Leland+ Content Library

Before You Hit Submit: Tips to Make Your College App Shine

As deadlines approach, this workshop will walk you through the final steps that take a college application from good to unforgettable. Our expert panel will cover how to polish your essays, strengthen your storytelling, and make strategic last-minute tweaks that help you stand out in competitive pools. Meet Your Coaches: Jessica F. — Harvard alum with 30 years of experience helping students get into top schools through expert essay and application guidance. Liz C. — Duke MBA and storytelling specialist with an almost 100% BYU admit rate, known for elevating nontraditional and healthcare-focused applicants. Luzy G. — Harvard graduate with 4+ years of consulting experience whose students have been admitted to top universities—and who earned full-ride scholarships herself.

How to Build an MBA Application That Gets You In Anywhere [10/26/2026] (Recording)

A strong MBA application isn't one great essay: it's a set of choices that hold together, which stories go where, how your recommenders back up what you're claiming, and how the whole packet reads as one person rather than four disconnected parts. This panel walks through how those pieces actually fit, from positioning through final review. Each of the three coaches has looked at applications from a different angle: admissions strategy, personal narrative, and the kind of positioning that comes from having sat inside the process themselves. Hearing where their read on a strong application overlaps, and where it doesn't, is useful in a way a single perspective isn't.

Round 2 MBA Roadmap: Master Your 4-Month Strategy for Top Programs [9/19/2026] (Recording)

With Round 1 applications wrapped up, September marks the official launch of the Round 2 cycle. With January deadlines fast approaching, candidates targeting M7 and top programs have roughly 15 weeks to build a standout application. As a recent Harvard Business School graduate, I'd like to offer a tactical, step-by-step masterclass on navigating the Round 2 timeline. Drawing on my firsthand experience as an applicant, I will break down a realistic week-by-week execution plan. You will learn how to sequence test prep alongside essay drafts, brief recommenders effectively, and build compelling narratives that resonate with elite admissions committees. Leave with a concrete roadmap to carry you through to submission (without the last-minute holiday scramble) followed by a live Q&A - looking forward to meeting you!

Your Med School Application Game Plan

Applying to medical school isn’t just about filling out forms—it’s a process that requires months, and often years, of preparation. In this 45-minute workshop, coach Avery W. breaks down exactly when to start and how to stay on track so you’re ready to hit submit with confidence. ​You’ll learn how to: ​Plan your MCAT prep timeline to align with your application goals ​Start and refine your personal statement without rushing at the last minute ​Strategically ask for recommendation letters and give your writers enough time ​Craft strong activities descriptions that highlight impact and growth ​Whether you’re one, two, or even three cycles away from applying, this session will give you a clear roadmap for managing the moving pieces of the primary application and avoiding the common pitfalls of poor planning.

The ACT Has Changed—Here’s How to Get Ready

With recent updates to the ACT, it’s more important than ever to understand what’s new—and how to prepare strategically. In this workshop, Rebekah R.—a perfect scorer with over a decade of test prep experience, including as a former SAT/ACT tutor at The Princeton Review—will break down the changes and share how students can adapt their study approach for success. ​Rebekah has guided countless students to their target scores by combining proven strategies with personalized support. She’ll walk you through what’s different on the test, what remains the same, and the most effective ways to prepare with confidence. Whether you’re testing soon or planning ahead, this session will help you stay ahead of the curve.

What You Need to Know for the GSB Interview [10/5/2026] (Recording)

The GSB interview isn't really testing whether you can recite your resume, it's testing whether you can talk about ambiguity without over-explaining it. This session breaks down what Stanford's interviewers are actually listening for in the "tell me about a time" questions, and how the follow-up probes work when an answer sounds too rehearsed. Ben has sat across the table from hundreds of GSB applicants and has a clear read on what separates a candidate who sounds prepared from one who sounds coached. If you already have your invite, this is a chance to pressure-test how you would answer under real follow-up questions, not just polish a script.

R1 Is In: Prep for the MBA Interview Before Your Invite Lands [9/28/2026] (Recording)

You submitted Round 1. Booth's interview invitations go out mid-October through early November on a rolling basis, and the turnaround between the invite and the interview is short. Most applicants start preparing the day the invite lands. That is about two weeks too late. I spent a year as an Admissions Fellow at Chicago Booth reading applications, running 60-minute interviews, and writing the evaluation that went back to the admissions team. I know what the evaluator is filling in while you talk. In 30 minutes I'll cover what an MBA interviewer is actually scoring, the three answers worth building before any invite arrives, and the mistake that makes a strong candidate sound rehearsed. Bring your resume. Questions in the last 10 minutes. Useful whether or not you have an invite yet, and whether or not Booth is on your list.

