GMAT Club

MBA Admissions All-in Services Reviews

Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) clients have been admitted to every top business school worldwide, often with merit scholarships. SBC has a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every top MBA program in-house. The SBC team has MBA expertise at every top US and EU school, has graduated from the best MBA programs and understands career paths in every industry, traditional and non- traditional. 

SBC deeply values mentor-ship within its client engagements and limits the number of clients for each consultant, engaging with clients only after its Validation Team evaluates candidacy strength. Stacy Blackman Consulting delivers results, as shown through its record of the highest number of online reviews across multiple sites, such as YELP. SBC offers a limited number of free consultations weekly for inquiries who have been pre-screened by our tenured team. Contact us for a free consultation to request time with an SBC Principal.      
5.0 /5 Average Rating
5 star
574
4 star
18
3 star
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1
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Based on 593 reviews
+ 1 non-rated reviews

AI Super-Summary of Customer Reviews for MBA Admissions All-in Services*

Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) receives praise from numerous clients for its effective and supportive MBA admissions consulting services. Many reviewers highlight the personalized and dedicated guidance provided by experienced consultants, such as Beth, Caryn, and Meg, who help applicants craft compelling narratives, focus on key strengths, and confidently prepare for interviews. The team-based approach, extensive resources, and insights from former admissions officers are frequently mentioned as invaluable, aiding clients in gaining admissions to top business schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, and more, often with scholarships. While the services are noted as an investment, the outcomes suggest it is well worth it for those serious about securing positions in leading MBA programs.
17 users mention "Admitted"
  • "I was accepted at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business..." Read more
  • "admissions to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "admission to both Booth and Kellogg..." Read more
  • "I was able to gain acceptance into my desired program-Wharton..." Read more
  • "gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "worth every penny and made my HBS application process smooth and stress-free..." Read more
  • "happy to be accepting admissions to Booth..." Read more
  • "I was admitted to FIVE MBA programs: GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, and Stern (with a full ride)..." Read more
  • "admission to Chicago Booth, Northwestern Kellogg, Wharton (with scholarship), MIT Sloan (with scholarship), and Dartmouth Tuck..." Read more
  • "They helped me gain admission to Darden and Ross (w/ scholarship)..." Read more
  • "Got in to the three programs I applied to (McCombs, Anderson and Fuqua), 2 with scholarships..." Read more
  • "obtained a T20 MBA Admit with scholarship..." Read more
  • "got accepted to both CBS and Wharton..." Read more
  • "admitted to Haas, Anderson, and Marshall..." Read more
  • "admitted into HBS and Wharton's HCM Program..." Read more
  • "admitted to CBS, UVA, UNC , UT McCombs, USC and UCLA..." Read more
  • "offers of admission to Columbia and Wharton..." Read more
15 users mention "Full Service"
  • "gave me a very accurate assessment of my chances at multiple top schools and encouraged me to apply even though I had doubts about my own candidacy..." Read more
  • "worked with Caryn on 3 schools for round 1, and was fortunate enough to gain admission to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "fantastic. I embarked on this journey after speaking with eight different consultants..." Read more
  • "working with Meg and SBC was the single most important decision I made..." Read more
  • "received valuable feedback from my flight tester Amy..." Read more
  • "work closely with Beth, a former AdCom member..." Read more
  • "meg helped me craft essays that were uniquely me and uniquely powerful..." Read more
  • "the all-in package was no-hassle. It included everything from interview prep to a Flight Test..." Read more
  • "working with Amy to apply to the Wharton/Lauder dual degree program and she was fantastic..." Read more
  • "with Margaret Orenstein and Stacy Blackman Consulting..." Read more
  • "as my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "recommended Lisa as my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "Amy Hazen, my consultant..." Read more
  • "Geri was my primary consultant..." Read more
  • "multitude of services to help you reach your MBA goals..." Read more
14 users mention "Supportive"
  • "matched me with Margaret Orenstein, who was instrumental in guiding me as I crafted my story with such great responsiveness, insights, and personalization to me..." Read more
  • "Caryn was my accountability partner throughout my process she kept me on track, focused on what mattered most..." Read more
  • "I knew she would provide equal doses of encouragement and honesty at the right times..." Read more
  • "my primary partner and ultimate support system during the grueling application process..." Read more
  • "demonstrated an impressive knowledge of the programs and was a pleasure to work with..." Read more
  • "Amy helped me craft my story to spin that to my advantage, which gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "and was able to tackle any and all concerns..." Read more
  • "helped me think about career goals, what aspects of a school I want..." Read more
  • "Amy encouraged me to embrace my authentic voice..." Read more
  • "Beth genuinely sought to understand me, helping me craft an authentic and compelling application..." Read more
  • "substantial team support particularly during the flight test..." Read more
  • "Constructive and supportive feedback..." Read more
  • "helped me put forth the most holistically sound, authentic application..." Read more
  • "felt prepared going into the interviews..." Read more
11 users mention "Top-Tier School Focus"
  • "I was accepted at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business..." Read more
  • "admission to both HBS and Stanford GSB..." Read more
  • "fortunate to be admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden..." Read more
  • "acceptance into my desired program-Wharton..." Read more
  • "successful admission to Kellogg, McCombs, and Anderson, with the added bonus of scholarships..." Read more
  • "successful in getting accepted to a top school..." Read more
  • "gained me admission to the program..." Read more
  • "former HBS student, was able to give me excellent insight..." Read more
  • "applying to a broad range of schools and ended up getting admitted to CBS, UVA, UNC , UT McCombs, USC and UCLA..." Read more
  • "test prep for my Wharton Team Based Discussion..." Read more
  • "help prepare you for the application and interviews..." Read more
10 users mention "Scholarship Awarded"
  • "ended up with acceptances from Kellogg (with $), Columbia, Stern, and Sloan (with $)..." Read more
  • "admitted to Kellogg, Tuck, Fuqua, and Darden, all with varying levels of scholarship..." Read more
  • "with the added bonus of scholarships at Kellogg and McCombs..." Read more
  • "managed to walk away with a full ride and half ride to a few schools..." Read more
  • "Stern (with a full ride)..." Read more
  • "Wharton (with scholarship), MIT Sloan (with scholarship), and Dartmouth Tuck (with substantial scholarship)..." Read more
  • "Ross (w/ scholarship)..." Read more
  • "2 with scholarships..." Read more
  • "obtained a T20 MBA Admit with scholarship..." Read more
  • "with full-tuition scholarships at Kellogg and Columbia..." Read more
6 users mention "Industry Specialist"
  • "investment to partner with SBC to help me put my best foot forward in the MBA admissions process..." Read more
  • "experience as a former Kellogg AdComm member was an incredible differentiator..." Read more
  • "admission to both Booth and Kellogg..." Read more
  • "thank Bill enough for his assistance during my EMBA application journey..." Read more
  • "my consultant, was so supportive and easy to work with no question was ever too small..." Read more
  • "Margaret's experience in Management Consulting..." Read more
5 users mention "Detail-Oriented"
  • "enabled me to weave together all my life experiences and ambitions..." Read more
  • "Beth's personalized approach and attention to detail undoubtedly played a crucial role in my successful admission..." Read more
  • "meg really helped me unlock the potential of my application..." Read more
  • "extremely detail-oriented and her experience as a former Admissions Director really shined through..." Read more
  • "helping me to refine my story and tie it all together..." Read more
4 users mention "Responsive"
  • "such great responsiveness..." Read more
  • "was always able to be reached..." Read more
  • "Geri was absolutely lovely! She was always extremely quick to respond..." Read more
  • "very responsive and I was able to get great feedback..." Read more
2 users mention "Waitlist Support"
2 users mention "Value for Money"
  • "a big investment, but I treated it as an investment in myself: I wanted to put my best foot forward, and it definitely paid off..." Read more
  • "a lot less stressful than anticipated..." Read more
2 users mention "Career Transition"
  • "had a bit of a varied background in terms of my career to-date..." Read more
  • "an incredibly valuable resource to me..." Read more
1 users mention "Non-traditional Backgrounds"
  • "as an early careerist, I had concerns and challenges..." Read more
*Review summaries are AI generated from 25 latest reviews in the past 2 years.
April 20, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

