One-Year MBA Admissions Experts

I spent 12 years as a staff member at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During my tenure at Wharton, I acted as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. I conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions process, administered interviews with hopeful students, read and reviewed completed applicant files, and also participated in admissions committee meetings. Additionally, I also represented the school at recruiting and welcome events. Prior to joining Wharton, I spent 5 years as a journalist, writing and editing for a number of mid-sized newspapers on both the East and West coasts. I earned my undergraduate degree in journalism from Penn State University and I also hold a Masters in Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.

Why I’m Qualified to Be Your Admissions Coach: With over 15 years of experience as a former director of Master's and MBA admissions, I have an insider's understanding of what top-tier business schools look for in applicants. I’ve worked with clients targeting prestigious schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and INSEAD, helping them navigate the complexities of the application process with personalized strategies. As the founder of The Admission Concierge, a boutique MBA consulting firm, I specialize in crafting compelling narratives, refining resumes, and guiding clients through every aspect of the MBA journey—whether it’s essay writing, interview coaching, or school selection. My approach is data-driven, hands-on, and tailored to each client's unique story, ensuring they stand out in competitive applicant pools. I also bring an academic background with a Ph.D. from the University of Paris, giving me a well-rounded perspective for applicants in both MBA and advanced-degree programs. Whether you’re applying for a top MBA program or considering a dual-degree, my goal is to guide you with clarity, confidence, and a strategic edge to make your application shine.

I’ve been a professional MBA coach for nine years, helping U.S. and international applicants gain admission to every M7 school, all other top 20 U.S. programs, and leading European schools such as LBS, INSEAD, IESE, HEC, Oxford, and Cambridge. I have a deep love for storytelling and a talent for empowering candidates to unlock their authentic voices by exploring their backgrounds, passions, and aspirations. My clients come from a wide range of industries and countries, including many with non-traditional profiles, second-language challenges, or complex stories to tell. What excites me most is aiding you in identifying the driving force that connects your past, present, and future and turning that into a powerful, memorable, and, most importantly, successful application. To see a walk-through of my Identity Mapping MBA application process, watch my Leland+ Event 'Complete MBA Step-by-Step Application Plan, Timeline & Checklist' included in my resource section above, or copy and paste this link: https://www.joinleland.com/content/item/urn:contentEntry:690d79e16bbf58f22f188197. In my experience, the two most essential elements for being accepted to your MBA dream school are knowing yourself and knowing your target programs. Then, you must demonstrate that knowledge throughout your application. We’ll begin by examining who you are and who you want to become, and then use that foundation to build your profile. With my guidance, you will conduct deep, targeted research into your top schools, looking beyond rankings and stereotypes to understand what the institutions truly offer. You will attend events, speak with students and alumni, and reflect on how your goals, values, and experiences align with each school’s distinctive culture. Together, we’ll translate that insight into a powerful narrative that sets you apart. Every piece of your application (resume, essays, short answers, and additional components) will be carefully crafted to present a cohesive and compelling message that showcases your qualifications and the unique value you offer. I’ve developed a coaching style that is both supportive and rigorous, especially for interview preparation, which can be one of the most stressful parts of the MBA journey. You’ll practice with realistic, school-specific mock interviews and receive direct actionable feedback. We will refine your answers, strengthen your delivery, and develop an interview method that resonates with your interviewers. As AI becomes more prevalent in the MBA process, particularly in school research, writing, and even interview preparation, I help clients use it strategically. Whether you're gathering information on program culture, refining your writing to reduce redundancy and sharpen clarity, or generating questions for mock interviews, I treat AI as a tool, not a shortcut. Your voice will always lead the way. My priority is to make certain your submission remains genuine and unmistakably human. Before becoming an MBA consultant, I built a career in writing, communication, and cross-cultural instruction across various sectors, experience that directly informs my coaching today. In government, I created original content and edited colleagues’ work for the United States Information Agency (USIA). In the private sector, I wrote advertising and promotional copy for both boutique firms and Fortune 500 companies. In Thailand, I collaborated with a team to design, implement, and teach corporate training programs for non-native English speakers employed by American and British companies. As an English teacher, I created custom learning courses to facilitate learners’ success in global companies. Academically, I was invited to apply to college at age 15 based on my first-in-class ranking, strong test scores, and academic record. I left high school after 10th grade and began university early, earning a scholarship, and graduating cum laude. My methodology is thoughtful, structured, and highly collaborative. This work is personal for me, I love writing and helping people tell their stories. I believe the strongest candidacies are built on self-awareness and purpose. Clients often tell me that our sessions lead them to see their narrative in a new light and this clarity impacts their lives and how they perceive their role in the world. BONUS: My business and life partner Jesse (https://www.joinleland.com/coach/jesse-l-1/mba) is also a professional MBA admissions coach, and we regularly review each other’s clients’ applications. This means you’ll benefit from a second expert perspective at no extra cost. Ready to build your powerful and authentic MBA application together? Schedule a free intro call! I’d love to learn more about you and how I can help. (If you don't see a good time for you available already, please message me your desired day and time ranges.)

