Top Expert
Work with Martin
Comprehensive Master's Application Package — Land Your Dream Program
Starting at
$5,150
Craft Powerful Admissions Essays
Starting at
$1,406.50
Master's Final Application Review
Starting at
$870
About
Customer favorite
In the top 10% of Master’s Programs experts on Leland
I’m a seasoned career coach with 10 years of experience helping candidates break into top MBA, MPP, and master’s programs across the U.S. and Europe. I also have extensive experience coaching candidates through the sometimes opaque interview processes in investment banking and consulting. I’ve supported applicants from all backgrounds—traditional and nontraditional—in landing spots at schools like Stanford GSB, HBS, LBS, and INSEAD, often with significant scholarship support. My coaching draws on formal Admissions Committee experience at Harvard Kennedy School, where I also collaborated with top M7 business schools (MBAs) to exchange best practices and deepen my understanding of how elite programs evaluate applicants. Clients I’ve worked with have gone on to secure roles in investment banking, consulting, and social impact—at firms such as Morgan Stanley, McKinsey, and leading global NGOs. I’m known for clear, honest advice, fast turnarounds, and a strategy-first approach that delivers real results. Outside of coaching, I bring a decade of experience across consulting, investment banking (J.P. Morgan Technology coverage group), and private markets investing, where I've advised on complex, client-facing projects that demanded both rigor and adaptability. Those roles taught me that every client is different, and success comes from understanding individual needs and tailoring solutions accordingly. At Leland, I apply the same meticulous approach—being detail-oriented, responsive, and willing to do whatever it takes to deliver immaculate materials to optimize client outcomes. I hold an MBA/MPP from Chicago Booth and Harvard Kennedy School, respectively, and continue to stay close to the work by serving on investment committees and mentoring through programs such as Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). My work has been recognized by organizations such as: Leland (Top Coach - 2023 & 2024), Negocios Now (40 Under 40), ALPFA (Most Powerful Latinas Rising Star), and Toigo Foundation (Top 35 Rising Leaders).
Martin also coaches for MBA, Investment Banking, and Management Consulting. View all.
Martin’s Master’s Programs Qualifications
Coaches professionally
40+ Master’s Programs clients
Open to working with clients outside the U.S.
Martin has helped clients get into these schools:
With over a decade of experience, I’ve helped candidates gain admission to the world’s most competitive master’s programs in the U.S. and Europe—including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, and the Harvard Kennedy School. My work spans a wide range of programs including engineering, finance, public policy, economics, data science, and more. Qualifications include: ◉ 100+ successful master’s admits across MPP, MPA, MFin, MEng, MSc, and interdisciplinary programs ◉ Tens of millions in scholarships and fellowships secured for graduate school candidates ◉ Leland Top Coach in both 2023 and 2024 (since rankings began), with reviews highlighting high-touch, strategic support ◉ Formal admissions experience at the Harvard Kennedy School, including collaboration with the head of Admissions to revamp evaluation processes and coordinate knowledge-sharing with M7 MBA programs (e.g., HBS, Wharton, Booth) to align HKS selection criteria with leading graduate admissions standards I’m especially helpful to: ◉ International applicants navigating U.S. and UK graduate admissions ◉ Engineering, finance, and data science applicants needing help translating technical experience into accessible, compelling narratives ◉ Scholarship-seeking candidates applying to fully or partially funded programs ◉ Joint/concurrent degree applicants balancing cross-disciplinary positioning (e.g., MPP/MBA, JD/MPP) ◉ Applicants with modest GPAs or test scores who need to reframe their academic potential ◉ First-gen, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC applicants seeking culturally informed guidance ◉ Applicants overwhelmed by multiple essays who need help creating a cohesive and differentiated story ◉ Reapplicants or waitlisted candidates looking to re-engage through informal channels
Martin can help with:
Application Strategy
Editing
Essays
Financial Aid & Scholarships
General Exploration
Interviews
Letters of Recommendation
Resume
School Selection
Secondary Review
Waitlist Strategy
Why do I coach?
