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Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Joey (SBC)
Joey helped me gain admission to several M7 programs. He helped me with a complete overhaul of my CV that better highlighted the achievements that would most stand out to an adcom - and spent time helping me re-write my personal statement.
I signed up with completed applications, confident in my products, but Joey helped take those products to the next level. He was almost too generous with how he calculated time billed - always giving me extra chunks of time to get my products where they needed, and he was crucial to my interview preparation. Several of the questions that Joey asked me during our mock interview that seemed off the wall at the time were asked word-for-word by adcoms - and the line by line review we had done during our interview prep helped me deliver strong answers to the questions that adcoms would have no reason to believe that I had rehearsed.
Regardless of how confident you are with your application materials, I can guarantee that Joey will help you deliver a stronger product. Asking for Joey by name is probably the best thing you could do right now for your admissions chances.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Yvette (SBC)
Yvette was a fantastic resource to have during the entire application process.
From the first interaction to the last, she is engaged, committed, and thoughtful. She was more than willing to hop on a call at any moment during the application process to talk through anything. At no point was she unavailable. She is incredibly kind, and particularly talented in helping you brainstorm your story and tell it in a concise way. The application process can be stressful at times, and having access to an expert like Yvette makes it much less daunting. I could not recommend her more highly!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Carrie - SBC
When I was going through the business school application process, I was on the fence about whether or not hire a consultant. Some of my friends who were already in business school encouraged me to do so, but the price point forced me to consider to going through the process without external help. I am happy to say I am beyond thrilled that I went ahead and chose to work with Carrie. She was extremely flexible with her time, and helped me get the personal brand messaging on my application in a good place. I ended up getting into my number one choice school, and I am not sure that would have been possible with Carrie's help. I especially appreciated how Carrie was able to help me mold my application to hit all the points admissions offices were looking for, while still putting forward an accurate description of my career and career goals going forward.
One of the reasons I chose Stacy Blackman was to get cost-efficient time with various consultants, and they were able to deliver that. Some were better than others and at the end of the day I think their cumulative opinions helped me be successful in the process, really enjoyed working with Erin K.
If you are a traditional applicant like me who is honest with yourself it may not be necessary, in any other case I would recommend getting close friends or colleagues to read your essays. If you are a nontraditional applicant or have stats you need to mitigate I can see it being a great investment.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Chris (SBC)
I worked with Chris Van Nostrand on my Kellogg application. At first I thought he had done a good job challenging me on both broader topics and specific anecdotes in my essays. He was prompt and direct with his comments, which I appreciated. We also did a mock interview over the phone that was enjoyable. When I had my on-campus interview in R1 I felt well-prepared.
Ultimately, however, I was rejected from Kellogg in R1. Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the entire process wasn't that I was rejected from my dream school despite a 780 GMAT score and otherwise competitive profile but that I received zero follow-up from Chris or the SBC team after my rejection. No condolences, no sympathy, nothing. The last thing an applicant needs when juggling rejections and waitlists and figuring out R2 applications as the holidays approach is radio silence from their consultants.
I was accepted at a T10-15 school and will be matriculating there this Fall, but I did that application entirely on my own in R2 and without the help of any consultants. Bill Chionis of SBC actually told me not to apply to the school that I'm going to now and I'm glad I went against his advice, otherwise I would have come up completely empty. Overall I felt ripped off by the entire admissions consulting process and consider it a waste of time and money. It was extremely poor client management to ghost an applicant after they are rejected.
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Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Emily (SBC)
I can't put in words how helpful Emily was throughout the application and in so many different ways!
With how much information there is on the application process, Emily was able to guide me down the right path from the get-go. From our initial call, it was evident how invested Emily was in each of her clients. I knew very little of how the business school application process worked or if I was even a legitimate candidate. After our initial discussion of my background and my aspirations, Emily set forth a comprehensive strategy that gave me the confidence that I could go through this process with her help. Emily broke down our in-depth conversations into specifics that I could highlight throughout my applications that would appeal to the schools that I was targeting.
