Working with SBC helped me get 2 offers (HBS MS/MBA, Kellogg MMM) and 1 waitlist (Sloan).

The SBC process was incredibly smooth from start to finish. As I was considering various firms (Fortuna Admissions and mbaMission), I had a call with Sarah Tsai to inquire about SBC's process. She was very transparent, could answer all my questions in great detail, and her insights were super helpful.

When it was time for me to be matched to a consultant, there were plenty of amazing options as the SBC team includes lots of former admissions officers, many of whom were affiliated with the top schools on my list. Yvette stood out because, in addition to her being an HBS alum, we share an engineering background, and she blazed her own path towards PM and entrepreneurship, which I also hope to do. A huge plus was her great familiarity with joint degrees like the MS/MBA and MMM, which were at the top of my list. As we worked on 3 schools together for R1, Yvette helped me tell my story better than I ever could have on my own, and truly boosted my confidence despite concerns I had over my GPA and GRE.

I also really appreciated having access to the broader SBC network, particularly through my flight test with Kim (former adcom) who provided amazing feedback on my essays and resume, helping me to refine my story and tie it all together. I also used many other resources offered by SBC including its extensive Vault database with past essay examples, interview questions, etc. and prepped for my interviews with Yvette in such a way that I could easily come up with answers specific to both the MBA and the MS portions of my application.

Overall, I really recommend working with SBC to anyone looking to tell their story, no matter how complex, in a way that will impress the adcom.

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Yvette was great in the process - helping me understand the different parts of the application and understanding the nuances of each school. I was referred to her by a former colleagued who spoke highly of Yvette, and I am so glad I decided to work with her! She gave me frank feedback and was not afraid to voice her opinions.

In addition, the team based aspect of the Stacy Blackman experience, where another consultant looks at your application is really helpful. Yvette also pivoted quickly after the additional feedback which helped me see my application from a different lens. I would highly recommend working with both Yvette and Stacy Blackman.

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Yvette is masterful at helping you develop an application that both reflects who you truly are,  and shows the schools what they need to see. I applied to 4 top 10 schools and got into 2 - including my top choice, HBS! And I very much doubt I would have had this success without Yvette's full commitment and incredible talent at helping me translate who I am onto the application page. You want her on your team through this process!

What made Yvette the best :) :
- Tireless - she never stopped pushing me to dig a little deeper, and push a little further to come up with material that she knew would resonate with with AdCom.
- No bs - she'll say it like it is, while always making sure you feel comfortable. This is crucial, and what you're paying for!
- Knowledgeable - she knew every one of the schools I was applying to like the back of her hand. I only went all-in for HBS, but did calls with her for my other 3 schools, and she was expert at helping me tailor my story for their culture and focus. Her knowledge was also KEY when it came to interviews - our interview prep and mock interview were huge for me. Thanks to Yvette, I walked into the HBS interview knowing exactly what to expect and how to put my best foot forward.
- Kind and cool! - Yvette is the amazing guidance counselor I never had! She really became a mentor/spirit guide/friend all at once. She is fully invested and cares so much about your success, which is obviously beneficial in terms of results, and also makes the very taxing process a lot more fun. 

For context - I have very little quant background, and a strong verbal GRE score but mediocre quant score. However, I had done so much research about the schools and their admissions offices, and love to write, so was not planning on using a consultant. I was convinced I knew my story, and could figure out how to tell it on my own. I also had doubts about the integrity of the consulting process. But Yvette showed me how important it is to have an outside eye who truly understands the process, and everything about it was very above board. She was all about asking the right questions to help me piece together my story, and never stepped in to insert her own voice.   

A few notes about MBA app consulting in general - SBC's 'flight test' was awesome. Highly recommend. Also, I found the all-in package to be really worthwhile. While hourly guidance is useful, the dynamic of a pay-by-the-minute setup doesn't really suit such a creative and personal process. Yvette was amazingly efficient and super respectful about making the most of my paid hours, so if you're very budget conscious, you can rest assured she has your back there. But the depth and quality of feedback will inherently be stronger with an all-in package. I know it's a lot of cash - but as I see it, school is around $200k, may as well spend a few K up front to make sure you're pouring all that money into one of your top choice schools!  

In sum - if you're serious about upping your chances at your top choice schools, Yvette is the answer  : ) 

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I do not have enough words to express my gratitude towards Yvette. If I can assure you something, it’s that without her help I would not have been able to get into 3 top 5 schools. No chance! As an international student in tech, with lower than average GMAT (690), I had to differentiate myself from other candidates and demonstrate I could excel in the classroom. With Yvette’s All-In package, I was able accomplish this and complete near perfect applications. I strongly recommend Yvette for the following reasons:

- Helps you develop your own story, and always pushes you to come up with more questions, forcing you do dig deeper into motivations, decisions, and aspirations. I started being so generic, and she helped me come up with an application that was exactly who I am. This helped me differentiate myself from others in tech, banking, minorities, etc
- Interviews: Interview prep with Yvette starts since day 0 when you’re shaping your story (All-In package). It all builds up to get an interview and Ace it. In addition, Yvette has lots of materials and tips for Interviews. My firs mock with her was horrible, but she coached me to communicate better and more concisely.
- ALWAYS willing to help and always straight forward and brutally honest! Yvette won’t necessarily tell you what you want hear, but she’ll tell you everything you need to come up with your best possible application.

Yvette really goes out of her way to help you come up with your best possible application. She is an incredible person who’ll help you from day 0 up until admission decisions.

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I reached out to Yvette after a recommendation from a colleague who got admitted to both HBS and GSB. I worked with Yvette on an All-In Package for the same two schools, and had a great experience.

