Hiring SBC was the smartest move I made while applying to b-school. I worked with an incredible consultant, Chris, who made all the difference for me. Chris has been consulting for many years and knew exactly how to tweak my stories so that they were more authentic and strategic. The difference was clear to me very quickly and I ended up increasing to a full three school package. I actually really enjoyed working with Chris - he is smart, funny and helped me to get real. He never made me feel like I was pestering him even though I am sure I was - there were a few times where I freaked out about small details and could not decide which path to take. He was my voice of reason. Additionally, within my three school package, my application was reviewed by another consultant who came from Kellogg Admissions. This was valuable because she identified a few details that we needed to refine. At the end of the day, I am going to Kellogg and my only regret - that Chris cannot come along....My before and after essays, resume, application form, rec letters etc are striking. The difference is clear. I gained so much from this partnership with the SBC team and am eternally grateful!

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I am very happy I took the plunge to opt for a comprehensive package with SBC - I was very hesitant about the price tag but can say that it was very well worth it! I applied to two schools during R2 and got into both, including my top choice, Stanford GSB.

I came across SBC from Poets & Quants, and because I was starting the application process very late, I didn't shop around much. I had an initial call with Bill, which I honestly did not feel good about - it was a bit cold, impersonal, and rushed, but I decided to go ahead and look at the consultant profiles he sent. I chose Jen Vargo because I liked that she went to Stanford and similar to me studied engineering in undergrad. I had an initial call with Jen and was sold! She was smart, nice, & efficient, and I really appreciated her honestly on some of my questions.

Throughout the course of 4 weeks Jen helped me pull together two applications. We hit the ground running with her strategy- I thought she was spot on with the strengths to highlight (which she gathered after just one phone call!). She also helped me brainstorm essay ideas when I was having terrible writer's block. And I think her edits made all the difference - the essay contents were fundamentally mine, but her edits really pulled them all together.

She was also very responsive - I would email her work products in the late evening and I'd have a response in my inbox by the time I woke up. We primarily communicated via email, but she was also willing to talk to me in the evenings after work.

All in all it was very easy to work with Jen. My only source of stress was when I was about to click "Submit" because I didn't have a good sense of if my application was any good. My fault because I chose competitive schools to apply to and never asked for any feedback, and Jen did not give much unsolicited positive reinforcement during the process (but better than giving false hopes!)...so if I were to do it over again I would've asked her for her opinion earlier in the process! But as I mentioned the end result was fantastic, and I wholly recommend Jen Vargo & SBC.

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Throughout the process, Stacy Blackman was able to: a) expertly select the proper consultant, b) walk me through the admissions process generally, c) mold my non-traditional background into a compelling and relatable admissions profile, and d) answer any questions I had (even the most minute) at any point during the process. I had an incredibly specific story but one that posed a lot of potential issues during the application process, but SBC, and my consultant, truly provided me an unparalleled (and comforting) level of care that put me at ease. I was blown away by my consultant's attention to detail, knowledge of the process, and most of all, excitement over my specific candidacy. I also recommend SBC's flight test package for anybody who can afford it. I cannot recommend SBC enough!

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I worked with Lisa Anderson at SB during the round 1 application cycle and the experience with SB and Lisa could not have been better. The company itself is professional and responsive - staff was quick to put me in touch with a few consultants and always responded immediately when services were needed.

As for Lisa - I am convinced that I would not have been nearly as successful in this process without her help and guidance. Lisa took the time to listen to me, develop a plan, and make sure we stuck to that plan throughout the process. My essays and applications were polished and represented me in the way that I wanted. Lisa's ability to be genuinely invested in the process and willing to help in any way possible is truly invaluable as this process can be long and grueling. She was/is always there to talk through ideas, keep you on track, and be a support line when needed. If you are so lucky to work with Lisa, you will be forever grateful.

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Applying for a top MBA program can be quite intimidating, especially if you have a non-traditional background. Cassia helped me make sense of the whole process through her insightful coaching and positive attitude. Not only did she work with me on polishing my story in straightforward fashion but she gave me invaluable tips into how to approach each part of my application. I can without a doubt recommend Cassia if you are thinking about applying for an MBA program. She is a hard-working and caring individual who will take the time to help you build the best application possible. I am excited of starting Columbia’s MBA program this fall.

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Right off the bat, I will say that I am not a great applicant (M7 was definitely not in the cards for me) and am very pleased with my end result.

In round 1, I initially opted away from SBC because of the very formal (almost corporate) approach it appeared the company took in my initial phone call with the company. For some reason, it rubbed me the wrong way and I chose a different consultant. However, my initial phone call with Ryan stuck in the back of my head and when I reevaluated for R2, I chose SBC. The one school I was particularly interested in for round 2 was Cornell and for that reason, Ryan (a former Parks scholar and Cornell Johnson MBA grad) was the deciding factor.

As a Cornell grad, Ryan perfectly outlined what I needed to do on the schools unique essays, something that gave me a ton of comfort. On the multiple reversions of my essays, he outlined tips and verbiage he used to land a full scholarship to the school. In fact, we made such progress in each iteration and thus, saving such time, that I was able to use a large chunk of my 5-hour purchase for another school. In comparing the final essays I turned in R2 to the failed essays (again, done with another consultant) turned in R1, it is quite clear the sizable talent gap between Ryan/SBC and other consultants... Literally night and day between the two finished products. The truth is, anyone reading this review is here to get RESULTS out of an admissions consultant. To this end, I firmly believe if I did not switch to SBC I do not think I would have gotten into Cornell (my interview at the school was awful so it is clear admissions thought highly enough of my application and essays to accept me anyway).

