Amy (SBC) Reviews

I explored a number of admissions consultancy options before deciding on SBC, which was recommended to me by a friend/former colleague. I was initially drawn to how thorough SBC's approach seemed to be, their "wiki" database loaded with valuable information, and of course their impressive roster of Consultants with deep AdComm experience. After my initial "matchmaking" call with Sarah, I had a great gut feeling that was immediately confirmed once I met with her recommended Consultant, Amy, with whom I decided to pursue a 4-school All-in package. Simply put, I felt Amy and SBC believed in me and had the skills to help me maximize my chances at achieving my MBA admission goals.

Amy was the perfect match for me. She had several years of AdComm experience at Wharton (one of my target schools) under her belt, as well as a background as a writer, which I expected would be a weakness of mine given my only writing in the past ~6 years had been emails. We put a clear, regimented plan into action following the SBC model and executed it over the subsequent ~5 months in a way that never felt rushed or overwhelming despite leaving no stone unturned before R1 deadlines.

Every step of the way, Amy was patient, thoughtful, well-organized, available, responsive, and infinitely helpful. With everything from my resume, to my essays, to my app-specific short answer questions, Amy's keen sense for what makes a compelling case helped me put forth the most holistically sound, authentic application I could with my set of personal experiences. Additionally, a major turning point in my process was when Amy encouraged me to pursue the GRE instead of the GMAT, a pivot that almost immediately improved the trajectory of my candidacy.

Before submitting, my flight tester, Caryn (former Kellogg AdComm), gave an objective read of my application and identified a few areas for improvement that Amy then helped me implement, not just for that school but for the others on our list where applicable. Later, the mock Wharton TBD with Anthony (again, also former AdComm and specifically Wharton) was invaluable in helping prepare me for the real experience, as that's not an interview style that I would’ve otherwise been able to easily simulate.

I ultimately received offers of admission to Columbia and Wharton, and couldn't be more appreciative of Amy's help - along with that of the other SBC team members - in making my MBA goals a reality.

Sorry for the long review - I'm sure Amy could've helped me cut this down! - but I simply cannot say enough about how pleased I am with SBC broadly and Amy specifically. It is not a small investment, but the returns are well worth it.

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I'm so thankful that I chose to work with the SBC team, and particularly Amy Hazen, my consultant. The SBC team works together to create a holistic experience. Bill took the time to understand my goals before pairing me with a consultant. Amy spent countless hours with me understanding what made me tick and helping me translate that into an application. Beth flight tested my application and made sure that there weren't any glaring holes, and Anthony helped me prep for my Wharton Team Based Discussion.

By far the most valuable part of this process was having Amy by my side. No question was too trivial for her, and she had limitless patience with me as I obsessed over every detail of my application. Amy's most valuable contribution, however, was her ability to help me focus on the RIGHT details. It is easy to lose sight of what you are building as you write the applications from the ground up, and it can be particularly challenging not to write applications based on what you THINK the AdComms WANT to hear. Amy encouraged me to embrace my authentic voice, and ensured that I was telling a story that highlighted who I am as a human.

Thanks to Amy and the SBC team I was admitted to FIVE MBA programs: GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, and Stern (with a full ride).

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I decided in June to apply to Wharton in round 1 and couldn't start prep until July because of a family wedding. I found SBC online because I knew there was no way I could get everything done myself in that amount of time while still working full-time.

I worked with Amy to apply to the Wharton/Lauder dual degree program and she was fantastic. She was so responsive and very quick to turn around feedback and she was candid with her suggestions. I graduated college only 2 years ago, so I knew that my short time in the workforce was going to be a major weakness in my application. Amy helped me craft my story to spin that to my advantage, which gained me admission to the program.

SBC also works with a FANTASTIC gmat tutor (Anthony) and he was worth every cent. I was going to take the GRE because I had already done some prep earlier in the year, but was struggling with the vocab section. I'm stronger in math so I decided to pivot to the gmat 2 weeks before I had to take the test. Anthony is seriously the best tutor/teacher I have ever worked with. I did a few hours with him and got a 760 on my gmat with 2 weeks of total prep. He gives you so many tricks to get faster and generously shares his extensive guides to continue studying on your own more efficiently with targeted practice.

What's better is that SBC services don't stop there. Amy helped with the essays and application strategy and Anthony helped with the test prep, but after your application is done, another consultant from SBC does a comprehensive review of your entire application package to give you feedback with fresh eyes from someone who is unfamiliar with all the details. Then if oyu get invited to interview, SBC provides mock sessions to practice since it's such a unique interview experience. You get to go through a practice interview with other SBC clients and it's moderated by an SBC consultant who gives each participant personalized feedback when it's over.

I can't thank SBC enough for all the help they provided! It was SO worth it.

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Amy was an amazing consultant to work with. As a LatAm applicant with a relatively low GRE score, she kept me motivated thorugh this incredibly stressfull journey and helped me focus on my key personal and professional strengths to portray in my applications, and also helped me select the MBA programs that made the best fit for me. I appreciated how direct and candid she was and how she helped me resolve all of my doubts and concerns in a clear and concise way. Her insights and experience from being a former admissions committee member were truly invaluable. Amy was always available to jump on a call at anytime to review my essays or discuss any topic regarding my applications.
The SBC team was very professional and responsive throughout my journey and would highly recommend them. One of SBC's most useful resources is the Flight test, where another consultant reviews your application, acting as a member of admissions in an MBA program and providing critical feeback. Beth Tidmarsh was extremely helpful as an external consultant by reviewing my essays with a fersh set of eyes and poiting out the strenghts and weaknesses of my application. Another great resource is the pool of sample essays that the SBC team makes available from different programs.

