I’ll start off by saying I’m absolutely a miser - I over-research every purchase over $100. I say this to give you some perspective when I say that hiring Bill Chionis of SBC was some of the best money I’ve ever spent in my life.

- From the very first call, it was immediately obvious how experienced and knowledgeable he was of the entire process. I never once doubted he knew exactly what he was talking about. He would say things like "I think you have a very strong shot at x, y, and z, but you should go for z and y because your background is more of a fit for what their adcoms are looking for" And he was right.
- He made every single minute count - he was a fountain of information that was clear, articulate and confident. He answered questions I didn’t know I had. We got it done with far less hours than I expected. In the end, his services cost me a third of what some other consultants wanted.
- I’m a fairly neurotic person. Bill answered all my questions patiently and expertly, no matter how small or nitpicky. I didn’t realize how important it would be when I started, but working with Bill made the anxiety of the whole process so much more manageable. Just small things like whether a certain experience was worth putting down in my essay or not, how to word or represent a certain story, etc. I knew exactly how to represent different aspects of my life without second guessing myself.
- He responded FAST. Very important and helpful while I could only snatch an hour here or there to work on my apps.
- I am starting at H/S/W in May and I fully believe I would not have been able to get in without Bill

Read More

I had an incredible experience with Margaret, and couldn't be more thrilled to be admitted to both Wharton and Kellogg (with scholarships)!

I researched several admissions consultancies and after speaking with Margaret, I knew immediately that she was the perfect fit. I opted for the 3-school all-in package. As a common applicant (male with consulting foundation), Margaret did a tremendous job helping me differentiate my story from the pack, providing candid feedback, and remaining incredibly responsive to any and all questions I had throughout the process. I never felt rushed on our calls together and she genuinely cared about getting to know me personally.

The additional SBC resources also provided invaluable admissions intel and allowed me to submit my applications with full confidence - from the Flight Test (full app read-through by a former adcom) to mock interview prep (Wharton TBD simulation moderated by a former adcom).

I couldn't have done it without them. Cheers to Margaret and the SBC team!

Read More

Bill took his time to understand my professional and career goals and help me to refine my application materials to make them superb. He and his wife are both MBA's so he's an insider helping. He's successfully placed others into NYU Stern so he knew how I paired up w/ others.

After a few emails and a calls, he was patient and constructive in terms of helping me identify trouble areas. We'd walk thru issues he believed would be critical to the Ad Com and noted best practices in how to over come them.

He was also genuinely curious to get to know who I was and my rationale for applying. He would question me and try to pulled insights I hadn't mentioned, this was really a great method.

Read More

I knew I had a strong application, with the exception of limited quant background and a low GRE score. I wanted a consultant to help share my best self with admissions committees, and navigate around my "weak spots". Not knowing where to start, I decided to book some consulting hours with SBC to get support for essay writing and general application process guidance. I worked with Sherry to create an ASD (application strategy document) and then write essays for the 5 schools that I applied to. Look no further for essay and application expertise. Sherry has been on the other side of admissions - she helped me quickly identify my strengths and weaknesses both as a B-school candidate and in my essays, and used a critical eye to help me effectively communicate my story to each MBA admissions team. She also was an incredibly useful guide - a candid and thoughtful one at that - to have throughout the application process regarding one-off questions I had about admissions, etiquette, optional essays, etc. I highly recommend SBC and Sherry in particular. I was accepted with a full scholarship to one of my top choice schools and could not have been as successful without help from SBC! The services are worth every penny and you won't be disappointed.

Read More

I worked with Lisa for a few months and she mostly helped me with my essay and interview prep. I'm really grateful to have her since I didn't realize how out of my depth I was until I signed up. When it came to the essays, Lisa was great at making my papers sound very well articulated while preserving my voice. We did a couple mock interviews too and she was able to help me address my weak spots; I received positive feedback from all of my interviews.

I applied to three Texas schools (UT, Rice, A&M) since I knew for sure I wanted to be in Texas post-MBA. With Lisa's help I ended up getting scholarships to A&M and Rice, and waitlisted at UT. I learned during my MBA journey that it is incredibly difficult for someone with my stats to get scholarship money to UT had I gotten in, and I probably wouldn't be able to stomach the full tuition anyway, so I'm not too miffed about it.