From the very first conversation, Yvette helped to apply rigor and structure to my application and career goals, while still keeping my story authentic to who I am. Yvette applied "tough love" well, motivating me to come up with well-reasoned, "no-BS" answers for everything. By the time I submitted my application, I had done significant introspection, which paid off tremendously down the line as I was preparing for interviews. At the same time, Yvette was kind and understanding, always happy to hop on a call to help me calm my nerves, such as when I was unsure as to who should write my recommendations, despite a large time difference (I was based in Asia).

Ultimately, I was admitted first round to both HBS and GSB, and thank Yvette tremendously for the help!

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I utilized SBC's All-In package for two different schools and some hourly support for second round applications. I was paired with Yvette Romero, who was a fantastic support system throughout the entire application process. I had a very weak background as far as competitive GPA's and GMAT go (2.47 and 710 with a verbal heavy split), so I was definitely operating at a disadvantage during the process. Yvette helped me clarify ways to bring out the strengths of my technical career as well as ways to highlight the other strengths of my personal story. I've happily accepted an admissions offer from Kellogg with a scholarship, and that would not have been possible without her guidance. SBC is an expensive proposition but if you're serious about business school application and you have weak points in your profile, I highly recommend Yvette.

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Yvette was a fantastic resource to have during the entire application process.
From the first interaction to the last, she is engaged, committed, and thoughtful. She was more than willing to hop on a call at any moment during the application process to talk through anything. At no point was she unavailable. She is incredibly kind, and particularly talented in helping you brainstorm your story and tell it in a concise way. The application process can be stressful at times, and having access to an expert like Yvette makes it much less daunting. I could not recommend her more highly!

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The application process will be long and hard - my first call with Stacy Blackman made me realize just how involved it was going to be (I spoke to other consultants, but SB was the one that was most upfront about how demanding it was going to be). I was paired with Yvette due to my school choices, and I believe because of my nationality/culture.

I think some of the biggest perks of working with Yvette are:
1) No beating around the bush. She is direct with her feedback, without being dismissive, and helps you dig deeper. When you have to write about such personal matters, it's hard/awkward to really think about them and to have someone else read them - I never had this issue with Yvette. Yvette made me think through what I was bringing to the table, and helped me highlight it in my applications. She helped me by asking questions, and by providing a framework to help me think through the application questions in parts.

2) She is responsive, even if you are 1hr away from your deadline. There was never a NO to questions such as "Can you take a look one last time?", "Can you review my resume?", etc. As someone who doesn't speak English as her first language and who might have rushed the workload, it was great to always have a second pair of eyes.

3) She's a real person! (And a cool one too!) You can talk to Yvette about life, beyond the MBA, and this can help put things into perspective (just in case you get sucked into MBA vortex!)

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PSA: I want to start off by saying this. Get a consultant if you're anxious about your future MBA prospects. There is no way to quantify the benefit of having someone consistently help you through the process and provide a sense of security during this time of anxiety and stress.

I worked with Yvette at SBC and we hit it off pretty quickly laying out the groundwork around my applicant profile and helping me focus on my strengths and weaknesses. The best part of our initial conversation was her ability to navigate through the mess that I call my brain and help me shape the application ideas that were already there. She was there with me each step of the way and once we got to the Flight Test, it truly felt like I had put together a competitive deliverable. Yvette will always get back to you within 24 hours (usually within 1 hour to be honest).

Once we got to the interview stage, things will slow down a little as it's more of a waiting game for the interview invite. At this point, Yvette helped me to frame the message of my profile from the typical "Tell me about yourself" to tackling various behavioral questions. The mock interview was crucial because Yvette helped me to confront the anxieties I had when it came to my own self-confidence when it comes to how I come off as an interviewee. From there, the only way was up and I used SBC's interviewstream platform and practiced until I knew I mastered the questions.

Even though I only had Yvette help me with one of the schools, the way she helped me through my application was easily transferable to my other schools and I did well with all my applications!

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I am so beyond ecstatic at the results of my partnership with Yvette and the SBC team! I decided on SBC after reading many outstanding reviews and seeing the results of a friend who used SBC. I was matched based on my nontraditional background with Yvette Romero, a true gem!, and my main consultant who helped me identify target schools, refine my voice through my essays, and ace the interviews. Yvette was thoughtful, encouraging, and incisively realistic while making me laugh through an otherwise stressful process. Throughout our partnership, she asked me questions that highlighted aspects of my profile that I would have never considered to be special. Her advice on how to frame my applications to appeal to adcomm revealed deep insight into the admissions process, and as a result, even small tweaks to my application felt like home runs. Her deep knowledge of MBA admissions ultimately empowered me with a road map to strategically navigate those long months.

What felt most critical to me in our partnership and something that I will always be thankful for is that Yvette gave me the confidence I needed to overcome a low GPA. She taught me how to truly and unabashedly tell my unique story and highlight my strengths. She is a gifted listener and story teller, and she imbues you with these same qualities- asking the right questions until you arrive at the key story for your application to showcase. And because she is truly invested in your success and believes that you deserve your own best work, she will work painstakingly with you until you get it right! I am so proud when I read my essays and think on my interviews, because they feel like "me". Yvette really helped my essence shine.

I received THREE acceptances from top schools, including TWO FULL SCHOLARSHIPS - one from a reach school I hadn't considered until Yvette told me to go for it! As someone with a nonprofit background and the hurdle of a low GPA, I know the price looks a little steep but it is an incredibly worthwhile investment that will pay dividends! I am thrilled to be attending a top business school in the fall and regret nothing about my SBC experience. I cannot recommend Yvette enough. She pushed me to work hard, be honest, and be proud of what I had accomplished. I have loved working with her, and if you make the wonderful decision to do the same, I know you will, too!

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