I was immediately engaged after the intro call to SBC with Bill Chionis's who also helped me make my match with Amy, and Toni Pollak was always available to solve any doubts and help me create my profile.

I couldn't be more excited for my multiple admits and can't thank the SBC team enough for their help!

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Having attended undergraduate studies overseas, I felt I needed some support for my Executive MBA applications here in the US. Wharton was my top choice and having worked at the school for over 12 years, Amy was the perfect consultant for me. She provided multiple value-additive comments on my essays and application forms. However, the highlight of working with Amy was the interview preparation session. We rehearsed answers to almost all of the questions that came up in the real interview, which enabled me to perform strongly, and receive an offer.

Would highly recommend Amy for any MBA applications, but especially Wharton!

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Amy was essential to my admittance to HBS as a re-applicant. In the prior year’s cycle, I was admitted to NYU through the help of Applicant Lab, but I wanted to give it another shot. With her expertise as a former Wharton Admissions expert and professional editor (this came in very clutch!), Amy helped me create a completely different application that highlighted a more authentic and personal story. She was especially amazing during the final stretches of applications when she quickly responded with her thoughts to each new draft of my essays. I would highly recommend her as a consultant to anyone going through the process!

The rest of the SBC team was also great. Sarah quickly paired me up with Amy. Kim, my flight tester, gave me solid feedback and the confidence that my application was in the right direction. The Stacey Blackman wiki database was also very helpful for understanding what successful essays look like. Overall, a great experience with Amy & the Stacey Blackman team and you can’t argue with the results! Highly recommend!

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Applying to business school is one of the most difficult things I've had to do and requires the right balance of personal introspection and external framing. As a reapplicant this year who felt a lot of anxiety about the process, I consider Amy to be the biggest reason I was able to gain admission to all three of the programs I applied to. From meeting with Sarah Tsai, an SBC leader who matched me with Amy, I appreciated the personal touch Amy and the team brought to my application. I had worried that for this amount of money and given how big of a brand they have, I'd get more removed service, but Amy felt like a friend and constant advocate throughout. Her ability to connect the dots between my personal story, listening ear to understand what I wanted to express and share and how to best frame that, and excellent editing skills helped me gain admission to my dream program and, more importantly, kept me feeling sane and confident throughout.

Amy spent a few hours upfront really getting to know me and I think my process was easier for it. I highly recommend starting earlier (I believe I matched with her in June) to make sure you have time to really think about what you want to say in your application before starting essays and resumes. When the time came to do that, Amy's quick turnarounds and direct feedback made it easy to complete my work in a short timeframe and I appreciated her flexibility to discuss feedback live - she really knows what to think through, and will be honest if your ideas don't work. In addition to Amy, I appreciated the Flight Test application review I received from Kim, the TBD prep I received from Anthony, and how the team uses all their former AdComm members to make sure you feel like you've put your best foot forward in the application process.

Signing up for SBC was the best decision I made and Amy's the best support and advisors I could've asked for. I remember what it felt like to not get in anywhere, and Amy helped give me the confidence to push through that and find my voice in a rigorous, long process. It's expensive, but definitely worth the investment to get where you want to go, and I will be forever grateful for the guidance I wouldn't have had without her!

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Amy was amazing to work with, and I’m super happy with my outcome. I was accepted to a top MBA program (my first choice) with over half my tuition covered by scholarship. Amy really got to know me and understood my background. She helped me whip my resume into tip top shape and clarify my post MBA goals. She also did interview prep, which made me feel relaxed and confident.

Even though I attended an Ivy League school for undergrad, my GPA and GMAT left something to be desired. Amy helped me offset this by pushing me to highlight my work experience to best position myself as an applicant and offering insightful feedback on my essay.

I appreciated Amy’s honesty, thoughtfulness, and responsiveness. She was an invaluable resource, and I felt much less stressed since I could ask her questions about the application process. I would definitely recommend working with Amy!

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I worked with Amy from SBC for all of my Round 1 B School Applications. Amy's proactive process and and working sessions helped me tremendously throughout the process. Amy and I started working together 2 months before the applications were due. This proactive timeline really set the foundation for my successful applications. We spent the first month of our time together defining my MBA story and perfecting my resume. Not only did these help my applications themselves but this time spent on refining my professional identity was irreplaceable during my interviews. As I was in the middle 80% of test scores and on the lower end of GPAs for top 20 programs, Amy partnered with my to make sure I stood out in my essays and interviews. We spent many virtual sessions unpacking significant events in my life and perfecting drafts of essays to ensure I was putting my voice and experience into each essay and interview.

After the deadlines, I was admitted to 2 of 3 of my first round schools, and was waitlisted at my top choice. Amy guided me through the best ways to stand out and show the AdCom that I was extremely passionate about this top choice. After 2 months on the waitlist and many updates sent to the AdCom, I was accepted in early Round 2 to my top choice.

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Since my first contact with Bill regarding Stacy Blackman's services, I could tell right away that it would be a great increase to my MBA chances. I was told right away that the story that I had in my head was off and why it wouldn't fly with admissions at top schools, and from all the experience I've had since, I can definitely see why that was the case.

I signed up for the service and got matched up with Amy, and she was absolutely fantastic. The care and attention to detail she put into helping me fix up my resume, story and overall presentation of my applications was amazing and so appreciated. She was responsive, helpful, friendly and encouraging and definitely played a big part in helping me to get the offer of a lifetime!

Also, the Flight test administered by Beth was another big confidence boost, allowing me to focus on interviews knowing that my profile was strong enough for my target schools. I would recommend the service to anyone who is serious about their future!

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