Stacy Blackman Consulting | MBA Admissions Consultants

I would highly recommend Beth and SBC. I considered several admissions consulting firms before ultimately deciding on SBC’s comprehensive service. The SBC team presented well and gave me very candid feedback in advance of my decision, and the additional features (such as the outside “adcomm” review of the application) set SBC apart from other firms. Once signed up, SBC helped match me with Beth, based on my target schools and background. At the outset, I appreciated that Beth took the time to truly understand my background, motivations, and goals in order to help me craft the best strategy for my application process. The organization and critical insights Beth provided made the process run as smoothly as possible, and the calendar we developed together kept me on schedule despite frequent travel and long hours at my job. Beth was extremely responsive throughout our time working together, and very patient, even as I went back to the drawing board multiple times on my essays. Beth also provided excellent guidance when it came to choosing my recommenders, preparing for on campus visits, and eventually preparing for interviews. I am confident that without Beth and SBC, I would not be attending my top choice school.

Caryn was a great coach and helped me apply to HBS, GSB and Kellogg. I received a $100k scholarship at Kellogg which I think was largely due to Caryn’s help throughout the process. Caryn takes time to listen and understand your story to determine how to thoughtfully apply to each school and best position you as a candidate. She is a wonderful coach!

I would recommend Caryn Altman at SBC for applicants looking for the best way to showcase themselves to AdCom – I knew I was a good applicant, but needed the perspective and coaching on how to be a great applicant. I am so pleased with the guidance and support I got from Caryn that helped me get into the 4 schools I applied to – Booth, Kellogg, Fuqua, and Ross. Caryn really helped me craft my story, starting from a rocky start at undergrad to the crucial “why MBA, why now” questions. We started by nailing the resume, which is often overlooked by most applicants. This was extremely helpful to knock out within a few days of starting with Caryn so that I no longer had to worry about it. Caryn helped me address a few blemishes in my history, such as a few weak grades in my first two years of undergrad, transferring schools, and a lower quant score on my GMAT. I also really appreciated Caryn’s quick turnaround times on essays despite a significant time zone gap!

The SBC wiki resources were very helpful – specifically the examples of other students’ successful essays.

I was just another lost working professional hoping to make her way into an elite business school. As someone that attended undergrad and law school, I didn’t want to take on the extra cost of business school, unless it was one of the best. I did free consultations with other companies prior to choosing Stacy Blackman. The cost for a consultant wasn’t something I took lightly, and I wanted to make sure I was picking the best company for me. My consultations with other companies were very negative, judgmental or awkward. Additionally, I had to pick a specific person based on short profiles online. Overall, I was thinking I may just have to do this on my own.

However, when I first contacted Stacy Blackman, I was immediately impressed with their process. First, I completed a short questionnaire, which was sent to all consultants that had availability. Then those consultants that felt inspired or interested in my story would connect with me to do a free consultation. I like that the people I was talking with were really interested in me and believed in me. I felt that I couldn’t be successful if someone felt forced to work with me. I talked with a few consultants at Stacy Blackman, all of which were great. But my conversation with Caryn was very easy and made me feel immediately comfortable with her. She really touched on the weak and strong points of my application. As soon as I got off the phone, I knew I wanted Caryn as my consultant. She was friendly and helpful, but also honest and direct. Which is exactly what you need in this process.

Additionally, she helped me narrow down my list of schools. Originally, I was thinking of applying to 7 schools. It was hard for me to understand the full reach of a school that wasn’t located in my immediate area (San Francisco) and how well they would do in my desired function. All the career stats looked so great! Caryn helped me cut out schools that wouldn’t easily bring me back to the Bay Area, but also had strong marketing programs. She even recommended a school that wasn’t on my original list, but has turned out to be far and away the best option, Kellogg.

After hiring Stacy Blackman and being assigned to Caryn, the work really began. She helped me walk through my career goals, after MBA, and helped me narrow down my many ideas and industries into one concise theme that flowed throughout my application. The tools she provided me with in the beginning (career insight, templates for my recommenders, resume template and tips) were incredibly helpful to get a few easier things handled right away and my outlines and essays started. Writing essays for 5 schools within a month and a half is no easy feat. I was lucky enough to have a lull in work at the beginning of August, so I began pumping out outlines and essays pretty quickly. Caryn was always prompt to respond and send me feedback on my outlines/essays. Additionally, this is when the honest and direct part really becomes useful. Seeing where my essays started and where they ended up, it is clear that I wouldn’t have gotten into the schools I did without Caryn.

