford), and Christine B. (Booth) will share insider strategies on how to prepare for one of the most critical parts of the MBA application process: the interview. From traditional behavioral questions to school-specific formats, you’ll learn what top programs are really evaluating and how to showcase your strengths with confidence. ​You’ll also gain practical tips on structuring your answers, communicating your story clearly, and avoiding the common mistakes that derail otherwise strong applicants. Whether you’re just beginning your prep or gearing up for final rounds, this session will equip you with the tools and insights you need to stand out in MBA interviews.

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.

Getting into Stanford GSB

Are you aiming to secure a spot in a top MBA program? Join me, Sydney, for an insightful session on how to navigate the MBA application process and stand out among a competitive pool of applicants. As a recent MBA graduate from Stanford's Graduate School of Business and a former MBA Student Admissions Ambassador, I am passionate about guiding prospective students through this journey. During this event, we'll cover essential topics such as general exploration, essays, application strategy, recommendations, and networking strategy. Whether you're considering applying in round 2 or looking for an extra push for round 1, this session is tailored for you. Let's work together to present your authentic story and find your passion through business.

From 309 to 324 | Tips to Improve Your GRE Score [8/30/2026] (Recording)

Are you aiming to boost your GRE score and secure a spot in a top MBA program? Join me for an insightful session on how I improved my GRE score from 309 to 324 and how you can too! As a London Business School MBA2025 alumni and Strategy Consultant at Accenture, I'll share my tips and tricks on how I prepared for the test (on top of a busy and unpredictable work schedule) to help you excel in your assessment. Whether you're targeting a traditional full-time MBA or just looking to enhance your GRE performance, this session is designed for you. Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot today!

From 309 to 324 | Tips to Improve Your GRE Score [10/11/2026] (Recording)

Are you aiming to boost your GRE score and secure a spot in a top MBA program? Join me for an insightful session on how I improved my GRE score from 309 to 324 and how you can too! As a London Business School MBA2025 alumni and Strategy Consultant at Accenture, I'll share my tips and tricks on how I prepared for the test (on top of a busy and unpredictable work schedule) to help you excel in your assessment. Whether you're targeting a traditional full-time MBA or just looking to enhance your GRE performance, this session is designed for you. Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot today!

GMAT Advanced Quant Workshop: Exponents & Roots - Applied Strategies & Tips

Many high-scoring GMAT candidates hit a ceiling on Quant because of advanced exponent and root problems. These questions aren’t just about knowing the rules—they test whether you can recognize patterns, simplify quickly, and avoid time-consuming calculations. In GMAT Advanced Quant Workshop: Exponents & Roots – Applied Strategies & Tips, you’ll learn how top performers approach the hardest versions of these questions. The coach regularly works 1:1 with GMAT candidates and will share the same problem-solving strategies used in coaching sessions to help students push from strong scores into the top percentile. Who This Is For - GMAT test-takers aiming for a 48–51 Quant score - Students comfortable with basics but struggling with harder exponent and root problems - Candidates looking to improve speed and efficiency on advanced Quant - Test-takers who want a clearer approach to high-difficulty problem types What You’ll Walk Away With - How to simplify complex radical and exponent expressions quickly - The exponent patterns that appear most often in hard GMAT problems - When to calculate exactly vs. when to use estimation strategically - The reasoning patterns that separate a 48 from a 51 on Quant

Office Hours with Former MBA AdComs & Admissions Experts

​Join us for an exclusive Office Hours session with former MBA Admissions Committee members and top admissions experts! ​This is your chance to get insider advice on the MBA application process—directly from those who used to make the decisions. Learn how to craft a compelling narrative, avoid common pitfalls, and stand out in competitive applicant pools. Whether you're just starting your MBA journey or putting the finishing touches on your application, our panelists are here to answer all your questions. ​Meet our panelists: ​Faisal K., Chicago Booth MBA, Chicago Booth Admissions Office, coached 100+ M7 admits, 15 years of experience aiding US and international applicants translate their rich global experiences into compelling, relevant, and memorable applications. ​Avi L., UC Berkeley, former USC Director of Admissions and admissions reader at Berkeley, expert in helping applicants identify how to tell their story in way that makes them stand out. ​Emily L., UC Berkeley Haas, former Haas Co-VP of Admissions, trained and mentored by former M7 AdCom members, extensive experience with clients with below median test scores.

