Jennifer Foster from SBC made the difference! With her help, I received acceptances to 5 MBA programs: Kellogg, Haas ($$$), Anderson, Marshall ($$) & Stern. Whether challenging my goals, tweaking the tone of my essays, giving me insights into how different admission committees tend to think, etc., Jennifer’s invaluable insight, honesty and expertise always put me in position to make the best, most-informed decisions. Standing out in the application process is daunting. With Jennifer’s guidance, my application not only stood out compared to others but also helped sharpen my own vision on why I wanted to pursue an MBA in the first place. I would recommend Jennifer to any prospective MBA application candidate who aspires to gain acceptance into their dream school.

In addition to Jennifer, I’ll also shout out Stacy Blackman Consulting. Choosing the correct consulting firm is a tricky task in itself. What stood out to me about Jennifer and SBC was (1) their top-notch industry expertise, (2) the past-admissions experience of each of their consultants, (3) their all-in package, specifically the Flight Test where an additional consultant reviews your entire application from scratch, and (4) the positive testimonies of countless others who gained acceptance into various top programs. The cost of hiring a consultant is not for everyone, but pursuing an MBA is life changing for many. If you can make the finances work, there is no doubt that you’ll get your money’s worth with Jennifer, or any number of other SBC consultants.

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Strengths:

Organization, dedicated and timely support, idea generation for essays, interview prep

Would make the product better:

Connection with more previous Stacy Blackman alumni

My work with Stacy Blackman and specifically my dedicated consultant Meg specifically was excellent. Meg was always quick to respond to my requests and really helped me secure admission and full scholarship to two M7 schools. She created a schedule at the beginning for me to stick by to ensure I got my applications in by my deadlines. For each essay/short answer I had, she helped me get a starting point and proposed ideas for what direction I should go down. She helped spur my original ideas to spin my story into something that would be attractive to business schools. She also would help me whenever I had questions about scholarships, choosing between schools, and more. Overall, Meg was wonderful to work with, and I would highly recommend her to everyone.

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Strengths:

Knowledge of the full application process of all top-tier colleges. A very in-depth approach to getting to know you, and great consultants to work with.

Would make the product better:

No major points to make here.

It was an absolute delight to work with Jennifer! First of all, she is such a sweet and delightful person to engage with, and I highly enjoyed every call I had with her. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the application process for each top-tier college, end-to-end, and can answer any question you might have. It was incredibly reassuring to work with Jennifer to better understand the long process and be straightforward about upcoming deadlines and urgencies. She takes a real interest in getting to know you and your story better, and my application was all the stronger for it. I could not recommend her enough!

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Strengths:

1. SBC is a well oiled machine. I valued the thoughtful process that we followed through the All-In package (matching with a consultant, developing strategy/goals, chipping away at applications, Flight Testing, etc) and had confidence in the process that they've perfected.

2. Having access to other consultants at the firm (through my consultant) when we ran into school-specific questions or difficult decisions is unique to larger firms like SBC. When my consultant was able to poll/ask several of her colleges about there opinion on more subjective decisions/topics, that gave me even more confidence in our choice.

3. SBC's "Vault" of resources (essays, interview prep, etc.) was incredibly useful and something I leaned on several times! Resources like this were another reason I chose to go with a larger firm like SBC.

Would make the product better:

Not much comes to mind! I was really happy with my experience overall!

I'm so happy that I chose to use a consultant for my MBA admissions process and that I chose SBC! I contacted several firms before closing SBC (some larger firms similar to SBC and other more boutique firms with 1-3 consultants) and was most drawn to the overall process of SBC's "All-In" package. It all seemed (and ended up being) very well thought out and effective and I liked the idea of working with a large firm made of formed AdComs from several schools.

In terms of the actual experience, I found that the "All-In" package structure helped me to stay on track, and there were several occasions when my consultant leveraged the experience of others at the firm to help us make decisions about specific schools.

Since I began my process in January, I was lucky enough to be matched with Caryn Altman who I cannot say enough good things about! Right from the start she gave me an honest opinion of my strengths and weaknesses, recommended some steps I could take immediately to improve my process (e.g. taking an online Math for Management course since my GPA was lower) and was genuinely invested in getting the best outcome possible. During the ~1 year I worked with Caryn, she helped keep me on track through stressful times at work or personally. It was immensely helpful to have someone to remind me that I could take a couple of days off from essays/prep and who could re-calibrate my deadlines accordingly. Conversely, when I had more free time, Caryn was extremely responsive and expedient with feedback so I was able to get ahead of schedule.

