When I began my business school application process, I was skeptical of both my chances of getting admitted to a top program, as well as what (if anything) an admissions consultant could do to help. Due to my low original GMAT attempt, and college GPA, I decided that it would at least be good to peruse the market and shop around to get a feel for what an admissions consultant could bring to the table.

After spending about 2 weeks talking to 6 different firms, I finally spoke with Esther from Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC). Besides informing me of SBC’s superior services, I was impressed with how Esther had taken the time before we got on the phone to really analyze and understand my background, as well as my goals and objectives (something other firms had done half-heartedly). Just based off of our initial conversation, I could tell that SBC was the spot for me and that they had clearly specialized in getting ‘dreamers’ ,like myself, into top MBA programs. After our initial discussion, Esther set me up with Meredith, because we had similar backgrounds and post-MBA goals. After speaking with both of these ladies, I was sold, and knew that if I had a shot at getting into a top program, SBC was going to be a big reason why.

Meredith was AMAZING, from start to finish! I really leaned on her throughout the process, and time and time again, she was able to help me through whatever issue I faced. After looking back on our 6 months of working together, I broke down what I feel were the biggest advantages of both Meredith and SBC below (in no particular order):

1. Developing my story: In my research of business school, I knew that this was going to be important, but I had no idea how difficult it could be, especially without any experience in doing so. From day 1, Meredith worked with me to develop a concise and compelling story that she knew would appeal to ad-comms and rang true with my actual experiences and career objectives. In addition, as I mentioned, when we first started working together, I did have some weaknesses in my profile (mostly related to my academic and GMAT performances). Meredith knew how to develop my story to focus on my positive work experience and leadership qualities, while also addressing my academic deficiencies. Once we were able to develop this story, it was a lot easier to complete the subsequent school applications.

2. Content (Resume & Essays): As evidenced by this review, I am not the most concise writer in the world! I am an extremely excitable and outgoing person, with a lot to say, but unfortunately, that needs to be tamed when applying to b-school, given essay word limits and the limited amount of time and space you have to convey your messages. Meredith helped me (tirelessly) to not only help me improve my writing skills, but also to structure my resume and essays in compelling ways that she knew would appeal to the ad-comms. I was quick about incorporating her suggestions and feedback, and she was just as receptive often getting me iterations of my essays in the same day! Knowing how responsive Meredith was, gave me the confidence that we would have the time to submit the strongest application possible to each school.

3. Application Strategy: After Meredith initially assessed my profile, she targeted specific areas that I would want to reinforce prior to hitting ‘submit’ on my applications. In particular, she encouraged me to continue to improve my GMAT, until I got a score (on the 3rd try) that she knew would help me get admitted to my target schools, and she also pointed out additional coursework and volunteer opportunities that she knew would make my profile more competitive. In addition, she was always willing to lend a hand when I was assessing which schools to apply to (and in which round / priority), and she leveraged SBC’s extensive network if there was ever a question about a school that she could not answer. Without Meredith helping me develop my application strategy, I would have been lost.

4. Confidence: Finally, and I think maybe most importantly, both Esther and Meredith instilled confidence in me and my goals from day 1. Based on my initial profile, other admissions firms were skeptical of my chances to get admitted to any program in the Top 25. Instead of focusing on the negative, SBC always encouraged me and focused on my potential, while being honest that there were areas of my profile that I needed to address. They assured me that if I worked hard enough to do so, by partnering with them, I could achieve my goal of admission to a top 10 program (which I would have never even considered prior to our engagement). It was so refreshing to work with people who believed in me, and I truly feel that had an effect on my outlook throughout the entire process. Rather than being skeptical of my chances, I had a partner throughout the entire process, who pushed me even higher than I thought I could go, which I feel really came across in my interviews and applications, ultimately helping me gain admission to my top choice school.

Overall, investing in an admissions consultant is a personal decision, but I would agree with some of the generic reviews that I read prior to hiring Meredith and SBC – the price of the consultant is small compared to the reward associated with getting into the school of your choice, and I can honestly say that, with the wealth of knowledge, experiences and positive culture associated with SBC, there isn’t a better firm in the marketplace today.

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I decided to use Stacy Blackman after researching various consulting admissions consulting firms and realizing that I would get the best possible service from SBC. The Comprehensive Service package truly lived up to its name, as I was able to ask them about any part of the process and receive knowledgeable answers quickly and efficiently. Meredith was a huge help with essay advice, constructing the theme of my application, and going through a complete mock interview. I had a great experience with Stacy Blackman, and couldn't be more excited that they helped me get into Fuqua, which was my first choice!

