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Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting clients have been admitted to every top business school worldwide, often with merit scholarships. Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) delivers results, as shown through its record of the highest number of online reviews across multiple MBA admissions ranking and review sites. Our online track record includes: #1 on MBAinsight, BeattheGMAT, ClearAdmit, and #1 out of 11 firms for our team caliber by PoetsandQuants.
We begin with meticulous matchmaking before we begin an engagement or accept payment. We recommend a primary consultant only after evaluating your candidacy strength and differentiating qualities; we respect your investment and the trust you place in us. We offer a high-touch, limited client-per-consultant experience.
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TEAM
SBC is the only consulting firm in the industry who has on our team a complete panel of former MBA Admissions Officers from the top US programs and European programs. No other firm has this complete talent. 75% of our MBA consultant team hails from the top seven US MBA programs as MBA graduates and/or former MBA Admissions Officers, including from Harvard and Stanford. We know what’s going on, and we know it first. We have tremendous insight as to what is currently keeping the AdCom up at night and what values they are looking for from their current students.
MODEL
The SBC System™ has eight core modules and is the most robust of all firms. SBC offers unlimited time with a carefully selected Primary Consultant, allowing for full accountability and dedication. SBC also believes in checks and balances, and thus developed our Flight Test™, which is a complete review by a former Admissions Officer. This structured feedback from a former AdCom member mimics a real AdCom review and helps to ensure that a candidate’s application is most compelling to the target audience. We also offer an "hourly first" option for applicants who prefer to test the waters initially before engaging in our All-In service.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Andy (SBC)
In October, I decided to apply to business school. I knew I would need to stay focused, organized and motivated in order to meet the R2 deadlines for four schools. I also knew that I was a subpar writer and lacked confidence in marketing myself at the level that top business schools often expect. I discovered SBC and met Andy, who graciously took on the task of helping me with my resume and essays.
I really enjoyed working with Andy, because he offers direct and honest feedback. If a topic would not work, he would say so rather than spending time trying to make it work. Additionally, Andy is incredibly responsive over e-mail, even on weekends. He has a 24-hour response goal, but he was always able to turnaround my essays ahead of this goal. Lastly, Andy is VERY patient. There were many times when I really struggled to connect the essay prompt with a good story, but Andy did not give up on me by just telling me what to do. Instead, Andy offered constant guidance as I slowly worked through idea after idea after idea and version after version after version of the same essay. Even as the R2 deadlines were fast approaching, Andy stayed available and supportive to the point where I started an essay three days before the deadline (not recommended) and was still able to get a strong essay together with a day to spare!
In the end, results speak for itself, as I will now be attending my dream school - Wharton!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions All-in Services
Consultant Caryn (SBC)
After working extensively with Caryn Altman of Stacey Blackman Consulting (SBC), I can honestly say that she went far above and beyond my expectations. I signed up for the ‘All-in-one’ package for 3 schools and specifically picked Caryn after reading other raving reviews about her ability to get students into their dream school and she did not disappoint! Of the four schools that I applied to, I was admitted to 3 (including my #1 choice) and waitlisted on 1 despite my low undergrad GPA and average GMAT (at best) for the top-tier schools that I was applying to. To be honest, I figured they were all reach schools when I initially started the application process however after Caryn helped me create my ‘brand,’ my confidence significantly increased. Caryn was available and responsive to emails within a day (often times within an hour) and was able to walk me through the application process each step of the way. The best part about Caryn was that she is honest, and gives it to you straight. She will not hesitate to tell you to completely overhaul an essay, and also provides invaluable advice on non-essay fields as well. Coming into the application process, I was completely unaware of the amount of hard work and dedication that would be required and Caryn’s ability to guide me until I had a seemingly flawless application greatly reduced the stress of the application process. Overall, I am 100% confident that I would not have gotten into my dream school had it not been for Caryn, and am completely satisfied with every aspect of her work. I highly encourage any prospective MBA student to work with SBC and more importantly, with Caryn Altman (but do note that she is very popular so you will need to sign-up early)!
I could not recommend Paul more highly.
I consulted with Paul as part of my round 2 application process for GSB, which is the only school I applied to (and which I was admitted to!).
I reached out to SBC because I had heard exceptional things about their service through friends. After doing an initial call with Esther, I did a little diligence, learned of their shockingly high GSB admit rate, and agreed to connect with Paul, a GSB alum who worked with the admissions committee as a student, who is still part of their alumni interview network, and who has advised many students successfully with their GSB applications.