Caryn's feedback on my essays was invaluable - I really cannot stress this enough. She was honest and not afraid to tell me that an idea I had was just not working or was coming across the wrong way. It was also extremely helpful to have access to SBC's "Vault" of past anonymized school-specific essays as reference (this was also helpful for interview prep!).

Finally, Caryn really went above and beyond for me, providing advice on school-specific networking, reviewing emails to connections, answering random questions, and giving me her honest thoughts when I was stressed about one thing or another.

I am so thrilled to have been accepted to 4/5 of my schools (3 acceptances with $$$) and I could not have done it without Caryn and SBC! Don't hesitate if you are considering it yourself!

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Strengths:

I was able to meet with multiple consultants at SBC before starting the process to ensure I chose the right fit, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. This is the most thorough MBA admissions consulting company in the business. The kickoff call was incredibly detailed. Deanna and I walked through virtually every part of my life and how it could tie into my MBA application. She built a clear, thoughtful application strategy, gave me concrete guidance on how to strengthen my resume, and worked with me closely throughout the entire process.

Her response times were outstanding, it genuinely felt like I was her only client. Deanna was there every step of the way, from the initial kickoff to refining my MBA-focused resume, crafting essays, preparing for interviews, and everything in between.

Would make the product better:

Really nothing. Couldn't have asked for anything more.

I could not be happier with my decision to choose both SBC as my consulting group and Deanna as my consultant. I worked with her on my McCombs and Owen applications and was admitted to both programs with significant scholarships. I also applied to Ross as a third school outside of my two-school package, but used the guidance Deanna provided for McCombs and Owen, and was accepted to Ross with a major scholarship as well. I plan on attending Ross this fall, as it has always been my dream school.

This was well worth the investment, as the scholarships I received more than covered the cost of consulting. I truly could not have done this without Deanna’s help. She opened my eyes to so many ways I could strengthen my application that I didn’t even know existed. Without the new strategies and improvements she pushed me to make, I don’t believe I would have been admitted to the schools I applied to.

I am incredibly grateful to Deanna and SBC for helping me earn admission to all three schools I applied to, and to the one I will ultimately attend at Ross. Truly career-changing.

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Strengths:

Personalization at every step — The guidance never felt cookie-cutter — everything reflected my goals and voice.

Would make the product better:

Mobile-friendly resource access — the Vault and document review hub are excellent, and making them easier to navigate on-the-go would be a great enhancement.

Working with Stacy Blackman Consulting — and especially Beth Tidmarsh — was truly the best decision I made during my MBA application journey.
From day one, Beth became my dedicated partner, coach, and biggest advocate. As a former Kellogg Admissions Officer, she had an incredible ability to translate my experiences into a cohesive and compelling story. Her insights into what Kellogg truly values were spot-on, and thanks to her guidance, I earned admission to Kellogg as well as Michigan Ross. Beth pushed me in all the right ways: she challenged my messaging when needed, boosted my confidence when imposter syndrome crept in, and always made me feel like she was fully invested in my success.
I also deeply appreciated the team-based model SBC brings. Sarah, who first matched me with Beth, took time to understand my goals, background, and working style so the fit was perfect. My flight tester (another former Admissions Officer!) provided an invaluable outside perspective and helped refine my application into a final version that truly resonated. On top of that, resources like SBC’s Vault database gave me access to successful essays, insights, and tactical tools I couldn’t find anywhere else.
Before choosing SBC, I explored several other MBA admissions consulting firms — including some of the popular competitors — and none came close to the level of personalization, strategic guidance, and warmth I found with SBC. I ultimately came in through a personal referral — and now I’m the one enthusiastically recommending SBC to others!
If you are serious about giving yourself the strongest shot at a top program, I cannot recommend Beth and the entire SBC team highly enough. They don’t just help you apply — they help you show up as the best version of yourself.

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Strengths:

Professionalism, knowledge about the MBA process, proven track record of success in getting applicants accepted, consultants who have been on the admissions boards of major business schools, and access to vast amounts of data on previous successful applicants

Would make the product better:

Difficult to think of anything that could be improved. Everyone with whom I spoke at SBC was extremely friendly, professional, and responsive, and the result was an admission to a top 2 business school with a scholarship.

