Deferred MBA Admissions Consultants

Experienced Coach with proven track record of helping aspirants crack their MBA Admit. I have the tendency to go all in and I would not rest till we have together made multiple iterations to perfect that essay and application.

I've spent the last 16+ years helping ambitious applicants get into the world's most competitive MBA programs, including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, MIT Sloan, Yale SOM, and Booth. Across 200+ MBA clients, 95% have been admitted to at least one of their top-choice programs, and over half have received scholarship money. I graduated from NYU Summa Cum Laude with a double major in Economics and English, and earned my MBA from Columbia Business School in 2020, where I focused on Strategy and Entrepreneurship. That gives me a current, first-hand perspective on what M7 adcoms are actually looking for. My career in this work started in Singapore, at a test prep and admissions firm I helped expand into Shanghai, running tutoring and admissions consulting in both markets before coming back to New York to found my own practice. That international background means I'm equally comfortable working with US candidates and applicants from Asia, Europe, and beyond, particularly the kinds of candidates who often have the strongest stories but the hardest time articulating them: finance professionals reinventing themselves, engineers making a pivot, non-traditional career switchers. My work focuses on coherence. Most applicants arrive with strong but scattered material: a real career, real accomplishments, but no through-line. My job is to help you find the narrative that ties it all together, build a school list that's strategic (not aspirational), and turn essays into the strongest part of your application instead of the most stressful. If you want a structured, results-focused partner, let's talk.

Welcome to my profile! I'm Joseph M. Kemp, JD, MBA, MSEd, the CEO & Founder of JMK & Co., a grad school admissions consultancy. A Little About Me: Ivy League Graduate JD & MBA Graduate from the #1 Public University in the Nation Master's in Education from the #1 Graduate School of Education in the Nation MBA & Master's Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University MBA Admissions Interviewer at the University of Michigan - Ross School of Business Awarded over $1.3 million in law school scholarships, awarded over $1.5 million in scholarships across the board BA & MBA fully covered 9+ Years as an Educator Fortune 500 Experience Big Tech Experience BigLaw Experience Worked with 100s of students 100s of interviews completed I have four degrees, including a BA, JD, MBA, and MS in Education. I graduated from CUNY, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania and have helped many students land prestigious internships and get into grad school. We have a 100% law school acceptance rate, however, we cannot guarantee acceptance.

I have in depth experience in coaching and mentoring, specifically in the MBA admissions space. I've gone through the process myself with huge success, I've coached prospective students through private coaching, as part of corporate coaching programs, and in support of the HBS admissions process. The reason I think I stand out and have found success as a coach is because I work hard to gain a true understanding of the applicant; to understand their motivations, values, drivers, strengths, and weaknesses. All of that is critical to craft a strong application for elite schools, but maybe more importantly it is critical to provide you the best support that I can. I will be better suited tailor my coaching to your needs, ensure you stay motivated and on track throughout the process, and unlock important insights to make your application stand out.

Many candidates applying to INSEAD, London Business School, Oxford and Cambridge are doing so with one clear goal: to move into consulting. Yet that is also where many applications quietly become generic. Admissions committees have read thousands of versions of: “I want to transition into strategy consulting.” They can tell very quickly whether you genuinely understand the career you are describing, whether the goal makes sense given your background, and whether your story is credible. I bring a perspective that most admissions coaches cannot. As a Bain manager and interviewer, I spent years evaluating candidates and deciding who was ready to join the firm. Today, as an INSEAD alumni interviewer, I sit on the admissions side of that same journey. That means I can help you with two things in particular. First, I can tell you how your career goal sounds to someone who has actually hired for that role — and help you make it specific, credible and commercially grounded. Second, I can prepare you for the school interview from the perspective of someone who actually conducts these interviews. Around that, we do the core admissions work properly: building the right school shortlist, sharpening your CV, developing essays that tell one coherent story rather than five disconnected ones, and giving you an honest assessment of where you stand before you spend weeks writing applications.

Admissions officer at Stanford GSB for five years, reviewing over 10,000 applications, conducting information sessions, and helping with strategy. I also initiated and launched the first outreach conference recruiting female applicants to the GSB. After leaving Stanford, I ran a couple of nonprofits, then returned to the admissions world as a consultant in 2014. Though I have worked with applicants to a variety of business-related programs, I focus on the MBA because I bring the most value. I love working with clients as they go through the process, seeing them gain confidence in their own voice and producing applications that reflect their motivations and values. Although most of my clients are applying to the M7, I'm happy to offer guidance to those considering other schools, including programs outside the United States such as LBS, Oxford Said, Cambridge Judge, and INSEAD.

MIT. INSEAD. Columbia. LBS. I'll be honest, a few years ago, I wasn't sure I had a shot at any of them. Not a banker. Not a consultant. I started out with internships in marketing, sales, and product during undergrad, then made a pivot into finance that most people told me wouldn't stick. I recently turned down a VC role to take a corporate finance position instead, because I'd rather make the unconventional call I believed in than take the one that looked better on paper. That patchwork: growing up in Lebanon, then studying/working in France, Singapore, the Middle East, and now Toronto isn't the background anyone would design on purpose. But it's the one I learned to own. And getting into 5+ programs taught me that a scattered story, told with intention, can be more compelling than a clean one told without it. I don't coach by handing you a formula. I work with you to figure out what's actually interesting about your path (even the parts that feel like liabilities) and build a strategy around that. If you've ever felt like your background doesn't fit the mold, that's usually exactly where I like to start.

Welcome to my profile! As an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School through HBS 2+2's deferred admission, alongside acceptance into 3 other M7 schools (Columbia, UChicago, Northwestern), I bring a wealth of experience coupled by results. So far, I've informally coached a handful of undergraduates as they navigate the journey I went through not too long ago to help them secure their dream schools. I have a diverse background of experiences from top-tier firms like Deloitte and Ernst & Young, as well as prestigious programs like the Obama Foundation's Voyager Scholarship. My background in strategy, global community development, and economic consulting equips me with the insights needed to tailor your application for maximum impact. Let's work together to craft a compelling narrative that sets you apart. Reach out to start your journey to an elite MBA program!

I was recently admitted to the Deferred Enrollment Program (DEP) at Columbia Business School. Coming from a STEM and consulting background, I bring a unique blend of technical and strategic expertise, offering a fresh perspective on how to make your application stand out. Whether you need support with application strategy, essay crafting, or interview preparation, I'm dedicated to helping you navigate the competitive MBA admissions landscape. Together, we’ll create a personalized approach to highlight your strengths and maximize your chances of success.

Welcome to my profile! As an Associate Product Manager at LinkedIn and a Co-Founder of Letters Against Isolation, I bring a unique blend of business acumen and technical expertise to my coaching. With a Bachelor of Science in Business & Computer Science and a Master’s in Engineering/Industrial Management from Washington University in St. Louis, I have a strong academic foundation complemented by hands-on experience at top tech companies like Meta and Nextdoor. My journey through competitive internships and roles has equipped me with insights into crafting standout applications and navigating the MBA admissions process. I am passionate about helping aspiring MBA candidates leverage their unique backgrounds to gain admission to their dream programs. Let's work together to make your application shine!