As a former M7 Admissions Director, I help you craft authentic, powerful applications that stand out and get results. Since 2017, I’ve helped hundreds of MBA-hopefuls get accepted to top MBA programs across full-time, executive, and part-time programs and I look forward to helping you do the same. 96% of my clients achieve MBA success and more than half secure scholarships averaging $240K. I served on Columbia Business School’s admission committee, where I reviewed countless applications, interviewed candidates, managed the world-wide interview program, served as a waitlist manager, and managed the dual degree programs for the Law, Medical, and Journalism schools. Thereafter, I transitioned into finance, with stints at a hedge fund, a large bank, and in venture capital. Yet, even as I built my career, I missed the part I loved most - helping candidates craft their stories. I returned to the admissions world as a coach. On the other side of the admissions journey, I saw critical gaps in the application process: limited guidance around testing, the challenge of telling narratives within the confines of a few essays and a resume is challenging, and how admissions committees can seem like a black box. My mission reflects these gaps - offer best-in-class advice, work closely with a small number of candidates, and provide personal partnership to every client.

🚀I'm a top full time MBA admissions coach with 11yrs experience and 85% success rate to H/S/W + Top 15 global MBAs. 🥇Being a top coach means I have high coaching EQ and guide with frameworks derived from: 1️⃣ A deep understanding of how admissions officers think - I am rated more effective than coaches who are former admissions officers 2️⃣ Direct experience in the roles you seek, relevant to tie your experience and goals together 3️⃣ Technical startup mentality that allows me to coach you how to showcase your innovative side by pitching creatively 🤖AI Slop detector at blog.getmba.ai/slop-detector 🤖AI Usage Guides at blog.getmba.ai - built from 200+ admits and 30,000+ essay reviews 🥇Why don't I have a Leland Supercoach badge? It's awarded based on content creation on Leland+, not coaching experience. I don't contribute to content here on Leland as I post on my Youtube/IG @MBACoach 🧙🏼‍♂️ Expert working with highly technical industries/roles: Enterprise AI, product management, consulting, health&wellness, gov, infrastructure, real estate, fintech, engineering 🌍 Middle East, Europe, Latin America experience derived from working/living in different countries 👉🏼Through our conversations, I challenge you to discover your leadership voice by placing you in the "interview seat" from our first call. I draw on my deep understanding of what admissions look for and what essay questions are truly asking for to help you create an authentic story and ambitious goals that stand out. Together we create a design session where we think deeply about personal and professional moments that show who you are. This leads to your strongest application, higher interview invitation rates, and admissions. 🤖 Expertise in prompting generic ChatGPT/Anthropic AI to get non-generic admissions caliber feedback. I evolved my 1:1 coaching to include guidance on using AI effectively for clients who see it as a tool, but continue to provide traditional coaching for those who don't want it. I have developed prompts that remove the generic responses that general use AI tools provide, to make them essay specific and in your voice. Try this formula that works: Invest in 2-5 hours of quality coaching to unlock your core stories. Then use getMBA.ai to accelerate the iterative writing process—turning weeks of grunt work into days. 🌍 I work with a small group of international/US candidates each round from diverse backgrounds (tech, entrepreneurs, consultants, family business). I am available for my clients within short notice. Get started right away with intro 1-2hrs foundational call - according to my reviews, it's a worthwhile investment. 👉🏼 Most clients do not have clear goal when we begin working together, but end with clear career direction - and some have started companies based on the ideas we formulated together. 👉🏼Unlimited Coaching package includes additional review by a second coach (you get 2 in 1 coaches!) 👉🏼I apply my superpower as an innovator and storyteller to walk clients through a framework that helps connect the dots of past experiences and future aspirations. We get to your “aha” moment and get you excited (and less anxious) about your own fantastic and bold story - this in turn elevates your competitiveness in MBA applications and interviews. 👩🏻‍💻 IG: MBAcoach 👉🏼My expertise has been featured in Poets&Quants. 👉🏼I have advised professionals across 20 countries in complex industries including tech, finance, consulting, government, healthcare, biotech, entrepreneurship, renewable energy, military, and telco. Experience spans product management, strategy, operations, analytics, finance, sales, engineering and manufacturing. Areas of less expertise: Brand management, marketing, HR. 👉🏼Experienced with top 17 MBAs worldwide: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, Booth, Columbia, Tuck, Haas, Yale, NYU, UCLA, Ross, Duke, Fuqua, London Business School, Insead 👉🏼Experienced with MBA, EMBA, PT MBA, & deferred admissions. 👉🏼Experienced with dual degrees MBA/MPP(A) or MBA/MA product, design, engineering, education, biotech. 📣 Poets&Quants Article: https://poetsandquants.com/2024/08/07/tips-to-nail-new-harvard-mba-essays/?pq-category=sbc&pq-category-2=sponsored-blogs 👩🏻‍💻Personality traits: I recognize that applying to competitive MBAs is a serious process for you on top of a competitive full time job. I inject my naturally open and humorous personality to make the process feel a little less like work. Nimble and grounded are other core strengths, I know when to guide to create urgency and when to give you room to explore your creativity. *Note: only up to 3 initial hourly purchases will be credited toward upgrade to Unlimited Coaching packages