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A good business school application consultant may have some helpful tips, but an outstanding consultant not only has brilliant suggestions but also possesses a keen intuitive ability to identify your deeply personal dreams and then supply you with the perfect framework to go after them. SBC's Lisa Chen is beyond any doubt in the "outstanding" category.

I knew I wanted to apply to business school but had absolutely no idea how much stronger my personal narrative could be UNTIL my first conversation with Lisa. Within five minutes she identified my strengths and weaknesses and gave me clear-cut, actionable ideas on how to make myself a significantly stronger applicant - and all this happened literally within the first five minutes of our very first call! Needless to say, from there on out I proceeded through the application process with supreme confidence thanks to her. Her feedback and insights on all aspects of my application from essays to resume to data form were impeccably well thought out and always added tremendous value. If you are truly serious about presenting the best possible application you can to business school, hire Lisa. You will NOT regret it.

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I decided to hire an MBA Admissions consultant because I knew I had the potential to get into a top school (solid GPA, acceptable GMAT, tons of leadership, and significant upward progress in my career thus far) but I came from a somewhat untraditional background, where I had few resources to consult within the work place or from friends and family, so needed help guiding me on the process. I had one shot to get in as I was in the latter half of my twenties and the time was now or never. I didn't want to look back wondering what if....

I had spoken to a few people I knew who had used Stacy Blackman and MBA Admissions. Both were pricey though and I was unsure if it was worth it. From my first call with Esther Magna though, I was blown away by how she was able to dissect my strengths and potential weak areas to work on as through an admissions officer was reviewing my file. I liked her candor, ability to converse with my about my fears, the process, the costs, etc. She recommended 3 potential SBC consultants to me and I ultimately chose Dawn Clare based on her prior client feedback and personal approach.

On our first call, she clearly communicated her style, approach and how we would work together to ensure it was a good fit. I had a stressful job as it was, and she ensured she would guide me through deadlines but not be another boss or nagging parent. I also liked her focus and ability to separate out how the schools were different and how to approach each one.

She also guided me through info sessions and what schools I should consider. As an expert, she was very informed as to what would play to my personality and strengths.

I decided to apply to 6 schools, 3 using SBC and 3 on my own. Since rankings matter, 5 were the top 5 and I chose a 6th that is ranked #10-12 depending on the ranking. Dawn helped me create a comprehensive brand and strategy, which was the cornerstone of my application. She also made a deadline chart and adjusted it accordingly when huge projects came up at work. I aimed for Round 1, but it soon became clear that in order to do a good job, Round 2 for all of them was of going to be necessary.

Having the SBC resources of sample essays, sample resume formats, sample recommender guides, etc. was so invaluable to me! I am the type of person that needs to read other things to get my creative juices flowing. Using this as a framework, I could then ask Dawn all of my silly and random questions. We went through an outline process that was helpful in framing the essay and did most of the revisions there prior to the essay writing. My biggest issue is not being consice (point in case by this blog post) so she helped me stay within the word limits by forcing me to cut my outlines down too.

While at times her feedback was blunt, it was always timely and on point and allowed me to keep things moving. In the end, I was invited to interview at 5 of the 6 schools. She helped do a mock interview for one, which allowed me to prep like it was the real deal. Then she also put me in touch for the mock team based discussion, which greatly calmed me nerves about the format.

I ended up receiving acceptances from all 5 of those schools, some with merit scholarships! She even helped walk me through my choices as I was ultimately deciding between my top 2. I am delighted to say that I am going to HBS.

Dawn really does care about her clients and is able to see what sets them apart, even if you don't always know it. I would highly recommend her to anybody. She is selective in her clients, and only takes on a limited number that she knows she can truly help and commit to, which I greatly respect.

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I am so grateful to have worked with Caryn on my business school applications. I was a completely naive applicant before Caryn clued me in to all the nuances of MBA applications I would never have known otherwise. I began working with Caryn several months before applications were due and thank goodness, because it took a very long time for us to develop and refine my career goals, but with Caryn's help, they eventually evolved to be well structured and consistent with my past experiences. We went through many many revisions of my resume, essays, and data forms, and Caryn was attentive and helpful throughout the entire process. I especially appreciated her honesty regarding my selection of schools. She made sure I had a good range of schools from stretch to safety, and that I picked only schools I'd be happy attending.
Mostly, I appreciated having Caryn available for all the random, minute questions that constantly popped through my head during the process. Caryn always had a good answer and her knowledge of the process and insight into adcom helped keep my anxiety down and allowed me to focus on the goal. Thank goodness for Caryn!

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I was extremely uncertain and stressed going into the b-school app process. While I thought that using a consultant might be a waste of money, I quickly realized that I was getting overwhelmed from the irrelevant info on countless internet blogs and friend's opinions. I also realized that I did have anyone close to me (colleagues, family, etc) that were very familiar with the b-school process. I had some conversations with a few consultants and found Kevin to be professional, honest and easy to talk to (this was very important).