One Week to R1: The 3 Essay Mistakes I Flagged as a Booth Admissions Fellow [9/9/2026] (Recording)

Booth's Round 1 deadline is September 15 and most other R1 deadlines land the same week. The essays I read still have the same three problems. I spent a year as an Admissions Fellow at Chicago Booth reading applications, running 60-minute interviews, and writing the evaluation that went to the committee, so I saw what moved a file forward and what got skimmed. In 30 minutes I'll cover three mistakes. The essay that re-argues the resume. The why-this-school answer anyone could have Googled. The story with no cost in it. Each one with before-and-after language you can apply the same night. Bring a paragraph you're stuck on. I'll take as many as I can in the last 10 minutes. If you're aiming at Round 2, everything here still applies. You just have more time to use it.

Build Your Personal Brand & Thought Leadership System with Claude + Notion [5/20/2026] (Recording)

Personal branding is your ticket to excelling in the AI age. Most professionals know they should be creating content yet almost none of us do it consistently. Not because we lack ideas, but because we have no system to enable consistency. In this session, we'll build one. Using the network analysis from last week, we'll use Claude to generate a content calendar built around your actual expertise, then turn each idea into multiple formats: a LinkedIn post, a story hook, a networking pitch, and more. Everything lives in a pre-built Notion template you duplicate at the start of the session, so you spend the full session generating content, not building infrastructure. Outcome for attendees: A content calendar tailored to their specific network audience and a reusable Claude + Notion workflow they can run every month independently Session pre-requisites: Claude account & Notion account — free is fine 🙂

You've Started Your MBA App ... But Now What?

You've started your MBA application, but now what? You need to create a compelling application while navigating a landscape that has undergone a shift from last year. In this session, using real examples from past clients, you will learn how to craft a compelling elevator pitch that will drive ALL your application content. With over 15 years of experience in MBA coaching and a background as a former admissions committee member at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, I have helped over 100 applicants secure their spots at top business schools and will share what separates good applications from the bad. Whether you're applying for a traditional full-time, executive, or part-time MBA, this session will provide you with the tools and insights needed to craft a compelling application. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge in your MBA application process!

IB Technicals 6: LBOs and Market Questions [10/1/2026] (Recording)

LBOs come last because they need everything before them, and the paper LBO is the question that proves it. An LBO is buying a rental property with a huge mortgage. Minimal equity down, the tenant's rent services the debt, sell the building later. Once that clicks, the mechanics follow: how much debt a business can carry, what a sponsor is, the three levers of return, and the lookup table that turns a multiple of money into an IRR. Two times in five years is about fifteen percent. Three times is about twenty-five. Then we do a paper LBO out loud, the way you would in the room. The last block of the series is the payoff. Where markets are right now, pitch me a stock, and tell me about a deal you have been following. One structure for each, and how a company, a deal, and a trend become one answer. What we'll cover: - What an LBO is, who the sponsor is, and what the goal of the deal actually is - The three levers of return, and why multiple expansion is the one you do not get credit for - IRR versus multiple of money, and the lookup table to memorize - The paper LBO, worked out loud - Why a strategic buyer can often pay more than a financial sponsor - Where are markets right now, pitch me a stock, and the deal you have been following Want the whole run checked in one sitting? I run a 90-minute mock interview, a full simulation and then rapid-fire technicals on whatever broke. Book a free 15-minute intro to see if it is a good fit. Part 6 of IB Technicals, a six part run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each night covers how the concept works and, more importantly, how to actually answer the questions on it, with the stories and details behind them. Each one stands alone, so jump in anywhere. I'm the founder of OFFERGOBLIN and ex-Centerview tech.

GMAT Scoring Isn't About Getting Everything Right: Why Top Scorers Skip [7/28/2026] (Recording)

60-minute Leland Event | Live with Q&A | Hosted by Josh P. Somewhere in your last mock, one question ate four minutes of your life. You knew you should let it go. You didn't — because walking away feels like giving points back. Here's what the scoring algorithm knows that you don't: your GMAT score isn't a count of right answers. The GMAT is adaptive. Every right answer pushes you toward harder questions; every wrong answer pulls you back toward easier ones. Your score isn't how many you got — it's the difficulty level you can hold. That flips two things most test-takers get backwards: a wrong answer at the top of your range isn't failure, it's evidence you're playing at your ceiling. And the four minutes you sink into one unwinnable question quietly costs you two or three winnable ones. (On the GMAT you can't leave a question blank — "skipping" means deciding fast, picking, and banking the time. That decision is a trainable skill.) In this 60-minute session, I'll put the scoring engine on screen — the same scoring model I coach my 1:1 students on Leland with — and then we'll train the skill live: real problems, you vote "fight or fold" in the chat, and we run the skip decision together. You'll learn: - How the adaptive algorithm actually sets your score — and why "answer everything right" is the wrong goal - The GMAT Potential map: why wrong answers at your edge mean you're exactly where you should be - The real cost of over-investing in one hard question (it's never just one question) - A two-question skip rule you can apply on your very next practice set Whether you're four weeks in or staring down a retake — if the clock beats you before the content does, this session is for you. Bring your questions: the last 15 minutes are open Q&A. Josh P. — GMAT Coach on Leland · Top 3 · 5.0★ · Booth MBA · Ex-BCG