I've been coaching MBA and EMBA applicants since 2006 — which means I've worked through more admissions cycles, essay prompts, and school pivots than I can count. Poets & Quants has recognized me as a Top Consultant three times. Clients have called the work "transformative" and "the best help I never knew I needed." What I actually do: I help people find their story. Not the version they think they're supposed to tell, but the one that's true and specific and stops an admissions reader cold. That's harder than it sounds, and it's where most applications fall apart. My background is unusual for this field. I'm a Columbia MBA and a Columbia English major — and a former magazine editor. I'm also an ICF-certified leadership coach. That combination means I bring genuine writing craft and genuine coaching depth to every engagement, not just admissions strategy. My clients have come from consulting, banking, medicine, the military, entrepreneurship, filmmaking, and family business. They've gone on to HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, and programs across Europe and Asia. I work in English and Italian.

I have extensive experience coaching across all aspects of MBA admissions: 1. I have helped 30+ students get into top MBA programs, including HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, etc. I also have experience helping several students get into top executive or non-traditional programs (Stanford MSx, Wharton EMBA, etc.). 2. I am a former professional writer, and I have helped almost all of my students brainstorm, recraft, tune, and edit their essays. This is primarily what I help with for MBA applications. 3. I spent years tutoring standardized tests (GRE, GMAT, SAT). While I no longer offer tutoring services, I can help you develop a study plan and tackle weak points. 4. I am a professional resume reviewer for both MBA admissions and consulting applications. 5. Additionally, I was part if the Student Admissions Program for the Wharton MBA program

From Wall Street to the gourmet chocolate world, from New York to Brussels (and many awesome places in between), the INSEAD MBA was pivotal to my triple-point change of function, industry & geography. Since it changed my life, I’m passionate about helping you get into INSEAD and global business schools, especially those located outside of the US. Since 2018, I’ve worked with candidates to gain admissions into top schools, including INSEAD, LBS, Wharton, HEC Paris, IESE, Cambridge Judge and Oxford Said. I’m committed to working with you and getting to know you, your story, your goals – in order to guide you in crafting your strongest applications possible – so that your application is both true to yourself and tailored to your dream business school. We’ll have some fun along the way too :) A bit about my background: Born and raised in New York to immigrant parents --> if you’re first-generation, I can certainly be understanding to your situation and meet you where you’re at! Attended Amherst College, where I had the freedom of learning – for the sake of learning! --> if you enjoy learning, no matter what schools you attended, I think we’ll work well together :) Love international diversity, so much so that I’m currently living outside of the US --> if you’d like to pursue a future career move outside of the US one day, this would also be a great opportunity for you!

I’m a Wharton MBA, former Wharton Admissions Fellow, and Founder of The Ivy Journey (theivyjourney.com/mba), where I’ve spent 15+ years helping ambitious applicants earn admission to top MBA programs. My clients have earned admits to HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Yale SOM, LBS, INSEAD, and other top US, UK & EU programs. I’m especially strong at helping applicants turn complex, nonlinear, or highly competitive backgrounds into clear, differentiated MBA stories. I’ve worked with candidates from consulting, banking/finance, tech, product, healthcare, entrepreneurship, family business, nonprofit, government, and international backgrounds, including many applicants navigating U.S. MBA admissions from Asian, European, and other global markets. My edge is the combination of admissions judgment and career strategy. As a former Wharton admissions fellow, I understand how admissions readers evaluate leadership, career logic, school fit, recommendations, interviews, and personal differentiation. As a career coach and former consultant/hiring manager, I also help clients build MBA narratives that make sense beyond admission: why this degree, why now, why this school, and why your goals are credible. I work best with applicants who want thoughtful, strategic, high-touch coaching. I’ll help you pressure-test your school list, sharpen your positioning, build a compelling resume, craft authentic essays that tell your unique story, prepare recommenders, and walk into interviews with clarity and confidence.

The choice to pursue an MBA is a significant investment of time and resources, and it deserves a thoughtful approach. I'll partner with you on any and all parts of your process. I'm a Ross MBA (University of Michigan) with admissions committee experience at Ross. I've spent the last 15 years successfully coaching MBA applicants through the admissions process with my own firm (MBA Pathfinders) and with top-rated consulting firms (Stacy Blackman and mbaMission), and have helped clients earn admission to HBS, GSB, Wharton, Booth, Ross, Kellogg, Fuqua, Columbia, Haas, Stern, Darden, Tuck, Johnson, Darden, INSEAD, and many others. I've collaborated with a range of candidates, and have had great success with those from more traditional backgrounds seeking a way to stand out among a sea of qualified peers, as well as those from non-traditional backgrounds who need guidance articulating how their talents and aspirations will fit into an MBA class. If you're looking for a seasoned, professional coach who's seen it all and can help guide you through the whole process, let's work together!