From this point forward, Emily provided me with feedback for the essays I began assembling. She always turned around feedback quickly with clear direction and purpose with her suggestions. If anything confused me, Emily would come up with different ways to get her point across to me and ensure that I was heading down the right path. With her help, I was able to create a narrative that would hopefully appeal to business schools.
Along with her help with essays, Emily's motivational and supportive nature pushed me to stick through the process. I tried to drop out of the application process multiple times, but her words of encouragement pushed me to see the process through and ultimately be accepted to two top 10 programs - something I never could have fathomed when I first introduced myself to her over the phone. I cannot express in words how incredible an experience it was to work with Emily.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Margaret (SBC)
I talked to other admission consultants and I had a feeling it was about the money in the end. I had a different feeling when I talked to Esther Magna. She listened carefully to my needs, talked to the consultant, and gave me the response based on what they can do for me.
I had an amazing experience working with Margaret Strother. My deadline was 6 days away because I spent weeks trying to overcome anxiety and start writing my essays. She provided step-by-step instructions and made the process very easy. She went beyond to help me meet the deadline, prioritizing my emails to decrease response time and responding within hour even when she was off desk.
As I could afford only 5 hours of consulting, she was kind enough to help me with 2 SOPs for Master of Science program, and also gave recommendations to improve my CV. As a result, I completed two 500 word SOPs in 5 days when I spent weeks forcing myself to write something.
She also gave detailed feedback and further suggestions to improve my essays that already looked good. Her guidance helped to make this process as smooth as possible.
Working with Margaret was a pleasure – it was a genuine desire to help me as a fellow human being. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I am very happy that I had a chance to work with SBC.
Thank you, SBC team!
When I engaged SBC, I had already completed the majority of my application and wanted someone with admissions experience to review my materials and overall strategy. I was paired with Anthony (former Wharton admissions), and throughout our time working together he was able to provide helpful tips and unique, additive insights that helped me get comfortable ahead of my final application submission. I was wary about the cost of the service, but Anthony did a great job of managing our time together and getting the most out of every minute. I was ultimately admitted to Wharton and would highly recommend working with Anthony to anyone who wants an insider's perspective on their application process.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Joey (SBC)
After negative experiences working with an independent consultant on the first draft of my application, I reached out to Stacy Blackman for advice. I was confident in my work experience, GPA, recommenders, and community involvement; however, I knew that my below average test scores and over-represented background would require a standout application. I was receiving cookie-cutter advice, and I started to panic.
Instead of trying to mold my application into a predictable form that 'works best,' we worked together to create an application that was wholly authentic, pithy, and creative. In particular, Joey helped me overhaul the chronology of my essay, exposing redundancies and intricate language in the process, and making my anecdotes and messages more impactful. Joey's blunt, yet humorous, approach was refreshing, and as a former MBA student at HBS, he provided me with an added layer of first-hand insight. Joey also went above and beyond by accommodating my condensed timeline via quick turnarounds, and made himself available over phone and email on very short notice. Joey was an integral part of my HBS application success, and I sincerely recommend him for application consulting!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Christine (SBC)
I am extremely satisfied with the services offered by SBC and namely, my consultant Christine Hawkins, who did an amazing job helping me craft my story.
I had devoted a considerable amount of time preparing for the GMAT and researching schools, however due to some personal issues, I found myself with very little time (less than a month) to work on the applications of two highly selective schools. After doing a thorough research, I decided to approach SBC for support and I quickly realized that I had made the right decision.
Christine promptly managed to get to know my strengths/weaknesses and my story as a whole. Together, we laid out a strategy (which included guidance on the resume, essays, interviews and other crucial factors) that eventually led to two well-rounded applications that perfectly demonstrated my appeal as an MBA prospect to the adcom. Throughout the application process, Christine was very responsive and approachable, providing constructive feedback on various aspects of my application that helped me refine and systematize my seemingly "rugged" story.
In the end, I got admitted to both of the schools I applied to, with about a 80% scholarship from my top choice. I could not have been happier with Christine and SBC and I highly recommend their services to anyone considering a top MBA!
