28,622Leland Reviews

I hired Kelsey after reading these testimonials. And man, am I glad I did. Working with her was like having an insider in my corner. As a former MBA admissions committee member, she intimately understands the minds of admissions staff. She helped me capitalize on my strengths, strategically frame my weak points, and most importantly encouraged me to be myself. She met me exactly where I needed to be met in the app process (which for me was square zero), and was there every step of the way from how to properly reach out to admissions, students and alumni, to editing my essay drafts (she’s an extremely skilled editor), all the way to interview prep and how to get off a waitlist. She leaves no stone unturned. In our initial meeting I told her about me, my story, my background, my goals and needs, and she turned around and laid out a personalized game-plan and checklist which was exactly what I needed. If you’re worried that working with a consultant will distort the true image and picture of ‘you’, don’t be. Kelsey really listens; she takes to heart everything you share, reads you like admissions will read you, and works hard to help you thoroughly craft the best possible version of your story and strategically build rock-solid, well-rounded apps. One of the best parts of working with her was having her available to quickly answer my thousands of questions and doubts. This is her world, she knows what she’s talking about (looking at you, r/MBA). She’s blazing fast, super friendly, realistic, professional, and an absolute hidden gem. She’s extremely good at what she does. Hire her and don’t look back!

The time before I found Kelsey, I was frustrated. I was just declined by one dream school and waitlisted by another dream school, both of which I have tons of connections and hopes for. At that moment, I was anxious and didn’t know what to do. I read all those MBA-related forums day and night and found out EmbarkMBA wrote Ask Me Anything on Reddit every year. One night, I read every reply from Kelsey and was like, “WOW, this lady really knows all the magics of MBA applications. Then Kelsey helped me with her ADCOM Review. She was a former M7 admission member, and she provided like 7~10 pages of comments with all my materials, essay, LOR, resume, extracurricular activities, you name it. She helped me find the weakness part of my application and totally changed my application philosophy. I was super careful about each word I chose and each extracurricular activity I input, turning my essay way too formal and “miserable” and my application extremely professional and cold. To be a top candidate, I need to be more than a good student. And Kelsey built my confidence and told me I AM. I realized, wow, I could write so many things besides student government or my outstanding performance at work. Let me cite one reply from Kelsey for the impressive story and activity, “Roller derby skaters, pole dancers, stained glass art-makers, wine sommeliers - there was a wide range of ECs I was pretty surprised & impressed by! Another misunderstanding I had before I knew Kelsey was the nationality and ORM. I realized ORM is not even a “drawback” when I apply for top MBAs. All those successful ORM candidates are unique. I must show my personality and not worry about “Asian compares with Asian things". Kelsey set up a very clear and professional plan for the waitlist strategy. And super fair about the cost and time she worked on my essay. She replied to emails super quickly and would tell me what was valuable for my application and what steps were not worth it for me to save time.

Words cannot describe the incredible guidance, expertise, and effort Kelsey provided during my MBA application journey. I was a military applicant, and early on in my application process I tried using some military-centric MBA consulting services. However, I was not satisfied with their sense of urgency and expertise, particularly because I was still extremely busy at work and needed an adviser who was willing to grind to help me meet application deadlines. However, another vet told me about Kelsey and after a quick intro call my application process did a complete 180. Her knowledge as a former M7 adcom was truly unmatched and she worked all hours of the day (literally sometimes at 0100) turning edits on my essays, resume, doing interview prep, and answering all my admissions questions. Further, she helped me tailor my essays so they were truly personalized and unique. In the end, I was admitted to an M7 and my dream business school, and I couldn’t have done it without Kelsey.

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. Ten minutes into our call I was much more optimistic about my MBA prospects and immediately felt I could trust her. Kelsey really takes the time to dig deep and figure out your “why.” I learned so much about myself through working with her. Her help and guidance with essays was absolutely invaluable. She gave feedback through multiple drafts and helped transform them into strong, powerful and effective essays, while also keeping my story authentic. Kelsey goes above and beyond every step of the way and working with her was absolutely the best decision I made during the admissions process :)

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!

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.

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.

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 for her 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.

Strengths: - Professional - Quick to respond - Knowledgeable about all the top MBA programs 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. What truly stood out is how much she cares. Even after I received offers from multiple schools, she made time to hop on a call and talk through my options, what made the most sense, and how to approach the next step in my career. If you're looking for support with interview prep, essay guidance, or full-on application strategy, I can recommend Kelsey without hesitation. She’s the real deal!

I came across Kelsey on a fishbowl post while searching for a coach to help me reapply to my dream schools after being waitlisted but not admitted to Stanford and Harvard. I had worked with several coaches on an hourly basis before but felt like they overlooked the aspects of my story that mattered most to me—parts that defined my values and my personality. I was searching for a coach to guide me through my reapplication journey and talked to many consultants. Kelsey stood out immediately. Despite being fully booked, she took me on because she genuinely wanted the best for me, unlike others who encouraged me to wait for the second round to fit their schedules. Kelsey was there every step of the way, offering honest, direct feedback. 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 Kelsey is caring, honest, and incredibly fun to work with. I owe so much of my success to her guidance and expertise. If you’re considering working with her, don’t hesitate—she’s the best.