Kelly graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a BA in Peace & Justice Studies. She previously worked as a consultant at Scholar Co. before pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Montana, where she also taught undergraduate composition and creative writing courses. Kelly offers years of experience in tutoring, leading writing workshops, professional copy editing, technical writing, and fiction writing. A published writer, she has won the Big Snowy Prize in Fiction (short story) from The Montana Quarterly. Her novel Nobody, Somebody, Anybody (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2021) was called "a poignant, empathic debut” by the Boston Globe, "a remarkable first novel” by the Chicago Review of Books, and "darkly funny" by Entertainment Weekly.

Understanding that application season can be an incredibly taxing and vulnerable time, Kelly brings warmth, humor, and compassion to the process. She is both a rigorous editor, challenging students to reach their maximum potential, and a thoughtful mentor, ensuring they feel supported and safe to experiment. With her personable approach, she helps students manage the admissions process, craft effective applications that reflect their unique personality, and become more confident, capable writers as they begin the next phase of their education.