TESTIMONIALS
Praise For Embark
All testimonials you’ll see are independently verified by Poets and Quants and GMAT Club
“With Kelsey’s expertise and guidance, I was admitted to 5 out of 7 schools that I applied to, and received additional scholarship offers from 3 schools! Most importantly, I was able to secure admission to not only all of my “target” schools, but my “reach” school as well (where I’m fortunate enough to be starting at this summer)! To say that I totally exceeded my expectations on admission outcomes is almost an understatement…to say that Kelsey was a difference-maker in my success is certainly an understatement. I can say with 100% confidence that Kelsey’s expertise and guidance were the distinguishing factors that enabled my success and put my applications over the top, despite everything working against my favor.”
“Working with Kelsey was, without a doubt, the best decision I made during my MBA application journey. I was accepted to HSW with below-average test scores, but Kelsey never let that define my candidacy. Instead, she helped me highlight my differentiating strengths—my leadership experience, non-traditional background, and the impact I’ve made. Her ability to see the bigger picture helped me shape compelling, authentic narratives that truly reflected who I am.”
“As a non-traditional candidate from a company with zero name recognition, work gaps, etc, I was nervous about my chances at top MBA programs. I had intro calls with almost 10 consultants but most of them told me I was not top-school material. Some straightup said I should be ready to get my heart broken and brushed me off.
Kelsey was different even in the intro call. She told me “No matter who you go with, make sure you work with someone who understands you.” I wanted to work with someone who believed in me, so I decided to work with her.”
“Kelsey was absolutely amazing in helping me prep for my Wharton TBD interview! She’s a true professional with deep knowledge of the MBA admissions process and was incredibly responsive throughout, and that's something I really appreciated.
Heading into the interview, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But Kelsey guided me through every step from brainstorming a strong solution to the TBD prompt, helping me choose the right "role" to play, fine-tuning my timing and tonality, and most importantly, helping me stay calm and confident. I can say with confidence that I wouldn't have received my offer from Wharton without Kelsey’s support and expertise.”
“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”
“Working with Kelsey for interview preparation was game-changing. The interview guide she provided me and our mock session gave me the confidence to go into five interviews in a short time frame. She helped me nail down timing and tell my story in a concise and clear way. She provided me with tactics in case I got stuck and questions to ask the interviewer after. Highly recommend Kelsey to those looking to crush the interview phase.”
“She’s a master at editing, distilling complex stories into concise, impactful narratives, and tailoring them to what admissions committees are looking for. She also helped me weave in my personality and values throughout my applications.
Her deep knowledge of my targets schools (Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia) helped us craft a targeted strategy. She also identified my weak spot—interviews—and started coaching me early, building my confidence well before interview invites came out.
The results speak for themselves: I was admitted to all three schools I applied to: Stanford, Harvard, Columbia.”
“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.”
“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!”
“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).”
“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.”
“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.”
“Overall, I would analogize the MBA admissions process to building a puzzle without a box. You have all of the pieces you need, but you don't have the final image to reference in putting them together. Kelsey is the box. She will help you to arrange all of your seemingly disparate experiences into a cohesive picture.
Even the strongest of candidates can benefit from working with Kelsey. We all rely on others every day for guidance in areas where we are not experts, so why not rely on someone for help with a process that could change the course of your life? If I had to do it all over again, I would work with Kelsey every time.”
“I ended up with several acceptances including my “dream program,” Wharton! Without Kelsey’s good judgement, experience, and guidance there is no chance that I would have been able to put my very best foot forward. If you are on the fence about using an admissions consultant or worried about the ROI I can confidently say that you will not be disappointed!”
“I am lucky enough to say that I was accepted into every school that I applied to (some even with scholarship), and I don't think that would've happened if it weren't for Kelsey. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself -- which is exactly what you need in an admissions consultant. I truly couldn't have gone through this process without her! Kelsey came in with kindness, empathy, patience, and tough love when needed to help me reframe my entire perspective about my story and my accomplishments. She is also incredibly efficient, thorough, and extremely knowledgeable about the admissions process -- not to mention easily accessible when I bombarded her with questions and panicky messages.”
“Her thorough feedback was critical to me sharpening a lot of my admissions package – I reworked a lot of essays, meaningfully improved a second recommender’s letter, and totally revised my resume using her guidance. I even took the GRE with her encouragement (after taking the GMAT). Throughout the process, she also answered many, many random questions I had, and just provided a lot of moral support in a very ambiguous and stressful process.
I ended up getting full-tuition scholarships at both CBS and Stern, so it was 100% worth that upfront investment.”
“If you are looking for a consultant, I think you can stop searching. I talked to other consultants and used the ApplicantLab, but right from the beginning I felt that Kelsey was invested in me and my story. She once told me that she is a magician, and I now believe it is true because I got into M7 with a $100k scholarship after 2 years of rejections. I didn’t even want to reapply after those rejections, but she convinced me that I had a chance, and was actually angry for me that I didn’t get in.”
