I was very anxious about my b-school application process. I had many ideas but didn't know where to start. I almost decided not to do SBC because it was more expensive than other consulting products on the market, but in the end I decided that it was worth it. I'm so glad!

Sherry was amazing, she was always quick to respond even during the holidays. What people don't realize is that applying to MBA programs is a very lonely process and while you do need editing and consulting support, you also need a friend who can assure you that everything will be okay. That's how I felt when working with Sherry. I applied to 5 schools, got 3 interviews and got admitted to 2.

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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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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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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 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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If you are struggling whom you should ask for help when applying for a business school, I highly recommend Stacy Blackman!
When I decided to go to purse an MBA, I had no idea what I should do. And I didn't think I could go to a good b-school because my work experience was less than 2 years. Everyone around me told me that it would be impossible for me to get into a top 20 b-school. And I almost gave up....until my friend recommended SBC to me.
My consultant is Lisa Anderson, a sweet lady with rich experience in admissions. I wasn''t confident of my academic and occupational background, I knew nothing about the b-school application, AND I didn't even take GMAT until October(which was really behind the application timeline). After we talked, Lisa inspired me to discover my strength, suggested schools that I could try with my little poor work experience, and helped me figure out my timeline. Without rich knowledge of admissions, she wouldn't have known that so well.
During the several month application process, she always answered my emails within 24 hours, reminded me to stay on my schedule. She was very helpful when I edited my resume and essays. She was able to spot my unique qualities and gave me insightful suggestions for resume and essays. Not only did she prepare me well for my interview, but she also inspired me during my interview process. I remember that after my first interview, I was so upset that I called her. She comforted me and made me confident to confront my following interviews. Without her, I am unsure if I could be successful in the following interviews.
With Lisa's help, I got accepted to 3 good schools with scholarships and one of them is a top 20 school. I was so satisfied with it and I really enjoyed working with Lisa!
Thank you, Lisa!

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Before starting on my MBA journey with SBC, I had my profile reviewed by a few other consultants, and every one of them suggested even a top 20 would be a stretch school for me, and it did not surprise me. I know I lacked the proper background; my GPA’s horrible, GMAT’s subpar (given my demographic), and my work experience/extra-curriculars have no “wow” factor whatsoever – at least that’s what I thought initially.
Although, this is a review about Reene, my primary consultant, I want to spend a few minutes talking about Esther Magna.
I first heard about SBC from a friend. With their help, he got accepted to Stern with a full ride! I wanted to get an opinion, so I set up an evaluation call with Esther. The call was very relaxed and informative. She took her time to understand my background and then offered some amazing application tips based on my profile. I left with a very positive opinion, but what really stuck with me was - she genuinely seemed impressed with my background, and thought I was a strong candidate! And it’s this feeling which pulled me back to SBC after weeks of indecisive wandering. Given my background, Esther strongly suggested I work with Reene, and thus started my application process.
Herself a top MBA grad, Reene is very knowledgeable about the b-school application process. Even before I started working on my essays, Reene handed me a document in which she brilliantly connected all my discrete experiences – both professional and personal – into a solid narrative, which gave me great insights of the way to go about my personal branding! She is extremely professional; no matter how busy she is, she never missed a deadline. I can always expect to receive her feedback on my essays in 24 hours. I come from an industry where not a lot of people go for an MBA, and this presented me with many challenges: right from what to expect from an info session or a school visit to how to select schools or choose recommenders. Luckily, I had Reene to guide me at every stage. None of my recommenders had any experience with writing a b-school LOR. Reene helped them understand what business schools are looking for in a candidate and how to write great recommendations. I can’t thank Reene enough for helping me remain strong and optimistic during this stressful journey.
To be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first about working with Reene as I couldn’t find any reviews about her on the internet, and needed some convincing from Esther. And now, after working with her, I am going to a top 10 program with a scholarship! Thanks, Reene, for making this happen. I hope this review serves as a useful reference for any future clients of hers.

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In short, I believe the process was well worth the value added to my application process. It was a tough landscape to navigate through, especially coming from the military, and I needed a guide to walk me through.

To begin with, I was already behind schedule after not doing so well on my GMAT so I had to reschedule and push for round 2 application deadlines instead of round 1. By the time I got the score that I needed, I was running 2 weeks out from the application deadline for my first school in round 2.

Sherry was a gem. She absolutely laid the groundwork for me to strategize and prioritize the tasks I needed to knock out one-by-one. For me, her process was very regimented and it most definitely was curtailed to my type of learning/thought process and it allowed me to gain every bit of value through multiple drafts, reviews, and submissions. I applied to 5 schools, had interviews for every one of them, and accepted to 4 and waitlisted at 1. In foresight, I probably should have applied to slightly harder programs but I'm absolutely excited to matriculate to the school I will be enrolling in this fall.

If I could suggest who would most benefit from these services:
- Military
- Persons who come from a non traditional background
- Applicants to highly selective schools where every bit of scrutiny is needed

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