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).

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April 14, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

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.

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April 08, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 2

Kudos: 1

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.

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April 04, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

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!

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April 03, 2013
MBAhoops

Joined: Jan 28, 2013

Posts: 8

Kudos: 0

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.

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February 25, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

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!

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February 18, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

I didn't have a very high GMAT score and even though I had a strong resume I would have never been able to be admitted to 3 out of 3 top schools (2 with scholarship offers) without the outstanding guidance and help of Caryn Altman, consultant for Stacy Blackman Consulting.

Right from the first phone call, she made me comfortable with her always very positive attitude, which supported me all the way to my decision on which admission offer to accept. At the very beginning, she immediately understood my situation and identified the strengths that I needed to highlight in my application. Her insights and tips on the essays made my application strong and made it stand out in front of the schools' admission committees. Lastly, her tips during the mock interview were of unique value as I nailed all three interviews.

I strongly recommend SBC and in particular Caryn Altman, who I will never be able to thank enough for helping me through this decisive moment of my professional career.

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February 13, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

I'm not sure I would have had success with my business school applications had it not been for Caryn. She was an easy choice after a phone conversation- she gave me the immediate sense that she knew what she was talking about in all application aspects, unlike some other consultants from other firms I had spoken to. I didn't even know where to begin, and she was able to provide me with a reasonable schedule so that I could finish applications to 4 schools in about two months. I was plagued with the fear that I'd be a very generic consulting candidate, and she was hugely helpful in identifying the best essay topics that would showcase a variety of my unique experiences. Perhaps most importantly, our mock interviews together made me a million times more comfortable and confident when it came to the real thing!

It was such a relief working with someone whose opinion I knew I could trust throughout the process. I now have admissions offers to choose from as well as two scholarship opportunities!

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February 08, 2013
Anonymous

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

I highly recommend Stacy Blackman Consulting. My experience with them was very positive from beginning to end. I have an interesting background in some ways, but also an average background and very average numbers. The team and particularly my consultant, Lisa, took my information and helped me understand how to present my stories and background in the best possible way. Looking back I know that I submitted an application that represented me - BUT the story is told in a way that I would not have thought of on my own. I was admitted to 3 of the 4 schools that I applied to (Stanford was a no.) and going in I really thought that even one admit was a dream.

Lisa was funny, damn smart and I really respect and trust her - all key to our successful relationship. I used their resource center a lot as a reference tool as well.

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January 18, 2013
schokhany

Joined: Aug 08, 2012

Posts: 5

Kudos: 5

I wanted to share my thoughts on Stacy Blackman

I engaged Stacy Blackman early this year for 1 school comprehensive package. My consultant was Bill.

I was amazed how Bill helped me shape my Essays. We must have gone though at least 6-8 rounds of editing for each essay until it perfect. His interview prep was awesome, in fact the Ad-com asked me a a lot of questions which he had prepped me for.

I applied to Cornell and NYU Stern in October'12, and got accepted at both the Schools.

Although I have 16+ years of work experience, I wouldn't have secured an admission without Bill's help.

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