Strengths:

- Invaluable guidance on how to promote myself and tell my life story
- Quick turnaround that went above and beyond
- Reliable mentorship and candid advice

Would make the product better:

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Working with Amy and the Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) team has been an incredible experience. Looking back, I can confidently say that Amy was irreplaceable throughout my application process, from when I started rediscovering myself to when I received the acceptance updates. Amy is the reason why I was able to complete applications to 8 schools during R1 and get admitted to Yale SOM, Columbia Business School, and Kellogg with a scholarship as an international student.

With her in-depth expertise working at Wharton and as a copywriter, Amy made the daunting process of writing materials for eight schools manageable and, dare I say, even enjoyable and therapeutic at times. She really got to know my story and helped me turn my experiences into expressions of self-discovery that felt authentic and compelling. She was always quick to respond and quicker to provide revised drafts for my materials. She was always there to provide console, advice for hard news, as well as genuine encouragement and excitement for good news.

I especially appreciated her attention to detail and her impeccable editing skills. Amy has a very eloquent way of summarizing my several spiels and saved me countless times from the harsh word count limits all over MBA applications.

Taking a step back, working with the SBC team was also a treat, and the resources they provided and the materials from past years were invaluable for getting me started on abstract essay topics. Beth (another former Admissions Officer) provided a flight test for my application to HBS and gave thoughtful advice on how to maximize how I present myself. Having multiple perspectives really gave me confidence that my HBS application was as strong as possible.

The process was definitely challenging at times, but Amy and the team made it much less stressful. I’d absolutely recommend Amy and SBC to anyone going through the MBA admissions journey.

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Strengths:

Communication, dedication, hard work, empathy, compassion

Would make the product better:

NA

My experience with Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) and Amy was exceptional due to their expert team and personalized support. Amy, a former Wharton Admissions professional, provided invaluable insights that strengthened my application and boosted my confidence. When evaluating firms, I chose SBC over others for their deep Wharton expertise and structured approach, with Esther’s initial guidance making the decision clear. The team-based support, including Kim’s flight test feedback and Anthony’s mock TBD session, provided critical preparation and a well-rounded perspective. SBC’s professionalism, strategic insights, and dedicated support were instrumental in my success, and I’m grateful for their partnership.

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I worked with Caryn through SBC’s “all-in” program, and I can’t recommend her and the team highly enough! Coming from a traditional “finance” background, I worked with Caryn to craft and refine my unique voice and story throughout my applications. Thanks to her guidance, I was fortunate to be admitted to both HBS and Wharton (w/ $).

SBC’s approach is highly organized and personalized from the outset. After being paired with Caryn through their “matchmaking” process, we engaged in several exercises designed to help me organize my experiences, articulate my “why,” and craft a compelling narrative. From the start, I knew Caryn and I would be a great fit. She’s a master of organization – something I needed as I tend to be a bit scatter-brained. With her structure and guidance, I never felt overwhelmed by the complex timelines and tasks involved in the application process. In addition, Caryn’s deep experience – both in admissions and as an SBC consultant – proved invaluable as a brainstorming partner as I developed my story and essays. Her candid, direct feedback pushed me to do my best, keeping me honest and ensuring my application was as strong as possible.

In addition to working with Caryn, I took advantage of SBC’s mid-summer flight test (a third-party review of my application) and received tailored interview prep for Wharton (with Anthony) and HBS (with Ashley). These sessions gave me helpful insights into the nuances of each interview, preparing me with a clear framework to attack interview prep and boosting my confidence. I felt fully supported by SBC’s team throughout the entire process, and I truly appreciated how invested the team was in helping me achieve the best outcome possible.

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Strengths:

- Round-the-clock support
- Interview simulation with Interviewing.com
- AdCom simulation with Flight Test
- Application insights from previous participants
- Insider perspectives from previous AdCom

Would make the product better:

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The SBC platform and all-in package truly cover all your bases. Between threading employment history to framing goals, it's a complex process that requires thoughtful guidance. My application was unique with both a business reorganization and contract work, but Amy and the Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) team handled it beautifully. Amy acted as both guide and therapist by asking the right questions and presenting my journey as an asset rather than a liability.

When assessing admissions consultants, I considered other, large elite firms like mbaMission and Fortuna Admissions. I ultimately selected SBC because I had a narrow window to apply and needed holistic support for optimal results. With other firms, I doubted whether their services were additive to what I could accomplish on my own. SBC proved genuinely valuable, especially in unique situations that aren't solvable through forums.

Thanks again Amy Hazen (Consultant), Esther Magna (Matchmaker), and Megan Stiphany (Flight Tester). This was one of my best investments.

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Strengths:

- Wonderful consultants who are either alumni or former admission officers at top schools
- Extensive array of resources, including interview prep, past essays, and resume templates

Would make the product better:

N/A

Working with SBC helped me get 2 offers (HBS MS/MBA, Kellogg MMM) and 1 waitlist (Sloan).

The SBC process was incredibly smooth from start to finish. As I was considering various firms (Fortuna Admissions and mbaMission), I had a call with Sarah Tsai to inquire about SBC's process. She was very transparent, could answer all my questions in great detail, and her insights were super helpful.

