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

I engaged SBC and Dione as my MBA admissions consultant for an all-in package because I wanted to be sure to put my best foot forward for the top schools, especially coming from an overrepresented career (consulting + tech), educational (engineering at top state school w/ large b school pipeline), and demographic (Asian-American) backgrounds. I greatly appreciated the support throughout, and I was admitted to Wharton and Kellogg MMM and received a R2 deferral for HBS.
Dione was extremely knowledgeable about the application process and helped me in particular with:Fleshing out my short-term and long-term career goals -- I had specific industry areas, companies, and roles in mind already, but Dione pushed me to consider specific responsibilities within those roles and sharpen my reasons for why I had these goalsIncorporating smaller stories into my existing narrative: there were some stories I overlooked because I struggled to tangibly identify impact or because they didn't seem fully relevant to my narrative (even the fact that I sing at piano bars), but Dione helped me identify and incorporate them (both into my essays and sometimes in the short answer questions where applicable), allowing me to paint a more interesting and compelling storylineMore broadly, choosing the best stories from my potential list, framing those stories up, and ordering them within the narrative to most strongly demonstrate my leadership specificallyWriting about my identity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. I specifically sought out Dione for her experience in this area. I didn't have to explain DEI concepts like I would have to other consultants, and she was able to help me to convey my identity and DEI work in a way that was understandable to lay-people and that would resonate.Adjusting my resume to be more targeted towards MBA applications specifically instead of just a job applicationAlthough I initially found Sarah (the matchmaker) from my intro consultation to be very spiky and not easy to work with, I'm glad that it didn't deter me. The process with Dione was very smooth once I requested and was matched with her. I found her exceptionally responsive (often reviews + feedback within a few hours or same-day), and it was always easy to find time to speak over Zoom. Dione's working style is very open/transparent and a bit stream-of-consciousness (which both Sarah and Dione called out before we began working together), but I found her candor and detailing of her thought process to mesh well with my personality. Dione was able to help me figure out not only the big questions, but also the small questions as I iterated on my applications; I was incredibly thankful to have her as a thought partner.
Overall, I feel that most admissions consulting companies would have been relatively good options (including a few that were a little cheaper), but I ultimately went with SBC and am happy with my experience because:Dedicated single point of contact with a consultant vs. multiple specialists (often with less MBA-specific experience) overseeing different parts of the process. Unlike some other companies, SBC also offered some network benefits since the consultants are able to speak with each other, and there's the flight test with a former AdCom member independent from your consultant.SBC consultants' strong qualifications based on their educational and professional working experience; I also liked that they were dedicated specifically to MBA admissions as opposed to college admissions more broadlyUnlimited support time, which SBC offers but I believe some of the multi-specialist model companies do notStraightforward pricing. Unlike most other companies, SBC didn't have different tiers of pricing based on consultant or schools (e.g., HSW vs. rest). It also included interview-practice for both traditional behavioral interviews and Wharton's team-based interview without additional charge.

Read More

Applying to business school is one of the most difficult things I've had to do and requires the right balance of personal introspection and external framing. As a reapplicant this year who felt a lot of anxiety about the process, I consider Amy to be the biggest reason I was able to gain admission to all three of the programs I applied to. From meeting with Sarah Tsai, an SBC leader who matched me with Amy, I appreciated the personal touch Amy and the team brought to my application. I had worried that for this amount of money and given how big of a brand they have, I'd get more removed service, but Amy felt like a friend and constant advocate throughout. Her ability to connect the dots between my personal story, listening ear to understand what I wanted to express and share and how to best frame that, and excellent editing skills helped me gain admission to my dream program and, more importantly, kept me feeling sane and confident throughout.

Amy spent a few hours upfront really getting to know me and I think my process was easier for it. I highly recommend starting earlier (I believe I matched with her in June) to make sure you have time to really think about what you want to say in your application before starting essays and resumes. When the time came to do that, Amy's quick turnarounds and direct feedback made it easy to complete my work in a short timeframe and I appreciated her flexibility to discuss feedback live - she really knows what to think through, and will be honest if your ideas don't work. In addition to Amy, I appreciated the Flight Test application review I received from Kim, the TBD prep I received from Anthony, and how the team uses all their former AdComm members to make sure you feel like you've put your best foot forward in the application process.

