A quick summary of my profile - liberal arts undergraduate university, double major in business/econ, IB then PE, white, male.

After evaluating a number of consulting firms (MBA Mission, Paul Bodine, Critical Square, Square One Prep, Personal MBA Coach), I chose to work with Dawn at SBC. I also liked Square One Prep and Menlo Coaching.

As an HBS graduate, I felt Dawn was most comfortable with HBS but had a good handle on Wharton and Columbia as well. Dawn's strength was helping me evaluate my profile and craft a story. She then worked with me to develop the high level structure / flow of the document. Thereafter, the heavy lifting was on me to develop a detailed outline of each essay and ultimately write the essay. Dawn explained that I was a strong writer so she essentially provided zero edits on most essays after I wrote the essays (this is in part because we got so detailed on the outlines).

Overall, I enjoyed working with Dawn. She is extremely positive and supportive. She is great at helping you craft stories and I am sure she can dig into the language / grammar if need be.

I used the comprehensive package for 3 schools. I was accepted to my top choice.

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Sherry was thoughtful, kind, and incredibly helpful in putting my application together. Her positivity and different perspective helped me realize the strengths of my application and prioritize what areas to focus on. I was able to utilize her advice in my other applications and was ultimately accepted to several business schools with strong scholarship offers. I'm so appreciative of all her help (and patience) particularly around the interview prep and resume creation. Even with the extensive research I had done on my own, I learned so much working with her and was able to keep on track with all my applications.

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When I decided to use hourly services of SBC, I was offered to work with Sherry Holland. I had used services of other consulting firms in my last year's application, but I felt real difference while working with Sherry. I really enjoyed this experience. Sherry is a real professional who knows her work very well. She can easily motivate you to feel confident. Every time I sent my essays to Sherry, I got quick response and all her work deserves respect.

Being an international applicant with low gpa (2.2) and not so strong GMAT score (94%), I had fear that I may fail this year too. Actually, I had prepared full application last year, but it needed to be well polished. Although I used limited hours of SBC service, Sherry helped me to build a winning application. I got four admits with very generous scholarships out of my six applications: Ross ($), Owen ($$$), Kenan with ($), Rice with ($$$).

I am really grateful that I found her

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I used SBC's hourly services and was matched up w/ Paul. If you are aiming for a Top 3-4 school, he is one of the best in the business. He is a Harvard AND Stanford grad, so he really does know what they are looking for. He was instrumental in essay review and making sure my "story" lined up across my applications. He was especially helpful during the interview prep, since he has given admissions interviews himself.

I was ultimately accepted to every school I applied to, including Harvard and Stanford. I would absolutely recommend Paul to those who are looking at top schools! Thanks Paul!

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I had an excellent experience working with CP at Stacy Blackman. From the moment the process began it was clear that CP was a seasoned pro. Going in to the process, my GRE score and my GPA were below average. Despite this, CP helped me to craft a story that highlighted my strengths (i.e. leadership, extensive work experience, and community service). She was an expert at showing me how to weave my story effectively through all parts of my application.

Throughout the process, I was often pre-occupied with my low statistics (I imagine many applicants in my position might be as well). However, CP helped me focus on my application as a whole. We addressed my low numbers where relevant, but focused most on the areas that made me a strong candidate.

Business school applications require a ton of work, and I believe that CP’s guidance worked for me because I was willing to listen to her and willing to put in the work required of me. CP provided me with guidance and constructive feedback, but she was not there to do the work for me. She was instrumental in making sure that my application was uniform and consistent. With her help, I created the best application material and told the best story that I possibly could.

CP not only helped me get in to 2 of the 3 schools I applied to, but she also helped me to further understand why I want to pursue an MBA. I could not have asked for a better outcome. If you are someone with below average numbers, I would recommend Stacy Blackman, and CP specifically, as long as you are willing to listen and fully dedicate yourself to the process.

