I worked with Caryn and SBC for class of 2021 applications and found working with her incredibly valuable. The decision to work together paid off as I was accepted to Wharton which was my top choice, as well as Kellogg and UNC.

Caryn took the time to get to know me and my background first and then helped me craft the best possible story and application strategy based on my prior experiences and future goals. She then continued to provide tremendous value through all phases of the application process by providing candid and straightforward feedback and pushing me to produce my best work in my applications. After I submitted my applications, Caryn helped me prepare for the interviews and SBC also scheduled and conducted a mock team based discussion for the Wharton interview, which was extremely beneficial for me.

Caryn was recommended to me by a friend and Wharton alum, so I did not explore other firms, but I’m confident that Caryn and the SBC platform put me in the best possible position to be admitted to business school. Caryn has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the MBA application process and the SBC platform further provided an astounding amount of resources that I was able to leverage throughout the application process.

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I first started working with Caryn when I signed up for the MBA Process – Plan Ahead package. This option was very helpful since I didn’t know where I stood with the schools I was thinking about applying to. I knew I didn’t have the best background with a below average GPA among the top schools and a non-elite undergraduate degree so I was going to need as much help as possible. Caryn was able to determine what my strengths were and how I could address my weaknesses ahead of time while clarifying what schools would be a reach and where I would be competitive.

Later on, I signed up for the All-in-package for four schools. I didn’t have any friends, co-workers, or family that had gone through an MBA application so I knew I was going to need quality advice and guidance on the process. Caryn was able to push me to bring out my best authentic self and craft my unique story in all aspects of the application. It can be a very demanding and tough process, especially when going through multiple drafts, but Caryn always brought a positive attitude and helped me stay on track.

A couple of the unique resources SBC offers such as the flight test and interview prep helped tremendously. The flight test was the perfect tool to get a different perspective from someone who had not spent time with me going over my profile and would view the application in the same sense an ad com would read it.

When I received the news that I got into my dream school of Kellogg, I could not wait to share the news with Caryn! Not only did Caryn give me the tools to complete my best application but she also gave me the confidence that this was possible. I knew she was truly invested in my success and believed in me the entire time, which was a very important aspect to me as I picked a consultant. I cannot say enough positive things about my experience and would highly recommend Caryn for anyone applying to business school.

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I worked with Caryn and SBC for c/o 2021 applications and found the service incredibly valuable. The decision to work together paid off as I was accepted to Kellogg and Ross.

As my consultant, Caryn was there to guide me through every step of the application process from honing my application strategy to interview prep. She is always straightforward and honest in her feedback and extremely responsive. Overall she was an incredible coach throughout the process, keeping me on track and calm through the pressure of the application process. She pushed me to do my best work and find my authentic, unique story. When I shared the good news with her it was awesome to hear how excited she was for me!

I looked at other firms but ultimately chose Caryn and SBC because of their wealth of admissions experience (Caryn is former admissions at Kellogg). SBC has a great approach that leverages this knowledge. For example, my application was "flight tested" by another consultant with adcom experience to identify any gaps or weaknesses from an outside perspective. I'd highly recommend Caryn and SBC!

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Caryn was amazing to work with! I am a young candidate with average/below average GPA and GMAT from a mid-level consulting firm, so had lots of reasons to doubt my chances at the top programs. Whenever I was over-thinking or too in my head, Caryn helped me to calm down and think clearly. She helped me bring out my unique story and non-traditional career goals. I was eventually admitted to Stanford GSB, Wharton, Booth, and Kellogg!!! I could not have gotten here without Caryn's patience and dedication, or without SBC's extensive resources! The SBC flight test helped identify holes in my application package and I was able to talk to Caryn and a Wharton team based interview expert to prepare for my interviews. As someone who did not have many friends or mentors who had gone through the MBA application process, I initially felt completely lost. But with Caryn and SBC, I felt well-informed about how to handle every aspect such as class visits, email correspondence, mentioning low grades, etc. When I got my admissions, I could tell Caryn was almost as thrilled as I was! She really believed in me and was highly invested in the process. I highly recommend working with Caryn.

