While SBC's services are on the pricier end of the spectrum and probably wouldn't have been worth it if I was only applying to T20-T50 schools, SBC and Meg especially were worth every penny throughout this process. The insights Meg brought to the table as a former Booth Adcomm, the number one reason I chose her, were invaluable. Without Meg my applications would have been shallow rambling garbage with no coherent narrative, my interview answers would have been all over the board and not focused on the topics B-Schools want, and my waitlist strategy would have been a mess and most likely ticked off the adcomms instead of showing my recent professional growth. The guidance and probing feedback Meg and the SBC team gave me are the reason I was successful in getting accepted to a top school.

Read More

Looking back, I now know that working with Meg and SBC was the single most important decision I made during my MBA admissions journey. The team's in-depth and candid expertise at every step of the process was instrumental in my admission to both Booth and Kellogg. It all started with my initial consultation with Sarah, who in a matter of minutes, assessed my candidacy and told me how she would go about crafting and positioning my narrative. It was easy to tell that she and SBC knew what they were doing. Then, it was Meg who really helped me unlock the potential of my application. With her expertise as a former MBA admissions officer, Meg was my primary partner and ultimate support system during the grueling application process. She spent a lot of time just getting to know me and my aspirations, and really helped me to understand that my story was valuable. She enabled me to weave together all my life experiences and ambitions in a way that helped me craft essays that were uniquely me and uniquely powerful - essays that no doubt made a difference in gaining admission to Booth and Kellogg. In addition to Meg's unwavering support, the SBC client database was immensely helpful with school-specific resources and sample essays. The vast information there was really a cherry on top of the breadth and depth of expertise that the whole SBC team provided. I would highly recommend Meg and the SBC team to anyone looking to take their MBA candidacy to the next level - I wouldn't have found the success I did without them!

Read More

The SBC team is incredibly helpful and insightful on all aspects of the MBA admissions process. Their team of former admissions officers is extremely knowledgeable about the specific nuances of each MBA program and what the admissions committees look for and value in candidates. Esther was extremely helpful in answering my initial questions about the application process and helping me understand how the engagement with SBC would work and the value they could add to my applications. Meg was my primary partner and played an instrumental role in my acceptance to Columbia Business School. She really helped me craft my personal story and better articulate why I wanted to get my MBA. Further, she helped me figure out how to best highlight my strengths and differentiating traits on my resume and in my essays. She thoroughly reviewed my resume and essays, too, and provided highly valuable feedback. Lastly, Meg set a structured schedule and deadlines for when each part of the application for each school should be finished and held me accountable to it throughout the process, which I needed! The flight test, which Caryn performed for me, provided another layer of perspective and feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of my candidacy, which was also very beneficial and helpful to me! Overall, I would highly recommend the SBC team. They are highly knowledgeable about all elements of the MBA application process and provide supportive, yet candid feedback and guidance to help clients achieve their goals.

Read More

Meg was an incredible partner and supporter in my application journey. During our first call, I didn't realize how much I had to offer until she asked some questions about topics I didn't realize were relevant. She helped me understand my story was valuable and communicate that with my authentic voice. Beyond that, I got helpful information from the full SBC network of former admissions officers, and my flight tester provided valuable feedback with an impartial but experienced viewpoint. Despite coming from a fairly non-traditional background, I got interviews to 7 of the top 10 programs and acceptances from Tuck, Haas, and Kellogg. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for someone to listen!

Read More

The business school application process is stressful and surprisingly emotional. You’re trying to condense your professional accomplishments into a short essay and resume while simultaneously communicating who you are on a very personal level. I knew I needed help, and Megan was the perfect match. From day one, Megan was ready for anything, and that was quite a lot in my case. From calls when I hit a wall writing to editing minor details in the 11th hour, Megan was there to help. In the end, it was obvious that Megan has a unique talent for appreciating candidates for their uniqueness and enabling them to weave an intricate tapestry of who they are in the minimal space your application permits. Her ability to connect the dots of my story is undoubtedly what made me fortunate enough to be admitted to Stanford, Harvard, and Wharton.

In addition to Megan’s support, the entire SBC team was incredibly supportive. From my first call with Sarah, I could tell that SBC did things differently as she immediately told me how she thought about my candidacy, what she would change about my resume, and how she would try to craft my narrative. The online SBC library was also extremely useful for tailoring each application to the specific school. What really sets the SBC team apart, however, is the breadth and depth of knowledge; any time that Megan and I were wondering how to approach a school’s application better, there were numerous former admissions officers from those schools that we could draw on. In particular, my flight test was specifically conducted by an ex-admissions officer from the school that was my top choice, offering me the opportunity to get school-specific insights that I likely wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere.

