Harvard State of mind - Admissions Academy
Here are the resources I created to help you on your application journey:
How to choose programs & plan your applications:
- How to Choose a Diversified Portfolio of LL.M. Programs to apply for.
- Navigating the LL.M. Application: Your Complete Guide to the Core Components, a digital guide to the key parts of a successful LL.M. application, with a downloadable checklist.
- Step-by-Step Guide to the LL.M. Application Timeline, a digital guide covering strategies for planning different parts of an LL.M. application.
Personal statements, motivation letters, statements of purpose:
- The Ultimate Guide to Successful Personal Statements, a digital course.
- Examples of My Application Letters, a collection of essays.
CV & Résumés:
- Short and Actionable Guide to a CV in an LL.M. or a Ph.D. Application, a digital guide.
Funding:
- The Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree, a 70-page e-book.
- The Guide to Negotiating Financial Aid: How to Make Your Dream LL.M. Programs Accessible, a digital guide.
Comprehensive support:
- Harvard State of Mind 1-on-1 mentorship program.
- Harvard State of Mind On Demand, the recorded part of my mentorship program, available as a standalone digital course.
Some of them are featured in detail below.
If you have a custom request for coaching/ mentoring, please see the FAQ below and fill in a short application form and book a free 20-minute diagnostic call here.
If you'd like to see me create more materials on the topics I haven't addressed here yet, don't hesitate to reach out. It's important for me to know that my work helps to answer the questions that people have, and I'd like to keep it a two-way street.
If you like my work, please feel free to support it via PayPal or message me to tell it directly. Please do not think that if you can't support me financially, you should not reach out. Hearing stories about how my ideas and experience changed people's lives for the better is one of the primary motivators behind what I do and it helps me keep going. 😊 Receiving words of appreciation really, really matters to me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is your ideal client?
I currently support the following categories of clients:
- professionals whose most valuable resource is time. Often, these are lawyers working in demanding environments such as law firms. Time is a scarce resource for them, and they want to maximize the results they get from investing it in the application process. I act as an accelerator helping them achieve their goals.
- people who seek a transition in their career trajectories, be it breaking into an international market, moving from practicing law to academia or an international organization, changing a field, or growing professionally in other ways. They want to do a master's degree to unlock more opportunities for growth and seek my help with crafting the applications that explain that change.
- people who are frustrated by the absence of clear frameworks, feel stuck with their applications, and want their efforts to pay off.
These categories are just labels. If you have a can-do attitude, a commitment to mutual work, and a strong desire to succeed, I’d love to have an initial conversation with you.
A full-scale mentorship program is not what I need at the moment. Do you offer other types of coaching/ mentoring?
Yes, I do. If you are interested, please fill in a short application form and book a free 20-minute diagnostic call here.
The beauty of individual work is that it can be tailored to the needs of a person I'm working with.
I most often work with
- profile & background analysis;
- generating ideas & topics for a personal statement, motivation letter, or another essay;
- review of a personal statement, motivation letter, or another essay;
- review of an essay on a legal topic;
or guiding people through any part of the application process that they need.
If you have a custom request not covered by the above, please reach out and we'll discuss it.
How does the coaching look like?
For all formats of coaching, there are several distinct parts:
- Application Form: I get initial impression of your profile through the application form.
- Discovery Call: We have a 20 to 30 min call to determine if working together is a good fit. We discuss your goals, what hasn't worked for you so far, and how our work can benefit you.
- Application Development Session: If we decide to proceed, I'll invite you on an application development call to discuss your question in depth, whether it's background analysis, idea generation, or something else. I also send you an invoice for this session. The session happens in zoom and typically lasts between 1 and 2 hours.
- Follow-up: I send you a summary that includes my session notes and a detailed analysis with recommendations on how to proceed.
- If you asked for a document review, I also give feedback on it in writing.
- I send you a zoom recording of our session for you to rewatch anytime you want.
- Becoming a mentee: If you decided to proceed on the basis of a mentorship program, we move forward with the mentoring/ coaching relationship. I send you an invitation to sign up by completing payment, reviewing a coaching agreement, and scheduling our next application development session. This step is optional.
If this is something you are interested in, please fill in a short application form and book a free 20-minute diagnostic call here.
Constraints
I don't write the applications for you
My goal is to help you enhance your chances wherever you are on your master’s or PhD application journey.
An important part of this is to help you own and shape your story while preserving your sense of agency and accomplishment, and abide by the ethical guidelines.
This means that I won't write your applications for you. I'll guide you through the steps and support you with the expertise that I have but I won't cross the boundary. This would go against my values.
Program search
I can help you narrow down the criteria, clarify your vision and goals, and advise on the program search.
I can give you expert advice on how to choose the right programs for you and dive deep into factors such as rankings, course offerings, faculty, location, and your personal goals—helping you prioritize what really matters.
I won't be able do the program search for you but I can help you navigate the process and answer any questions you have.
Funding search
Everything that I could generalize about funding, everything I know about it, you can find in my Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree. I made it extremely affordable, and it contains the expertise I've collected over the 10+ years of successfully applying for academic funding distilled on 70 pages.
You can also check out my Guide on Negotiating Financial Aid.
They are both included in the mentorship program.
I won't be able to do the funding search for you, but I can help you develop your personal funding strategy, learn how to find scholarships, fellowships, and other financial aid opportunities. I can help you craft a winning funding application or any part thereof, eg, guide you through writing a CV or a motivation letter, help you design a strategy to negotiate financial aid, or discuss how to approach a merit-based or a need-based scholarship application. I can answer any questions you may have about it.
I don't assist with bachelor's applications
My primary expertise is in master's programs, PhD, and postdoc applications.
I do not advise on applications for a bachelor's degree.
However, for custom requests
If you have a custom request that is not covered by the courses and guides I've created so far (e.g., you want me to help you with an essay you've already written or you only want one or two sessions), please fill in the application form, and I’ll see what I can do.
The Ultimate Guide to Successful Personal Statements
Video Course
Go From Zero to an Essay That Wows the Admissions Committee & Gets You to Your Dream University.
- 1,5 hours
- 17 actionable lessons
- Idea-generating system
- Successful essay examples
The Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree
eBook
Go from Lost to Building a Solid Strategy for Funding Your Master’s Degree.
- 70 pages
- 6 chapters of actionable lessons
- Winning mindset settings
- Financial aid negotiation framework
Application Letters - Examples
eBook
Go From Lost to Navigating Your Application Essays Like a Pro.
- 6 application letters
- Diverse set of examples
- My commentary on strategies that work
Harvard State of Mind: 1-on-1 Mentorship
a comprehensive mentorship program
Get Help in Your Master's Application Process That Is Specifically Tailored to You and Your Needs.
- 7 recorded modules to cover various aspects of the master's application process
- 6 one-on-one sessions tailored to your needs
- Feedback on the key components of your application