At the end of the process, I was accepted into 3 of my five schools and withdrew from one before the decision came out, as I knew I would attend Kellogg. I’m truly living a dream right now, and I know I wouldn’t have made it into Kellogg without Caryn’s help. I know the money isn’t the easiest thing to pay, however it was worth every penny to go to a great school that I love.

Choose Stacy Blackman and Caryn today!

I decided late in the game that I wanted to work with a consultant on my applications. I chose to go with the hourly rate. Sherry helped me edit my essays and was a general resource when I had any doubts or concerns about my applications/interviews. It was extremely valuable to have her as a trusted opinion for any questions that I had throughout the process. I was a little apprehensive about paying a consultant by the hour, however Sherry made excellent use of my time. She was always efficient. I ultimately got into four of the five schools I applied to with scholarships at every one!
As I narrowed down my options, I decided to email the merit committee at my top choice to respectfully see if there would be any more merit scholarships offered. Feeling like I was in uncharted territory, I got in touch with Sherry, and she helped me edit my letter. In two weeks, my scholarship was doubled!! The money I spent working with Sherry MORE than paid for itself, and I highly recommend her to my friends considering business school.

I started working on my MBA applications quite early. I am an organized person and I had no doubt that I would be able to get all my applications together early, submitted for Round 1 without a hitch. But as I started to look at each of my schools, with all of their different requirements and essay questions, I instantly became overwhelmed. I got a 730 on my GMAT and thought that alone would get me in. But my career goals were not clear and I had no idea what to write about in my essays. I reached out to two MBA consulting firms and was immediately sold on Stacy Blackman.

From day one, the consultants at Stacy Blackman made an effort to get to know me. My consultant, Caryn, kept me organized so the application process never felt overwhelming. We had a schedule and she made sure I stuck to it. We spent a lot of time on my career goals, which made the essay process so much easier. Having her as a sounding board meant that I didn’t stress throughout the three month process – not once. And because Caryn kept me to consistent deadlines, the work I put in was never too much at once.

I applied to three schools – HBS, Booth and Kellogg. I was accepted to both Booth and Kellogg and could not be happier. I am convinced that without Caryn’s guidance I would not have been as concise and clear with my goals and that would have negatively impacted my essays and interviews. This was the best decision I made and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I had a great experience working with Caryn. She motivated me to do my best and be on top of my work. She provided timely reviews of all my essays and excellent interview prep (especially as I was a little last minute for round 2 and was applying to 4 schools with her). She is a straight-shooter and won’t sugarcoat- which I greatly appreciated.
She was with me throughout the whole process: from brain-storming stages to when I received my acceptance.
As a non-traditional applicant with an average (at best) GPA, I don’t think I would have gotten the results I did without Caryn. Thank you!

While I debated hiring a consulting company for a couple of months, I couldn’t be happier with my ultimate decision to do so. I now think I was wrong to view it as an expense since it’s really more of an investment in yourself. My consultant, Caryn (previous admissions experience at Kellogg), was amazing from start to finish. She was extremely dedicated and responsive, with a turnaround time of less than a day most of the time. Her help on my resume, essay mapping and editing, interviews and school selection was instrumental to my success and sanity. I was accepted to 3 of 4 schools (I withdrew from the last school prior to accepting their interview invitation), and ended up attending my top choice (Kellogg!) with a 75% scholarship. I also received the full tuition Consortium fellowship to Ross. There is no way this would have ever been possible without Caryn’s help, and I mean that sincerely. I know a lot of applicants hesitate due to cost (trust me, I was one of them; also, SBC offers flexible payment plans), but at the end of day I truly believe that money was a very small investment that earned me a significant amount in scholarship money. Also, many people decide to use their friends and/or mentors for essay editing. However, Caryn knew exactly what stories would work and how to maximize them. I don’t think many people could have shaped my essays as well as she did.

I could not recommend Sherry highly enough. She made the entire process so much more manageable. From the start Sherry was responsive, understanding, and friendly. I had an interview at Duke the next weekend, and she immediately offered to walk me through a mock interview to help me prepare, even before we did the initial call. She read all of my essays and responded promptly – even essays that were for other, non-MBA programs that I was applying to. She completely reworked my resume and made me feel like I had a handle on the process more than I ever thought I would. After being in the working world for 4 years before deciding to go back to school, Sherry was exactly what I needed to get me through. She was honest but also comforting, and I would have never gotten into the schools I did without here. You will love her!

Sherry was a great resource for my MBA applications. She was very timely and had invaluable knowledge of both the application and admissions processes from her days on a prestigious school’s admissions committee and her experience as an admissions consultant.

Although Sherry helped me in each stage of the admissions process, I wish she would’ve explained to me that some MBA scholarships are negotiable. This is something that I had no idea about and a simple email to a school, at the right time, could have increased my scholarship reward.

