I think this was the biggest waste of my money. My consultant did not even remember what she spoke with me during our first meeting. After discussing the the schools we were going to apply to which suited my profile, she came back and gave me a totally different story on how i should apply to lower ranked schools. All this was very funny to me as prior to paying the fee I was given a totally different story on how my profile was great for a top 10 school and have a great chance of getting in however later I was given an entirely different picture.

Though my consultant was good and had some decent points it was nothing what one cannot do by himself. i would strongly recommend to work harder yourself and talk to students directly to make your application strong. This was the biggest waste of my money and how I regret it.

At the beginning of 2012, a really tough task lay ahead of me. I wanted to go to business school, but had significant weaknesses in my application and was applying from a really competitive pool. Even though I had a plan on how I could address these weaknesses, I didn't have clarity on how I could position myself in my essays.

Andy was pivotal in guiding me through the application process and helping me formulate a strategy that addressed my weaknesses and differentiated me from the rest of the pool at the same time. His passion, dedication, and openness was apparent from our first call and I had no doubt in my mind that we could work together on this. He helped my build upon my strengths and really showcase them in a clear, consistent manner. Prompt responses to draft versions, flexible schedule, late night conversations, and honest feedback were some of the characteristics of Andy's work ethic that made it possible for me gain admission on my first try to Johnson.

However, the most crucial strength that Andy has is his demeanor. He realizes how grueling the admissions process is and that most of the applicants are juggling work and other tasks while applying. He managed to be open and honest in his feedback, yet keep my spirits up. And that made all the difference!

Andy stuck with me throughout the application process and provided critical feedback/guidance when I was waitlisted. I can't thank him enough for his help and I am absolutely stoked that I'll be joining Johnson in the fall!

I came into this process feeling very average and wondering if I had a shot at all at a top 10 school. For those who like stats (3.2/700). Shanna was realistic but very encouraging and pushed me to apply to more competitive programs than I really believed I could get into (along with some back-ups). While I was not admitted to my number one stretch school, I WAS admitted to Kellogg and Sloan and was ecstatic to get one of those, let alone have a choice.

I think the key to success in our process was her ability to really understand me and what I wanted to say, almost better than I did myself (I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but she could put my random thoughts into words) And once the plan was defined she could coach me towards pulling it together. My end product reflects me and feels very authentic, but is also a very tight marketing piece that I was ultimately very proud of.

I went through a process up front of selecting my consultant and felt great about Shanna from the start. I put all my trust into Stacy Blackman's team and process and I was not let down.

I was referred to Stacy Blackman Consulting by a friend at Sloan. I had several free consultations with various companies, but felt best about Stacy Blackman based on competency and chemistry. As a younger candidate from a non-traditional business background, I was unsure whether I would be accepted to business school, let alone a top school.

My first discussions were with Esther, who was wonderful and got me off to a great start. I ultimately chose Lisa to be my consultant, and it turned out to be a great fit. I purchased a five-school package and applied to four schools independently.

From the beginning, Lisa was an incredible coach and cheerleader. She helped me focus and understand how to clearly present my unique background and strengths in leadership, research, and academia, in a way that bschools would appreciate. She was invaluable in helping me refine my resume and stories. She advised me not only about what to include, but what not to include in my essays and interview. She took the time for several phone conversations when I felt email correspondence wasn’t enough. There were a few periods when my job became especially hectic and I procrastinated on applications. Lisa would considerately check in and helped keep me motivated and on track. She provided advice and pep talks before each of my interviews, which helped me prepare well and feel confident.

Lisa was a pleasure to work with. She is intelligent, extremely professional, insightful, highly reliable, timely, and has a great sense of humor. I was accepted to five schools, four of them with scholarships. I am going to a top 15 school next year. Beyond the ranking, it is a school I am thrilled about attending because it is such a fantastic fit. I highly recommend SBC.

I set up a phone consultation with Stacy Blackman because I was impressed with the quality of information available on their website, and my consultation with Esther Magna was comprehensive and helpful. I reviewed two other consultants' information, but I chose to work with Esther because of her positive attitude and the helpful advice she gave me even in our first conversation.

Throughout the entire application process, Esther’s proactive support and extensive knowledge of business school admissions were invaluable. Her upbeat and timely responses kept me on track, and her guidance helped me focus my applications on my most relevant accomplishments and goals. She answered all of the questions I asked, and many I didn’t know I had. Esther spent time understanding my background, and when I struggled with a few of the essay questions, her thoughtful feedback and creative suggestions helped me craft polished responses that highlighted my strengths as a candidate.

