I spoke to consultants from every major admissions company and I was not very sure if they really understood my goals and how helpful they would be. The first time I spoke to Bill, I was completely blown away. Right from the very first call it was very clear that Bill really understood my short and long-term goals and how they aligned with my background. He was also very knowledgeable about my target programs, class ratios and how someone from an overly represented demographic needs to differentiate himself without asking me to keep taking GMAT till I can get 760.

During my initial call when I discussed my target schools with Bill, he recommended that instead of applying to all 4 schools I should focus on the two of the top 10 schools which I was really excited about and given my background, GPA and GMAT he was very hopeful that I would get into one of them. With that advise I only purchased a two-school package instead of 4. I was not as certain that I would get into one of those two schools but Bill proved to be right as I got admitted to my top target school Haas.

Not only did Bill help me come up with application strategy but we went over 5 iterations of essays for first school which really ended up being 15 essays. He even spent time to review my final application before I submitted it. When it came time for my interview he gave me enough time till I felt that I was ready for it. He first spent an hour with me to go over how I should prepare and approach the interview and then he gave me two mock interviews.

Overall I am very glad that I worked with Bill and he truly is a guide. During the admissions process I learned things from Bill that would be helpful to me through out my professional life.

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Staying on top of deadlines, being able to tell a compelling story, and knowing what admissions committees look for in applications are reasons why I needed an admissions consultant. My GMAT and GPA were average and I needed an edge on getting into a business program. I worked with Caryn Altman from Stacey Blackman Consulting and found her expertise helpful during the process. Admissions consulting can be expensive but I reasoned that the opportunity cost not having an MBA in my field (consulting) would be much more expensive. Caryn worked with me to develop a strategic plan and recommended several ways for me to address my shortfalls. She provided content that helped me shape career goals into believable (imagine that) objectives that would assist in writing essays and served as a sounding board when content needed adjustment. We also had interview practice and she provided solid feedback on what to say, what not to say, and how to stress different strengths in my professional and extracurricular experiences. She also provided guidance on which schools made the most sense given my preferences for geography (DC/Mid-Atlantic), school size, program focus areas and recruiting channels. Needless to say, I'm happy with Stacey Blackman and owe a huge thanks to Caryn for helping me get into school.

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I worked with Walter Czarnecki from SBC and could not be more pleased with my experience or the outcome. I'm a non-traditional case with VERY limited experience in the business world. Thanks to Walter, I'm headed to Wharton in August.

I'll start out by saying that I was initially skeptical about investing in a consultant. The reality is, there is no way I would be going to Wharton without Walter's help. I purchased the comprehensive services package, and that's exactly what I received. Walter and I spent hours strategizing about how to best tell my story, all before I wrote a single essay. In the end, his guidance not only helped me gain admission into my top-choice school, but also helped me hone in on what I really want to do post-MBA.

I have heard mixed reviews about MBA consulting companies, but I can say with confidence that SBC was extremely helpful, engaging, and genuinely interested in my story. When I began the process, I made it known that I wanted to be around a consultant that believed in me and focused on the reasons I WOULD get into school, as opposed to pointing out the things I lacked. That support is exactly what I got from Walter and the rest of the SBC team.

I had my heart set on a top school, and I worked extremely hard to make that happen. No matter your story, if you're set on attending a top school, it is definitely in your best interest to use this service. I couldn't be happier.

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I completed a mock interview with Esther Magna before interviewing with several top schools and found it extremely helpful. Her insights into both the interview process, as a whole, and the criteria used by the specific schools for which I was preparing were invaluable. I know that I felt more at ease going into my interviews after having done a "trial run" with someone who was helpful and friendly but still felt more formal than just rehearsing with a friend. I took the notes from our conversation with me on all of my interviews and wove Esther's constructive criticism into my planned responses. I was accepted to a few of my dream schools and even offered a generous monetary fellowship at one of them. I highly recommend Esther for mock interviews and/or general consulting re: the admissions and interview process. She is a fantastic resource!!

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From start to finish, the team at Stacy Blackman was as professional as they come. Esther Magna did a great job identifying my needs as an MBA applicant, and what consultant may be the best fit, rather than just randomly assigning me to the first available consultant. I also had the pleasure of having an introductory call with Lisa Anderson, my soon to be consultant, at no charge, just to see if we would work well together and I shared my goals and she shared her thoughts. I really appreciated the time they took to make sure that I was comfortable moving forward with the comprehensive service, because after all, it is an investment. I did move forward, and Lisa Anderson could not have been more professional. From day one she began taking some of the pressure off of the application process (I was also travelling extensively for work, and took the GMAT 3 times during the application process) and providing sound guidance on the best way to attack the essays, interviews, and applications. I was not the strongest GMAT/GPA (620/2.9 from top 25 US University - although after applying, I did increase to a 660 and notified schools), but had strong work experience and she helped me leverage this in the best way possible in the application. I'm happy to say I was accepted to Goizuetta and Tepper, and still on the waitlist at UNC. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have seriously trouble getting into these schools without Lisa and the Stacy Blackman team's help, and if I were to do this all over again, I would have hired Stacy Blackman earlier!

