Kelsey Kephart

About Kelsey

I'm Kelsey, founder of Embark MBA. Before being a coach, I spent 3 years on Columbia Business School's admissions committee. I reviewed countless applications, interviewed candidates, managed the worldwide interview program, served as a waitlist manager, and oversaw dual-degree admissions for the Law, Medical, and Journalism schools. I know exactly how admissions decisions are made because I was on the inside. After CBS, I moved into finance. I worked at a hedge fund, a large bank, and in venture capital. It gave me something a real understanding of the career paths my clients are chasing. But as I built my career, I kept missing the part I loved mos: helping candidates craft their stories. I came back to the admissions world. Working on this side, I saw the same problems repeat. Candidates undersold their experiences. Essays sounded like everyone else's. Strong applicants got dinged because their story didn't connect. That's what I fix. 96% of my clients get in. More than half earn scholarships averaging $240K. I've helped 300+ people gain admission to programs including HBS, GSB, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, and more. I work with a small number of clients each cycle. That's intentional. Every person I work with gets my full attention, from the first strategy call to the final submission.