My situation was also unique in that I had done a fair amount of work on my application (written essay drafts, found recommenders, etc.) beforehand over the course of one week of long nights, but was unsatisfied with the results I was seeing. Paul immediately turned it all around for me. He single-handedly pushed me to develop the necessary self-awareness to write compelling GSB essays, helped hone my stories and anecdotes, explained in detail the way that applications are read and reviewed (and what they are looking for), and shared best practices around style, content, and tone that would simply be unknowable except by consulting with someone as knowledgeable as Paul.
Paul was readily accessible for follow-up calls, reads, moments of frustration, and I was always 100% confident that he would make it a priority to get back to me quickly, and with succinct, clear and practical advice that I could act on immediately.
Stylistically, I felt Paul was pretty unique. My brother also used an admission's consultant (10 years ago) before attending HBS, but his consultant was extraordinarily micro-managerial and my brother ended up writing something like 15-20 drafts of each essay over the course of 4 months as a result -- it worked but it was painful. In contrast, Paul's style is very much above the board. He tells you when you're going off track (in a nice way), he helps you hone your strategy and encourages you to make sure your strategy is compelling before putting pen to paper, and he ensures that what your application walks the right balance between representing yourself most effectively and being humble and authentic (not an easy task). He is not focused on editing your vocabulary or grammatical choices, or at least he wasn't with me. I ended up putting together an application that I felt very excited about in just a few weeks and with only a few hours of Paul's help (and many long nights of working on my own, but with clear vision of what I was doing thanks to Paul).
Paul also helped me prepare for my interview on late notice. We did a preliminary 30 minute call, he gave me some high-level guidance and told me to prepare -- I did -- and then two days later we did a 1-hour mock interview. The mock interview went well (thanks to Paul's preliminary tips on how to prepare), my real interview went well (and shared a lot with the mock interview Paul conducted), and it all worked out in the end!
Great guy, great service, very happy with the result, obviously... highly recommend!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Sherry (SBC)
I used Stacy Blackman Consulting's hourly services after a friend recommended them to me. She used the comprehensive package but I was not able to afford that so started using them after I had a list of schools I was interested in and had started writing the essays. I worked with Sherry, who was incredibly helpful, on overall application strategy (briefly), essay review (45%), and interview prep (45%). She also was able to talk me through what to highlight from my career and extracurriculars, and how to tailor each application to each school specifically. I got the flu a few weeks before the application deadline so was running behind on the essays, but Sherry still managed to fit in editing my many essays. While the comprehensive package would have been valuable, the hourly services were just what I needed and working with Sherry was great!
I was interviewed at 4 out of the 6 schools I applied to (and was really reaching for 4 of the schools I applied to in terms of test scores) and so far have been accepted at 3 of those schools including Fuqua. Thank you Sherry!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions All-in Services
Consultant Lisa (SBC)
I cannot say enough thanks to Lisa Anderson at Stacy Blackman! She was the best! Without her, I wouldn't have had opportunity to pick from Booth, Stern, Anderson and Foster (with scholarship at both Anderson and Foster).
As an older applicant who is trying to make a career switch, I was initially very discouraged after talking to some other consultants who beat m age disadvantage to no end. I didn't think i would have much a chance of getting into any of these top schools, especially my post-MBA career goal is non-traditional as well. Lisa was honest yet extremely supportive from the beginning. She made me feel at ease with my career path and school selection, and I didn't even think about my age issue after talking to her (while it was my biggest concern.) There is a lot of work and stress involved in the whole application process, so I am glad that I had her as my mentor and cheerleader the entire time.
She was very responsive and timely in all of our communications. I had something for her EVERYDAY and she always got back to me before the end of my work day. We went back and forth about 15 times on my first application essay. And she did not simply edit the flow/words of my essays - she actually made me think harder about my goals and aspirations, and how to present them in a cohesive manner. She was also very accommodating with my time even though we are two time zones apart. She always let me chat with her in the evenings (for an hour each time) when it was more convenient for me after work. (This was very different from my initial experience with another consultant who refused to talk to me after business hours when she was hours ahead of me.)
After getting the admission offers from these schools, she was extremely patient in terms of listening to me making more evaluations on my schools and my goals. Her feedbacks were still timely and honest just as before.
I am so glad that I worked with Lisa. She was not just a consultant to me - I consider her my mentor. I owe my admission success to her.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Margaret (SBC)
I had a very positive experience with Stacy Blackman, and Margaret particularly. I did the hourly service and Margaret was extremely sensitive with my time and used it efficiently and with care. I liked that most of our communications were via email so we could respond to each other quickly.