The comprehensive service is definitely an investment, but it was excellent - Esther helped me prepare for my interviews and was always available for my time-sensitive questions. I was admitted to two of the three schools to which I applied, and I received amazing fellowships from both of those schools (which covered the cost of consulting many times over).

The comprehensive service I received at Stacy Blackman and the admits I received as a result of this service exceeded my every expectation. I worked with Lisa Chen as my consultant on 4 schools, and I was accepted by every program (3 with scholarships). I am thrilled to be attending HBS!

I consider myself a highly motivated, organized person with the ability to tackle just about anything; however, the business school application process seemed both formidable and cryptic. I knew to give myself the best chance and to have no regrets at the end of the process I needed to seek the guidance of a consulting service. Stacy Blackman came highly recommended to me from a former work colleague who had been accepted into his first choice program.

Working with Stacy Blackman completely demystified the process. I received a workable timetable for completing aspects of the application, an entire website of resources (school info, sample essays, interview transcripts), and what seemed like 24/7 access to Lisa.

There wasn't a single facet of my life, interests, and ambitions that Lisa and I left unexplored, and it resulted in essays that were vibrant, compelling and even more true to myself than those I could have written without her mentorship. Lisa's marketing background was extremely helpful in solidifying my story, and she pushed me until my essays left no room for any school to question why I wanted to attend and what I could contribute to the community. Lisa's interview prep was also critical to my success. Her mock interview was spot on, and her analysis of my answers left me better prepared to face those questions during actual interviews.

Let me conclude by saying that I might have been accepted to 1, maybe 2 (if I was lucky), schools had I been left up to my own devices. Being accepted into every school which I applied is miraculous, and I unabashedly believe that my overwhelming success was a direct result of working with Lisa and Stacy Blackman.

I worked with Stacy Blackman's team on my applications to four schools and was admitted to two of them (MIT and Stanford). Walter was my consultant and I was extremely happy with the work we did together.

While I was a bit dubious of using an outside consultant I would have to say I was also somewhat desperate for guidance. I did not have people in my circle who could guide me and did not feel that I could find expert and truly reliable information on my own. I also wanted personalized guidance beyond what I could find in a book etc...

Walter was amazing to work with - calm, very informed, turnaround time was excellent and an overall truly nice guy. He made the difference in my application and made the process less of a roller coaster. Writing that initial check was excruciating - I will not deny, but i truly felt that Walter and the firm earned their fee many times over.

I worked with Maureen at SBC and absolutely loved her. It was a challenging stressful process, and she made me work very hard, but I did so knowing that I was plugging along in the right direction. Maureen served on the admissions committee at Tuck and had very useful insights into how the adcomm would assess my background and application. She was also patient, insightful and creative. I would have to say that her service exceeded my expectations. She was more responsive than promised and her inputs were more valuable than I ever could have imagined. She helped me break down the overwhelming process and tackle it in a smart way, bit by bit. When I received a significant scholarship to UCLA that covered my fees to SBC many times over, let's just say that was icing on the cake!

I worked hard throughout college and for several years out and definitely feel that I earned my admits. However, I also don't think I would have been as successful (or possibly successful at all) without Stacy Blackman and her team, particularly Lisa who was incredible, amazing and everything in between. This is because although I had some good experiences, I did not know how to get them down on paper and when I look back at my first drafts and the kind but firm feedback from Lisa I want to laugh. I am going to HBS!

Lisa did a really good job of taking my background and finding themes to help market me. She was able to highight my strengths and help me back up the strengths with my solid stories. I think my essays were interesting and that is not how they started. My interview prep was also outstanding and really helped me to go into the interview feeling calm and to stay calm. Honestly nothing threw me - she prepped me to be ready for the curveballs. I am grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend the entire team at Stacy Blackman as everyone that I interfaced with impressed me.

Caryn Altman came with the highest praise from a friend and I cannot echo that sentiment more. I was accepted to Booth and Kellogg and I couldn’t have done it without Caryn’s dedicated guidance and unwavering support.

She made every effort to get to know me as a person to put together a distinctive application. Caryn will be extremely honest with your candidacy strengths and weaknesses (which is exactly what you need), but more importantly, she commits to working with you to find solutions and positively frame your message. Her insights from AdCom’s perspective and willingness to reach out to the Stacy Blackman Consulting network for additional resources were the finishing polish that took my essays to a new level.

I can honestly say that no matter the outcome, I wouldn’t have had a single regret this application cycle because I know Caryn helped me put together the best application I know I’m capable of. A million thanks to Caryn and the Stacy Blackman Consulting team – I’m ecstatic to start at Booth in the fall!