With that being said, I firmly believe that Sherry provided me with the best opportunity to position myself for each of the four schools that I applied to. I could not have done as well in the admissions process without her.

I absolutely loved working with Sherry. She helped me manage the entire process and put together applications that were stronger than I would’ve done on my own. She was especially good at helping me craft a compelling story and weave it through my applications. Tactically, she kept me on track and was the reason I didnt feel completely overwhelmed by the process. I’ve recommended her to a few friends and everyone has a had similar experience. She’s wonderful to work with, very good at what she does and you can feel good that your application will be as strong as possible when you hit submit.

I reached out to StacyBlackman consulting because even though I had an above 700 GMAT score, I did not have a single idea where to start with my overall application. I was paired with Caryn and the first thing she did was put together an application plan for me based on the number of schools I was applying to. It was high level, but it served as my framework when I built myself a schedule.

I was applying to 4 schools and on average would turn around a new draft every day/every other day. I really liked that she put so much stress on creating outlines before diving into the essay since it makes actually writing the essay so much easier. Caryn had amazing turn-around time and would give me feedback in 24 hours (though she does ask for 48 hours). She was honest in her feedback when my first essay was really not going in the right direction. No sugar-coating, which is exactly how I needed it.

She also helped in spades getting my resume up to date, since that was the one area that I really found myself struggling to perfect.

You really get what you put in. Don’t expect Caryn to come up with ideas for you, write or essays, or nag you to get things done. I have been accepted to my top school and I could not have done it with Caryn or the rest of SBC team.

Beth was truly my biggest support system during the MBA application process. From answering questions to reviewing essay ideas to keeping me on track to meet my deadlines, Beth was my rock. As a full-time consultant, my fall was hectic and filled with work travel and tight deadlines. Beth was beyond patient with me, but having accountability to send her essay drafts was the incentive I needed to not let applications fall to the side.

It’s hard to put into words the amount of stress Beth removed from this process. While I initially did not plan on using a consultant, now I can’t imagine how I would have survived without her! She strikes a perfect balance of giving guidance and insight while ensuring the content of your application remains 100% your own – which was a huge relief for me, because I didn’t want to lose myself in this process and have my application sound foreign when all was said and done.

With Beth’s assistance, I went 4/4 on my school acceptances and I am going to be attending my #1 choice this fall!

I am what some would call a nontraditional applicant. Going into business school, I will be 25 and will have 3 years of work experience. I have worked for a nonprofit and a family business in real estate. I also have different personal interests than most people applying to business school and have done my share of moving around.

All this being said, from the moment I called Stacy Blackman, the staff were instrumental in putting my successes and achievements on paper and to life. Not only were they helpful, but they were honest, sincere, punctual, knowledgeable and resourceful. Specifically, I worked with Caryn Altman, a Kellogg graduate. Caryn takes her job very seriously. She treats your application as it is her own. Caryn would e-mail me daily, sometimes multiple times a day, with essay rewrites, tips, friendly hellos, etc. I should note that this is because I was very involved in the process and would constantly be e-mailing her first!

The Stacy Blackman team helps you construct the perfect application for business school. The consultants go above and beyond to give you advice on the GMAT (retaking it or not), the application, the essays, business school selection, the resume, and an in depth review of the interview process.

I am thrilled by my results. After applying to 6 business schools, I got into three of them (one being a top 5 school where I plan to attend next year). I plan to recommend Stacy Blackman (and specifically Caryn) to friends and relatives applying to business school in the future.

Thank you Caryn for guiding me and helping me get into business school. I couldn’t have done it without you and the SB team!

I contacted many different consulting groups, but SBC listened and answered my needs the most. SBC asked what I was looking for, realistically evaluated my chances of getting in, and came up with a few consultants to choose from. I interviewed each one and decided to work with Sherry Holland. From then on I had one point of contact, but I always felt that Sherry could use all of SBC’s large resources to support our ideas and help us move forward.
Sherry is extremely efficient, professional and fun. Sherry always answered my emails/calls within a day at most and I never felt I was waiting long for anything. Having worked in the admissions office and attended prestigious schools, Sherry knows what it takes to get you into your dream school! Sherry has helped me figure out what I really wanted to do with my life/career and which school to ultimately attend. Even when all was said and done, Sherry continued to reply to my emails with advice: I had not received a scholarship from my dream school, but we agreed it was worth asking again. She advised on how schools evaluate scholarships and looked over my “essay”. A few weeks later, I had received a scholarship! I will attend my dream school and the money I spent with SBC was worth it with or without the scholarship!

