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Embark MBA Admissions Consulting Reviews

Embark MBA is a boutique MBA Admissions consulting firm founded by former M7 Adcom. My superpower is helping applicants craft materials that sound and feel like them. Since 2017, I’ve helped hundreds of MBA-hopefuls - 97% have succeeded, with 59% receiving scholarships (an average of $143k). I achieve this by simplifying the application process, providing individualized and tailored advice, and spending time to deeply understand you.
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Embark MBA Admissions Consulting Reviews

Embark MBA Consulting Services
$4000
Reviews
32
Average Rating
5
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Most Reviewed Embark MBA Consultants

Kelsey Kephart
Reviews
32
Average Rating
5.0

AI Super-Summary of Customer Reviews for Embark MBA*

Kelsey is consistently praised for her exceptional admissions consulting services, assisting numerous clients in gaining acceptance to top MBA programs, including M7 schools, often with scholarships. Formerly part of an admissions committee, Kelsey's insider knowledge is invaluable, offering personalized, empathetic, and transparent guidance. She excels in helping clients craft unique personal narratives, improve essays, manage stress, and strengthen interview skills, effectively simplifying and optimizing the application process. Many clients highlight her prompt, comprehensive feedback, reasonable pricing, and genuine investment in their success, making her highly recommended as a supportive and efficient consultant.
9 users mention "Supportive"
  • "the application process is stressful, but Kelsey makes it simple and easy...." Read more
  • "Kelsey was there every step of the way...." Read more
  • "It was so easy and motivating to work with her...." Read more
  • "Kelsey centers your distinctive contribution, and helps you tell your story..." Read more
  • "providing encouragement and tough love in equal parts..." Read more
  • "Kelsey was supportive, authentic and positive..." Read more
  • "she was immediately available to help me brainstorm other approaches or keep encouraging me..." Read more
  • "she was truly one of my biggest cheerleaders...." Read more
  • "help me reframe my entire perspective..." Read more
7 users mention "Admitted"
  • "Her guidance helped me receive multiple offers, including an accepted offer from an M7...." Read more
  • "being admitted into Wharton and Columbia (with $$)!..." Read more
  • "helped me get accepted to 2 M7s (including my #1 choice program) and 2 T15s..." Read more
  • "got into multiple M7s, was awarded a full scholarship..." Read more
  • "I was admitted to all three schools I applied to: Stanford, Harvard, Columbia...." Read more
  • "I went to Embark MBA with one goal of getting into Haas..." Read more
  • "I ended up with several acceptances including my dream program, Wharton!..." Read more
7 users mention "Responsive"
  • "She responded quickly, honestly, and even gave me a boost of confidence when I was being too hard on myself...." Read more
  • "Kelsey is extremely responsive (most of the time you get an email reply within 10 minutes)..." Read more
  • "Kelsey is very responsive to emails...." Read more
  • "Extremely responsive. She routinely was answering texts within minutes, and over the holidays no less!..." Read more
  • "impressed by the speed and quality of the feedback sessions..." Read more
  • "Speedy delivery of feedback..." Read more
  • "She was very accessible, making it easy to chat with her at any time...." Read more
5 users mention "Scholarship Awarded"
  • "got into my top choice Columbia Business School..." Read more
  • "I ended up getting full-tuition scholarships at both CBS and Stern..." Read more
  • "scholarships amounting up to a full ride!..." Read more
  • "pleased to have been accepted to my program of choice (with scholarship!)..." Read more
  • "I got in and even received some scholarships!..." Read more
5 users mention "Detail-Oriented"
  • "guided me through every aspect of the application process, addressing all my questions and concerns..." Read more
  • "She s a master at editing, distilling complex stories into concise, impactful narratives..." Read more
  • "she provided me the admissions committee perspective..." Read more
  • "provided valuable tactics for handling unexpected moments..." Read more
  • "so many school-specific insights and resources..." Read more
4 users mention "Non-traditional Backgrounds"
  • "As a social science major, I struggled to articulate my story..." Read more
  • "My resume was not adorned with mentions of blue chip companies..." Read more
  • "my unique characteristics..." Read more
  • "feeling very overwhelmed at the application steps..." Read more
4 users mention "Full Service"
  • "Kelsey takes the time to get to know you, your story, goals, and helps you communicate those in the most effective way...." Read more
  • "Her structured, results-oriented process was exactly what I needed...." Read more
  • "She really sought to get to know me to help bring the best to my applications...." Read more
  • "guidance..." Read more
3 users mention "Value for Money"
  • "I hired Kelsey to help me with Consortium Round 1 for CBS with the $1000 Pre-Submission Package...." Read more
  • "Her rates are very reasonable. I never felt like I was being nickeled and dimed..." Read more
  • "Given how reasonable her pricing is, I think you receive much, much more than you pay...." Read more
3 users mention "Low GPA Success"
  • "having a low GPA & no-brand undergraduate program..." Read more
  • "less-than-ideal GPA and GRE scores..." Read more
  • "As a candidate with a <3.0 GPA and below average test scores..." Read more
2 users mention "Essay Editing"
  • "Kelsey really helped me craft a 'unique' and 'personal' story on my essays..." Read more
  • "Her help and guidance with essays was absolutely invaluable...." Read more
2 users mention "Top-Tier School Focus"
  • "could not have gotten into my dream mba program without her..." Read more
  • "my dream program as it was a very selective business school (T15)..." Read more
1 users mention "High GMAT Scorers"
1 users mention "Reapplication Success"
  • "I had connected and briefly worked with several coaches before but didn't find them to be personally invested in my success..." Read more
1 users mention "Waitlist Support"
  • "I was waitlisted for my top program..." Read more
1 users mention "Budget-Friendly"
  • "the affordable packages she offers..." Read more
*Review summaries are AI generated from 25 latest reviews in the past 2 years.

Reviews:

32 Reviews
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March 29, 2024
carbon04

Joined: Mar 29, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
750 Q50 V41 (Online)

Got into HSW with a sub-3 GPA

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

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.

She also helped with interview prep before my interview.

Having served on an admissions committee, she knows how things sound from the other side of the table, and she's able to steer you one way or another to ensure you're putting together the strongest application possible.

I also want to bring up that despite my GPA being well under the median, not once did she try to talk me out of applying to HSW. I feel like that's something a lot of admissions consultants do. They'll tell you you're not competitive and get you to apply to lower ranked schools so that they can ensure a successful outcome. In this case, my dreams were my dreams and Kelsey was 100% on board with that right from the start.

Lastly, there were several times when I had questions about things. She was always just an email or phone call away. Another friend I referred her to got into HSW as well.

I would highly recommend Kelsey to anyone applying to the top schools! She goes above and beyond at every step, and you just won't get that personalized experience working with a bigger name admissions consultant.

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This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
March 29, 2024
HarryWG

Joined: Mar 29, 2024

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Hire Kelsey and don't look back!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by school email address [?]

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!

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This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system or .edu email address and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
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