Law School Application Timeline (& Dual Degrees) [6/23/2026] (Recording)

**GIVEAWAY FOR LIVE ATTENDEES: $50 COACHING CREDIT** A strong law school application is rarely built at the last minute. The most successful applicants understand what needs to happen months before they ever hit submit. This session is for aspiring law students who want a clear roadmap for the application process, including key milestones, deadlines, and considerations for dual-degree programs. You’ll learn how to structure your timeline, prioritize the right activities at the right stages, and avoid common mistakes that can create unnecessary stress or weaken an application. Join live to hear from two University of Pennsylvania Law graduates who are now law admissions experts. Drawing from both personal experience and years of advising applicants, they’ll walk through what an effective application timeline actually looks like and how candidates can stay ahead throughout the process. Whether you're applying to a JD program or exploring dual-degree options, you'll leave with a practical plan for moving forward with confidence.

Deploy Your Own App

​SESSION GUIDE: https://www.lelandcourses.com/ai-builder/deploy-an-app/ Vibe coding got you to a working app. Now how do you actually get it on your phone, or anyone else's? ​Join Jon Metz, Principal AI Product Manager at Nike, for a hands-on session covering everything between finished code and a real product. Whether you're trying to launch something to the world, get your app on the App Store for a real user base, or just want that AI personal trainer you built last week actually living on your phone, Jon will walk you through how to get there. You'll cover Apple Developer setup, connecting Claude Code to your Supabase backend, the final production checklist, and how to install an app on your own device without touching the App Store at all. ​Come with your own app or use the example. Either way, you leave with something real on a real device.

Secrets of the Admissions Office: AMA With a Former AdCom Member [10/15/2026] (Recording)

Admissions committees read for things applicants rarely think to control: whether an essay's examples actually match the activities list, whether recommendation letters describe the same person the application does, and whether an interview report contradicts anything on the page. This AMA is a chance to ask directly about what a reader notices in the first few minutes of a file, and what quietly moves an application to the maybe pile instead of the no pile. Skyler Adams spent years reading applications on the inside at Northwestern and Chicago Booth before advising students from the other side, so the answers come from having actually sat in committee meetings, not from guessing at what committees want. Bring your specific questions. This is the rare chance to ask them directly to someone who's been in the room.

Why You? Building Your PE Interview Story [10/21/2026] (Recording)

PE interviews spend surprisingly little time on modeling and a lot of time on one question: why you, why this fund, why now. Candidates who clear the technical screen still stumble here because they haven't built a story that connects their background to a specific investing thesis. This workshop breaks down how to frame your path, your deal experience (or lack of it), and any non-traditional background into something a partner remembers. Adam has sat on both sides of PE interviews and has a clear read on what separates a forgettable answer from one that gets a candidate to the next round. If you're prepping for first rounds or still shaping how you talk about yourself, this is a chance to pressure-test that story before it matters.

Craft Winning Cover Letters & Resumes for PE: How to Tell a Deal Story

​In private equity recruiting, your deal experience is your story—and how you tell it can make or break your candidacy. In this workshop, James W.—a Wharton MBA with experience as an M&A attorney at Kirkland & Ellis and Paul Weiss, an investment banker at Guggenheim Securities, and a private equity operator at GenNx360—will walk you through how to craft resumes and cover letters that showcase your deal experience with clarity and impact. ​Having sat on every side of the table, James will share what recruiters and hiring managers actually look for, how to structure your deal descriptions, and how to highlight the strategic thinking behind your work. Whether you’re recruiting for your first on-cycle role or positioning yourself for a post-MBA move, this session will give you the insider perspective and tools to stand out in the competitive PE hiring process.

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.

Cool, Calm, and Laser-Focused: Tame GMAT Test Anxiety

Join Leland coach Jennifer P. D. for a session packed with actionable tips and strategies for developing the calm, confident, laser-focused mindset that powers your best performance. ​If you've ever been frustrated at the way you lose your cool when the clock starts ticking, you're not alone! In Jennifer's 12 years of GMAT, GRE, and SAT coaching experience, she's encountered dozens of smart, utterly competent individuals who struggled to demonstrate their capabilities during these high-stakes exams. This fueled her drive to read research in neuroscience and performance psychology, to train in mindfulness meditation techniques, and to speak with candidates directly about what's playing out in their minds. Now she incorporates these concepts into all of her group classes and coaching - and it makes a difference! ​What's going on in your mind? Why is that normal? How can you shape it to work for you? Let's discuss. ​One of Jennifer's recent students wrote, "Working with Jennifer has been nothing but amazing and did wonders not only for my GMAT Focus score but also my general 'mindset' when it comes to high-pressure situations (as you experience during the exam). My GMAT Focus score jumped 110 points."