I was hesitant about using a consulting firm for business school applications because I was afraid of losing my personal voice and was nervous if the cost would be worth it. However, I nervously took the plunge, choosing SBC over other firms because they had a strong matching process and so many members of their team were former admissions officers with lots of experience coaching. At the end of the process I can honestly say this was the best money I have ever spent! Caryn and the whole SBC team have been incredibly valuable in the entire process. With SBC and Caryn’s coaching, I got interviews at HBS and was admitted to Wharton, Booth, Sloan and Kellogg with huge scholarships from 2/4 schools!
Caryn is particularly incredible. Her background in marketing helped her craft a strong strategy for my application. She took the time to understand my entire story and helped me craft my story without overtaking my personal voice. Additionally, Caryn is INCREDBILY detail oriented and continues to push her clients to improve. From my strategy documents to my resume to my essays and even application, Caryn and I went through at least 6-10 rounds of edits for each piece. She was strict (which I needed!) and she never let me give anything less than my best, continuing to push me to improve my essays, videos and other submissions. Until the very last detail, Caryn was there to make sure my entire application (including rec letters) was perfect. Additionally, Caryn helped me through the nebulous process of getting off Wharton’s waitlist. She helped me craft a strategy for communication that would show interest without being repetitive which eventually helped me land a spot in Wharton’s class. Finally, Caryn’s turnaround time is extremely fast. She always beat her own standards and because of this we completed many revisions and finished 6 applications for R1.
Finally, Caryn really believed in me and wants to see me succeed. She referred me to different members of the SBC community when I received interviews to make sure I was prepared. She truly believed in my application and that made all the difference!

I used SBC over the course of multiple applications, and they were a very supportive, and encouraging team. Specifically, I used Sherry for my Essays to Ross and Fuqua and when my plans changed and I decided to refocus on EMBA programs, I did not hesitate to enlist her services again, with outstanding results! I have used other services, and the level of engagement, professionalism and genuine desire to see you succeed are unrivaled by the other groups I used. I would not hesitate to use or recommend Sherry and the SBC team to anyone who is looking to put forth the best application possible.

As a non-traditional MBA candidate with sights on business school since I was an undergraduate, I’ve researched all the schools. I just wasn’t sure how to gain admission!

I had the stats to shoot for the moon when it came to top schools, but didn’t have many people I could ask to help with the nuances of the application process. I was paired with Caryn Altman at Stacy Blackman based on my background and goals, and could not have been more lucky.

Caryn was phenomenal at helping me position myself in a way that was attractive to the schools I hoped to attend. She helped me take advantage of all the unique factors that made up my candidacy, and helped me form an application that was true and consistent from top to bottom.

I give Caryn and the Stacy Blackman team a whole-hearted thank you, and believe she would be able to help many candidates in similar positions.

I had a great experience working with Sherry from SBC.

Sherry was invested in me. We worked very well together. I was a candidate with some good and some bad. Therefore, I felt my application could read well or poorly depending on execution. So, I hired Sherry to help make sure it’s the former. Here are some more specifics on my experience.

Editing – Great feedback. Took my essays to an entirely different level. Found a way to present my stories in a way that washed over you while reinforcing my key points. My essays would have otherwise felt choppy and forced as I tried to fit all of my info into it.

School Selection – She helped with suggestions and encouraged a lot of contact with current students.

Company Resources – Great! Wonderful tools and a great resource for nuts and bolts as I selected schools.

Interviewing – Great feedback.

Sherry and I both confirmed each other after an interview with staff at SBC. After that, I interviewed with a few consultants and made my choice. I think this process helped me find a great match.

I used Stacy Blackman Consulting’s hourly services after a friend recommended them to me. She used the comprehensive package but I was not able to afford that so started using them after I had a list of schools I was interested in and had started writing the essays. I worked with Sherry, who was incredibly helpful, on overall application strategy (briefly), essay review (45%), and interview prep (45%). She also was able to talk me through what to highlight from my career and extracurriculars, and how to tailor each application to each school specifically. I got the flu a few weeks before the application deadline so was running behind on the essays, but Sherry still managed to fit in editing my many essays. While the comprehensive package would have been valuable, the hourly services were just what I needed and working with Sherry was great!

I was interviewed at 4 out of the 6 schools I applied to (and was really reaching for 4 of the schools I applied to in terms of test scores) and so far have been accepted at 3 of those schools including Fuqua. Thank you Sherry!