“Kelsey was recommended to me by a friend who had successfully gained admission to their dream program, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that recommendation. There is absolutely no chance I would have gotten into my M7 school without Kelsey’s help. Before working with her, I had completely misunderstood what admissions committees were looking for in essays. Kelsey’s guidance was invaluable in helping me reshape my approach.”
“I think Kelsey's biggest strength is she helps you define and frame all aspects of your story. I find a lot of applicants, like myself, have interesting stories and background to share, but struggle to convey it in a relevant and compelling manner. Her experience in admissions shines in this area she is able to pick out and refine the highlights of your background. She did not hesitant to shoot down aspects of my background that weren't as interesting and also helped me flesh out other parts that I may have overlooked.”
“Kelsey is genuinely one of the most attentive and thoughtful consultants I’ve ever worked with. She was there for everything – every question, every doubt, every anxious moment – and made me feel completely supported throughout the entire Columbia EMBA application process. That kind of presence goes a long way when you’re navigating something as formal and high-stakes as a business school application.”
“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. ”
“After speaking with Kelsey, I was immediately impressed and my free 15-minute call lasted more than an hour. After the call, I knew I had to work with Kelsey and throughout the process of working together, she went above and beyond my expectations. My other friends who hired significantly more expensive consultants from the most well-known firms often had generic and underwhelming experiences with a cookie cutter approach. My experience with Kelsey could not have been more different.”
“Run. Run as fast as you can to Kelsey! I worked with numerous tutors and consultants along my arduous MBA journey, and Kelsey is magical, the rarest of gems. She is incisive, honest, quick, supportive, and an all-around wonderful human. I was so impressed with Kelsey’s (affordable) services that I became a Kelsey-evangelist—shouting from the mountaintops to fellow MBA applicants/friends that if you want to put your absolute best foot forward, Kelsey is the way to go!”
“A close friend of mine, who was admitted to a top program, shared with me his incredibly positive experience working with Kelsey and referred me to EmbarkMBA. After our first conversation, it was clear to me how much I still had to learn about crafting an effective story in my essays and overall application. Over the course of a few weeks, Kelsey provided expedient, effective feedback to my essays and short answers. She, somehow, was always responsive regardless of the time of day, and helped me brainstorm creative solutions when I felt stuck developing my narrative.”
“If you are looking for an admissions consultant, there is nobody better than Kelsey! I spoke to a couple of consultants at the bigger firms who all were very skeptical about my candidacy for MBA programs due to my very non-traditional background (practicing dentist) and didn’t feel like they had really listened or cared to get to know me. Kelsey was a completely positive breath of fresh air.”
“If you’re reading this, you can stop searching for your MBA consultant. Kelsey is the one you need. I started my application journey with a big-name consulting company, but after finding Kelsey, it was clear she was the better choice. Her approach is simply superior. She takes the time to really get to know you, understands what drives you, and then blends that with her deep knowledge of what admissions committees look for. The result is a powerful and unique application adcoms will drool over.”
“Simply put, Kelsey was the essential ingredient in my successful MBA journey. After a lackluster Round 1 of waitlists and with Round 2 deadlines fast approaching, I found Kelsey and I can confidently say that her feedback saved my applications from impending catastrophe. My only regret is not finding her earlier in the process. Kelsey and I had our first 15-minute call with Round 2 deadlines a mere week away-needless to say, time was of the essence. Seemingly within minutes, I had a structured game plan and expert feedback on the pitfalls of my applications. With other consultants I constantly felt as though I were a nuisance to them, working with Kelsey could not have been more different.”
Coming from the military, I knew I needed an outsider's perspective on my application, and I'm so glad I found Kelsey! I didn't have a resume so that was the first place we started. Kelsey gave me perspective on how things would read to a civilian and we were able to put together a good product. The essays were next. I'd do the initial drafts and she'd turn around and send those back to me with corrections. We did this several times until we had our final products. I want to emphasize here that there was no "72 hour turnaround" or anything like that. I got responses to all my emails within minutes, and longer corrections came back the same day.
Kelsey was an integral part of my MBA application process and a key factor in the success I saw getting into my top schools. Having known very few people who have gotten an MBA and feeling very overwhelmed at the application steps, I met with Kelsey at the recommendation of my former coworker. In just our first consultation call, she started by listening to my business school goals and career aspirations, and by the end, had constructed a personalized game plan for my application process. I can’t recommend Kelsey enough.
“I literally could not have gone through this process without Kelsey. Her knowledge of how the system works and what timelines position you best to get everything done in time helped immensely. Additionally, her efficiency of work is truly beyond anything I’ve ever experienced - comments were turned back within a day and were of incredible quality and easily understood. Highly highly recommend Kelsey for anyone going through the B school process.”