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I worked with Aliceson at Stacyblackman and I am thrilled to say that with her help I have been accepted to my dream school (H/S).
As an International student with a non-traditional background, I was somewhat unsure about the entire process and had many questions. When we were first matched together, Aliceson took the time to understand the different aspects of my profile and answer all my preliminary questions.
She guided me through the process and encouraged me to focus on one aspect of my application at a time. She was extremely accessible and through her honest feedback, challenged me to reach further. From our initial chat to my mock interview, she encouraged me to focus on what made me unique rather than trying to fit into a certain mold.
With her great support, I successfully built an application that clearly reflected my personal story and background. I recommend Aliceson and Stacy blackman consulting to anyone looking to apply to business school . This scary journey gets easier when working with someone with experience and a great knowledge of the schools you are applying to.

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When I first started researching MBA admission consultants, I had no idea of how I would go about making my choice. After a couple of free consultations I was still undecided until I spoke with Esther Magna at Stacy Blackman. Instantly we made a connection, she didn’t candy coat my weakness - BS from a state college, low GPA- rather she discussed the positives I had and how they should be promoted. Esther helped match me with my consultant Lisa Anderson. From the beginning Lisa was a great resource, very communicative and at times my own personal cheerleader. She helped guide me with school selection and was an adamant cheerleader for me through my three GMAT attempts.

I wrote all my own essays, but Lisa was there to not just help with grammar, but more importantly she kept me on task with what the question was asking. I have to admit that at times I strayed away from the question and she was extremely helpful in pointing me back in the right direction. Every time I sent her a draft she had it back to me in less than a day, usually I received back that same day.

I worked with her on applications to six schools. In the end I was waitlisted at two schools and received admittance to the other four, all of which offered me scholarships. Three of the schools gave me merit aid that amounted to full tuition and fees in either scholarships or fellowships or a combination of both. The fourth school gave me half tuition Forte Fellowship. I know that without Lisa’s and SBCs helping me to market myself to these schools I would not have received as many admission offers nor the substantial amount of financial aid that I was awarded. I highly recommend SBC; the amount of return is substantial for your investment.

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B-school apps can be challenging, frustrating, scary, and overwhelming. At the end of the day, it really helps to have a professional by your side to guide your thought process as you think about the topics for your essays, and the overall strategy for each school. I worked with Margaret at SBC, and can say from the bottom of my heart that she did a great job in steering me in the right direction. While I didn't get into my first choice school, I ended up in a top-20 school with a FULL FELLOWSHIP, which means my entire tuition was paid for (I didn't apply for any fellowships, but was rather selected based on my application, which was a ridiculously nice surprise). As I look back, I remember second guessing the essay topics for the B-school. It seemed they were too cheesy, too personal. Margaret didnt let me stray and reassured me in every revision of the essays. I can honestly say that without Margaret I would not have written these essays and who knows whether I would have gotten the same result. If I had to do anything differently, I would have been a bit more creative and brave with the topics I chose for other B-schools. At the end of the day, SBC and Margaret were there for me to guide my own options, they could only work with what they had. SBC won't make up ideas for you, won't write the application for you, so you really have to be determined to stand out and show the school who you really are with how you write your application. SBC will however guide your thinking as you write the essays, focus the topic on important factors that we tend to skip over but the admissions committee really care about, and help you understand which topic, in which manner makes your application the strongest. Thank you Margaret and thank you SBC!

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When I started my MBA application process, I realized that I needed customized services suited to my requirements. I decided to purchase the hourly service from Stacy & Blackman and selected Jed Sturman as my coach. I want to share that I had an absolutely amazing experience with Jed. He provided valuable strategic feedback on my essays and helped me strengthen my strategy for the MBA process. Jed helped me focus on the strong aspects of my career so far and also provided insight into what colleges actually look for. I really appreciate his professionalism, his quick responses, and his eagerness to walk that extra mile. I got admitted to a college of my choice with a generous scholarship. I would highly recommend his services.

- Yamini

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The MBA admissions process was more stressful and time consuming than I could ever have imagined but I was extremely fortunate to work with Margaret Strother at Stacy Blackman. Margaret exceeded all expectations I had from an admissions consultant. She took a great deal of time initially to understand my background and help me to come up with a way to explain my experience in a way that would be attractive to business schools. She then had a clear strategy for structuring, planning and then writing each essay. I was absolutely delighted with all the essays I submitted. I had my parents read through them too and they were very impressed!

Margaret's assistance went far beyond my essays, however. She kept a check on every aspect of my application - who my referees were, what they were saying, how many alumni I had spoken to for each school, how many events I was attending and what I was saying at these events. Margaret was fantastic to work with and didn't stand for any nonsense - at one point she didn't like the sound of one of my referees and was absolutely adamant that I go out and fine another!

I feel very lucky to have worked with Margaret. Not only did I get into my first choice school, but I also feel I learnt a huge amount about myself throughout the application process. Margaret taught me a great deal about selling myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and what I needed to get out of an MBA. She helped me to refine my post-MBA targets and I feel better equipped to achieve those targets having worked with Margaret. I never expected that, in addition to my successful applications. Margaret is also a real pleasure to work with and I miss our Skype calls!

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