After working extensively with Caryn Altman of Stacey Blackman Consulting (SBC), I can honestly say that she went far above and beyond my expectations. I signed up for the ‘All-in-one’ package for 3 schools and specifically picked Caryn after reading other raving reviews about her ability to get students into their dream school and she did not disappoint! Of the four schools that I applied to, I was admitted to 3 (including my #1 choice) and waitlisted on 1 despite my low undergrad GPA and average GMAT (at best) for the top-tier schools that I was applying to. To be honest, I figured they were all reach schools when I initially started the application process however after Caryn helped me create my ‘brand,’ my confidence significantly increased. Caryn was available and responsive to emails within a day (often times within an hour) and was able to walk me through the application process each step of the way. The best part about Caryn was that she is honest, and gives it to you straight. She will not hesitate to tell you to completely overhaul an essay, and also provides invaluable advice on non-essay fields as well. Coming into the application process, I was completely unaware of the amount of hard work and dedication that would be required and Caryn’s ability to guide me until I had a seemingly flawless application greatly reduced the stress of the application process. Overall, I am 100% confident that I would not have gotten into my dream school had it not been for Caryn, and am completely satisfied with every aspect of her work. I highly encourage any prospective MBA student to work with SBC and more importantly, with Caryn Altman (but do note that she is very popular so you will need to sign-up early)!

I had a wonderful experience working with Sherry. I am a non-traditional applicant coming from an international development background and political science undergrad major. My GRE score was good but not stellar (160 math, 162 verbal) and I was looking for someone to help me navigate the application process and help with my essays. I had decided to apply to 6 schools, so there were going to be a lot of essays to prepare.

From the first time I met with Sherry she put me at ease about the process. I did not feel overwhelmed about the next steps and she made me feel confident about what I had to offer business schools. Sherry helped me figure out which schools to look at and ultimately apply to based on my skill set and what I wanted to do (social impact consulting). We then worked on my essays, starting off with ideas in bullet points and then on through the final version.

Sherry was very upfront with me on how many hours/minutes I had left with her and also asked me to be upfront with her on what I was looking for out of the service so that she used my time efficiently. I felt like I was in control and got what I wanted out of the service – guidance, answering one-off questions, and reviewing my essays. I bought 3 hours to start off with, and then decided to buy an additional 3 hours because I enjoyed working with her so much and really felt like I would get a good amount of guidance with an additional 3 hours. It was expensive, but I think it was worth the cost.

One additional point – she helped me with a few nuanced processes at each of the schools, for example I was able to do a mock group interview to prepare for the interview process at Michigan which was a very unique service provided.

I began researching firms after reviewing schools on my own for several months in mid-May. SBC was diligent in finding the right consultant for me regardless of my background. It was nice to see how even in the first steps, they were already on my side to succeed in applying to business school.

After a couple of profiles and a few discussions, I eventually decided to work with Caryn through a comprehensive package.

Caryn is very clear in her methods and writing process which was always comforting and reassured me that everything would be on task. She definitely pushes your writing style to the best it can be for each school and challenges your thinking when it comes to essay topics and brainstorming ideas. However, knowing she was once a MBA student and worked in admissions for a school I found that she had the knowledge of both sides and her guidance was always aimed for success.

Caryn was great at addressing my weakness of school grades and building upon my thoughts on how I was a strong candidate despite not coming from a Fortune 500 firm.

I would would recommend Caryn to anyone who wants an encouraging, thorough, and knowledgeable admissions consultant!

Working with Caryn was great. She’s provides honest feedback and is very efficient in reviewing and commenting on your essays (which for a type A person like me is IDEAL). I was nervous about my MBA prospects due to a lower than average undergrad GPA, but Caryn helped me to figure out ways to fill that gap and craft a story to showcase my successes since then.

I was drawn to Stacy Blackman Consulting after extensive research, I wanted to work with a consulting firm that only took a few candidates and really focused on providing a personalized service. Stacy Blackman Consulting definitely falls into this category. Caryn was helped me to identify the things that I wanted from my MBA experience and from that we defined a plan. After this, she worked really hard to understand what my strengths were and designed my applications in a way to best showcase these strengths. We also worked on some weaknesses in my application and she came to very realistic recommendations for those. I would definitely recommend Stacy Blackman Consulting, specially Caryn,

I had an excellent experience working with Caryn at Stacy Blackman Consulting and would 100% recommend her! I chose to work with SBC because of Caryn; her background aligned with my future goals and she seemed like the perfect fit for me. I am former college athlete (liberal arts major) with a high GMAT score, low GPA (3.3) and varied work experience. During our initial meetings, Caryn didn’t sugar coat the weaknesses in my application, but I left each meeting assured that she was as invested in my success as I was and we would create a competitive application that mitigated my weaknesses and accentuated my strengths.

I was looking for a consultant to help me figure out my “story”. Caryn proved invaluable in this pursuit. She helped me articulate my career goals, fine tune my story and create a vision that I used throughout the application process. Caryn helped me overcome my low GPA and varied work experience. She was strategic in her thinking and was very responsive to my questions. We started working together early on in the process, and Caryn never made me feel like I had used up too much of her time. She forced me to push harder in my essays, and her resume editing was incredible!

