Strengths:

Speedy delivery of feedback and Kelsey is super relatable! It's like speaking to your best friend while discussing deeply personal matters. She is truly a master at the craft of ideation and helping you execute. I could not have gotten into b-school without her

I am so excited to recommend Kelsey from Embark MBA for their exceptional coaching services. Kelsey possesses a profound understanding of the admissions process and the unique challenges applicants face. Her personalized approach not only helps students identify and articulate their strengths but also empowers them to craft compelling narratives that resonate with admissions committees.

She provides invaluable insights into school selection, application strategies, and interview preparation and ensuring that each applicant feels confident and well-prepared. Kelsey's dedication, expertise, and supportive nature inspire students to reach their full potential. I wholeheartedly endorse Kelsey as an outstanding coach for aspiring business school candidates.

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I don’t usually leave reviews, but Kelsey absolutely deserves one! As a social science major, I struggled to articulate my story in my MBA application, especially with a less-than-ideal GPA and GRE scores. However, Kelsey took the time to truly listen to my story, supported my aspirations, and helped me identify and highlight the strengths in my application. Thanks to her guidance and expertise, I was accepted into my top choice—Columbia Business School!

When I first applied to MBA programs on my own, the results were disappointing. But then a friend recommended Kelsey, and the difference was night and day. With her experience as a former admissions member at an M7 school, she understands the process inside and out. She didn’t just help me refine my essays and resume; she guided me through every aspect of the application process, addressing all my questions and concerns. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to work with her.

If you want to be efficient with your time (I spent 10% or less of the time on my Columbia application with her compared to when I did it alone) and, even more importantly, achieve the results you’re hoping for (I got into my top choice!), I highly recommend working with Kelsey.

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Stop looking for other consultants. Kelsey is the best. I talked to every major consultant available, and could have hired any of them. I chose Kelsey and I could not have gotten into my dream mba program without her.

Kelsey worked in adcom, and it shows. She really works to bring the best our of you. Most consultants are glorified essay/resume editors. Kelsey takes the time to get to know you, your story, goals, and helps you communicate those in the most effective way. The application process is stressful, but Kelsey makes it simple and easy. Hire Kelsey and thank me later.

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I highly recommend EmbarkMBA’s (EM) admissions consulting services and would use them if I had to do it all over again!

My initial approach was to start with an inclusive package for one school and then complete the remaining eight myself. However, I was so impressed with EM’s that I applied to all nine schools with the founder’s guidance. This resulted in acceptance to my top choice and five other schools.

I chose EM because of the founder’s experience at a top MBA program and the exceptional client service. I was especially impressed by the speed and quality of the feedback sessions. EM also played a crucial role as a motivational coach, encouraging me during moments of self-doubt throughout the application process.

I advise those considering a consultant to do a free introductory call with EM to see if there’s a fit. Best of luck!

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When I was waitlisted for my top program, a current student recommended reaching out to Embark MBA. I'm going to be honest, I was very skeptical about the concept of a consultancy for admission to a top MBA program. Now that I've accepted a spot at the program, I can confidently say that my only regret is not working with Kelsey sooner.

The reality is, the MBA application process can feel like a total black box, and getting in as an entire skillset that you need to build once, only to then throw it all away once you've been accepted to the program. Kelsey, on the other hand, gently reveals the process from a place of experience, with unmatched insight and expertise. She centers your distinctive contribution, and helps you tell your story in a way that is most compelling to an admissions committee, rather than contorting you into something else.

I am so pleased to have been accepted to my program of choice (with scholarship!) off of the waitlist. Every hour I spent working with Kelsey went further than 10 hours of toiling away on my own. Run, don't walk!

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I wasn't sure if applying to my dream program at a highly selective business school (M7) in R3 was the right approach, but after a consultation with Kelsey -- who was very honest about the process and the chances -- I knew that she would be the one to help me maximize my chances in such an unpredictable round. And yes, I got in and even received some scholarships!

I chose Kelsey over other services because: (1) she offered a lot of flexibility in the process, both in terms of time commitment and cost; (2) she didn't try to push her services on me, but instead let her insight and knowledge speak for themselves; and (3) she worked very efficiently (quick feedback turnarounds and effective 1-1 sessions).