As a coach, I believe that with the right guidance, anyone can position themselves for success—whether in graduate admissions or competitive career paths. Over the past decade, I’ve helped candidates from all walks of life translate their experiences into compelling narratives that stand out in crowded fields. I’ve worked with clients like Sarah, a scientist from Australia, who we repositioned for top MBA programs despite a sea of similar consulting resumes; Rozalyn, a first-gen applicant from rural Oregon, who turned her background into a differentiator; and James, an investor relations professional who broke into investment banking after we reframed his story for a tech coverage group. My approach is grounded in the belief that resumes and test scores alone don’t tell the full story—and I help clients shape the rest. While working closely with the Harvard Kennedy School admissions committee, I led programming to expand applicant access and collaborated with peers at top M7 MBA programs to exchange best practices. That knowledge-sharing gave me rare insight into how elite schools assess fit, potential, and readiness—perspectives I now bring to every client conversation.
Work Experience
Investment Banking Associate
J.P. Morgan & Co.
June 2021 - Present
• Former UChicago and Harvard school Captain for on-campus investment banking recruiting • Participate in interviewing and onboarding new Analyst and Associate classes
Research Assistant
Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
November 2020 - June 2021
Applied Researcher
May 2020 - May 2021
• Harvard master's thesis for LinkedIn client, *High Pass*
MBA Admissions Coach
Ivy Advisors
June 2019 - Present
• Top-rated coach specializing in deferred, dual degree, underrepresented, and traditional profile (e.g., consulting and investment banking) candidates • 12 admissions cycles guiding candidates with end-to-end application strategy
Senior Consultant
EY
May 2015 - August 2018
Career & Leadership Coach
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
August 2013 - Present
• Coach hundreds of BIPOC applicants through consulting, investment banking, and MBA admissions processes
Martin was also given offers to work at
IBM
Education
Harvard University
Master in Public Policy, Government
2019 - 2021
Admissions Committee Experience
• Partnered directly with the head of Admissions to revamp evaluation criteria and selection processes, drawing on insights from structured knowledge-sharing sessions with top M7 MBA programs to align HKS’s approach with leading graduate admissions practices • Designed and led a 3-part admissions series that drew over 500 prospective applicants and strengthened pipeline transparency around academic and professional fit • Founded the Essay Buddy Review Program, which matched 100+ current students with applicants and doubled admit rates among historically underrepresented candidates after a decade of stagnant outcomes
Chicago Booth
MBA, Business
2018 - 2021
• Concentrations in Finance and Accounting • Selected Honors: J.P. Morgan Early Advantage Fellow ($90,000 scholarship), Forte Foundation MBA Fellowship (full tuition merit-based scholarship), MLT MBA Prep, Toigo MBA Fellowship, LunaCap MBA Scholarship • Selected Involvement: Graduate Business Council Representative, Hispanic American Business Students Association (HABSA) Co-Chair and Admissions Liaison, Investment Banking Group Member
Martin was also personally admitted to
Tuck School of Business
Darden School of Business (UVA)
Yale School of Management
Duke's Fuqua School of Business
5.0 average review
95 reviews
Overall rating
Martin has helped clients get into these schools:
Comprehensive Master's Application Package — Land Your Dream Program
Starting at
$5,150
Craft Powerful Admissions Essays
Starting at
$1,406.50
Master's Final Application Review
Starting at
$870
Comprehensive Master's Application Package — Land Your Dream U.S. Program
Starting at
$5,150
Nail the Admissions Interview
Starting at
$870
Early Starters Master's Prep Plan
$1,687.80
Polish your Master's Application Resume
Starting at
$580
Land Your Dream Master's Program — Getting Started Package
Starting at
$1,406.50
Boost Your Master's Program Applications
Starting at
$580
Martin also coaches for MBA, Investment Banking, and Management Consulting. View all.
Martin’s Leland+ Resources
Access expert resources from Martin and hundreds of other coaches on Leland+