Although expensive, I chose the comprehensive package and worked with Caryn on 3 schools. I applied to 2 others on my own. I was admitted to 4 out of my 5 schools and will be attending my top choice with a large scholarship this fall. I can’t thank Caryn enough for her support throughout this process. I don’t believe I would have even been admitted to my top choice, let alone with a large scholarship, if I had not worked with Caryn. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a comprehensive consulting service! If you are hesitant to spend the money, like I was, you won’t regret it. I am attending at Top 10 school with a scholarship and this would not have been possible without Caryn and SBC

After having initial conversations with 4 other admissions consulting firms, I ultimately decided to go with Stacey Blackman. This choice was driven by a great first conversation with Esther (the initial point of contact who coordinated multiple SBC services throughout the process), fantastic reviews/referrals/results from friends of mine who had used SBC, and great fit/reputation of Caryn Altman (ultimately the consultant I chose to work with throughout the process). The level of engagement throughout the application process was spectacular, and the breadth of experience that both Caryn as well as the broader SBC organization provided was second-to-none. Things I found to be particularly helpful: 1) Caryn kept me on track throughout the process. I was a little late to the game, and decided to try and fit 5 schools (all M7) into R1. Never throughout the process did I need to question whether I’d miss any deadlines or have anything but the highest quality application. 2) I had a below average undergrad-GPA at all the schools I was applying to. After reviewing my transcript in detail with Caryn, I was able to come up with a concise, honest, authentic, and compelling strategy to address this in my additional essays. Honestly, I think this ended up being one of the strongest pieces in my application. 3) The interview practice (both for one-on-one as well as group interview) was fantastic. I felt not only much more prepared after these practice sessions (the questions asked during the mock interviews were extremely close to those in the actual interview), but much more confident going in.

I’m an international applicant with a decent GMAT score and work experience, but a very weak GPA (2.9), and with no strong extra curricular work to overcome that. I decided to use a consultant to help me understand the best way to craft a compelling application given some significant gaps on paper. After speaking to a few of the most established MBA Admission consulting firms, I decided to work with Caryn at SBC because I felt that both Caryn and Esther at SBC gave me the most realistic advice in our initial conversations, and did not try to sugar coat the potential difficulties I would face in my applications (I had targeted some fairly challenging schools for my stats).

Working with Caryn was a breeze – she helped me think through my goals and stories to craft a compelling narrative, my school selection strategy, and gave me critical advice on remedying the gaps in my GPA and lack of quantitative work during my undergraduate days. She was also super quick with feedback, and would constantly push me to keep to our aggressive timeline, which I found very helpful. In addition, I found the Flight Test with Amy really helpful – and we actually rewrote an entire essay from scratch based on the feedback from that Flight Test.

I applied to 2 schools with Caryn (1 stretch and 1 target), and really used that experience to apply to a further 3 schools. I’m happy to share that I was admitted into 3 of the 5 programs (all top 15 programs), with scholarships to boot, which was really unexpected given the gaps in my application. I will now be attending a great program – and I absolutely could not have done it without the tireless support and encouragement from Caryn and the entire team at SBC. If you are looking for a highly professional consultant to enhance your chances in an increasingly competitive business school landscape – you can’t go wrong with this team.

I did a 5 school all-in package with Caryn and it was worth every dime. I received acceptances from each school I applied to (a pleasant surprise for both of us, as all top 12!) and honestly don’t think I’d be going anywhere had it not been for Caryn’s amazing help and guidance throughout the process. Caryn was honest, supportive, and I can’t recommend her enough.

I hired Sherry to help me with the wait list process and with interview prep, and she was phenomenal! I was admitted to my school of choice thanks to her positive attitude, relevant feedback, and expertise.

Oftentimes she pointed out things I had no idea about, and that was a surprise because I did a lot of research prior to the application process. I just wish I recruited her help from the beginning because I ended up being dissatisfied with another consultant from a competing agency. You live and you learn, I guess!

Christina was consistently amazing during my application process. Her essay editing approach was incredibly thorough, yet allowed for the essays to be easily updated. With her help, I was accepted to my top choice (Cambridge Judge) and received multiple scholarships.

I worked with Erika for admission to the Class of 2020 R1. I started working with Erika in January. She was absolutely great as a resource and just a great partner to bounce ideas and issues off of. The application process is filled with self-doubt and uncertainty and she was a steady hand throughout the process. She helped me go over career decisions as it related to the MBA process. On the application side, she helped me pull the most authentic and effective stories for my essays. She was also extremely personal and gave me vacation tips when I visited Bali. She was a pleasure to work with but kept it real. If something I wrote or said was negative, she didn’t hesitate in letting me know. I ended up getting admitted to Harvard and Stanford. I know I could not have done it without her.