I will get out the little "bad" that there was as well. As I was on an hourly service, I am not sure if it was as a function of the corporate culture at SBC or not, but every minute of time spent on email exchange, even if it was for simple clarity on a previous confusing email, was tracked and charged. I walked away from a few iterations feeling a little nickel and dimed, but hey this is a business.

Again overall, could not be more pleased. If you are considering any school in that 9-16 range, especially Cornell, I FIRMLY think you should at least give Ryan a call... his expertise led to my acceptance.

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Unlike a lot of people applying to business school, I knew almost no one who had ever attended an MBA program. I started researching online to gather information and ended up spending many (too many) hours reading through forums, blogs and school websites. I finally decided to hire a consultant to help me. In the end I chose Stacy Blackman Consulting because they have a great reviews and have been around for a long time. I felt safe with their team and also protected by the fact that they have several people who would all be helping me in different ways. I am very happy with my choice. The minute I signed on was like a miracle. All of a sudden I had someone helping me through. Jessica (formerly with Haas and Darden Admissions Office) guided me with complete confidence every step of the process. My resume, school forms, essays of course, interviews and other aspects such as setting up visits to the schools and contacting people at the schools. Although many people consider a consultant to be optional, for me is was essential - I honestly do not know how I could have done this without Jessica's help and complete patience and thoroughness. The SB resources such as the Admissions review of my full application were fantastic.
I am so excited I am going to Darden in the Fall. Thanks you Jessica and Stacy Blackman Consulting.

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I opted for a comprehensive 3 school package and applied to Fuqua, Anderson and McCombs with Ryan's help. Initially, I was not sure about which schools I should apply to, given my preferences and profile. Ryan heard every bit of my story very carefully and asked certain intelligent questions. Then suggested a mix of schools into which I could certainly get accepted this year. After school selection, we started with various components of the application. Ryan laid out a complete application plan with set milestones , which I referred to, every now and then to be able to submit my applications on time. I must say the application plan was very detailed and well structured. The best thing about Ryan is that he knows exactly which story to highlight or what to say in any essay. This really helped me focus on the right content and draft a great story for myself. I absolutely loved his suggestions and edits, which were crisp and to the point. He also helped me rephrase my sentences in a way that produced the wow effect. Overall, with Ryan's structured approach, precise suggestions, and flexible working style, I got interview invites from all schools that I applied to, and I am finally joining Duke. Thanks Ryan!

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I am from a overrepresented applicant pool and my GPA and work experience were average. So I knew, I needed some help to differentiate myself. I spoke to several admission consultants and decide to go with SBC because of their overall professionalism. I worked with Kevin Rockmael. He helped me decide what stories to tell and what aspects of the stories to focus on. He was always prompt with his responses and helped me stick to my schedule. His insight into the admissions process and his ability to create a clean narrative helped me a lot. SBC's flight test is awesome because, it gives you a real adcom's perspective on your essays. With all this help, I was able to get into a top 15 program with a scholarship. This was a great investment into my future.

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I decided to use the services of SBC after having a not so good application season when I got rejected from all my top choices. I had previously worked with a different consultant and I felt cheated when a lot of current students reviewed my essays and gave me a long list of flaws in my essays.

That's why I decided to go full monty and work with the best in the business. I talked with some of the best admissions consultants, but it clicked with SBC and I went further ahead to work with SBC for a comprehensive service. I decided to apply to around 4-6 schools.

The initial call with Esther was pleasant and she, in fact, traced back our previous conversation dated back a couple of years. She listened to my professional goals and achievements and gave me excellent feedback on my last year's application. As I come from a country where the exchange rate vs USD is comparatively high, Esther gave me a generous discount and allowed me to sign up for 2 school contracts and keep on upgrading as per the need for the entire application season.

Esther paired me up with Sherry Holland and in our initial call, I liked Sherry's approach and honesty. She drew a clear picture for me and helped me understand the strategy for school selection. She did not try to convince me to go for schools which do not match my professional ambitions just for the sake of getting an admit.

I kicked off my application with Sherry and we quickly worked through my Resume. With Sherry's excellent advice, we exchanged more than 6-8 Resume drafts and I could see the difference between the quality of two version of my Resume. Sherry also prepped my referees and they, in fact, told me that Sherry guided them really well as it was a new experience for them as well.

The thing I like most about Sherry is that she is very professional and responds immediately. She always gave me a timeframe and always replied within that. Even when she was on holidays, she made sure that my essays are going on nicely. She always encouraged me to write as much as I could in initial drafts and in fact for one such school we brainstormed more than 6 stories for a 500-word essay. She would always listen patiently to my views and gave her important insights.

Because of Sherry's professionalism, I was able to complete my applications in strict timings, and in one instance I managed to prepare probably the longest application amongst all the schools (10 long essays), in a fortnight.

She gave me good interview tips and her waitlist guidance was excellent.

Sherry also helped me with my scholarship application as the school I am matriculating asks separate scholarship essays and they itself are time-consuming. Sherry helped me prepare the application for 3 different scholarships and I received a generous scholarship from my school.

She is a very kind and gentle person and talking to her always helped me get over with the pressure of all the applications. Working with her was a wonderful experience and I would recommend everyone to talk to her before embarking on their application season.

P.S. I would also like to thank and express my gratitude towards Bill Chionis, who was my Client Liasion. He took out time for me very close to the deadlines and gave some excellent tips on my final essays.

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