When it was time for me to be matched to a consultant, there were plenty of amazing options as the SBC team includes lots of former admissions officers, many of whom were affiliated with the top schools on my list. Yvette stood out because, in addition to her being an HBS alum, we share an engineering background, and she blazed her own path towards PM and entrepreneurship, which I also hope to do. A huge plus was her great familiarity with joint degrees like the MS/MBA and MMM, which were at the top of my list. As we worked on 3 schools together for R1, Yvette helped me tell my story better than I ever could have on my own, and truly boosted my confidence despite concerns I had over my GPA and GRE.

I also really appreciated having access to the broader SBC network, particularly through my flight test with Kim (former adcom) who provided amazing feedback on my essays and resume, helping me to refine my story and tie it all together. I also used many other resources offered by SBC including its extensive Vault database with past essay examples, interview questions, etc. and prepped for my interviews with Yvette in such a way that I could easily come up with answers specific to both the MBA and the MS portions of my application.

Overall, I really recommend working with SBC to anyone looking to tell their story, no matter how complex, in a way that will impress the adcom.

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My experience with SBC was ideal, helping me get into my dream schools! Beth Tidmarsh, my consultant, was so supportive and easy to work with—no question was ever too small. Her reviews were extremely detail-oriented and her experience as a former Admissions Director really shined through. The whole SBC team was great too -- I appreciated being matched directly with a consultant who fit my needs, instead of searching for someone myself. The all-in package was no-hassle. It included everything from interview prep to a Flight Test (mine was from Caryn) without any add-on fees or confusion. I couldn’t have completed the process without the whole team.

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Strengths:

-1:1 Consultant Match
-Plethora of resources to help prepare you for the application and interviews
-Additional in-house services to help strengthen your application

SBC is an amazing MBA consulting organization that provides a multitude of services to help you reach your MBA goals. They have a holistic vetting process so that you are matched with your ideal consultant that really helps you stand out and highlight your strengths as an applicant. The organization takes a team-based approach with an initial match maker, an anonymous flight tester, that reviews your application and provides feedback, in addition to a ton of resources and data to help you through the process. I could not recommend them enough. They helped me gain admission to Darden and Ross (w/ scholarship) and I truly could not have done it without them.

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Strengths:

Communication, helpful information due to the SBC network, great essay and resume reviewing/editing,

I spoke with three different SBC consultants, but once I talked to Jen, I knew she was the one I wanted to work with. A friend of a friend had worked with her and had nothing but amazing things to say, and I would echo the same sentiment.

From the very start, I appreciated Jen's honesty and directness. I'm a no-nonsense kind of person so I really enjoyed our initial conversation. She clearly explained how the application process would work, how often we'd communicate, and how my profile aligned with the chances at my target schools. Once we started working together, Jen was instrumental in every aspect of my applications. She created a schedule for us and helped me with my resume, essays, and even with minor parts of the applications that I had questions about. She really helped me with finding my voice and answering essay questions in a compelling, interesting, and authentic way. This required lots of rewriting and editing, and I am confident my essays were of a caliber I couldn't have achieved without her feedback and expertise. She got back to me daily, answering all of my questions thoroughly, which I really appreciated since I was completely new to the process.

Overall, I have only great things to say. I appreciated Jen's communication, directness, and positive attitude through the process. In the end, I was fortunate enough to get admission to my dream school. Thank you, Jen!

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Strengths:

Accessibility, experts on programs, honest feedback, organization and timeline support, and a full team willing to support each client.

Would make the product better:

No feedback

Had a great experience working with SBC through the all-in package for 4 schools, resulting in 3 admissions and 1 waitlist. I worked with Sarah Tsai who matched me to Beth Tidmarsh. Beth was an incredible resource for me offering constructive and supportive feedback on resume building, preparing my recommenders, iterating on essay ideas and drafts, and offering guidance on just about every aspect of my application. She has a deep understanding of each program's culture and helped capture aspects of my experiences and personality that match what each school is looking for in a candidate. She was incredibly attentive to my requests and questions and always got back to me quickly with a thoughtful response. Most importantly, she helped keep me on track to application deadlines and space out the work over an extended period of time so I never felt too overwhelmed. Huge kudos to Beth and the entire SBC team who contributed to my success!

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I worked with Caryn on 3 schools for round 1, and was fortunate enough to gain admission to both HBS and Stanford GSB. Caryn was my accountability partner throughout my process – she kept me on track, focused on what mattered most, and helped me craft my past experiences into a compelling story. I had a bit of a varied background in terms of my career to-date, and Caryn helped me package my experiences in a great way to demonstrate what I cared about most. She also helped me deliver the most impactful stories and anecdotes to use for my essays, which I think made all the difference for me for HBS and GSB.

I was able to take what I learned from my work with Caryn and apply it to my other schools, and ended up with acceptances from Kellogg (with $), Columbia, Stern, and Sloan (with $). Without Caryn's guidance, I don't think I would have gotten these results.

I also leveraged SBC's HBS and Wharton interview prep, which I found to be super helpful. It was 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.

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