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I applied in Round II for admission to the Class of 2020, gaining acceptance to HBS, Wharton and Kellogg, with a waitlist at CBS, thanks to Caryn's extraordinary help and guidance. I am thrilled to be attending my dream school, HBS, this fall.

Caryn, who worked at Kellogg's Admission Office before starting her career as a consultant, was a great mentor through the application process from school selection to interview prep. She truly wanted to get to know who I am and ensure the career goals expressed in my application were clear and credible. Her judgment was excellent, and I found myself relying her feedback more than that of friends and family early on. For someone with enormous nerves about "aiming too high," the GMAT, essay-writing, and interviews - she was a guiding light! I also appreciated her quick rounds of feedback, including several in the days before applications were due. Overall-- I found her to be a warm, honest and incisive coach for the months we worked together.

I would also commend Stacy Blackman as a firm for their tremendous resources, above and beyond the consultant relationship. Esther Magna and the administrative team made on-boarding with the firm a breeze. The wiki was invaluable, especially for looking at past successful resumes and essays. The "flight test" with a top-business school alumni, in which your full application is read end-to-end, was a helpful exercise. And when interviews came, the access to a Wharton mock interview with other clients of the firm, special 1:1 coaching for HBS, practice interview with Caryn w/ feedback, and online practice tools were a lifesaver.

I think Stacy Blackman does not so much as "steer" your application as give you all the tools and answers to make you come through at your best. What I presented in my final applications was my voice and my experience, informed by the feedback and reactions of numerous ex-Admissions officers. It was clearer and more confident than what I would have written alone. For these reasons, I'd recommend SBC and Caryn in particular highly. Do not hesitate to request her when you give SBC a call!

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I had a great experience working with Caryn. She motivated me to do my best and be on top of my work. She provided timely reviews of all my essays and excellent interview pre (especially as I was last minute for round 2 and was applying to 4 schools with her). She is a straight-shooter and won't sugarcoat- which I greatly appreciated. She was with me throughout the whole process: from brain-storming stages to when I received my acceptance. As a non-traditional applicant with an average (at best) GPA, I don't think I would have gotten the results I did without Caryn. Thank you!

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I was just another lost working professional hoping to make her way into an elite business school. As someone that attended undergrad and law school, I didn’t want to take on the extra cost of business school, unless it was one of the best. I did free consultations with other companies prior to choosing Stacy Blackman. The cost for a consultant wasn’t something I took lightly, and I wanted to make sure I was picking the best company for me. My consultations with other companies were very negative, judgmental or awkward. Additionally, I had to pick a specific person based on short profiles online. Overall, I was thinking I may just have to do this on my own.

However, when I first contacted Stacy Blackman, I was immediately impressed with their process. First, I completed a short questionnaire, which was sent to all consultants that had availability. Then those consultants that felt inspired or interested in my story would connect with me to do a free consultation. I like that the people I was talking with were really interested in me and believed in me. I felt that I couldn’t be successful if someone felt forced to work with me. I talked with a few consultants at Stacy Blackman, all of which were great. But my conversation with Caryn was very easy and made me feel immediately comfortable with her. She really touched on the weak and strong points of my application. As soon as I got off the phone, I knew I wanted Caryn as my consultant. She was friendly and helpful, but also honest and direct. Which is exactly what you need in this process.

Additionally, she helped me narrow down my list of schools. Originally, I was thinking of applying to 7 schools. It was hard for me to understand the full reach of a school that wasn’t located in my immediate area (San Francisco) and how well they would do in my desired function. All the career stats looked so great! Caryn helped me cut out schools that wouldn’t easily bring me back to the Bay Area, but also had strong marketing programs. She even recommended a school that wasn’t on my original list, but has turned out to be far and away the best option, Kellogg.

After hiring Stacy Blackman and being assigned to Caryn, the work really began. She helped me walk through my career goals, after MBA, and helped me narrow down my many ideas and industries into one concise theme that flowed throughout my application. The tools she provided me with in the beginning (career insight, templates for my recommenders, resume template and tips) were incredibly helpful to get a few easier things handled right away and my outlines and essays started. Writing essays for 5 schools within a month and a half is no easy feat. I was lucky enough to have a lull in work at the beginning of August, so I began pumping out outlines and essays pretty quickly. Caryn was always prompt to respond and send me feedback on my outlines/essays. Additionally, this is when the honest and direct part really becomes useful. Seeing where my essays started and where they ended up, it is clear that I wouldn’t have gotten into the schools I did without Caryn.

