I honestly went back and forth for a while before deciding to use an admissions consulting service for my MBA applications, but I am so glad I did! Christina was a pleasure to work with and if I could do the process over again (which I definitely don't want to), I would definitely work with her on a comprehensive basis rather than on an hourly basis because I truly came to depend on her for support and guidance. Beyond just helping me with big items like my essays or recommender selections, she also took the time to guide me on the smaller, open-ended response sections of the applications.

Though we worked together on an hourly basis, she was extremely generous with her time. When I scheduled a one-hour interview prep session with her prior to my interviews with HBS and Kellogg, she stayed on the phone with me for a total of 3 hours, to make sure I felt calm, positive, prepared, and excited rather than anxious about my interview. She was more than just an admissions consultant, she was a great emotional and moral support to me throughout the process, and someone I hope to keep in touch with in the future.

Applied: HBS, Wharton, Kellogg
Interviewed: HBS, Wharton, Kellogg
Accepted: Wharton with the Joseph Wharton Fellowship and Kellogg with the Forte Foundation Scholarship

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I applied to four top B-schools in 2016, on my own, and was dinged from all of them without interview. After this difficult outcome, I decided to investigate consulting services to get an idea of how my application could be improved the following year. I spoke to a few other services, including the MBA Exchange and mbaMission. In the end, I decided to go with Stacy Blackman because of how helpful my free consultation call with Bill Chionis was. I did a ding analysis with Caryn Altman. Her feedback was so direct and actionable that I decided to do an all-in package with her for a number of schools.

Throughout the daunting process, Caryn's expertise and support was extremely valuable. Caryn was efficient, direct, friendly, and supportive. I applied only to top 10 programs, and stubbornly didn't add any 'safety' schools to my list, despite my scary results from the previous year. When I asked Caryn what my chances were, she candidly told me that it would be a stretch for many of them. Despite the odds, Caryn worked with me to ensure that I had a solid application and that I could showcase myself in the best possible light. She laid out a strategy which allowed me to understand how all the different parts of my application worked to tell a cohesive story.

Some aspects to my admission that I had to overcome:
- I had a pretty low quant percentile on my GMAT, which I tried to mitigate with the GRE, but in the end I still couldn't get my score up to the average of my target schools.
- I had a nontraditional background for an MBA (start-up). I was aware this could give me a 'uniqueness' advantage, but without Caryn's help I struggled to highlight the leadership experiences I had.
- Lack of focus with respect to my long term goals and how my MBA would get me there.

The All-In Package is quite pricey, but if you feel lost with the application process, I'd say it's worth it (recall that I had come off four brutal dings!). Especially because of my test scores, we knew that the rest of my application, especially essays, had to *really* shine. I consider myself a strong writer, but even so, Caryn had tons of feedback on my essays and was always ready to do another draft. The mock interview gave me such a boost of confidence, and when I did my first real interview I was surprised by how similar the questions were. The flight test feedback that I got from Lisa Anderson was very helpful. Another benefit to the all-in was that I could ask Caryn any general MBA questions I had (ex. interview-related etiquette, what to do when I get a confusing email during the application process, etc).

I also did a mock interview with Erika Olson for HBS, which was excellent, and helped me prepare correctly for the unique HBS interview.

I applied to seven schools in round 1, got interviews with four, and ultimately received offers of admission from two. I am happy to say that I will be attending Harvard Business School next fall. It wouldn't have been possible without Caryn's assistance - thank you to Caryn and the rest of the SBC team!

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I am over the moon with my SBC experience. From the (painless) matching process to the moment I hit submit on the last application (and into interviews!), Scott was my constant companion, coach, provider of real-time feedback, and sounding board.

As I came to the process from a pretty well-trodden path (healthcare investment banking to healthcare private equity), I knew that emphasizing the components of my application that made me stand out from the proverbial crowd would be essential. I just didn't know what those components were. Scott worked with me to find and then to emphasize the ways that my experience differed from my peers' experience, and the informal feedback that I've received to date emphasizes that this was what helped me be successful at Booth, Kellogg and Wharton.

In all, I have no complaints with my SBC experience. I would recommend SBC and Scott to any of my friends and colleagues without reservation.

