MBA Admissions All-in Services Reviews

I was initially hesitant in using an admissions consultant but having read reviews of admitted students who had used consultants I decided to do so. I reviewed a few and had initial conversations but Stacy Blackman stood out by a mile and were able to pair me up with Joey.

My experience with Joey was absolutely amazing from our first call, Joey was very easygoing and understood me well with my unique background. I also enjoyed Joey's genuine interest in getting to know me which helped the engagement. There was lots of hard work to do in preparation for the process but Joey was always available on email/ on-call.

I would definitely recommend Joey especially if you are from an emerging market, from a non-target school Joey is able to help you find what makes you unique and craft an interesting message.

Overall I am very happy with my experience with Joey and would do it all again!!!

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Working with SBC was, without question, the best decision I made during the difficult, and often confusing process of navigating applications. As a male working in finance with average undergraduate grades and slightly below average GMAT, it was clear that I needed the other aspects of my application to be as strong as possible. Other consulting firms tried to sell me on their stats and push me into contract whereas the SBC team was friendly, considerate and thorough before ultimately pairing me with the perfect consultant, Joyce W. I am incredibly thankful for her guidance, patience and commitment and am thrilled to have been admitted to Wharton and Kellogg.

I cannot stress enough how AMAZING Joyce was throughout the entire process. She helped me discover a lot about myself, tie pieces of my story together in ways that I had never before considered, and ultimately gave me the tools and guidance to produce a successful application. The SBC “flight test” process was a helpful sanity check on my application and the mock team based interview was hugely useful before participating in the real thing.

Joyce made an intimidating, and often confusing process incredibly clear and accessible. She provided candid feedback as I struggled through the start and more than anything else, she invested in me and my story as if she were in my shoes. Her confidence, knowledge and on more than one occasion, life coaching moral support, helped me successfully grind through the grueling process. Joyce went above and beyond in every way and I am so lucky to have found her and SBC!!

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I reached out to a 3-4 consulting companies early May before taking the GMAT and got turned down by all except SBC. Realize I didn’t have much time to both prep for the tests and write applications for round 1, but I was surprised most consultants will only work with candidates who have on paper a better chance of getting in. Essentially the other consultants told me it would be too much of a “risky” move. I appreciate SBC believing in my potential and working with me despite not having a GMAT score (I ended up getting a 740). Long story short, I got accepted to HBS, Kellogg and Tuck.

I worked with Christina Fu who was an incredible resource and truly helped me learn more about myself. I enjoyed working with her and I think ultimately what made the experience worthwhile was the fact that she got to know me so well. I was looking for a consultant who could help me get organized with all the deadlines / to-dos and to get a second opinion on things, but I think the greatest value-add for me was the self-learning process. Applying to business school is a period of introspection and I would encourage candidates to find a consultant like Christina who can help them learn about their career paths, future goals, personal qualities etc.

I highly recommend Christina and SBC. In less than 4 months I was able to take the GMAT / prepare applications and I don’t think I would have been able to do that without Christina’s help.

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PSA: I want to start off by saying this. Get a consultant if you're anxious about your future MBA prospects. There is no way to quantify the benefit of having someone consistently help you through the process and provide a sense of security during this time of anxiety and stress.

I worked with Yvette at SBC and we hit it off pretty quickly laying out the groundwork around my applicant profile and helping me focus on my strengths and weaknesses. The best part of our initial conversation was her ability to navigate through the mess that I call my brain and help me shape the application ideas that were already there. She was there with me each step of the way and once we got to the Flight Test, it truly felt like I had put together a competitive deliverable. Yvette will always get back to you within 24 hours (usually within 1 hour to be honest).

Once we got to the interview stage, things will slow down a little as it's more of a waiting game for the interview invite. At this point, Yvette helped me to frame the message of my profile from the typical "Tell me about yourself" to tackling various behavioral questions. The mock interview was crucial because Yvette helped me to confront the anxieties I had when it came to my own self-confidence when it comes to how I come off as an interviewee. From there, the only way was up and I used SBC's interviewstream platform and practiced until I knew I mastered the questions.

Even though I only had Yvette help me with one of the schools, the way she helped me through my application was easily transferable to my other schools and I did well with all my applications!

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Stacey Blackman was a perfect choice for MBA Application consultant. I was paired with Joey and could not be happier that he was selected to help me through the process.

Joey was incredibly thoughtful, efficient, and hard working. He made each step of the process easier and worked diligently to draw out my best stories and help showcase them to the admissions staff at HBS. As a male admit from a finance background, I needed Joey's creativity to differentiate myself and he was successful in drawing out those stories.

From the initial call late at night with Esther, to my flight tester and the wealth of preparation information SBC offers, I am very thankful for choosing SBC.

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I had an awesome experience in working with Caryn this past summer. I was applying to 6 schools for Round 1, and naturally was anxious to dive straight in and being writing essays. She helped me take a step back and helped me craft a thoughtful story about what I’ve done, who I am, and who I want to be with respect to my career. Nailing this story upfront was invaluable, as I was able to consistently draw from it when writing essays all the way through interviews.

