Leland+ for Deferred MBA

HBS Essay Example: The Business-Minded Leader

A deep dive into a successful HBS essay. Learn how to craft a compelling narrative that showcases your career aspirations and the impact you'll have on the world.

The Deferred MBA Essay That Got Me Accepted

A deep dive into a successful Columbia Business School deferred MBA essay. Learn how to craft a compelling narrative that gets you noticed by admissions committees.

The Columbia Business School LOR That Got Me Accepted

A deep dive into a powerful letter of recommendation for Columbia Business School. Learn how to get your recommenders to write compelling letters that get you accepted.

Example Resume - Deferred Acceptance

Get a look at a resume that secured a deferred MBA acceptance. Discover how to build a profile that impresses top business school admissions committees.

A Successful Wharton Essay on an Impactful Experience

A breakdown of a strong MBA essay example for Wharton, focusing on how to answer the prompt about a significant experience or accomplishment.

Stanford GSB Essay: What Matters Most (Deferred)

An in-depth look at a compelling "What matters most to you, and why?" essay that helped a deferred candidate get into Stanford GSB.

HBS Personal Statement: A Strong Example

See a compelling personal statement that helped an applicant gain admission to Harvard Business School. Learn what makes a powerful MBA essay.

GSB & HBS Admit: Letter of Recommendation Example

See a successful letter of recommendation that helped an applicant gain admission to Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School. Learn what makes a strong MBA recommendation!

Example HBS Essays from an Applicant with a Rural Background

See how this successful HBS applicant tells the story of their rural upbringing and passion for improving education.

HBS Application Info - Summer Analyst and Insurance Roles

A breakdown of how one summer strategy analyst explained their role at Accenture, detailing key accomplishments like creating a pricing model that identified $10M in cost savings.

Common Essay Pitfalls – What to Avoid in MBA Applications

A concise guide outlining the most frequent mistakes MBA applicants make in their essays, with tips on authenticity, storytelling depth, and strategic topic selection.

HBS Example Essay: My Journey to Inclusion

Explore a powerful HBS essay on how personal experiences with identity and inclusion shaped a vision for inclusive business and leadership.

Excel Shortcuts: Mini Crash Course [8/10/2026] (Recording)

In this mini crash-course, participants will be exposed to various keyboard shortcuts that will improve speed and productivity while using Excel. Additionally, advanced features and useful troubleshooting settings will also be introduced. After the live event, participants should feel more comfortable navigating Excel with little or no use of the mouse. This event is intended primarily for Windows users given the differences in keyboard shortcuts between different operating systems, but methods for Mac users to convert Windows shortcuts to Mac shortcuts will be discussed, so Mac users may still find the event useful.

Deferred MBA Application Overview Session [8/12/2026] (Recording)

Are you considering applying for a Deferred MBA program and unsure where to start? Join me, Noah, for an insightful session on navigating the Deferred MBA application process. With extensive experience in admissions at top institutions like the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, I have a deep understanding of what it takes to stand out in the competitive landscape of deferred MBA applications. During this session, we'll cover timelines, target schools, as well as tips & tricks for strengthening your application! Deferred MBA programs are competitive - put your application on the right track before applications open. Whether you're just beginning to explore your options or are ready to dive into the application process, this session will provide valuable insights to guide your journey. Spaces are limited, so be sure to RSVP and secure your spot. I look forward to helping you take the next step toward your MBA goals!

MBA Application Fundamentals for Non-Traditional Candidates [7/7/2026] (Recording)

Are you applying to business school with a non-traditional or non-business background? Are you intimidated by the application process, unsure on where to start, or just a little stuck on ways to communicate your experience? If so, this session is for you! ​During this event, we'll discuss: • Common myths about MBA class profiles • Current trends in MBA admissions • Market trends about post-MBA jobs • How non-traditional candidates can stand out About Laura: I've led a multifaceted career path across the entertainment, tech, marketing, and consulting industries, with a particular focus on guiding MBA candidates toward their dreams. Early on, I recognized that I wanted to pursue marketing. To learn more about it, I networked, listened, pitched myself, and floated the idea of pursuing an MBA. I heard "no" more often than not, and I forged ahead. The University of Michigan - Ross School of Business's full-time MBA was a transformational experience, building my business foundation, practical experience, network, and confidence. Simultaneously, I started paying it forward to future MBA candidates. My professional and MBA admissions consulting experience make me uniquely qualified to support candidates seeking admission to top MBA programs to facilitate their professional and development goals. As a marketing professional, I've: 🧱 Established departments at 4 startups – from Series A to publicly held companies 📈 Generated demand for >50% of revenue across 2 organizations 🚀 Launched new products, features, and lines of service 💵 Served at 2 consecutive organizations with acquisition exits ↗️ Ascended to the VP of Marketing role on an executive leadership team As an MBA admissions consultant, I've: 🥇 Contributed to 2 leading MBA admissions firms 📝 Collaborated with >300 candidates applying to top MBA programs 🎓 Facilitated successful applications to all M7, Top 20 U.S., and Top 10 international MBA programs 💰 Enabled clients to earn millions of dollars in scholarship funding 💫 Co-founded a brand and earned consistent 5-star ratings from satisfied clients

