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 took Andrea's help to prepare for the HBS interview on campus. While I had prepared and submitted my application by myself, I was unfamiliar with the interview process and was looking for professional help to get a better perspective of how my interview would potentially be. As a former HBS Adcom member and HBS MBA alum, Andrea did a very thorough job of running me through how my interview would likely be.

I spent two hours with Andrea, with the first hour involving going through the interview format and the second hour involving a 30 minute mock interview followed by feedback.

The HBS interview is slightly different from most other M7 interviews in the sense that the interviewer is an ad com member who has thoroughly read your application. Therefore, the kinds of questions that you get tend to be different, and speaking with Andrea allowed me to better prepare for the interview.

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I am very happy to have worked with Kate at Stacey Blackman Consulting.

I was weary of using an admissions consultant at first due to the high cost, however, I chose to work with a consultant from SBC for two primary reasons: 1) SBC was honest and upfront during my free assessment and 2) they matched me with a consultant that exhibited a deep understanding of my target schools.

I feel very fortunate to have worked with Kate, who was truly excellent. Her qualifications combined with her strong mentoring skills and her patience made her uniquely capable to help me craft my applications. She was also a pleasure to work with and remained positive but realistic throughout the entire process. Ultimately she helped me achieve success at both programs to which I applied.

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Lots of consultants/firm will advertise that they will help you get in your dream school and will always support you during the process: well it is quite often not true, but for Stephanie and SBC team!
I can talk of experience having worked with other consultants this past few months. Every time I was not satisfied (tried two other firms with hourly services) before choosing to work with Stephanie and SBC. Esther did a great job matching me with her.

Since I worked on my essays and resume with two other firm before working with Stephanie I can tell you how she made a decisive difference! Not only did all my materials to be submitted were impressive but she was extremely supportive and responsive, always accommodating my schedule. I know some of you hire consultants because the process is overwhelming and you end up thinking: "my consultant input is nice but was it worth the price?", you will not have this thought with Stephanie. Reading her feedback you will think that your money was well spent and that you could not have come up with the same result without her!

Guys, take it from someone who went through few consultant firms: Stephanie at SBC is the best!

good luck to all!

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I worked with Yvette for several months throughout the application process using the hourly service. She worked with me on my resume, essays, interview preparation, and in particular- helped to illuminate a compelling life narrative that existed already, but needed to be crafted and clearly articulated.

Yvette is experienced and thoughtful in her analysis, prompt in her feedback, and she helped to connect me with resources that not only got me into two of the top executive MBA programs I applied to, but also helped me to ultimately decide where to attend.

I am certain that Yvette will help others introspect, and leverage their driving motivation for business school- ultimately leading to successful outcomes. I give Yvette my highest recommendation.

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I worked with Yvette for Round 2 applications to HBS, Wharton and Haas. I was already familiar with the process having applied to Stanford in Round 1. Yvette brought a very professional manner and great background experience. She was extremely helpful as we shaped my application further for each specific school, and in analysing my international background in finance and entrepreneurship. Her responses were timely and the comments themselves good. I was accepted to several programs and decided to come to Haas as I wanted to draw inspiration from the west coast entrepreneurial ecosystem and was offered nearly a full scholarship here.

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Working with Yvette was the best choice I made for my MBA application. Given my background in finance (and the surplus of financial profiles there is in MBA applications) Yvette really helped me overcome the challenge of differentiating amongst other finance professionals. She helped me identify the key aspects of my personal and professional life that needed to be highlighted in the application to show fit with the value of the school. In particular, the way she laid out the differences between schools helped me enormously, and it was really great to be able to speak with someone who felt identified with my international background. More importantly, Yvette was very encouraging and, although very realistic, her positive attitude was contagious and made the application process less painful.

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Someone had recommended that if I was really serious about getting into business school and was only looking at one program (Haas EWMBA, in my case), then it would be worth it to invest in a consultant. Stacy Blackman Consulting had such glowing reviews, and I really liked how the company's consultants were intimately familiar with the programs. When I was paired with Bill, he knew just what direction for me to take with my application so that it would resonate with Haas EWMBA Admissions, which are unique. He provided such great feedback and walked me through every step of the process. I really don't know what I would have done without his direction - he made it so clear, but was also very honest with me. I'm now finishing up my first round of courses as a member of the Haas EWMBA Class of 2020, and I couldn't be happier! I owe a lot of that to Bill and SBC and their expert guidance.

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When I started my business school application process, I seriously doubted whether or not I could get into a top program due to my below average GMAT score. Lindsay not only instilled confidence in me, but also helped me execute flawless applications to all of my top choices (most of which were reach programs). She helped me frame my story in a way that made perfect sense, and most importantly helped me highlight experiences that on the surface I didn’t think were that unique. From the initial brainstorming session, to my countless essays, to interview prep, Lindsay was there by my side every step of the way. I can’t say enough about her, she is the best in the business.

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I worked with Lindsay and her advice throughout my application process was invaluable. She gave me the exact information I needed and answered my questions with firm and clear direction.

Her consultation saved me so much time (and money!) by helping me prioritize the sections of my application that needed the most attention and focus.

I was up against a tight timeline and she was clear, upfront and communicative about deadlines and the process of working together.

I'm thrilled to say I got into my top choice program. I would happily recommend her to anyone going through the application process, especially for the Stern part-time program.

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