The beginning of the essay portion was definitely a struggle for me, but Caryn was extremely helpful in going through no less than 10 drafts of my first essay to make sure we were getting off on the right foot. Furthermore, she was always direct and honest with her feedback, which made me trust her as I knew when she did sign off on something, it was because she truly felt it was ready for submission. Once I had some momentum going, she really helped me stay focused on one step at a time, making a daunting checklist feel far more doable.

Finally, during interview season Caryn was great with interview prep and provided some really helpful pointers after my mock interview session. I also really appreciated that she continued to check in as interview and admissions decisions were released – it showed me that she was personally invested in my success as a person, not just as a client. In the end, I received acceptances from Wharton, Kellogg, Haas, and Ross, and her help and support along the way were a significant factor in making that possible.

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I worked with Caryn and SBC for class of 2021 applications and found working with her incredibly valuable. The decision to work together paid off as I was accepted to Wharton which was my top choice, as well as Kellogg and UNC.

Caryn took the time to get to know me and my background first and then helped me craft the best possible story and application strategy based on my prior experiences and future goals. She then continued to provide tremendous value through all phases of the application process by providing candid and straightforward feedback and pushing me to produce my best work in my applications. After I submitted my applications, Caryn helped me prepare for the interviews and SBC also scheduled and conducted a mock team based discussion for the Wharton interview, which was extremely beneficial for me.

Caryn was recommended to me by a friend and Wharton alum, so I did not explore other firms, but I’m confident that Caryn and the SBC platform put me in the best possible position to be admitted to business school. Caryn has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the MBA application process and the SBC platform further provided an astounding amount of resources that I was able to leverage throughout the application process.

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I first started working with Caryn when I signed up for the MBA Process – Plan Ahead package. This option was very helpful since I didn’t know where I stood with the schools I was thinking about applying to. I knew I didn’t have the best background with a below average GPA among the top schools and a non-elite undergraduate degree so I was going to need as much help as possible. Caryn was able to determine what my strengths were and how I could address my weaknesses ahead of time while clarifying what schools would be a reach and where I would be competitive.

Later on, I signed up for the All-in-package for four schools. I didn’t have any friends, co-workers, or family that had gone through an MBA application so I knew I was going to need quality advice and guidance on the process. Caryn was able to push me to bring out my best authentic self and craft my unique story in all aspects of the application. It can be a very demanding and tough process, especially when going through multiple drafts, but Caryn always brought a positive attitude and helped me stay on track.

A couple of the unique resources SBC offers such as the flight test and interview prep helped tremendously. The flight test was the perfect tool to get a different perspective from someone who had not spent time with me going over my profile and would view the application in the same sense an ad com would read it.

When I received the news that I got into my dream school of Kellogg, I could not wait to share the news with Caryn! Not only did Caryn give me the tools to complete my best application but she also gave me the confidence that this was possible. I knew she was truly invested in my success and believed in me the entire time, which was a very important aspect to me as I picked a consultant. I cannot say enough positive things about my experience and would highly recommend Caryn for anyone applying to business school.

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SBC proved helpful in increasing my odds of acceptance to my desired business schools. I highly recommend a consultant for interested applicants.
The SBC consultant with whom I partnered, Joey, proved particularly adept at:
-"AdComming" my resume by suggesting clear, jargon-free language that highlighted my desired capabilities
-Brainstorming my essay topic and materially enhancing its quality & creativity
-Offering guidance on the purpose of the MBA and why it adds value
-Providing honest feedback on all parts of my application, which enhanced not only the application itself but also my personal self-awareness (an even more valuable outcome)

I have a technical finance background and Joey found ways to make my personality shine. If you have a more "generic" background and want help standing out, Joey or SBC can help1

Joey remained open and happy to talk and work any time I asked, which made a seemingly difficult process easy. His insights were intelligent and action-oriented, keeping me on track and stress-free throughout the process.

Getting an SBC consultant does not guarantee admission, but you are putting yourself at a disadvantage if you forego them entirely, and you can do far worse than choosing SBC. I got into the best business school for me (Wharton) and don't think I would have gotten accepted on my own.

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I began the MBA application in early August, after completing my GMAT and achieving my target score. I grabbed lunch with a work colleague who had a great experience with SBC, so I decided to go with them. I, like my work colleague, had an overall great experience with the services that SBC offered and my consultant, Lisa, who was punctual, professional and a pleasure to work with. I was admitted to the two schools I used the all-in package for, admitted to two other programs, and wait-listed at one school. I received scholarship at 3 of the 5 programs I applied to (all in R1) and was happy with the outcome.

I would highly recommend Lisa for any candidate who has a lower GMAT/GPA score and a technical background. Lisa's feedback on my interview prep also helped me become more confident in my answers during the interview.

One word of advice, if you decide to buy a multi-school all-in package, be aware that the 'fight test package' is only performed on ONE school, not all the schools in the package. If I had known this, I would have chosen the one-school package and purchased additional hours.

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