MBB Cover Letter: Creation & Writing
This package builds a consulting cover letter from a blank page — for candidates starting from nothing, or with a draft that needs a rewrite rather than an edit. The bar here is low and the opportunity is high. Most cover letters are either a resume in paragraph form or something a language model produced in nine seconds, and neither gets read twice. A good one gives a reader a reason to advocate for you in a room you're not in. That's the whole job of the document. What's included: (1) My MBB cover letter template and structure. (2) As many rounds as it takes, usually two to four. (3) Line-level editing so the letter is structured cleanly, specific to the firms you're actually applying to, and sounds like a person wrote it. (4) If we need them, one to two live sessions to find the content and lock the narrative. Before business school I wrote speeches for a living. Getting a specific voice onto a page in someone else's words is the work I've done longest.
What's included
- A consulting cover letter ready to submit to every firm on your list
- Line-level editing from a former McKinsey interviewer who read hundreds of applications
- My MBB cover letter template
- Rounds until it's done, usually two to four
Meet your expert
Ben L.
• Stanford GSB Alum, Class of 2021 -- see relevant background & experience below: • Coaching | Advised 400+ admits into Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, Haas, and more (see ~100 Leland reviews), while teaching multiple courses through Leland • What I'm Doing Now | Based in NYC, building a publication 'Staying Human', working on a stealth, marketplace startup, coaching and playing chess profssionally, and advising a slate of Seed to Series C startups through Elevate LLC • Public Policy | Prior to Stanford, worked on the Policy Team for the Chicago Mayor's Office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, focusing on 5G infrastructure policy, criminal justice policy, and citywide corporate/economic development deals • McKinsey | Before policy, worked at McKinsey & Co , with casework focused on job training for the formerly incarcerated and workforce development for at-risk youth • PE / VC / Startup Advising | After Stanford, worked in Bain's Private Equity Group on various due diliegences, managed deals with several venture capital firms, and advised multiple startups on growth and go-to-market strategy • Professional Writing | Speechwriting in public policy & political environments, Lead Editor for Nondisclosure (Stanford GSB's magazine) and Managing Editor for the Stanford International Policy Review • Additional Writing | Crafting op-eds, ghostwriting for major publications, developing a fictional short story collection, policy deep dives, a book on chess applications to life, and application essays of all sorts • GMAT / Test-Taking | Scored in the highest percentile of GMAT test-takers, but more importantly I've honed my ability to help others extrapolate top test-testing strategies in the areas they're weakest • Additional Coaching Details | 5+ years experience working with >750 individuals on essay writing and resume professionalization for top consulting firms, MBA programs, execs, and the broader job market • Interview Training | I was interview-trained with McKinsey, helping me give high-quality mock interviews for MBBs and any MBA program; I've also held 10+ events through Leland on interview prep for McKinsey's PEI and GSB's interview process in particular