My experience with Stacy Blackman Consulting was positive from the jump. I had an onboarding call with Esther Magna, from which I was already able to take away important information about my application process. I felt Esther thought carefully about who from her team it made the most sense to align me with as my main counselor. I was pleased to connect with Dione, who is a graduate of Stanford's GSB and a former application reader for that very AdCom. Stanford was my first choice, and from our initial conversation and throughout the process, I felt I could really benefit from Dione's first-hand experience and intel on that school's particular process and outlook.
I needed to maintain a pretty modest budget for this process, and I appreciated Dione's understanding and consciousness of that as we worked together on an hourly basis. She was generous and extremely prompt over email, providing plenty of information that way so that we could really dive in to the nitty gritty when we spoke on the phone.
I come from a pretty unusual background as far as MBA applicants go, and I also wrote a very personal essay for the "What matters to you?" prompt. It was the kind of essay that could have very easily felt like an overshare, but Dione gave me the advice I needed to properly frame that writing up so that it felt relevant to the AdComm's process while also being true to my experiences. She was sensitive, kind and discreet as we spoke through challenging material and the best way to convey a messy personal story to an AdComm. While I didn't pursue Dione's help for a "Flight Test" final read of the essay, I feel I could not have written the essay successfully without the conversations she and I had to set up my mindset for the prompt.
I also received resume feedback from Dione, wherein she was straight-forward and extremely helpful in helping me understand what the AdComms are scanning for. Especially as someone coming from a non-traditional background, I think it's very, very useful to do a resume edit with someone as knowledgeable as the counselors at SBC, who can help you shape your career story to really engage an MBA application reader.
All-in-all, I was grateful for Dione's generosity, thoughtfulness and very relevant intel in my process. I ultimately succeeded in getting in to my first-choice school, and I believe the help I received from SBC was instrumental in achieving that. Best of luck to you all!
As a Latin American re applicant candidate to top business schools in the US, I found the assistance and support from SBC to be extremely valuable. Since the beginning of the process, I was matched with a true counselor that understood very well my personal story and that helped me define the best route for strengthening my candidacy. Stephanie has been the best consultant, who has helped me polish a concise, clear and powerful pitch for Admissions. With her support and Rebekah (former admissions officer as Stephanie) who provided an excellent flight test before submitting my materials, I was admitted at Duke, IESE and currently waitlisted at Tuck. I can confidently say that SBC team is absolutely professional as they provide every resource needed for creating your best application. In this long process of applying to Business School, the support & guidance of former Admission Officers and counselors is critical, as they understand very well the process, and will support you in a comprehensive way, giving you the confidence to do the best of the process.
I worked closely with Shaifali Aggarwal, Esther Magna and Caryn Altman over the course of several months. I am an international student from a Finance background, so had to work hard to craft a unique and compelling story. Shaifali was my primary contact. She was always approachable and responsive. Working with her on my essays was great and very productive, and her comments on my latest drafts were always helpful and allowed me to hone in on the key points the admissions committee are looking for.
I should also mention that Stacy Blackman have a multitude of written materials for each school, as well as an online databank with past interview questions. These resources should not be underestimated, and are extremely useful.
Once a good draft of my application was ready, this was sent for a "flight test" with Caryn Altman, who is herself a former AdCom member. She reviewed my application in the same was as she did in real life, and her feedback was also invaluable. Finally, I had some practice interview sessions with Shaifali, which helped me perfect my interview technique and present myself in the best way.
I am pleased to say that I've secured a place at Wharton, my preferred school. I am delighted to be starting there later this year. I would like to thank the entire team at Stacy Blackman for their help over the last few months, and would unequivocally recommend their services to anyone who is serious about their business school applications.
Yvette is a gem! 2 full rides, 3 acceptances!
