Choosing to sign up with SBC to assist in my B-school applications was definitely the right decision! The perspective & guidance that my SBC consultant was able to offer through the application process was invaluable. While I saw myself as an acceptable MBA candidate before hiring SBC, my applications and essays would have not been anywhere close to the final product that my consultant worked with me to produce.

My consultant was Jessica and she was a great individual to work with during this time. Jessica put in considerable time to understand who I was / where I came from / where I wanted to go, which then helped us to develop my complete profile and highlight my candidacy in the best possible way. We went through multiple rounds for each essay and my resume, getting a ton of feedback from Jessica that helped me to dig deeper within each draft. This led to the final drafts being a collection of refined ideas and themes that had been developed through hours of work between us. After we were through with this part of preparation, we were then able to submit my total profile to their “Flight-test”, where a former MBA admissions officer is able to review your profile and provide any feedback. Getting this final sign-off & feedback from a former admissions officer was a huge win and helps to give a high level of confidence when submitting applications.

Overall, my experience with SBC wasn’t about filling out applications, writing essays, or resume edits…. Instead it was about how Jessica was able to work with me to make me a complete candidate that was able to holistically demonstrate who I am through each & every step of the way. All of this culminated with me being admitted to my dream/target school (top-15 B School) along with a notable scholarship.

If you are like me and want nothing less than your best application possible (no regrets, no what if’s), I highly recommend hiring SBC.

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Unlike a lot of people applying to business school, I knew almost no one who had ever attended an MBA program. I started researching online to gather information and ended up spending many (too many) hours reading through forums, blogs and school websites. I finally decided to hire a consultant to help me. In the end I chose Stacy Blackman Consulting because they have a great reviews and have been around for a long time. I felt safe with their team and also protected by the fact that they have several people who would all be helping me in different ways. I am very happy with my choice. The minute I signed on was like a miracle. All of a sudden I had someone helping me through. Jessica (formerly with Haas and Darden Admissions Office) guided me with complete confidence every step of the process. My resume, school forms, essays of course, interviews and other aspects such as setting up visits to the schools and contacting people at the schools. Although many people consider a consultant to be optional, for me is was essential - I honestly do not know how I could have done this without Jessica's help and complete patience and thoroughness. The SB resources such as the Admissions review of my full application were fantastic.
I am so excited I am going to Darden in the Fall. Thanks you Jessica and Stacy Blackman Consulting.

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After rejection to the MMM Kellogg program in R2 last year, I made the personal decision to work with a consultant to give me a third-party perspective about how to build a compelling story. I was matched with Jessica due to my background, post-MBA goals and top choice school (Kellogg). Immediately, she helped focus my MBA goals by asking incisive questions. Our phone conversations and emails back and forth made me consistently feel like she was in my corner. The relationship was completely what she had defined at the beginning - she was the coach that could help with strategy, but it was up to me as the 'player' to execute.

Without Jessica's support, detailed eye and big-picture thinking, I couldn't have gotten through applying for 4 schools Round 1. Moreover, SBC resources were invaluable. The video essay practice was especially meaningful for Kellogg's application, and I was able to practice a group interview before the Wharton interview. At each step, I felt the full value of the company.

While I look back and realize I had all the 'assets' (resume, scores, etc.), I didn't know how to package it well. As a 'non-traditional' applicant, I needed the SBC perspective to differentiate myself. I think that was invaluable and led to 4/4 interviews. And at the end, I happily got into my original goal - Kellogg!

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Hi GMATClubers. I have been a member now on GMAT Club for years. I relied heavily on the blogs, reviews, etc., in making my decision on whether to hire a consulting firm. I realized quickly that most applicants use consulting firms. Although my PE firm is MBA heavy, I wanted to make sure I had every advantage going into the application pool. Also, as an international applicant, I wasn't dialed into the US MBA culture. I spoke with the leading admissions firms out there, including MBA Exchange, MBA Mission and Stacy Blackman Consulting. Ultimately, I chose SBC because it was the only firm that new how to sell its own services in an enticing way. My initial conversation with Esther Magna was spot on. She was honest with me about my profile and demonstrated within minutes the value of their services. I liked that her style was tailored to my profile. Not a boilerplate sales pitch with statistics like the other firms. Esther matched me with Jessica for the engagement. I knew I would have additional reviews by others on the SBC team, so I would be well taken care of. After a 5 school engagement, and 100+ hours of work, I gained acceptance to 4 out of my 5 schools, including a one year scholarship to to CBS. My investment more than paid off. I recommend SBC 110%.

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Stacy Blackman was recommended to me by a friend when I was feeling lost in the beginning to the whole process. I reached out and was matched with Jessica and we instantly clicked. Her background and personality complemented mine and I couldn't imagine having worked with anyone else (even though I'm sure all of the other consultants are wonderful). I was a little worried that the distance would make it tough to connect and truly get valuable feedback, but I was very wrong. From the beginning, Jessica helped me craft my story, highlight my strengths, and realize what I needed to focus on in my application. She was always available to me and guided me through updating my resume, editing my essays countless times, and preparing for the interview. She gave me so much perspective and provided feedback in a way that did not belittle me, but really allowed me to realize important updates that needed to be made. I honestly do not think I would be in the position that I am in (two for two, making a decision between Kellogg and Booth) had it not been for Jessica and Stacy Blackman. I cannot stress enough how valuable and helpful it was for me - it is definitely worth it to invest in a consultant through Stacy Blackman, as the alternative is to run the risk of an unfavorable outcome after a very draining process.

If you are even considering it, definitely choose Stacy Blackman. I am so so happy that I did!

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I'm a white guy with soso work experience and a B+ GPA, and I decided late in the game (early August) to apply to business school. I made it clear to her from the beginning that I was willing to put in the work and go for R1 on short notice, and Jessica committed to helping me get there. She was great with helping me craft a story and identify target schools based on my goals. She helped me hit round 1 deadlines for three schools and her response time was fantastic (I had at least 7 or 8 revisions on my essays for each school and she never took more than 24 hours to critique). She also assisted with revamping my resume, coaching my recommendation letters, and polishing some of the finer details on my application. The mock interviews she conducted for me also helped me prepare for the interviews I had as well.

In the end, I got in early action to Duke, so it was a huge relief that I found out where I was going in October. I withdrew my other applications since Duke's EA commitment required me to do so, but I felt confident with the other 2 applications she helped me complete. I highly recommend SBC and Jessica.

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