28,459Leland Reviews

Michael is very experienced and deeply cares about mentoring candidates applying to the Schwarzman Scholars program. He provides comprehensive guidance, ranging from assessing whether our current experiences are a good fit, to sharing recommendation letter templates, essay templates, and more. He always answered my questions promptly and helped me navigate various scenarios, such as what to expect from informational sessions and who to reach out to for recommendation letters. He is also very responsible - he checked in with me as the deadline approached to ensure I had prepared all the necessary materials. Moreover, Schwarzman Scholars is still a relatively new program. I was initially very worried because, unlike other graduate school or MBA applications, there is very little information available online. I honestly didn’t know how to navigate any of it. I felt really lucky to have met Michael and to have worked with him from January to May this year (I was applying to the China pool). Because of his guidance, I also had the courage to pursue more on-campus leadership positions and explore an internship in a new field. I’m very appreciative and would strongly recommend that anyone interested in applying to the Schwarzman Scholars program work with Michael!

Machmud helped immensely in simplifying the law school admissions process. I had no idea where to begin with my essays, but he broke the entire ideation and execution into manageable chunks. He’s a really supportive person and is super easy to talk to. Would highly recommend!!

As a Schwarzman Scholar herself, Hanie is very very experienced in advising prospective candidates on how to make their applications stand out. She excels at providing clear direction, identifying areas for improvement, and offering solutions. Even within just a few days of working with her, I gained a much deeper understanding of the program. After following her advice, I saw a significant improvement in the quality of my application materials. I truly wish I had reached out to her earlier, and I strongly recommend that anyone interested in the Schwarzman Scholars program connect with Hanie as soon as possible.

Working with Alsey was the best part of my HBS MBA application journey. She brought deep expertise to every step of the process, from helping me craft a compelling overall strategy and narrative to tirelessly editing my essays, conducting the most insightful mock interview / debrief, and offering support for everything in between. Her ability to elevate my writing was incredible. She ensured every sentence was clear, purposeful, and aligned with my story, always pushing for clarity, eloquence, and impact. Beyond her technical skills, Alsey was a constant source of encouragement. She made me feel confident and supported throughout and genuinely believed in my potential. Thank you, Alsey. Because of your guidance, I’ll be attending HBS this fall!

I worked with Machmud throughout the entire 24-25 law school application cycle and the experience exceeded all of my expectations. Machmud is not only extremely knowledgeable and professional, he is a truly wonderful person who was a joy to work with. He provided complete application support, from talking through ideas, editing my application materials, helping me prepare for admissions interviews, and just generally being an incredible resource. I cannot imagine what my law school application experience (and results) would have looked like without him, and would highly, highly recommend working with him to anyone who has the opportunity to do so.

Stone was the best coach I had during my MBA process. He helped me with interviews and waitlist strategy for Stanford GSB, Yale, and Berkeley Haas, and honestly, his support made a huge difference. He did the most complete and insightful analysis of my application. As a former GSB student, he knows exactly how these schools think. But what I appreciated most was how he helped me go deeper into the meaning of what I was saying—not just fixing words, but really improving the message. Thanks to him, I arrived at my interviews with answers that were clear, structured, and straight to the point. He helped me cut all the noise and focus on what really matters. It felt like I had practiced those interviews 50 times, but still sounded natural. Also, he was always there. Flexible with his time, adapting to every deadline. And always one step ahead—telling me what I needed to do next, even things I didn’t know were part of the process. From sending thank-you notes to reaching out to club members, he had it all covered. You can tell this is not something he does on the side—he’s fully committed, and you feel it. Once you start working with him, it’s like your success becomes personal to him too. If you're aiming for a top MBA, I can't recommend Stone enough.

Working with Claire was a phenomenal experience. From the beginning, she was methodical in getting to know me in order to write the most genuine essays possible. The initial brainstorming sessions gave me a lot of direction, and the constant feedback & reassurance throughout the whole process made all the difference. Claire is truly passionate about helping her students. I truly recommend her as a coach as she surpassed all expectations!

Priyanka is AMAZING! With her guidance, I got accepted with maximum scholarships at every MBA program I applied to. I chose HEC Paris (my dream MBA), where I received a double scholarship (Excellence + Diversity), the maximum scholarship awarded to male candidates. Priyanka provided exceptional advice for both essays and interviews, helping me craft a compelling narrative that resonated with the admissions committees and alumni. She knows exactly what top MBAs are looking for and how to position your unique strengths effectively. Working with Priyanka transformed my application from good to exceptional. I would not have gotten accepted to all the MBAs (and even less with the best scholarships) without her, so I cannot recommend her highly enough!!!!​

Geri is super knowledgeable about the HBS waitlist process. She helped me establish a strategy, provided insightful essay edits, and also made me feel confident and positive about the whole process! Thank you so much, Geri -- I was accepted off of the HBS waitlist and will be attending in the Fall!

As an applicant from a non-traditional background, both culturally and academically, Claire was an incredible coach! She brings all of her resources and past experience to bear in helping you build a thoughtful application that highlights your unique experiences. Highly recommend!!