I was a unique candidate with several entrepreneurial ventures under my belt that don't fit within a neat box. Luckily I contacted SBC for help. Esther Magna put me in touch with Dawn Clare, and the rest is history. I was admitted into Stanford GSB's 2015 MSx Program (i.e. Sloan Program), the GSB's awesome 12-month, full time accelerated business degree for mid-career professionals.

Dawn's advice and recommendations were spot on! She helped me craft a unique application strategy tailored to the specific sensibilities of the executive level program I was applying for. The comprehensive application strategy included a custom executive resume template, recommender and essay guidance, and many email and phone strategy sessions. What stood out was Dawn's specific knowledge of the Stanford GSB, then translated into the fundamental attributes of me as a professional that should be highlighted within my application. She knew how to differentiate the GSB's MSx program from the MBA program - showing a detailed knowledge of both.

Many thanks to Dawn, Esther, and SBC!

Read More

I had an incredible experience working with Caryn and Stacy Blackman Consulting. From the initial phone call through successful admission to one of my target schools, SBC made the process as smooth as possible. Caryn helped me structure my application strategy and always delivered helpful, constructive feedback. Caryn had a wealth of knowledge about each of my target schools and about the application process in general. The most helpful part of working with SBC was the consistent, helpful feedback. Caryn did not shy away from giving the tough feedback that I would not have gotten from family members, friends and colleagues. The MBA application process is challenging and stressful, but it was a pleasure working with SBC. I highly recommend SBC and Caryn to any prospective MBA students.

Read More

I had a great experience with Stacy Blackman Consulting and would recommend it to other prospective students. Lisa was with me every step of the way and quick to respond to my many questions. She really exceeded all of my expectations. Eventually I was accepted to my first choice (Wharton) and I know that Lisa played a huge role.

Coming from a military background, my biggest concern was translating my experiences into something that the civilian ADCOMs would understand and relate to. Lisa helped me do this incredibly well. By the end I had crafted a "brand" for myself that I was proud of.

Read More

After being skeptical of using a consulting service to begin with, I decided to try three or four free of the free half hour consultations just to feel it out. After speaking with Esther Magna at Stacy Blackman, I was sold. I was highly impressed by her ability to read beyond the lines of my resume and give me practical, personal advice in our 30 minute call which no other company was able to do in such a short time. After the call I was confident that I would be working with other knowledgeable professionals, and that was exactly the case.

I was paired with Sarah and I am extremely thankful to her! We had numerous hour+ phone calls and over 6 drafts of each essay that I did to ensure we were as thorough as possible. I never felt rushed off the phone and always received an e-mail response within a day, even if I had a crazy question. Sarah was diligent about following up to be sure I met deadlines which was something I needed in order to manage my time with work appropriately.

Additionally, the practice for the interview was invaluable. I was skeptical of doing a "mock" interview but it completely calmed my nerves and helped me go into the real interview with confidence. It was a great experience. I am highly satisfied with the comprehensive service and Sarah's work with me. Thanks to SBC I will be heading to Wharton in the Fall and couldn't be happier!

Read More

I had the pleasure of working with Bill Chionis (@SBC).
After my initial consultation with him I could connect with him well and felt very comfortable working with him through out the process.
He clarified the overall strategy and helped me focus on my key strengths. Bill was awesome with essay feedbacks/edits. Always responded with in a day or two.

Although I did not make it to the school of my choice I still got an admit for the second option.

Overall I would highly recommend Bill (or SBC) to any one considering a consultant for taking the stress out of the whole process and to keep you focused and provide clarity in each step.

Thanks Bill for your support and it was fun to work with you!

Read More

At first, I was hesitant to spend so much money on a consulting service. I had done my research, narrowing down to MBA Mission and Stacy Blackman.

I felt like MBA Mission pointed out issues with my application I was already aware of (e.g., lower quant score, social science background, etc.) but didn't bring solutions.

Then, I met Esther from Stacy Blackman. She quickly matched me with a couple of consultants to make sure I had a good fit (e.g., target schools, interests, working style). And upon talking to the consultants, I recognized how **solution-oriented** they were which is why they exceeded my expectations and why I want everyone to know about them now!

I ultimately was paired up with Shannah Varon who had the exact type of working style, demeanor, and attitude that I was looking for in this application process. We spent hours chatting about my background, values, aspirations which all ultimately provided potential topics to essay questions. She was part-consultant, part-coach, part-editor, and part-therapist throughout the whole process. Shannah truly listened to me and made the (at times) painful essays be more of a meaningful process, reflecting on what means the most to me.

The thought and preparation that Shannah and the Stacy Blackman team put into the process is so valuable. And, thanks to them, I got in to 3 out of the 4 schools I applied to and will be attending Wharton in the Fall.

I HIGHLY recommend Shannah and Stacy Blackman. You won't regret it.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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!

Read More