Personalized Brown Admissions Counseling From Former Admissions Officers

Gabriel has a BA in Economics and International Relations from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. At Brown, Gabriel was a leader within the Brown International Scholarship Committee, partnering with the Admissions Office in efforts to recruit international students and source funding for international student scholarships. In working with the Admissions Office, Gabriel provided application feedback to numerous prospective students from around the world and different socioeconomic backgrounds and helped them prepare for interviews. Gabriel is also an experienced alumni interviewer for Brown, interviewing a variety of prospective students from Latin America for admission. Beyond undergraduate admissions, Gabriel also possesses extensive experience in graduate admissions for top MBA programs. Through these experiences, Gabriel has worked with dozens of students and gained extensive training in application development and review and interview coaching.

As a college admissions consultant, Gabriel seeks to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of students' stories, strengths, and interests to design a compelling applicant persona and coach students to write structured, thoughtful, and authentic essays. Throughout the process, Gabriel works on building meaningful connections with students and their families to build trusting relationships.

Gabriel has also built nearly a decade of experience in strategic positioning, storytelling, and persuasive writing through his roles across finance, management consulting, and branding at companies like Goldman Sachs, LVMH, and Oliver Wyman. 

Gabriel is based in New York and loves to exercise, play volleyball and cook in his free time. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Kevin brings over a decade of leadership in education, college access, and policy, with formal admissions experience at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Cambridge. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale, a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University. Kevin has helped students gain admission to Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, and other prestigious institutions. 

As an undergraduate student at Yale, he served as a student ambassador, representing Yale at high schools across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, particularly in communities with limited exposure to the Ivy League. He engaged directly with students and families, answered detailed questions about Yale, and encouraged talented students to see themselves in highly selective spaces. His admissions work continued beyond college, serving as a Yale University admissions interviewer and application reviewer for multiple institutions, contributing written evaluations, and offering strategic insight into the admissions process.

Kevin has also supported recruitment efforts and outreach for Yale, Cambridge, and UPenn through applicant engagement, recruitment events, and awareness initiatives. Additionally, he has supported admissions teams by reviewing applications and evaluating candidates as part of official review teams. His extensive admissions work has given Kevin a nuanced understanding of what selective institutions look for in applicants, how decisions are made, and how admissions officers balance academic readiness, leadership potential, personal narrative, and institutional priorities. 

Kevin believes that every student has a compelling story, and what sets applicants apart is their willingness to reflect deeply and communicate with intention. As a counselor, Kevin is known for blending empathy with rigor. He brings genuine curiosity and respect to every student relationship, creating a space where students feel comfortable opening up while also being held to a high standard. He excels at helping students clarify their voice, refine their storytelling, and produce polished applications that reflect their values, potential, and aspirations. His process is highly intentional; he listens carefully, asks meaningful questions, and guides students through a discovery process that leads to clarity and confidence.

Kevin is deeply passionate about expanding access to higher education, particularly for students who may not yet see themselves reflected in elite institutions. He views this work as an opportunity to invest in a student’s growth, not only helping them submit strong applications but also helping them understand who they are and what matters to them. Kevin believes that coaching allows him to merge empathy with strategy, helping students feel supported while also guiding them toward excellence and expanded opportunity.

Outside of admissions, Kevin enjoys powerlifting, cooking, traveling, volunteering, and mentoring. He is also an opinion writer and has held equity-centered roles at The Atlantic, the Pretrial Justice Institute, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Kevin’s Pro Tip?

Successful applicants are not solely defined by metrics but by their ability to present a clear, authentic, and purposeful narrative. Applicants who engage in deep self-reflection are better able to articulate their purpose, values, and long-term goals, and that level of self-understanding is consistently evident throughout their essays, recommendations, and overall application materials. Every student has a story worth telling, but the most memorable applications come from those who take the time to identify what truly matters to them and communicate it with intention. Successful applicants tend to invest significant time in refining their writing, clarifying their narrative, and ensuring that each component of the application reinforces their strengths and aspirations.

Katelynn earned a BS and BA from Baldwin Wallace University, an MS from Harvard University, and a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She has over 15 years of admissions and advising experience, including working as a Recruiter in the Office of Admissions at Baldwin Wallace, a Student Admissions Representative and application reader at Harvard University , and a Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment Specialist at St. Andrews.

In her diverse admissions roles, Katelynn played a key role in making admissions and scholarship decisions, organizing and leading tours for prospective students, and spearheading recruitment campaigns. She also took the initiative to develop student-focused media resources for potential applicants and conducted interviews to hire new team members. Katelynn has coached students from all over the world, helping numerous individuals gain admission to top-tier institutions such as MIT, Brown, UC schools, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Northwestern, Caltech, UPenn, Cornell, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Notre Dame, and Carnegie Mellon.

Katelynn is passionate about helping applicants achieve their goals while minimizing stress. She understands how incredibly time-consuming and energy-draining the application process is, so her approach as a coach is to teach strategies that maximize efficiency while optimizing results in a healthy, sustainable way. She believes the most rewarding part is when a student not only submits a strong application but also gains confidence in both the finished product and the personal growth they experience throughout the process—once the weight of the overwhelming demands has been lifted.

Having worked with a wide range of students, Katelynn possesses a deep understanding of the unique needs of each individual and the complexities of the often opaque application process. She is deeply committed to the success of every student, taking a personalized approach to each case. With a background in psychology, Katelynn prioritizes building strong relationships with students and their families, taking the time to understand their motivations and passions. This allows her to collaborate with students in crafting the most distinctive and successful application possible, while ensuring they remain true to themselves throughout the process. 

Rather than focusing solely on what is typically considered “appealing” on paper, Katelynn emphasizes the importance of presenting a unique narrative. She understands that admissions committees value authenticity and personal stories that reflect the student’s genuine interests, strengths, and goals. While every admissions office has baseline criteria, each officer also brings their own set of personal preferences and red flags that may not always be predictable. Katelynn ensures that students avoid the common pitfall of trying to guess what an admissions officer “wants” to hear; instead, she helps them highlight their most authentic voice in their applications.

In her free time, Katelynn loves to travel and to write—she’s particularly keen on live music, extreme destinations, and unique culinary experiences.

‍