I am so beyond ecstatic at the results of my partnership with Yvette and the SBC team! I decided on SBC after reading many outstanding reviews and seeing the results of a friend who used SBC. I was matched based on my nontraditional background with Yvette Romero, a true gem!, and my main consultant who helped me identify target schools, refine my voice through my essays, and ace the interviews. Yvette was thoughtful, encouraging, and incisively realistic while making me laugh through an otherwise stressful process. Throughout our partnership, she asked me questions that highlighted aspects of my profile that I would have never considered to be special. Her advice on how to frame my applications to appeal to adcomm revealed deep insight into the admissions process, and as a result, even small tweaks to my application felt like home runs. Her deep knowledge of MBA admissions ultimately empowered me with a road map to strategically navigate those long months.
What felt most critical to me in our partnership and something that I will always be thankful for is that Yvette gave me the confidence I needed to overcome a low GPA. She taught me how to truly and unabashedly tell my unique story and highlight my strengths. She is a gifted listener and story teller, and she imbues you with these same qualities- asking the right questions until you arrive at the key story for your application to showcase. And because she is truly invested in your success and believes that you deserve your own best work, she will work painstakingly with you until you get it right! I am so proud when I read my essays and think on my interviews, because they feel like "me". Yvette really helped my essence shine.
I received THREE acceptances from top schools, including TWO FULL SCHOLARSHIPS - one from a reach school I hadn't considered until Yvette told me to go for it! As someone with a nonprofit background and the hurdle of a low GPA, I know the price looks a little steep but it is an incredibly worthwhile investment that will pay dividends! I am thrilled to be attending a top business school in the fall and regret nothing about my SBC experience. I cannot recommend Yvette enough. She pushed me to work hard, be honest, and be proud of what I had accomplished. I have loved working with her, and if you make the wonderful decision to do the same, I know you will, too!
Thank You Christine and SBC!
I worked with Christine Hawkins on 3 applications. Acceptance with a substantial fellowship + need-based aid to my top choice Columbia Business School and interview invite to Wharton would not have been possible without Christine’s and the SBC team’s amazing dedication (both 2Y full-time; withdrew from Wharton and Stern due to Columbia ED).
Even before the process started, I could tell by Esther's (principal manager) enthusiasm and commitment to me to make sure that I was matched with just the right consultant for me, that I had chosen the right company.
I was a female applicant from an increasingly competitive pool, was educated from a US college with mediocre grades, with no off-the-page leadership or community experiences (oh yes, and no GMAT score yet). During what could have been anxious and unsettling times, Christine was a counselor, confidence booster when I was down with unexpected CFA and GMAT test results, and was an honest critique of all my deliverables in the best sense of the term. Christine would lead me to pull out certain ideas, but would never go ahead and write essays FOR me (for many good reasons); when something seemed off to both of us but neither of us could quite put a finger on it, she steered me toward looking in other arsenals of my anecdotes and experiences (which until that point I didn’t know I had or could turn to!) and pulling essay ideas from there.
Christine's comments on my deliverables always came under 48 hours turnaround (though she is not obligated to work so by all means), and I was amazed by her willingness to go above and beyond her call of duty--for example, encouraging me to network with alumni in my area to see if they could submit sideletters for me, and offering to put in extra mock interview sessions. Also, Lisa Anderson's Flight Test put me at east and gave me that much-needed extra boost of confidence as I prepared to hit ‘submit’ for my first choice & anchor school, Columbia. Bill Chionis, my client liaison, was also extremely supportive in keeping me updated of all the different options for application review and his birds-eye-view of the entire process. All of this careful attention to each of my applications as if they were their own will definitely lead me to recommend Christine & the SBC's comprehensive package to friends who are current MBA-hopefuls.
I had a wonderful experience with SBC - receiving the all-in services for my Wharton Round 2 Application. From the outset, my diagnostic and initial conversations with Esther (onboarding) were incredibly helpful and informative. That conversation led to my decision to go with SBC instead of other firms I was speaking with (Veritas, Ivy).
From there I moved to work directly with Meghan, my dedicated consultant. As a former Wharton admissions officer, she was able to provide differentiated advice and guidance to support my Wharton application. She helped me think through my story and highlight the most impactful aspects of my professional and extracurricular experiences.