The greatest strength in my opinion was helping you craft your own story. Margaret really listened to my experiences and helped me pull out relevant stories that would be compelling to admissions. One of my biggest concerns going into the consulting process was that my essays wouldn't sound "like me." That is the exact opposite of my experience here -- my essays were the best versions of my experiences and views, in my own voice. This was never compromised.
Margaret also assisted tremendously with prioritization. She told me when to move on from an essays that were 95% of the way there in order to spend time on essays that needed more work. This was helpful when coming up against deadlines, while working at a full-time job, as we all do.
Margaret was ruthless when managing her and my time - it was incredibly helpful!
I didn't notice a particular weakness, but my advice would be to take an inventory of where you think you might need the most help. I was very sensitive to the financial investment here, so I wanted to focus on the areas where I thought they could make the most impact. For example, I didn't have Margaret help too much with recommendations. I edited these myself and I'm very comfortable with how these turned out. This will differ with everyone, I'm sure, but worth thinking about where the consultant can add the most value for you.
Overall, highly recommend! They gave me a lot of confidence throughout the process that I was on the right track. I absolutely think they made a difference in my applications.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions All-in Services
Consultant Maureen (SBC)
I embarked on my MBA application journey knowing that I needed someone to lean on for all application-related questions, large or small. I engaged Maureen because of her ties to and expertise with Tuck, my top choice. I was a middle of the road candidate and knew that her intimate knowledge of "what makes Tuck tick" could help me stand out from a very competitive pool of applicants. Looking back, I feel like Maureen "got" me, and helped me craft effective essays that weaved the same central themes of my story throughout each essay and each application. I only engaged her for two schools (Tuck and Darden). Maureen's response time was always within 24 hours, typically within just an hour or two. She also has phenomenal bed-side manner (the consultant's version) and helped manage my expectations throughout this process. At the end of the day, I was accepted everywhere I applied and was able to have my pick of my three favorite schools. I went into the process expecting to only get into one school and just go there - Maureen helped me TRULY put my best foot forward, and I am 100% convinced that I would not be in this absolutely amazing position that I never dreamed possible if it weren't for Maureen. Just a note: for anyone who thinks that "hiring a consultant" will make the application process easier, think again. I am confident that I worked significantly harder on my applications than I would have without a consultant. That said, you really get out what you put in. Maureen acted as my coach and adviser and really, really pushed me to put out an impeccable and thoughtful end-product. If you're serious about the application process, Maureen and SBC will help you get to where you want to be.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions Hourly Services
Consultant Nihar (SBC)
I couldn't be happier with Stacy Blackman Consulting. I started working with their Oxford expert before my interview. The main goal was to ensure that I was a good fit for SBS and SBS was a good fit for me.
My consultant provided me with so much valuable information about Said Business School that I actually became more excited at the prospect of attending, something I didn't think was even possible! It was great to hear not only about the wonderful people I would meet, but also about the stimulating and variegated learning opportunities.
As chance would have it, I ended up having a pretty tough interview. My consultant, however, prepared me well for the questions that would arise and I was able to navigate the conversation with flying colors.
It's difficult to express how thankful I am to my consultant for their commitment to my success. Without their help, I would not be starting the Oxford MBA in the fall. This person is undoubtably an Oxford expert!
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions All-in Services
Consultant Maureen (SBC)
After months of preparation and more emails than my inbox could handle, I’m can’t express how excited I am to be making plans to attend Cornell in the fall. Throughout the incredibly draining experience of taking the GMAT and completing multiple applications, Maureen made the process as manageable and at times even enjoyable as one could hope for. The direction and feedback she provided throughout the entire process, from GMAT tutors, to essay revisions, to interview prep, provided me with the confidence, structure, and edge I needed to gain admission to a top program in such a competitive year. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been matched with such a patient, flexible and insightful consultant and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Maureen and SBC to friends considering an MBA.
Product Stacy Blackman Consulting MBA Admissions All-in Services
Consultant Caryn (SBC)
Caryn was absolutely amazing to work with. Her constructive feedback helped improve my essays immensely. She was extremely responsive, and her turnaround time was astonishingly fast. (I always got a reply from her, with edits extremely quickly.) She helped me stick to a daunting schedule of completing five applications in a little under three months. Equally important, she was incredibly supportive and helped me stay confident throughout the process. In the end, I was interviewed by all five schools I applied to and was admitted to three--one of which was a JD/MBA program, two of which I received scholarship money from, and all of which I initially considered to be reach schools AND I am headed to HBS in the fall! I can't recommend Caryn and SBC highly enough.
