I had a fantastic experience with Margaret Orenstein and Stacy Blackman Consulting. I had an initial phone call with Esther Magna, who matched me with Margaret based on our similar backgrounds in the Life Science space and Margaret's experience in Management Consulting, my desired post-mba field. Margaret, a former HBS student, was able to give me excellent insight into what the admissions team is looking for and what they value most. This, along with the SBC wiki page, was essential to preparing high-caliber materials. The SBC flight test (flight tester Amy Bergrud - former AdCom) was also an excellent feature to make sure I put my best foot forward when I hit submit on the application. After receiving an invitation to interview, the interview prep and mock interview (plus post-mock feedback) really helped me refine my answers and feel confident going into the interview. Ultimately, I think this service was worth every penny and made my HBS application process smooth and stress-free.

Read More

I decided to apply to business school very late in the process (didn't take the GMAT until mid-November, and then only had a month and a half to submit applications!). I was understandably stressed out, but after surveying the options out there, I had no hesitations about making an investment to partner with SBC to help me put my best foot forward in the MBA admissions process.

Esther Magna gave me a very accurate assessment of my chances at multiple top schools and encouraged me to apply even though I had doubts about my own candidacy. She matched me with Margaret Orenstein, who was instrumental in guiding me as I crafted my story with such great responsiveness, insights, and personalization to me. She also had such care for me as a person and was so invested in empowering me to be successful! Caryn Altman also provided invaluable feedback on my application.

Ultimately, I was accepted at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which I think would not have been possible without the support of the team at SBC to help me navigate an unfamiliar process.

Read More

I cannot recommend SBC enough to anyone that is thinking about going to get an MBA and would like a strong partner by your side to guide you. My consultant made sure that I was comfortable in all steps of the process and made sure that I kept to strict timelines and reached out and made sure I did my homework. I applied to 4 schools using this service and got into 2 schools and was given a full scholarship to one of the schools I applied to and will be attending. The team-based approach that SBC takes with its clients coupled with their industry knowledge is top-notch. I would recommend Margaret and SBC to anyone I know that is thinking about B-school (and I already have!) I did some research prior and talked to two other consulting firms and SBC was by and far the best one in terms of caliber and I went with them without hesitation.

Read More

Margaret and the team at Stacy Blackman helped me get into UVA Darden. I truly believe I couldn’t have done it without them.

I applied to 3 schools - Darden, Tuck and McDonough. I got into all of them except Tuck which was my biggest reach school anyway.

I had consultations with other consulting firms before committing to Stacy Blackman. I spoke with MBAMission and at least one other business who I felt sold my potential short. They had recommended schools like U of Maryland and Georgetown McDonough (a fall back school for my Stacy Blackman strategy). When speaking with Margaret we set the bar much higher, and I’m so glad we did.

I had some trouble with the GMAT and GRE - my scores were not where I would have ideally liked - this influenced our strategy, but by no means relegated me to a lower tier of institutions. Margaret used her deep experience and knowledge to recommend schools that would be more interested in my story as a person and less so on my test scores. The strategy worked and I got into a top ten (or near it, depending on the year) b school.

This process isn’t fun or easy - the consultant will challenge you, make you write, rewrite, and rewrite your essays again, push you to do better on the tests, reach out to current students and alumni, and more. But Margaret and the SBC Team knew exactly what needed to be done, and looking back I had no idea! I would have floundered on my own.

Thanks again to the whole team at SBC - from my initial point of contact Sarah, my “flight tester” Kim, and of course, Margaret.

Forever grateful,

Keir Gallik

Read More

Margaret is the reason I will be attending NYU - Stern this fall. She was a true professional, from the first second we spoke in our initial phone call all the way through until I was accepted into every school I applied to. She helped me revise my resume, edit my essays and help me with interview prep. She knows exactly what the schools are looking for, and fully understands your profile and strengths. The application process is a long stressful journey, and Margaret makes sure you are on the right path the entire way. I would highly recommend Margaret to anyone applying for their MBA, as she is the only reason I got into every school I applied to. HIGHLY RECOMMEND !!!

Read More

I'm an international applicant who is over 30 and comes from a non-feeder industry (non-IB or consulting). Before signing up to work with SBC, I also had calls with several other firms (Admissionado, Personal MBA Coach, Fortuna, among others). I decided to work with Margaret and cannot recommed her more highly. She knows all of top MBA programs inside out, doesn't "market" herself, and always tells it as it is. During our initial call, unlike several other consultants, she didn't encourage me to include schools outside of T10 in my application package and advised that I apply to just 3-4 schools, focusing on quality of the stuff that I do (others recommended that I go for 6-8 schools). I added two more schools to the initial package of four in December as I still had time.

The results of my work with Margaret exceeded my expectations. Out of six schools I applied to (5 with Margaret, 1 on my own, for which one Margaret still gave me insights), I received interview invites at five (four of them M7 schools!). I got admitted at Wharton, Booth, and Yale, and received some scholarship $ too! All of this in a year of COVID-19 with a surge in applications. Margaret's guidance was instrumental in securing these admits.