At the end of the process, I was accepted into 3 of my five schools and withdrew from one before the decision came out, as I knew I would attend Kellogg. I’m truly living a dream right now, and I know I wouldn’t have made it into Kellogg without Caryn’s help. I know the money isn’t the easiest thing to pay, however it was worth every penny to go to a great school that I love.

Choose Stacy Blackman and Caryn today!

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I used Caryn Altman as an admissions consultant. She was brilliant! I would not have been as successful without her!

Caryn was incredibly responsive. There were days where I would send her an essay and she got back to me twice with various rounds of edits.

In addition to that, she was an incredibly valuable counselor for my overall business school application strategy approach. She was honest with me around what she thought was doable and did everything she could to help me achieve my goals!

I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking to solidify his or her status at a top business school.

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I was hesitant about using a consulting firm for business school applications because I was afraid of losing my personal voice and was nervous if the cost would be worth it. However, I nervously took the plunge, choosing SBC over other firms because they had a strong matching process and so many members of their team were former admissions officers with lots of experience coaching. At the end of the process I can honestly say this was the best money I have ever spent! Caryn and the whole SBC team have been incredibly valuable in the entire process. With SBC and Caryn’s coaching, I got interviews at HBS and was admitted to Wharton, Booth, Sloan and Kellogg with huge scholarships from 2/4 schools!
Caryn is particularly incredible. Her background in marketing helped her craft a strong strategy for my application. She took the time to understand my entire story and helped me craft my story without overtaking my personal voice. Additionally, Caryn is INCREDBILY detail oriented and continues to push her clients to improve. From my strategy documents to my resume to my essays and even application, Caryn and I went through at least 6-10 rounds of edits for each piece. She was strict (which I needed!) and she never let me give anything less than my best, continuing to push me to improve my essays, videos and other submissions. Until the very last detail, Caryn was there to make sure my entire application (including rec letters) was perfect. Additionally, Caryn helped me through the nebulous process of getting off Wharton’s waitlist. She helped me craft a strategy for communication that would show interest without being repetitive which eventually helped me land a spot in Wharton’s class. Finally, Caryn’s turnaround time is extremely fast. She always beat her own standards and because of this we completed many revisions and finished 6 applications for R1.
Finally, Caryn really believed in me and wants to see me succeed. She referred me to different members of the SBC community when I received interviews to make sure I was prepared. She truly believed in my application and that made all the difference!

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I'm an international applicant with a decent GMAT score and work experience, but a very weak GPA (2.9), and with no strong extra curricular work to overcome that. I decided to use a consultant to help me understand the best way to craft a compelling application given some significant gaps on paper. After speaking to a few of the most established MBA Admission consulting firms, I decided to work with Caryn at SBC because I felt that both Caryn and Esther at SBC gave me the most realistic advice in our initial conversations, and did not try to sugar coat the potential difficulties I would face in my applications (I had targeted some fairly challenging schools for my stats).

Working with Caryn was a breeze - she helped me think through my goals and stories to craft a compelling narrative, my school selection strategy, and gave me critical advice on remedying the gaps in my GPA and lack of quantitative work during my undergraduate days. She was also super quick with feedback, and would constantly push me to keep to our aggressive timeline, which I found very helpful. In addition, I found the Flight Test with Amy really helpful - and we actually rewrote an entire essay from scratch based on the feedback from that Flight Test.

I applied to 2 schools with Caryn (1 stretch and 1 target), and really used that experience to apply to a further 3 schools. I'm happy to share that I was admitted into 3 of the 5 programs (all top 15 programs), with scholarships to boot, which was really unexpected given the gaps in my application. I will now be attending a great program - and I absolutely could not have done it without the tireless support and encouragement from Caryn and the entire team at SBC. If you are looking for a highly professional consultant to enhance your chances in an increasingly competitive business school landscape - you can't go wrong with this team.

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