Yvette (SBC) Reviews

Yvette was great in the process - helping me understand the different parts of the application and understanding the nuances of each school. I was referred to her by a former colleagued who spoke highly of Yvette, and I am so glad I decided to work with her! She gave me frank feedback and was not afraid to voice her opinions.

In addition, the team based aspect of the Stacy Blackman experience, where another consultant looks at your application is really helpful. Yvette also pivoted quickly after the additional feedback which helped me see my application from a different lens. I would highly recommend working with both Yvette and Stacy Blackman.

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Yvette is masterful at helping you develop an application that both reflects who you truly are,  and shows the schools what they need to see. I applied to 4 top 10 schools and got into 2 - including my top choice, HBS! And I very much doubt I would have had this success without Yvette's full commitment and incredible talent at helping me translate who I am onto the application page. You want her on your team through this process!

What made Yvette the best :) :
- Tireless - she never stopped pushing me to dig a little deeper, and push a little further to come up with material that she knew would resonate with with AdCom.
- No bs - she'll say it like it is, while always making sure you feel comfortable. This is crucial, and what you're paying for!
- Knowledgeable - she knew every one of the schools I was applying to like the back of her hand. I only went all-in for HBS, but did calls with her for my other 3 schools, and she was expert at helping me tailor my story for their culture and focus. Her knowledge was also KEY when it came to interviews - our interview prep and mock interview were huge for me. Thanks to Yvette, I walked into the HBS interview knowing exactly what to expect and how to put my best foot forward.
- Kind and cool! - Yvette is the amazing guidance counselor I never had! She really became a mentor/spirit guide/friend all at once. She is fully invested and cares so much about your success, which is obviously beneficial in terms of results, and also makes the very taxing process a lot more fun. 

For context - I have very little quant background, and a strong verbal GRE score but mediocre quant score. However, I had done so much research about the schools and their admissions offices, and love to write, so was not planning on using a consultant. I was convinced I knew my story, and could figure out how to tell it on my own. I also had doubts about the integrity of the consulting process. But Yvette showed me how important it is to have an outside eye who truly understands the process, and everything about it was very above board. She was all about asking the right questions to help me piece together my story, and never stepped in to insert her own voice.   

A few notes about MBA app consulting in general - SBC's 'flight test' was awesome. Highly recommend. Also, I found the all-in package to be really worthwhile. While hourly guidance is useful, the dynamic of a pay-by-the-minute setup doesn't really suit such a creative and personal process. Yvette was amazingly efficient and super respectful about making the most of my paid hours, so if you're very budget conscious, you can rest assured she has your back there. But the depth and quality of feedback will inherently be stronger with an all-in package. I know it's a lot of cash - but as I see it, school is around $200k, may as well spend a few K up front to make sure you're pouring all that money into one of your top choice schools!  

In sum - if you're serious about upping your chances at your top choice schools, Yvette is the answer  : ) 

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I do not have enough words to express my gratitude towards Yvette. If I can assure you something, it’s that without her help I would not have been able to get into 3 top 5 schools. No chance! As an international student in tech, with lower than average GMAT (690), I had to differentiate myself from other candidates and demonstrate I could excel in the classroom. With Yvette’s All-In package, I was able accomplish this and complete near perfect applications. I strongly recommend Yvette for the following reasons:

- Helps you develop your own story, and always pushes you to come up with more questions, forcing you do dig deeper into motivations, decisions, and aspirations. I started being so generic, and she helped me come up with an application that was exactly who I am. This helped me differentiate myself from others in tech, banking, minorities, etc
- Interviews: Interview prep with Yvette starts since day 0 when you’re shaping your story (All-In package). It all builds up to get an interview and Ace it. In addition, Yvette has lots of materials and tips for Interviews. My firs mock with her was horrible, but she coached me to communicate better and more concisely.
- ALWAYS willing to help and always straight forward and brutally honest! Yvette won’t necessarily tell you what you want hear, but she’ll tell you everything you need to come up with your best possible application.

Yvette really goes out of her way to help you come up with your best possible application. She is an incredible person who’ll help you from day 0 up until admission decisions.