If you're hesitating over who to work with the way I did, think no more and just go with Margaret. She knows what schools are looking for, has a clear process in place, and has an answer to ANY question or concern you might have. Margaret is wise and has a great sense of humor, and this makes working with her a great pleasure. Special thanks to the rest of the SBC team I interacted with - Bill, my initial matchmaker, Beth, my flighttester, Toni, Tina, Esther.. Highly recommend!

Read More

I purchased the all-in package for two schools, Wharton and CBS, and I'm so glad that I did. My consultant, Margaret, was with me every step of the way during the application process. From instructing me how to research schools I was interested in, editing essays, and reviewing my resume, Margaret was an essential resource for me. My applications were 10x stronger than they would have been on my own. I got into my dream school, Wharton, and was invited to interview at CBS ( I ended up declining as I had already been accepted to Wharton). This company really knows what they are doing! I recommend it to anyone who wants an extra push in the grueling b-school process.

Read More

Working with Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) was by far one of the best decisions I have made through the grueling application process. They were incredibly thorough with responding to my questions and concerns and assisting me with finding the best service options. Being a military candidate, I also received a discount.

For months, I struggled through a losing battle against the GMAT. Before I paid a dime, SBC scheduled an hour introduction call, l spoke to me about my background, and even recommended a list of schools that may be a good fit for me. They also recommended that I switch my focus to the GRE (in which the outcome was better than that of the GMAT). I was lucky enough to work with Margaret Strother as my primary consultant.

We held scheduled calls every other week, exchanged emails on a daily basis, and agreed on deliverable deadlines. She was incredibly thorough on her thought process and helped me phrase my story in ways I could not have imagined. She held me to very high standards and was not afraid to tell me my proposed approach within several essays wouldn't cut it. Most of my essays were completed in about 5 to 6 drafts.

I come from a State school, with a 3.2 UG GPA in Psychology, a Master's degree in HR with a 3.6. I am also a military reservist who works full time for a fortune 50 company in project management. My GRE verbal score was far below the school average but quant and writing right on the average. I applied to 6 schools, four of them within the top 15.

I was directly admitted to two programs and wait listed at another three. Margaret helped me navigate the WL process, together we were able to convert two of those WL status into admits!

Will be headed to UVA Darden in the fall! I wouldn't have been able to do it without Margaret and SBC. I would highly recommend, but be prepared to work hard and stay resilient until the end!

Read More

I had an excellent experience with SBC, they exceeded all my expectations:
-I was a Marine officer and I worked with SBC for HBS and Wharton, this cycle I got into HBS, Booth, and Sloan - they get results!
-Margaret was more than I could have hoped for! She showed me that she genuinely cared about me, my story, and my ambitions. She made such a big effort to get to know me and how I communicated. She made the entire process fun and was a rock to lean on throughout the entire process.
-As a military applicant without a background in business, I needed a lot of hand holding in the beginning of the process, the SBC team, especially Margaret, was there for me and helped me find a concrete footing. I asked Margaret all sorts of questions and she always was there to answer them - even the ones not fully related to my two school package. Again, she proved she was 100% on my team!
-I initially had a rocky start with SBC - I partnered with Dawn and we were not a good fit. We could not find a way to communicate effectively, I did not feel like she cared about me or my success, and I felt that she belittled me at points. When I went to SBC with my concerns, the firm came in and saved the day! They instantly went to work finding a consultant who was a better fit and I had no issues switching over. The firm as a whole proved that they cared about my experience and were dedicated to my success.

I would wholeheartedly recommend SBC to any applicant, especially military, who is serious about applying to a top-tier MBA program. They will find a good match, and ensure you put your absolute best foot forward. If you can, ask for Margaret, you will not regret it!

Read More

I talked to other admission consultants and I had a feeling it was about the money in the end. I had a different feeling when I talked to Esther Magna. She listened carefully to my needs, talked to the consultant, and gave me the response based on what they can do for me.
I had an amazing experience working with Margaret Strother. My deadline was 6 days away because I spent weeks trying to overcome anxiety and start writing my essays. She provided step-by-step instructions and made the process very easy. She went beyond to help me meet the deadline, prioritizing my emails to decrease response time and responding within hour even when she was off desk.
As I could afford only 5 hours of consulting, she was kind enough to help me with 2 SOPs for Master of Science program, and also gave recommendations to improve my CV. As a result, I completed two 500 word SOPs in 5 days when I spent weeks forcing myself to write something.
She also gave detailed feedback and further suggestions to improve my essays that already looked good. Her guidance helped to make this process as smooth as possible.
Working with Margaret was a pleasure – it was a genuine desire to help me as a fellow human being. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I am very happy that I had a chance to work with SBC.
Thank you, SBC team!

Read More