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I took my GMAT in July, so I was already starting late for First Round applications. From my intro call at Stacy Blackman, I knew they were going to give me honest, up-front advice. CP helped me focus my resume and essays on what actually matters, something that sounds easy, but is far from it. Without CP's help, I would have told a less compelling story that didn't truly reflect who I am and where I want to go.

While the package is certainly expensive, no way around that, I truly believe that it was worth it. I got interviews at all 5 top 10 schools that I applied to, and got in to my top choice.

I did not love the application process, but, thanks to CP and the team at Stacy Blackman, I got where I wanted to go!

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I had the privilege of working with Emily Lammers of SBC throughout my application process, and after receiving admission to my looong-shot dream school (CBS), I can't imagine having worked with anyone else.

After a close friend of mine had incredible success throughout his application process, utilizing the all-in package with SBC, I was sold on the firm. The next step was matching me up with a consultant who not only specialized in candidates with similar profiles to mine, but also candidates who had similar goals. This is where SBC really shines. The curated consultant selection process allows you to be paired up with a consultant who knows your industry, your schools, and how to tailor your story to help you achieve your goals. This is how I wound up working with Emily and receiving admission to my dream program, of which I wasn't even initially planning on applying to, but Emily convinced me was worthwhile.

From day one is was clear that Emily was committed to my success, and further, that she was passionate about the process in general. We reviewed every relevant aspect of my pre-MBA life in depth to further understand strengths, weaknesses, motives, and anecdotes that would support my applications to top programs. From there we developed our application strategy. Emily's knowledge of the nuances of particular programs and their applications processes allowed me to put my best foot forward for each application and to know how to highlight aspects of my profile that each individual school looks for in applicants. I genuinely can't speak highly enough about Emily and her guidance throughout the process. She was available and enthusiastic about responding to e-mails or phone calls at any time, and the level of detail she provided in reviewing and analyzing my essays was far beyond what I expected. She is a straight shooter and completely candid when providing feedback, which is a necessity when it comes to this process. Emily's ability to provide structure and flow to your story helps your essays shine, and prepares you incredibly well for the interview process. Further, Emily goes way beyond her duties with primary research and often times provided me with program information that was relevant to my career goals so that I could include it in my essays or interviews. Emily reads essays as though she is an AdCom member for each program, and provides highly specialized feedback. She was supportive when I felt overwhelmed, and pushed me when I was lazy. Lastly, Emily made this stressful process incredibly enjoyable and I oftentimes find myself missing the late nights of essay writing, frantic messages of concern, relief that comes with submitting the applications, and elation for interview invites and program acceptances.

We ended up securing interviews with all of my programs and received admission to CBS (we turned down the other interveiws after hearing the news from CBS)....an investment well worth it no matter how you look at it. Emily is an absolute legend, and I credit her knowledge, guidance, and passion for the process with my admissions success. Do yourself a favor and ask for her services when you reach out to SBC...you will not be disappointed.

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I cannot thank Christina Fu and SBC enough on my admittance to Columbia Business School with a tremendous fellowship package! I come from a non-traditional background. With a demanding full-time job, extracurricular activities, GMAT-taking, and personal engagements, I knew I had little time to waste, so I was certain to hire someone to guide me in this process.
1. Christina is a HBS alumnus, she is extremely experienced working with professionals of a variety of industries. I have endless number of good things to say about her, but I will highlight a few below:
a. Christina genuinely cares about her clients. I often find our phone conversations go beyond MBA applications. She is not only a MBA consultant to me, but also a career mentor and life coach. She would always guide me in strategic ways to encourage my growth, even in times when I lacked the confidence to do so.
b. She knows exactly my strengths to highlight for each individual program. Her guidance has helped me tremendously in standing out amongst thousands of strong applications.
c. Christina is also an excellent editor that made my essays alive with creative vocabulary usage and correct grammar. With the help of her brainstorming sessions, I never ran out of ideas to write about myself.
d. Most importantly, I was able to establish a bond with Christina - I trust her in that she will put her best foot forward to help me with my applications. She has become a great friend and mentor to me and I am sure we will stay in touch through the years!
2. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the rest of the SBC team - Esther, who I had the pleasure to have an introductory call with and who paired me with Christina, and Lisa, my flight tester, she reviewed my CBS application, which was one of the very few applications she gave a perfect score on! Thank you so much for boosting my confidence!
3. When selecting a consulting firm, I compared SBC and mbaMission. I was immediately sold on Esther’s candidness. She precisely pointed out areas that I was lacking and recommended that I apply one year later (which I did), even if it meant one fewer client for SBC. The conversation with her made me feel that she genuinely cared about my development, a quality that was substantiated by the year-long partnership with Christina and interactions with the rest of the SBC team.
I am extremely thrilled to have chosen SBC as my admissions consulting firm and very grateful to have worked with Christina on such an unforgettable journey in life!