While it's impossible for me to prove any counterfactuals (i.e. could I have gotten in without Kelsey?), I still would have chosen to work with her in retrospect. She made the entire essay writing process so much less agonizing. Whenever I was stuck, she was immediately available to help me brainstorm other approaches or keep encouraging me. With the internal deadlines she helped me set (upon my own request), I actually finished my application ahead of time, which had never happened to me before. Moreover, I was much less stressed throughout the process, because Kelsey was there to emotionally support me every step of the way as well. Results aside, for these reasons alone, I don't regret a single penny.

Thank you Kelsey!

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Kelsey was recommended to me by a student and friend who got admitted to NYU. From the moment I started working with her until all my applications were submitted, she was incredibly responsive and caring while maintaining a high level of professionalism.

I truly enjoyed working with Kelsey. She helped me to reflect more deeply on my journey and to showcase my unique characteristics to the schools I applied to. Without her guidance, I would not have been able to present myself as effectively. Her support was instrumental in my successful admissions to two Top 10 schools with scholarships during a particularly challenging application round!

Additionally, she didn't count the hours spent helping me, often providing guidance beyond regular work hours. She was very accessible, making it easy to chat with her at any time.

I highly recommend Kelsey to anyone looking for a thoughtful, professional, and effective admissions consultant.

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Candidly, I was working with another admissions counselor before going to Kelsey. About 3 weeks before application deadlines, and after hundreds of dollars with another counselor and still feeling like I was getting nowhere close to my applications being ready, I reached out to Kelsey and thankfully she was able to help me out! Within a few days we were able to craft a compelling “Why MBA” essay that I was able to utilize across several applications – and an essay I felt confident about submitting!

Working with Kelsey was truly a joy. A few things to highlight. 1) Kelsey is a previous admissions counselor which I think is a huge plus because she knows exactly what is being looked for across all aspects of the application. 2) I think Kelsey genuinely cares about the students that she works with – she isn’t like other consultants who just want to make money. Not only did she help me with essays, but also kept me motivated throughout the process. She was truly one of my biggest cheerleaders. 3) Kelsey is very efficient! She always got back to me with edits in less than 48 hours, and was very fast with edits, saving me time and money. 4) Kelsey was great at ensuring my personality and unique characteristics came out in my essays – she made sure that my voice was honored. These really helped me standout during this extremely competitive year.

Results: In total I applied to 6 six schools and received admission to all 3 M7s (including Wharton), 2 T15s, and was waitlisted at one place. Not only did I receive acceptances to 5/6 programs, but I also was awarded over $450k in scholarship money! I genuinely don’t believe I could have done this without all of Kelsey’s work during the application. My only regret is that I didn’t go to Kelsey earlier!

If you are looking for a MBA coach, I ensure you there is no one better!

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I went to Embark MBA with one goal of getting into Haas and by the end of our intro call I had found the consultant to help me with my MBA application. While other consultants questioned my Berkeley or bust approach and made me second guess, Kelsey took the time to understand my background, was onboard with my MBA goals and helped me submit the best version of my application. Throughout the process Kelsey was supportive, authentic and positive which really helped my confidence.

Working with Kelsey on my essays was the best part of my application journey. To begin with, she provided me the admissions committee perspective (thanks to her background) which enabled me to cater my essays accordingly. She provided genuine feedback and insight on what my essays lacked and worked with me to address it. Our conversations enabled me to share aspects of my profile above and beyond the generic essay content.

At the end of the day, Kelsey is brilliant at what she does and genuinely cares about her clients. You can’t ask for anything else! Working with her is the best decision one can take towards their MBA goals!

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Trust me when I say, Kelsey is by far the best consultant out there. I had introductory calls with almost a dozen firms, and engaged one, but felt the advice was 'cookie cutter', my application was beginning to seem doomed, and I was considering postponing a year. And then, just a few weeks before the deadline, I found Kelsey.

It was like night and day. Kelsey excels at every aspect:
* Extremely responsive. She routinely was answering texts within minutes, and over the holidays no less!
* Incredibly knowledgeable. She served as an admissions director for an M7, so brings that experience, but is also up-to-date on all of the unique aspects of each school
* Caring and personable. You can tell that she is invested in you as a person and candidate, providing encouragement and tough love in equal parts and as needed
* Economical. Her rates are very reasonable, and she will tell you point blank when something is not worth the time/money

She provided detailed edits, pages of interview prep help custom-written for me, kept me on track, talked me through everything from networking with adcom to negotiating scholarships, and most of all answered every question I had and more. And it worked...I got into multiple M7s, was awarded a full scholarship, and am attending my dream school next year!

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