I purchased the all-in-one package for a single school and the money turned out to be extremely well spent. SBC did a fantastic job. I found their consolidated program information as well as sample essays to be critical in my success. Kevin was very calm, gave me detailed information on the schools that would have been difficult to track down via other means, and guided me through the whole process. When I didn't think that I was good enough to go to Stanford, he told me that I should definitely apply. He told me exactly where to put my energy so that I didn't try to do too many things at once or waste energy on things that weren't as important. He helped me pick some of the best stories to make me shine. His mock interview with me was extremely necessary in getting my head in the game for the real interviews. This sounds silly, but the single most important part of the package is that he consistently gave me pep talks to help calm me down and focus my energy....in the end I got into GSB (dreams do come true!!). I would recommend SBC and especially Kevin to anyone in the application process.

One final note -- no admissions consultant will be a miracle worker. They can't change your scores or give you experiences that you haven't had -- but they can help you to better sell/market experiences you do have...I would highly recommend speaking with multiple consultants (before you spend any money) to find someone that you really "fit" with.

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I lucked out when I was matched with Bridget at Stacy Blackman.

Over the many months we worked together, Bridget was honest, encouraging, and methodical in the way she supported me through the MBA admissions process. She made a commitment to review any admissions content I sent to her within 24 hours; she stayed true to that, and most of the time provided feedback to me within a few hours. When I hit writer's block, she coached me through it. When I needed motivating pep talks, she was right there with me on the phone. When my work schedule jammed up, she was always willing to meet with me, no matter how late or early it was.

Bridget was also critical to the high quality of my letters of recommendation. She interacted with my recommenders independently, preserving the confidentiality honor code and providing them feedback from a third party's point of view. As someone who could read all of my recommendations and essays--who also didn't know me prior to being matched with me--she had a holistic and impartial point of view. I believe that is a huge benefit of having a consultant. No coworker, friend, or family member could have offered the same expert, unbiased, and evaluative opinions that Bridget and Stacy Blackman Consulting offered to me.

Bridget's experience working within admissions committees, studying as an alumna of a top MBA program, and being a meticulous written and verbal communicator made her an extremely important part of my admissions process. I highly recommend anyone who gets the opportunity to partner with her to accept before someone else takes her.

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Initially, I was a bit hesitant to pick an admissions consultant, but I picked SBC after reading many of their positive reviews online.
My consultant was Seher Khanna, initially I was a bit hesitant since she was the first consultant assigned to me and I felt it’d be difficult to determine how comfortable I’d be working with her from the first few calls, and the fact that I couldn’t find any reviews about her. However, looking back I think I made the best decision.
I had a high GPA, however a <700 GMAT. Despite that Seher believed in me and my choice of schools. Seher helped me dig deep into my experiences to come up with the stories that showcase the skills and traits schools look for.
I was aiming high, top 5 schools. I was happy that I got two interviews and more happy when I got admitted to HBS. After this experience, I really believe that a good consultant is necessary to distinguish yourself out of the pool of the highly qualified applicants. Consultants will not create the experience you lack, however they’ll help you market and sell what you already have.

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After working with Stacy Blackman Consulting for 8 months I give their team my highest recommendation. I honestly *almost* enjoyed developing my applications because I felt so confident as I crafted my story and worked through each piece of my package. My consultant was incredibly patient, never making me feel badly as I experienced doubt and fear at various times. Response time was impressively fast and insights were beyond invaluable. My application came a very very long way and I truly felt that I put my best foot forward every step of the way. Ultimately admitted to 4 schools, I am going to my ultimate dream school, Kellogg, and was offered money from other programs. (Not Kellogg unfortunately). I absolutely recommend making this investment. If you want to go to the best school you should work with the best team. I do believe they are the best and worth every penny.

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Bill Chionis with Stacy Blackman Consulting was a rock star. I was skeptical if I would be a fit for a top program. I did not have stellar grades as an undergraduate and did not have the work background of a typical executive MBA applicant. I was also extremely hesitant on hiring a consultant. Would they really provide any value?

Bill quickly displaced all of my concerns. It was clear from our first conversation that he knew what he was doing and his easy-going manner would be a great fit for me. He helped me discover and express the strengths that I did possess. He provided great advice on how to approach the differing essays and was extremely patient throughout the process. Most importantly, I always sensed he believed in me.

The interview prep was spot on. Bill anticipated the questions I’d be asked and had me thoroughly prepared.

The entire experience was fantastic. I ultimately only applied to Kellogg and was accepted. I am confident this would not have been the case without the encouragement and advice I received from Bill.

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