Signing up for SBC was the best decision I made and Amy's the best support and advisors I could've asked for. I remember what it felt like to not get in anywhere, and Amy helped give me the confidence to push through that and find my voice in a rigorous, long process. It's expensive, but definitely worth the investment to get where you want to go, and I will be forever grateful for the guidance I wouldn't have had without her!

Read More

DeeDee from SBC was a crucial part of my MBA application process. She helped me craft my story, personalize my essays, and prep for my interviews. When my essays were not quite there yet, she pushed me to think deeply about the essays until they were the best they could be for submission.

I started working with DeeDee in May of 2022 and I thought I was starting too "late" for the application process. Additionally, I was nervous that my GMAT score was too low (710) for my target schools. DeeDee helped me gain the confidence I needed to believe in myself during the process and she helped me set a clear timeline to ensure that I did not feel behind throughout the process. I submitted every single application early (with confidence that each application was the best it could be) thanks to DeeDee's help.

DeeDee was also an integral part of my interview process. For one school in particular, I had a negative interview experience. DeeDee helped me figure out the right next steps, which ended up leading to a conversation with the head of admissions at that school. I ended up getting admitted to that school with a fellowship, and DeeDee was a key part in that!

Overall, I got into Kellogg (90,000 scholarship), Booth (60,000 scholarship) and Sloan (30,000 scholarship). I credit DeeDee for so much throughout this process and would recommend her to anyone looking for a consultant during the MBA application process.

Read More

I am writing to share a phenomenal review of my time working with the Stacey Blackman Consulting team, specifically with my consultant Alex Liff.

After evaluating multiple consulting groups online, I came to the SBC team in January for an initial MBA Candidacy assessment. I felt that their team offered the most robust resources, experienced consultants, and breadth of professional backgrounds/experiences. Given that I was early in the process (applying for R1 that September), Esther provided a succinct, realistic evaluation of my profile/stats and provided some suggestions of where I could work to improve my profile in the coming months to strengthen my candidacy for the top programs that I was targeting. She was also frank about the fact that I came from ORM, competitive applicant pool to set realistic expectations. After the profile evaluation, I diligently worked to address my profile weaknesses and retook the GRE that moved me from the average to top range of my target schools' class.

With a strengthened profile, I reconnected with Esther in May to discuss the next step of finding a consultant to prepare for the R1 application deadlines. We reconnected for an in-depth interview over the phone where she gathered the inputs to intentionally connect me with a consultant on their team. She assessed my background and post-MBA interests, ultimately connecting me with Alex Liff. Next was the fit interviews. I'll add that the SBC team really emphasizes fit with your assigned consultant, so I would highly recommend not taking this step of the process lightly as it is critical that you connect with your consultant that you will spend hours working alongside. Given Alex's aligned background, mutual interest, and wealth of knowledge about the application process, I felt like I had won the lottery from our initial fit interviews! Therefore, I signed up for the all-in package for my two dream schools: HBS & GSB.

Alex & I hit the ground running that week, and he shared several helpful SBC proprietary resources to kick off my application journey. We started very broad by discussing and writing up all of my life experiences to date. Even if it felt like a tangential detail or irrelevant to applying to grad school, I bought into the exercise of starting to put pen to paper. This introspective process lead some key themes to emerge from my life's experiences, and Alex helped to validate as themes that would spark the intrigue of an Adcom. At the start, I remember feeling very vulnerable and uncertain of what I put to paper, but Alex was tremendously reassuring and supportive in helping bring my story to light. From there, I spent very intentional time connecting my lived experiences together in a few first draft essays. With every draft (15+), Alex provided seamless, timely feedback that allowed me to continue my momentum. Ahroughout the process he was extremely communicative, available, and honest. I found that these are the three most important attributes that a candidate can find in a consultant!

SBC offers a tremendous team-based approach to setting up their applicants for success. After I had gotten the applications to a near-finished state, Alex shared my application with my flight tester, Lisa, who was a former MBA admissions officer, to offer a fresh perspective of my entire package. This review was unique and insightful because the reviewer reviews the file in the same way as an admissions officer. An admissions committee member spends, on average, less than 20 minutes reviewing a file in full. The Flight Test provides insight into how the application stands up under the realistic, unbiased scrutiny of an adcom member versus intensely in the details as your admission's consultant. Thus, I found the perspective and feedback additive to my overall drafting process.

