Skip to main content
Kelsey K.

Kelsey Kephart

Top Expert

Former CBS Adcom | 96% Success Rate | $240K Avg Scholarships

  • Columbia Business School Logo

    Columbia Business School

  • 35.6k

    Expert mins

  • 566

    Followers

R1: Open for final application reviews for R1. R2: 95% at capacity Please send along your resume as well as a bit about your goals when you book your call or reach out!

Questions?

You can start chatting with Kelsey before you get started.

Work with Kelsey

About

  • Customer favorite

    In the top 10% of MBA experts on Leland

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.

Kelsey’s MBA Qualifications

Coaches professionally

100+ people coached for MBA

Kelsey has helped clients get into these schools:

As a former M7 Admissions Director, I help you craft authentic, powerful applications that stand out and get results. Since 2017, I’ve helped hundreds of MBA-hopefuls get accepted to top MBA programs across full-time, executive, and part-time programs and I look forward to helping you do the same. 96% of my clients achieve MBA success and more than half secure scholarships averaging $240K. I served on Columbia Business School’s admission committee, where I reviewed countless applications, interviewed candidates, managed the world-wide interview program, served as a waitlist manager, and managed the dual degree programs for the Law, Medical, and Journalism schools. Thereafter, I transitioned into finance, with stints at a hedge fund, a large bank, and in venture capital. Yet, even as I built my career, I missed the part I loved most - helping candidates craft their stories. I returned to the admissions world as a coach. On the other side of the admissions journey, I saw critical gaps in the application process: limited guidance around testing, the challenge of telling narratives within the confines of a few essays and a resume is challenging, and how admissions committees can seem like a black box. My mission reflects these gaps - offer best-in-class advice, work closely with a small number of candidates, and provide personal partnership to every client.

Kelsey can help with:

Application Strategy

Ding Analysis

Editing

Essays

Financial Aid & Scholarships

General Exploration

Interviews

Recommendations

Resume

School Selection

Secondary Review

Supplementary Materials

Waitlist Strategy

Why do I coach?

I coach because I know how isolating this process can feel and how much the right guidance changes the outcome. I was the first in my family to attend college. I've seen firsthand what education makes possible. At Columbia, I watched strong candidates submit applications that didn't do them justice. The experiences were real. The potential was obvious. But the story didn't connect. Coaching is how I help people close that gap.

Work Experience

Columbia Business School Logo

Assistant Director of Admissions

Columbia Business School

2014 - 2017

Admissions Committee

I served on Columbia Business School’s admission committee, where I reviewed countless applications, interviewed candidates, managed the world-wide interview program, served as a waitlist manager, and managed the dual degree programs for the Law, Medical, and Journalism schools.

Kelsey was also given offers to work at

  • Bridgewater Associates Logo

    Bridgewater Associates

5.0 average review

83 reviews


Overall rating

5
4
3
2
1

Knowledge

5.0

Value

5.0

Responsiveness

4.9

Supportiveness

5.0


Kelsey has helped clients get into these schools:


Loading reviews...