I highly recommend Lisa. Her invaluable help cannot be emphasized enough. Aside from the essay and interview prep, Lisa was available to answer any question I had no matter how trivial regarding the admissions process. The cool thing about Lisa is that she was a former adcom for A&M and Rice, so she knew a lot of ins and outs about the programs. My only regret is that I didn't start working with SBC sooner during my cycle!

Read More

I contacted SBC in late July 2017 to inquire about Admissions Consulting. Soon after, Bill called me and over a 20 minute conversation I was impressed by his deep and wide ranging knowledge of the process.

After I completed the GMAT on September 1, we signed on together for an All-in 2 school consulting package. Having only 6 weeks before R1 deadlines, Bill laid out the best plan forward and guided me through every step of the way. He never pressured me, but rather always had helpful insights to offer when I encountered difficulty. Bill efficiently coached me through a thorough and introspective evaluation process of my background, from which he helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses. This was not only essential to MBA applications, but will also help me during recruiting in Business school as well.

Overall, SBC and Bill offered me an unparalleled package that provided the tools necessary to build a successful application.

Read More

I started to work with Becky from SBC at the end of November. I was just starting round 2 applications and was also planning to take the GMAT again within the span of a month. As a result, I was down to the wire, totally lost on what to write for my apps, and reached out to SBC for help. A friend of mine had worked with Becky last year and recommended her as a consultant. Working with Becky was one of the best decisions I've ever made. She was an unbelievable consultant. She helped to shape my story as an applicant and position myself in the best way possible to the adcomm committee. Beyond that, she was extremely kind throughout the entire process always making sure that her feedback was constructive and keeping a positive attitude when I was panicking. I truly don't think I could have applied without her help. I was recently admitted to Columbia, which was my top choice and I owe it to Becky. Anyone would be lucky to work with her. I cannot recommend SBC and Becky specifically enough. She'll provide unparalleled support and guidance, and I guarantee you won't regret it.

Read More

SBC is the best consulting service for a reason: it really invests the time to help out the client and in term help, the client better understands him or herself. I picked the 10-hour service package for INSEAD (that is the minimum recommended for the 5+ essays and CV, interview prep, etc.). Karla was my consultant and she was great in helping me frame my structure so that all of my stories work together to form a comprehensive package that helped me gain admission into the program. Having said that, SBC is also great in helping the client set realistic expectations. For example, if one has a below average performance in one or more area (ex. GPA, GMAT, work exp) then the consultant will help you identify the list of programs to apply to. Overall, it was a great experience and I would sign up for it again in a heartbeat.

Read More

Trust the process. That's what I kept telling myself when decided to re-apply to the top 2 business schools in the world. I knew even an interview was beyond a long shot after being dinged without an interview in 2016 Round 2 but after the previous year's rushed and half hearted submission, I was determined to give it my all.

I vetted both MBAMission and SBC and after my introductory call with Dawn I knew I had found my match. SBC's approach was more introspective, not formulaic, and was specific to who I was as an applicant and the experiences that had shaped me into who I was. I was indeed a unique candidate and Dawn had a unique approach that was tailored to me, my experiences and my story. Her in depth knowledge of both schools and their specific applications helped put me at ease and gave me confidence that I could get past the black box of admissions and get to the interview stage. Not only did I get interviews at both schools but I got offer letters from both as well. I would not have made it without her help and guidance.

I would highly recommend SBC to anyone who is considering applying for an MBA. The investment is well worth it.

Read More

SBC was an absolute pleasure to work with. When I started doing research on various consultancies, I imagined working with a consultant who would simply take a few looks at my essays and give me brief feedback via email. Esther and team made sure this was not the case.

My coach, DC, went above and beyond. She took a clear interest in me and my narrative and worked closely with me to make sure that my story was not only coherent (tying together my disparate professional and personal experiences), but also that it would ring true to my aspirations and simultaneously align with what each school was looking for.

Additionally, DC was refreshingly critical and gave me a "real" outlook on how my application would be viewed given my career to date and my background as a South Asian American male. She was also incredibly responsive - I honestly don't know how she could provide so much depth in her feedback on such quick turnarounds.

Beyond, my one-on-one coaching, SBC also provided opportunities for a mock team interview for Wharton and an individual analysis on performance. This was incredibly helpful.

I'm so lucky to have been paired up with DC (and the SBC team) and could not have imagined a better experience. If you have a chance to work with SBC, and DC specifically, there really shouldn't be any hesitation. Totally worth it. Thank you DC for all of your guidance and for helping me get into Wharton (and an interview at GSB)!

Read More