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I reached out to Yvette after a recommendation from a colleague who got admitted to both HBS and GSB. I worked with Yvette on an All-In Package for the same two schools, and had a great experience.

From the very first conversation, Yvette helped to apply rigor and structure to my application and career goals, while still keeping my story authentic to who I am. Yvette applied "tough love" well, motivating me to come up with well-reasoned, "no-BS" answers for everything. By the time I submitted my application, I had done significant introspection, which paid off tremendously down the line as I was preparing for interviews. At the same time, Yvette was kind and understanding, always happy to hop on a call to help me calm my nerves, such as when I was unsure as to who should write my recommendations, despite a large time difference (I was based in Asia).

Ultimately, I was admitted first round to both HBS and GSB, and thank Yvette tremendously for the help!

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I utilized SBC's All-In package for two different schools and some hourly support for second round applications. I was paired with Yvette Romero, who was a fantastic support system throughout the entire application process. I had a very weak background as far as competitive GPA's and GMAT go (2.47 and 710 with a verbal heavy split), so I was definitely operating at a disadvantage during the process. Yvette helped me clarify ways to bring out the strengths of my technical career as well as ways to highlight the other strengths of my personal story. I've happily accepted an admissions offer from Kellogg with a scholarship, and that would not have been possible without her guidance. SBC is an expensive proposition but if you're serious about business school application and you have weak points in your profile, I highly recommend Yvette.

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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!

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The application process will be long and hard - my first call with Stacy Blackman made me realize just how involved it was going to be (I spoke to other consultants, but SB was the one that was most upfront about how demanding it was going to be). I was paired with Yvette due to my school choices, and I believe because of my nationality/culture.

I think some of the biggest perks of working with Yvette are:
1) No beating around the bush. She is direct with her feedback, without being dismissive, and helps you dig deeper. When you have to write about such personal matters, it's hard/awkward to really think about them and to have someone else read them - I never had this issue with Yvette. Yvette made me think through what I was bringing to the table, and helped me highlight it in my applications. She helped me by asking questions, and by providing a framework to help me think through the application questions in parts.

2) She is responsive, even if you are 1hr away from your deadline. There was never a NO to questions such as "Can you take a look one last time?", "Can you review my resume?", etc. As someone who doesn't speak English as her first language and who might have rushed the workload, it was great to always have a second pair of eyes.

3) She's a real person! (And a cool one too!) You can talk to Yvette about life, beyond the MBA, and this can help put things into perspective (just in case you get sucked into MBA vortex!)

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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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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!

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Hiring Yvette and Stacy Blackman Consulting was one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application process. With Yvette and team's help, I was fortunate enough to be admitted to all three programs where I applied (HBS, Wharton, and Sloan).

I started "interviewing" different consulting firms and reaching out to friends for their recommendations. I was by FAR most impressed by the Stacy Blackman team. From my first call with Sarah, I knew that they were experts in the process and had the resources and experience to advise me well. They introduced me to two different consultants (matched based off the schools I was interested in and my career path); However, after talking to Yvette, I knew she was who I wanted to work with as my primary consultant.

Yvette and I started working together right after July 4th and began talking regularly to get my applications pulled together for round 1. Yvette played the role of therapist, editor, and strategist, helping me synthesize my experiences into tightly written / direct narratives. She also helped me completely rework my resume to fit the MBA application.

Applying to business school can be stressful, but I felt so lucky to have Yvette and team to turn to. At one point, when I felt we hit a roadblock on one of my essays, Yvette wisely looped in another consultant (Andy) who was able to serve as an unbiased set of eyes and provide additional valuable feedback. The Flight Test with a former admissions officer at one of my target schools, helped me feel confident about the package of materials that I put together.

When it came time for interviews, Yvette stepped up once again. We prepped together and even did a fully in-character mock interview. This certainly helped craft the "sound bites" for my interviews and gave me a lot of confidence.

The business school application process is a TON of work, but having an admissions consultant can help keep you on track and provide expert advice from their experience. I viewed hiring an admissions consultant as an investment and I feel like I got an amazing return --- I will be heading to HBS in the fall!

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