Ultimately, Alex was a fantastic sounding board helping me bring to light a holistic picture of my lived experiences and allowing them come to life in a coherent application. His excitement when I was accepted to the programs of my dreams was genuinely felt, and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with someone who believed in me. I don't feel that I would have had the confidence to be so vulnerable in my application about the things I shared without Alex instilling confidence by rooting for me along the way. SBC's additional resources were also a HUGE time saver throughout the process, as I did not need to do as much in-depth research into every program I applied to, as it was already all there in their wiki. In summary, I cannot recommend Alex or my experience with the SBC team enough to future applicants, and I am tremendously grateful for the chapter that lies ahead! You will be in good hands.

Read More

As an international re-applicant from an overrepresented pool and with a master’s degree already my chances of getting in were low, much lower than the admissions percentage.

Thanks to Dawn, we did it!!! I received dual admission to HBS and GSB on the second attempt.

I would like to highlight some strengths that distinguish Dawn from all her colleagues:
– She is laser-sharp when identifying areas that I could improve and those that I could build upon to have a stronger application the second time around. Knowing where I could fall helped me make sure that I didn’t!
– Her meticulous methodical approach: she really does go line by line and does not try to cut corners
– Her supportive attitude, confidence in my success, and true care.
– Oh, and a smiley personality!

I also would like to thank wider SBC team:
- Amy, who was my flight tester (test drive of a full application) and provided a comprehensive and independent advice on how to strengthen my application even further
- Esther who had an introductory call with me, was very helpful in walking me through the packages and matched me with Dawn
- Large SBC database which was priceless, especially when understanding the differences between schools and when preparing for interviews

Very grateful to SBC and Dawn - would not be able to do this without them!

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

After having initial screenings with several other consulting firms, I picked SBC and specifically wanted to work with Caryn – am incredibly glad I made that decision! I was admitted to 3 of my top choice M7 schools thanks to Caryn helping me differentiate myself despite being in an over-represented minority pool with a cookie-cutter background.

Right from the get go, Caryn was incredibly supportive and encouraging and invested time to truly understand my background and goals. She led me through the whole process seamlessly right from initial strategy discussions to school selection, essays, data form, and interviews – making sure I was bringing my best to each portion of the application. She brings tremendous experience and a deep understanding of how adcoms think and what they are looking for – which helps craft a compelling application. She is also very transparent and direct with reliably quick turnaround times of ~24 hours!

Looking back, I 100% made the right decision in working with Caryn and would highly recommend in a heartbeat!

Read More

I had a wonderful experience working with Deanna Moen and Stacy Blackman Consulting over the past year while applying to MBA programs. I used the all-in package to apply to three schools, and was admitted to both Cambridge Judge and Dartmouth Tuck while using the services. Deanna was so helpful in every step of the process, and broke down each piece of the process into manageable pieces that fit with my busy schedule. She was always so quick to deliver feedback and helped me maintain my voice while sharpening my messaging. Additionally, she was very helpful in helping me identify and address weak points in my application. Beyond Deanna, I really enjoyed working with the broader SBC team – Sarah Tsai was very helpful in getting me matched with Deanna, and my flight tester, Amy, had insightful commentary to help my finalize my applications and gave me the confidence that I was ready to hit submit. I chose SBC because of the full service nature of the package offered – I have a very demanding job and knew I would need a very structured process. SBC helped me put my best application foot forward and I was so glad to have worked with them!

Read More

Jen and the SBC team were amazing.

I chose SBC because of the amount of former adcoms on their team and the flight-test SBC offers. Having access to someone who was actually on the other side of the table is invaluable and being able to dry run your application with them is even more so. Even if you aren't matched with a former adcom, you still have access to them via your consultant.

My introduction call with Sarah was great. She clearly explained the process, what to expect, grasped my profile, and identified potential consultants who would best match my experience.

Of the people Sarah matched me with, I chose Jen due to her professional background in engineering. Jen is very thorough and has a gift for identifying stories. During our 2-hour kickoff call, she understood my background (engineering), identified potential weaknesses and experiences to highlight, and helped me round out what schools to apply to. I went through many essay revisions with Jen. Her feedback was excellent each and every time and helped me tell the stories I wanted to tell. Apart from essay guidance, Jen did a wonderful job preparing me for interviews through both the questions she asked and her feedback. I honestly believe my interviews with Jen were more "difficult" than the actual interviews, which is what I would want.

In the end, I was accepted to all of the schools I applied to (HBS, Kellogg, CBS, and Stern) and couldn't be happier.

Read More