Having been rejected by three M7 schools in the last application year, I was highly doubtful if I would be successful at my MBA applications this time around. My brother happened to recommend SBC and I opted for the 10 hour service. SBC then matched me with Beth and I cannot thank them enough for it. I have mentioned this numerous times to Beth and would say it again that my Booth admit would not have possible without her guidance and support. Beth’s inputs in every aspect of the application – Resume, short answers, choice of recommenders, essays, tips on video essays and inputs on how to tackle final interviews were highly valuable. One of the aspects that I loved working with Beth was she would push me further to draw my story out and shape it in the best way possible. Highly recommended!

I worked with Jenna for about 2 months, garnering together a total of 9 applications. She was prompt in her responses, she always had a helpful suggestion (or 10), and was always supportive of my goals and encouraging me to keep going. As a result, I got into Indiana, BU, and Simon with a waitlist decision at Cornell; with nearly full scholarships to two of the schools. Jenna has been an excellent investment in my career and I couldn’t recommend her more.

I considered Stacy Blackman, Veritas, and MBA Mission before choosing an all-in package. I read extensively online and held phone screens with each before making my selection. After applying during the R1, I am incredibly glad that I chose Stacy Blackman. I highly recommend SBC’s all-in package and specifically have wonderful things to say about Erika.

One of the primary reasons I was initially drawn to SBC is because they let you choose your own advisor, who you work with across all schools/applications, while the advisor will thoughtfully bring-in school-specific experts when necessary. By the time you decide to apply to b-school, your job experiences, grades, and extra curriculars are all set, so the advisor’s primary goal is to help you craft your story.

Besides her impressive background, I chose Erika because one of her previous reviewers had said that she was not afraid to “tell you when you are wrong.” Throughout the process, Erika was beyond candid, letting me know when something was great or making me start from scratch when knew it wouldn’t work. Erika was always reachable and patient, often responding within hours of my countless emails, day and night. Besides having a fantastic eye for helping to craft a narrative around your unique story, she was also very good at keeping me calm and helping me prioritize during an incredibly stressful process.

Erika takes the time to get to know you as a person – asking questions that go beyond what is typical – to make sure your whole life’s story is captured throughout the applications in a way that is impressive and not redundant. The entire time I worked with Erika, I felt like I was her only client – and I felt like she was as emotionally invested in my outcome as I was. I come from an Ivy League undergraduate school with a well-known job and a high GMAT score, so I was especially focused on finding someone to help me figure out how to make my applications standout. There is no doubt in my mind that Erika was a huge factor in my outcome. After applying to seven schools in R1, I am happy to report that I was admitted to both Kellogg and Sloan. I could not have asked for a better partner in this process.

I was initially very skeptical of the gloating reviews and the value add of hiring a consultant. However I did so anyway because I felt it would put me at a disadvantage if I didn’t. I’m very glad I did!

I used Stacy Blackman because they seemed to have a long standing track record. My initial consultation was okay but my follow-up conversation with Sherry Holland really sealed the deal for me.

The B-school application process is a very stressful process and coming from a non-traditional background I was overwhelmed with the amount of information out there. Sherry is incredibly competent and offers great insights but moreover she is kind and patient. I got into b-school with substantial merit award. I would have been perfectly elated with just an acceptance so getting a scholarship was a complete surprise. I do not think I would have gotten any money without the help of Sherry.

“Sherry was a huge help throughout my whole application process. After picking out my target schools, thoroughly completing my resume, and waiting on one final GMAT score, we dove head first into the applications. My first application was due only one and a half weeks from that point and Sherry made sure to keep me on track and help me produce a very strong application. From there on out, I completed 5 more applications in only 6-7 weeks and she was there every step of the way. I was working on very tight deadlines and Sherry was able to efficiently and effectively help me work through recommendations, essays, applications, and everything else that came my way. After sending out 6 strong applications and moving onto the interview process, Sherry’s focus and experience continued to become apparent day after day. At the end of the day, I applied to 6 schools I got interviews from 5 of them and was accepted to my top choice (top 15) MBA program. I could not be more excited to enroll at my program this fall and I would not have gotten to this point without Sherry.”