8 Steps to an MBA App: 5) Why an MBA? Why now? Your contributions?

Applying to business school can feel overwhelming! You have dozens of moving pieces: essays, short answers, video content, resume, recommendations, outreach, research, and more. This workshop is the fifth of a structured 8-part MBA Identity Mapping series designed to take you from fragmented tasks to a clear plan of action. In this session, you will define exactly what you need from an MBA and articulate the value you will bring to an MBA community, making sure you can answer the questions of why an MBA and why now successfully. These sessions walk you step by step through building one fully aligned MBA application. In every workshop, you will be assigned tasks to complete over the next two weeks, keeping you organized and accountable. By the end, you will have strong, authentic essays and a cohesive narrative that runs consistently through your resume, goals, recommendations, school strategy, and interviews. You are absolutely welcome to watch individual videos if you only need focused help on a specific component(s) of your MBA application. This session moves your MBA application forward by clearly defining why you need an MBA now and what you will contribute to your future program: • Identify the specific skills, experiences, and perspectives you need from an MBA. • Clarify the academic, leadership, and experiential gaps your MBA must fill. • Articulate the perspectives, experiences, and strengths you will contribute to your MBA community. • Ensure your application shows both readiness for the MBA and a clear reason for pursuing it now. This is the phase where your goals and identity connect directly to the MBA itself. Instead of simply saying you want an MBA, you will clearly explain why this step is essential for your growth and how your presence will enrich the classroom and community. The MBA Identity Mapping process has guided 100+ applicants into every M7 program, all other top 20 U.S. programs, and leading international programs, including INSEAD, London Business School, IESE, Esade, Oxford, Cambridge, NUS, and more. Clients consistently describe it as transformative because it replaces scattered effort with forward momentum and strategic clarity. If you are ready to clarify exactly how an MBA fits into your journey and demonstrate both readiness and contribution, this is your next step. Message me to receive a copy of the Why an MBA Why Now Worksheet I mentioned in the video!

Non-US Elite MBA Pathways: Oxford (Saïd), LBS & Cambridge (Judge)

This session moves beyond school rankings to give you the strategic framework for leveraging the UK's unique position as a global career crossroads. Join cross-cultural career coach Caolan Hunter (ex-On, Ogilvy) to learn how to turn the immense brand power of Britain's top universities into a launchpad for your international ambitions. We will explore the distinct opportunities offered by Oxford (Saïd), London Business School, and Cambridge (Judge). By the end of this session, you will not only understand the nuances of the UK's elite MBA ecosystem but will leave with a strategic shortlist aligned with the UK's favorable visa reality and your specific career goals. Learning Objectives: What You Will Learn 1. The UK's Premier MBA Ecosystem: Discover the crucial differences between the standalone, finance-centric powerhouse of London Business School and the deeply integrated, tech and impact-focused models of Oxford and Cambridge. 2. Mastering the UK Post-Study Work Visa: Get a crystal-clear understanding of the UK's Graduate Route visa. We will analyze this two-year post-study work opportunity as a strategic tool and discuss how to leverage it for maximum career impact. 3. Strategic Career Positioning for the UK Market: Learn how to position yourself for top-tier roles in London's world-leading finance and consulting sectors, and how to tap into the burgeoning tech, biotech, and social impact scenes flourishing around the "Oxbridge" ecosystem. Key Outcomes: What You Will Walk Away With 1. An Ivy League-Caliber Framework: You will see how Oxford, LBS, and Cambridge serve as a strategic UK "Ivy League," opening doors globally in a way few other institutions can. 2. Actionable Visa & Employability Confidence: You'll have a clear, actionable strategy for using the UK's post-study work visa to secure a top job and build a long-term international career from a London base. 3. A Personal Viable Pathway Map: You will leave with the tools to determine which of these three iconic institutions (the city hub of LBS or the collegiate worlds of Oxford and Cambridge) is the right fit for your personality and career vision. 4. Global Brand Leverage: You'll understand precisely how to leverage these globally respected brands in interviews, networking, and long-term career planning to create opportunities far beyond the UK itself.

Admissions Insights Part 4: Ex-AdCom AMA - Getting into Top MFE & STEM Master's [7/27/2026] (Recording)

Are you quant enough to get into a top MFE program? This is the final part of my Admissions Insider Series, where I share my perspective as a former AdCom member of Carnegie Mellon University's MSCF program (the #3 financial engineering master's in the US). I'll also share what I've learned coaching clients who have gotten into quant finance & STEM programs at Stanford, Columbia, UChicago, Cornell, Duke, NYU, Yale, and other schools. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot today!