Thank you Megan and SBC, I couldn't have done it without you!

Read More

I had an amazing MBA application experience thanks to Meg Stiphany and SBC. When I first contacted Esther Magna, she was very communicative, quick to respond, and so helpful in kickstarting the process. Esther got to know me and matched me perfectly with my primary consultant and former MBA adcomm, Meg Stiphany. We clicked instantly on our first call, and she quickly understood my strengths and themes I could leverage through my materials in my applications. Meg helped me plan out my MBA application process, including a very detailed schedule with due dates for drafts and helped me clearly write my personal and unique story. She made me feel at ease throughout. Meg was incredibly supportive and gave me so much confidence in everything I was working on. She was my cheerleader when at times I was feeling doubt. She made me believe in my story and my candidacy.

SBC provided me an incredible support system. Not only was Meg so knowledgeable in every aspect of the process, reviewed my drafts as many times as needed, and gave feedback promptly, but I also had the support and feedback of two other former adcomms, Beth and Anthony. Beth was my flight-tester and second set of eyes who reviewed my application of choice and gave me great feedback. Anthony helped me with my Wharton mock interview and gave me great points to improve on during the real interview. All in all, SBC had an amazing team of former adcomms to help me in every step of the way.

I was able to get into three out of the four schools I applied to: Wharton, Booth and Kellogg, and with significant scholarships. I would recommend SBC and Meg to anyone looking for a supportive team. Thank you, Meg, for being a remarkable consultant!

Read More

As an early career applicant who began the MBA admissions process relatively late, I knew I needed every advantage possible to have any chance of admission to a top-tier MBA program. I decided to reach out to SBC after being referred to the firm by a family friend, and I’m so glad I did!

After my initial consultation with Esther, I was paired with Meg, a former admissions committee member at Booth, one of my target schools. Simply put, there is nobody I would have rather had by my side throughout the admissions process. Meg’s job was to make sure that we put forward the best applications possible, and I have no doubt we succeeded in that endeavor. Every step of the way, I felt that Meg was unconditionally committed to my success, and her feedback on every part of my application -- from essays to resume to interview prep -- was invaluable.

Notably, I really appreciated Meg’s communication style, which is clear and direct without ever coming across as harsh or unnecessary. In fact, I found that many times Meg’s kindness, support and confidence in me kept me motivated to put 100% into every part of my application, even during times when I may have otherwise doubted my own abilities and chances of success. Trust me, Meg is the kind of teammate that you want to have on your side, and it was such a pleasure going through the process with her as we worked together toward a common goal.

I’m proud to say that with Meg’s help, I was able to earn admission to Kellogg and could not be more thrilled! In what turned out to be a historically competitive year, I am so grateful to have had Meg’s partnership and support, and truly believe that the value she added was essential to my acceptance.

Read More

My experience with SBC consulting is quite unique. I reached out to Bill Collins on July 2019, when I had a “well below average” GMAT score. Bill gave it to me straight, he advised me on focusing on the GMAT score and coming back with a higher score. That advice meant everything to me, because it showed that these guys care about the results, not the money. He could have easily accepted me and helped me apply, with a mediocre profile. Glad I heeded his advice. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get that score before round 2 deadline, so he advised me to come back on round 1 2020. I reached out again on May 2020 when I got a decent GRE score, still below average though. Bill took me on and connected me with Megan. That where things kicked off.
Before I begin, I have to bust this myth. A top-notch admission consultant wont do the work for you, on the contrary, they will do the bare minimum and make you do all the work. That is where the transformation happens. I was somewhat disappointed when I experienced that, I thought Meg was the typical admission consultant who takes on 100s of clients and just didn’t have the time to work with me. That was totally invalid. Meg was one of the most compassionate people I met in my life. She listened to every single story I had and constructed the best application strategy for me. Her response time is amazing, mostly within 24 hours, and never exceeds 48 hours. She encouraged me to keep working on my GRE score as it would boost my chances of admission. Fortunately, I was able to get an above average GRE score. Gladly I was interviewed by Chicago Booth and Harvard Business School, and finally admitted to HBS.
SBC offers the flight test where my application for one school gets reviewed by an ex-admission committee member. I chose my HBS application which was reviewed by Lisa. She provided a through analysis and review on the application and gave me some improvement opportunities.
Overall, SBC might be more expensive than other consultancies, and wouldn’t offer admission guarantee. But its well worth the money. The journey was extremely fun and transformational.

Read More