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I highly recommend Stacy Blackman Consulting. My experience working with DD couldn't have been better. She always gave meaningful and insightful feedback that took my essays and resume to another level. I was skeptical about teaming up with a consulting firm at first, but I'm so happy that I did. With DD's expertise, I was able to fit my entire story into my applications in a natural and authentic way.

I couldn't have asked for a better consultant. Additionally, the whole SBC team was also great to work with. Esther took the time to really get to know me during the on boarding process, and Caryn's feedback on my Flight Test was quick and helpful.

I'm really glad that I chose SBC. With their help, I got into my top programs and received a few scholarships along the way.

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I cannot stress the value that working with Stacy Blackman Consultants, especially my advisor DD Kane had in the app process and the final results.

1) I was a reapplicant for all 3 of my schools (CBS, Wharton and Sloan). As such, DD helped me going through last year's applications, critiquing them, and developing a coherent story for this year. DD's support was always on point: she usually replied to my questions and draft essays within a few hours, and the feedback was always direct and concise. Her viewpoint as a former Sloan Adcom member was key in making judgement calls about what to include/not include in essays, and in developing a general approach.
2) The larger SBC support group was also key in the process. Specifically for Wharton, I used SBC's option for a "flight test", where Rebekah Johnson, a former Wharton AdCom, goes through the entire application before submitting it, and does an in-depth analysis of it. Likewise, when DD did not know the answer to a particular question, she could turn to the broader team of in-house consultants who answered them for me.
3) When comparing SBC to other consulting firms, it became clear that, despite the large investment in SBC, the programs and setup it offered were clearly superior. I could not be happier with the overall results.

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I worked with Beth for my Kellogg application specifically on interview preparation. Beth is extremely professional, patient and knows her stuff. I worked with one other consultant from MBA exchange and it was night and day. As a former member of the admissions team at Kellogg, Beth is very knowledgeable on the application process. She spent two hours to help me prepare for the interview and I felt very confident going into it. The interview questions was exactly what we had talked about and I wasn't caught off guard by any of the questions. I would really recommend Beth if you are looking for a great consultant.

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TL;DR: Given my 680 GMAT score, I wouldn't have been able to get admitted into Harvard Business School (my dream school) without the guidance of Carol Grayson from Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC).

On Carol Grayson:
- Taught me how to tell my story to illustrate the type of impact I hope to achieve
- Has over 15 years of MBA admissions experience so she knows what is and isn't important across traditional and non-traditional profiles
- No BS, straight-to-the-point. A lot of tough love, but that helped me learn quickly so that I can craft the right story by myself in time for Round 1.
- Bonus: Provided emotional support every step of this grueling MBA application process (GMAT rewrites, late-night essay writing, interview prep/anxiety).

On SBC:
- Extremely patient with helping me find the right consultant (had to be matched a couple times to find Carol, which was the right fit for me)
- Despite a higher cost, I chose SBC over other leading admissions consulting firms like mbaMission and Veritas Prep because of Carol Grayson and the SBC team.
- When you work with SBC, you're working with the best team in the business. Special shout out to Esther (matching me with Carol) and Lisa (Flight-test expert reviewing my application before I submitted to HBS). SBC has actual former admissions officer intel in-house.

Just like pursuing your MBA, hiring an admissions consultant is an incredibly personal decision. For me, if I was willing to invest around $200,000 USD for my MBA, spending an extra $5,000 on the best MBA admissions consulting to maximize my odds was a no-brainer.

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