The Reapplicant's Advantage: Turning Setback into Strategy. [7/22/2026] (Recording)

For many successful MBA graduates, rejection was not the end of the journey—it was the turning point. When approached with strategy, reflection, and renewed purpose, reapplying can transform a setback into a compelling statement of resilience, growth, and focus. Admissions committees respect candidates who demonstrate perseverance, self-awareness, and the ability to learn from experience—but only when that growth is clear, specific, and credible. This workshop will help you turn a “ding” into a competitive edge. You’ll learn how to conduct a clear-eyed assessment of your previous application, identify what may have held you back, highlight meaningful progress since your last submission, and approach the reapplicant essay with authenticity and impact. More than damage control, the reapplication process is an opportunity to show the admissions committee that you are stronger, more prepared, and more intentional than before. Done well, your reapplication can tell a sharper, more mature, and more persuasive story. By the end of this session, you will be able to: * Conduct a candid self-assessment to identify weaknesses in your previous application and opportunities for improvement. * Demonstrate tangible growth through professional achievements, academic progress, leadership development, and deeper extracurricular or community impact. * Refine your school strategy by aligning more precisely with programs where your fit, goals, and competitiveness are strongest. * Craft a powerful reapplicant essay that emphasizes resilience, growth, and renewed commitment—without sounding defensive or making excuses. * Strengthen recommendations and school engagement by securing enthusiastic advocates and building more authentic connections with your target programs.

Resume: Build Your Standout Professional One-Pager [9/18/2026] (Recording)

Part 3 of 6 — Build Your Best MBA Application: One Piece at a Time, a free series (5:00–5:45pm ET). One page. Impact-first. Locked early. The MBA resume is a different animal from the one that got you your job, and this session covers how to make the conversion: turning duties into quantified achievements — action verb + what you did + measurable result — so every bullet earns its line. We'll walk through real before-and-after bullets from my admitted clients ("Managed social media" → "Grew owned channels 3× to 40K followers in 9 months"), the iteration ladder I run with clients (v1 structure and content → v2 impact and metrics → v3 polish and consistency), and the one-page format that's worked across my M7 admits. Your resume is foundational — it feeds your essays and gives your recommenders context, which is why it gets locked early. You'll leave knowing exactly what to change on yours this weekend.

How I Founded, Scaled and Exited my Brand Last Year

Cashmere is the Founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie, a cosmetics company she built into a globally distributed brand before being acquired by West Lane Capital Partners. Sold in nearly 2000 locations worldwide and backed by more than $15M in venture capital, Beauty Bakerie grew into San Diego’s fastest-growing private company from 2015 to 2017 and developed a strong, multi-platform social media presence with over 1M followers. The brand earned recognition from publications including Allure, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, Essence, Elle, Oprah, and BuzzFeed. As a founder who led vision, branding, product development, and overall strategy, Cashmere has firsthand experience navigating fundraising, hyper-growth, market expansion, and the acquisition process. In this session, she will share key lessons from scaling a consumer brand, building a team, developing products, working with retailers, and preparing for exit. Attendees will gain insight into what drives brand value, how to manage rapid growth, and the strategic decisions that shaped Beauty Bakerie’s trajectory from inception to acquisition.

GMAT Quant Strategies for 90%+ Scores [7/22/2026] (Recording)

Rusty on your Math skills? Eager to start studying for the GMAT, but need a refresher of the basic Arithmetic and Algebra topics tested on the exam? In this fun and engaging webinar designed and taught by the 99%-ile GMAT instructor with many years of teaching experience, you'll learn the strategies that will help you achieve success on the Quant section of the GMAT! If you're serious about mastering the GMAT and applying to the very best business schools, you can't afford to miss the FREE GMAT Strategies Workshop!

Crafting a Winning Narrative: A Former Admissions Officer and Stanford Graduate Break Down Elite College Admissions

Elite college admissions are driven by story, not just stats, and knowing how admissions officers read applications can transform how you present yourself. In this session, a former admissions officer and Stanford graduate will break down how top schools evaluate candidates, what makes a narrative feel authentic and compelling, and how to connect your experiences, values, and goals into a cohesive story across essays, activities, and recommendations. You’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, highlight impact and growth, and position yourself in a way that resonates with highly selective admissions committees.