Alex and I had a lengthy initial conversation where we went over my personal journey, professional experience, school, extracurriculars, and hobbies. With all of this information, he was immediately able to suggest a few coherent stories we could tell. Once we settled on one, he helped overhaul my resume, essays, personal statements, and videos to ensure that we were presenting a compelling, authentic, coherent story, and that all of my application materials were united and complementing each other. I knew immediately that I wanted to continue with him and invest in SBC's all-in package. We focused on Harvard, Wharton, and MIT, and through that we produced enough material for me to repurpose for all the other schools to which I applied.
Throughout the process, he was extremely responsive, friendly, detail-oriented and constantly pushed me to get my essays and resume just right. He wouldn't accept any of my application materials until he felt they were as good as possible.
Without Alex and SBC, I honestly don't believe I would have been admitted to any of the M7 programs, let alone a top 2 school with a generous scholarship. If you dream of going to a top business school, especially if you come from a non-traditional background (computer science) like myself, you won't make a better decision than enlisting the help of SBC. I already think it's some of the best money I've ever spent.

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Strengths:

All-in support to business school applications, application feedback, full review of applications before submitting, post-interview feedback, and more.

Would make the product better:

Honestly nothing really, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants tailored support to their application.

Working with Alex Liff at Stacy Blackman Consulting was the best decision I made during my MBA journey—his strategic insight and support helped me gain admission to HBS, MIT Sloan, CBS, and NYU Stern, where I received a full-ride scholarship. Alex was my partner throughout the application process. I believe his candid feedback helped me write my applications to talk about my strengths and articulate my thoughts in a way that admissions was tuned into. Having consistent check-in points with Alex made me feel confident throughout the process, and he answered all my (sometimes ridiculous) questions throughout the way.

SBC in general was extremely supportive. Having a flight tester - shoutout to Lisa - give a candid review of my applications before submitting helped me fine-tune my applications before pressing the submit button. I was able to submit with confidence that I was representing myself to the best of my abilities.

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I had Ashley as my consultant and got into Tuck, Booth with scholarship, and Sloan. Coming from a nontraditional background with a low math score I was extremely concerned and she really got me over the finish line. In particular, I 1000% credit her with my Sloan acceptance. She was patient and always responsive within 24 hours. I struggled a lot to define myself in the beginning and she helped me work through how to play to my strengths while acknowledging my weaknesses and positioning myself uniquely for each school. Although SBC can be expensive, I do think it was worth it.

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Strengths:

Experienced and Personalized Guidance, Commitment of the Counselor, Authenticity over Conformity, Comprehensive resources, Professionalism and Value

Would make the product better:

More clarity upfront about what's included in the "all-in" package. I think The Vault and Flight Test are huge selling points that a lot of applicants would be attracted to.

When I began exploring MBA consulting firms, I wasn’t sure if I needed one—let alone if the investment would be worth it. I had spent the first part of my career in biotech before transitioning into my family’s business, where I plan to return after my MBA. With a nontraditional background, I knew I needed to tell a story that was both authentic and compelling.

I found Stacy Blackman Consulting through Google and was impressed by their reputation, deep bench of former admissions officers, and extensive applicant resources. After an honest and helpful intro call with Sarah Tsai, I connected with several potential counselors and ultimately chose to work with Margaret Strother.

At first, I was skeptical of the all-in package, but those doubts quickly disappeared. Margaret was more than a consultant—she was a true thought partner. She helped me bring structure to my ideas and asked thoughtful questions that helped me dig deep and frame my story in a way that felt true to who I am. She was also consistently responsive and willing to bounce around ideas whenever I needed it.

What set Margaret apart was her commitment to authenticity. I had worked with another consultant who tried to fit my story into a mold. Margaret did the opposite—she encouraged me to be real and different.

With her support, I was admitted to Stanford GSB, HBS, Kellogg (with a full scholarship), and Booth (with a partial scholarship).

SBC’s resources like the Vault and the “flight test” added even more value. Looking back, the experience was absolutely worth it. For anyone serious about top MBA programs, I can’t recommend Margaret—or SBC—highly enough.

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