Equally important, was the mock team-based discussion preparation session that Meghan held for myself and five other candidates who received interview invitations for the Wharton Round 2 Interviews.
Meghan's candor in reviewing my application and in assessing my mock TBD performance informed my approach and strategy on interview day. I had no issues with any aspect of the service.
I considered Stacy Blackman, Veritas, and MBA Mission before choosing an all-in package. I read extensively online and held phone screens with each before making my selection. After applying during the R1, I am incredibly glad that I chose Stacy Blackman. I highly recommend SBC’s all-in package and specifically have wonderful things to say about Erika.
One of the primary reasons I was initially drawn to SBC is because they let you choose your own advisor, who you work with across all schools/applications, while the advisor will thoughtfully bring-in school-specific experts when necessary. By the time you decide to apply to b-school, your job experiences, grades, and extra curriculars are all set, so the advisor’s primary goal is to help you craft your story.
Besides her impressive background, I chose Erika because one of her previous reviewers had said that she was not afraid to “tell you when you are wrong.” Throughout the process, Erika was beyond candid, letting me know when something was great or making me start from scratch when knew it wouldn’t work. Erika was always reachable and patient, often responding within hours of my countless emails, day and night. Besides having a fantastic eye for helping to craft a narrative around your unique story, she was also very good at keeping me calm and helping me prioritize during an incredibly stressful process.
Erika takes the time to get to know you as a person – asking questions that go beyond what is typical – to make sure your whole life’s story is captured throughout the applications in a way that is impressive and not redundant. The entire time I worked with Erika, I felt like I was her only client – and I felt like she was as emotionally invested in my outcome as I was. I come from an Ivy League undergraduate school with a well-known job and a high GMAT score, so I was especially focused on finding someone to help me figure out how to make my applications standout. There is no doubt in my mind that Erika was a huge factor in my outcome. After applying to seven schools in R1, I am happy to report that I was admitted to both Kellogg and Sloan. I could not have asked for a better partner in this process.
Great from start to finish. Highly recommend DC!
I initially received a free consultation from Sarah who gave me some helpful pointers on timeline and my overall narrative. I decided to go 'all-in' for six schools because I knew I wanted to transition from my current career. From there, an SBC rep set up chats with several admissions consultants and I found someone who was a perfect fit. My opinion at the time (and today) is that an admissions consultant pays for itself in terms of admissions scholarships or simply increased lifetime earnings potential.
DC was an incredible and professional consultant throughout the entire application process. First, she walked through my life story and got a feel for what really made me ‘tick’. Next, she helped me develop a strategic plan for my application and we began the arduous process of developing applications for six elite MBA programs.
When I sent DC my drafts, she would always be quick and thorough with reviews. In fact, I found myself hoping (to no avail) that she might take a bit longer so that I could procrastinate. She has a wealth of experience in marketing and communications, so she understood how to focus my messaging. She helped highlight elements of my personal narrative that I had overlooked but that others would find interesting.
I was impressed to find that Stacy Blackman has wiki pages that include school-specific content about culture, academics, sample essays, interview questions, etc. for every major MBA program.
In addition, she is very kind and is always helpful even with tight deadlines. My applications would have been far more time-consuming and much less focused without her guidance.
Prior my first interview, DC gave me a mock interview. She shared some honest feedback that I really needed to hear; she is always polite but will never withhold feedback that might help an applicant.
In the end – of my six elite target schools – I was admitted to four and am currently waitlisted at one. I received 2 full tuition scholarships and a sizeable scholarship from another program. I have decided to go to MIT Sloan School of Management, and I couldn’t be happier! Thanks DC!
"I could not recommend Sherry highly enough. She made the entire process so much more manageable. From the start Sherry was responsive, understanding, and friendly. I had an interview at Duke the next weekend, and she immediately offered to walk me through a mock interview to help me prepare, even before we did the initial call. She read all of my essays and responded promptly - even essays that were for other, non-MBA programs that I was applying to. She completely reworked my resume and made me feel like I had a handle on the process more than I ever thought I would. After being in the working world for 4 years before deciding to go back to school, Sherry was exactly what I needed.