Showing Leadership Potential in your MBA App w/ex-Stanford Admissions Director [6/17/2026] (Recording)

Next to academics, the most important criteria that schools evaluate in your MBA application is 'leadership potential'. What is it, and how is it evaluated? While each school may differ slightly, there are several key elements that are common across MBA admissions. My goal is to offer actionable tips and a structured framework to strengthen your application in this area. I draw on more than a decade managing admissions at Stanford GSB, as well as helping to develop the school's core leadership curriculum. Following the session, I will share a video link (in case you miss it) and a PDF summary document.

Winning Essays from My Wharton Admits [7/31/2026] (Recording)

Many applicants find a way to write at least one strong essay. But those who really maximize the essay-writing process develop clear narrative through-lines that connect the dots of their life, and articulate how they'll contributions to their target brand. Their two-dimensional writing brings out a three-dimensional personality. They have a “brand”. You know what they’re all about. This event will draw from example essays written by successful admits who I've personally coached, and helped land a spot at one or more top MBA programs. These essays were particularly strong in how they spoke to one another—how they created a holistic applicant who admissions committees could envision on campus. Their professional and judiciously placed personal experience offer evidence for why they’re the kind of person who will make a specific, meaningful difference in the world. During this session, we'll analyze these essays alongside you so you have a clear view into how you can apply what you've learned to your own writing, and put your best application forward for Wharton.

✍️ Write MBA Essays That Stand Out: Why MBA, Why Now, Why This School [6/25/2026] (Recording)

🤔Are you struggling to write clear, specific, and convincing answers to “Why an MBA?”, “Why now?”, and “Why this school?” These three questions sit at the heart of almost every strong MBA application. They may look simple, but weak answers are one of the fastest ways to sound generic, unfocused, or interchangeable with thousands of other applicants. In this focused 45-minute session, you’ll learn how to turn these core essay themes into a sharper, more differentiated MBA story. ✍️ We’ll break down what admissions committees are really looking for, why these questions matter so much, and the most common mistakes applicants make when writing about their goals, timing, and school fit. You’ll see examples drawn from successful MBA application materials, along with detailed analysis of what makes an answer strong or weak. We’ll cover how to connect your background, career goals, personal motivations, and school research into essays that feel specific, credible, and authentic. You’ll also learn how to avoid vague claims like “global network,” “diverse community,” and “leadership opportunities,” and replace them with school-specific details that actually strengthen your candidacy. By the end of the session, you’ll understand how to: ✅ Build stronger answers to “Why MBA?”, “Why now?”, and “Why this school?” ✅ Connect your past experience to your future goals ✅ Show real school fit without sounding generic ✅ Make your essays more personal, strategic, and admissions-ready ✅ Avoid common essay mistakes that weaken otherwise strong applications We’ll close with a live Q&A where you can ask about your own essay strategy, school fit, goals, or anything that wasn’t fully clear from the presentation. Seats are limited, so register now to strengthen one of the most important parts of your MBA application. 🚀 ⭐ Plus, attendees who stay for the full session will automatically be entered to win a free 1-hour coaching session with me, a $259 value.

MBA Personal Statement Strategy: Crafting a Compelling Personal Narrative [8/13/2026] (Recording)

MBA applications often include at least one essay prompting applicants to describe themselves and their personal stories through experiences that go beyond the applicant's resume, forcing the applicant to be introspective and reflect on different aspects of their personal, professional, and academic lives. If these essay prompts are not blatantly identified as personal statement prompts, how can we identify them? Additionally, since we all have so many personal stories that define different aspects of our identities and lives, how do you choose the right stories to tell the admissions committee? Furthermore, how do you keep these deeply personal stories limited to within the confines of strict word limits? And how do you ensure that these stories complement the rest of your application? Walk through solutions to these important questions and more with me during this livestream focused exclusively on drafting stronger personal statements. After the livestream concludes, participants will have acquired actionable strategies to take their stories from raw ideas to polished personal statements that will clearly and emphatically express to admissions committees why you are an ideal candidate.

Fix Your Resume Before It Undercuts Your Essays [8/11/2026] (Recording)

Most applications repeat the same handful of accomplishments across every document. Learn how to audit yours for redundancy and make each piece carry distinct weight before you submit.