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Selecting Stacey Blackman Consulting to support and advise me during the admissions process was the best decision I made while preparing my applications. My consultant advised me through the seemingly 'never-ending' admissions process and gave me tips that I know made all of the difference in my acceptance to both HBS and Tuck. I not only benefited from her extensive admissions experiences and insights, but also enjoyed our conversations which I found lighthearted, yet focused. The consultants at Stacey Blackman do a phenomenal job at viewing your background objectively and giving tough love where it is needed. My consultant was direct and honest about my profile which helped me take a step back and recognize the gaps I needed to improve if I wanted to get into a top school. SBC is great for individuals who don't take critical feedback personally and are willing to tackle it head on in order to receive admission to his/her school of choice.

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Amy helped me with my essays and interviews to get into one of my dream schools. Given my less than stellar undergraduate GPA,and an average GMAT score, Amy helped me position myself by highlighting my work and life experiences in the essays to stand out. The one trait that makes Amy a really good consultant is that she is takes the time to really understand your goals and personality which she then uses to bring out and highlight as selling points in your essays.

I was also applying in round three and was on a time crunch. Her services really helped me not worry about compromising on the quality of my application.

Thx Amy for helping me secure admission to one of the top 10 Part-Time programs.

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I am so excited to start at Berkeley-Haas this Fall, thanks to Stacy Blackman! Esther reached out to me for the initial phone screen, and was able to recommend a consultant, Jen, who was a great fit for my rather niche industry interest and focus on West Coast schools. Jen helped me to articulate some of the major themes in my life and career to date, and focus my story so that it was clear and realistic.

Going through the admissions process was undeniably stressful, and I was very thankful for Jen's calm guidance. She was very responsive even during the year-end rush for Round 2, and helped me stay on track. I want to give a special shout-out to her especially for the interview prep, where she gave me the confidence to go through with everything even though I didn't feel ready at all, and gave me some really great tips that unified my personal branding. Working through the process actually helped me identify some passions that I wanted to develop further, and while I didn't get to refer to them during the process, it led to some fantastic experiences the summer before b-school. Once again, thanks SBC!

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I am starting at Harvard for my MBA and my Public Policy Degree thanks in large part to Andy Pelletier . I was a non-traditional MBA candidate and unsure how competitive I would be. Andy encouraged me and helped me hone my narrative. He was willing to push me to identify the key elements of my stories and to clearly communicate who I am, not just what I have accomplished. He was incredibly responsive, turning around his feedback quickly, and working around my schedule. When it came time for interviews, I did not hesitate to call Andy to prepare. He provided me with key feedback and helped me go to into the interviews with confidence. I would absolutely work with Andy again.

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I first reached out to Stacy Blackman Consulting after receiving a recommendation from a previous business school applicant. At that point I knew I wanted to attend business school but was unsure whether I should hold off another year before applying. As an MBA applicant, I come from a non-traditional working background and felt that my liberal arts education and lack of strong quantitative coursework might hurt my admission chances. I spoke to a few other consulting companies but felt that Stacy Blackman offered me the most honest and personalized advice. When I determined I was going to apply and use Stacy Blackman Consulting, they paired me with a consultant who they felt would best fit my needs, and that was Erika Olson.

From the get-go, Erika assured me that I had a strong story for my application, despite me not seeing it in the beginning. She took the time to get to know me and really understand my background and future goals. I started the application process late in the cycle, but Erika immediately gave me a schedule of tasks and deadlines for each school which I followed closely. When it came time for essays, I loved that Erika wanted me to put my story in my own words. All of her comments and edits never took away my voice, so my essays truly felt like my own. Erika was always quick to respond, even when I would email her with panicked questions five times a day. Even down to the nitty gritty details of my application, Erika made sure that all of my application was the best version it could be.

I applied to three top business schools and was accepted to two of them. I am thrilled to be attending a top MBA program in the fall and am confident that I would not be where I am without the help of Erika. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering applying to business school, especially if you have a non-traditional background.

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