I hired Sherry for the 5 hour package to assist in selecting essay topics and putting the finishing touches on my applications. Fuqua was my top choice school so I selected Sherry based on her previous career in Fuqua’s admissions office. Sherry has a framework for drafting Fuqua’s essays and evaluating your “25 Random Facts” which was helpful in selecting what helped tell my complete story. She was also instrumental in editing my essays for Darden and Goizueta. I applied and was accepted in Round 1 to Darden, Fuqua, and Goizueta with $48k scholarship from Goizueta! Even if you have a solid application strategy and essays, I would recommend at least a few hours with Sherry to ensure your application is sound before hitting submit!

Sherry was great to work with through the application process!! She took the time to get to know me and understand my goals so she could be help me communicate my story to the Admissions Committee. I was focused on going to a particular Top MBA program and planned to only apply there. Sherry understood this and helped me fine tune each aspect of my application to be the best it could be. Sherry was incredibly easy to work with and willing to answer any questions I had. It felt like she went the extra mile to ensure I felt as prepared as possible to submit my application and interview. Sherry’s expertise undoubtedly helped me to submit my best possible application and I am very excited to be attending my top choice MBA program in the Fall.

I opted for the “All-In” service offered by Stacey Blackman. Going into the process I knew very little on what business schools were looking for. Throughout the entire process my consultant was instrumental in shaping my story and ensuring that I put my best foot forward. She not only ensured that my essays were perfect but she took the time to adequately prepare me for the multiple interviews as well. I can honestly say that without her I would have never received a scholarship to my top school of choice! I cannot recommend her or Stacey Blackman highly enough.

Investing in Stacy Blackman’s comprehensive package was a wise decision, to say the least. I was admitted to two M7 MBA programs with significant scholarships. I do not believe that I would have been accepted to these programs without the help of Caryn and the SBC team, let alone with scholarships. Sure, I spent a lot of money on the comprehensive package and some family members thought I was crazy at first, but what I spent was less than 10% of the scholarship I was awarded and less than 5% of the total cost of business school (2-3% if you include lost wages). It was well worth it. From the start, the SBC team provided the structure, guidance, and strategy that I needed to gain admission to a top business school. At first, the application process was complex, confusing, and overwhelming – Caryn’s wealth of knowledge made it feel surmountable. From the high-level application strategy, timeline, and list of schools, to the nitty-gritty of editing essays (sometimes up to 15 times), Caryn far surpassed my high expectations. Any work that I submitted to her was edited and returned within 24 hours, she was not afraid to give harsh/blunt feedback, and she was very strategic about how to highlight my strengths based on the specific questions being asked. Throughout the process, Caryn, Esther, and the rest of the SBC team were a pleasure to work with. They were very professional and, in speaking with friends who have worked with other firms, I can confidently say that they are the gold standard in admissions consulting. One important note is that SBC will not do the work for you, but they will help you structure your time and energy and help you hold yourself accountable. If you are on the fence about hiring a consultant, I would not hesitate to set up a call with Esther and discuss your candidacy. From the very first conversation, I felt more at ease with the process and, needless to say, am very happy with the results.

I had an incredible experience with Margaret, and couldn’t be more thrilled to be admitted to both Wharton and Kellogg (with scholarships)! I researched several admissions consultancies and after speaking with Margaret, I knew immediately that she was the perfect fit. I opted for the 3-school all-in package. As a common applicant (male with consulting foundation), Margaret did a tremendous job helping me differentiate my story from the pack, providing candid feedback, and remaining incredibly responsive to any and all questions I had throughout the process. I never felt rushed on our calls together and she genuinely cared about getting to know me personally. The additional SBC resources also provided invaluable admissions intel and allowed me to submit my applications with full confidence – from the Flight Test (full app read-through by a former adcom) to mock interview prep (Wharton TBD simulation moderated by a former adcom). I couldn’t have done it without them. Cheers to Margaret and the SBC team!

Andrea was perfect for preparing for HBS interview and very thorough. She provided pre-mock interview prep, expertly outlining what the Adcoms are looking for and strategies to put your best foot forward. The mock interview and feedback was challenging and very representative of the real experience. I went into my interview feeling very confident and was further reinforced by Andrea’s thoughtful and helpful debrief session. I would recommend Andrea for any one with an HBS interview – no matter how prepared you think you are.

Yes, I know I can’t rate Sherry seven stars, but consider this. The Burj Al Arab is unofficially known as the only seven star hotel in the world. This means people know unparalleled service when they see it, especially when it’s above any industry-wide standard. How is this relevant? Simple. Sherry went WAY above and beyond any reasonable expectation to help prepare me for the whole process –from essays, to receiving an acceptance into an Ivy League program. Just as the Burj Al Arab staff goes to great lengths to ensure their clients are taking care of at all cost, so does Sherry in her pursuit to obtaining a yes for her clients! Not only did I obtain a yes from my target school, but in a program I thought was way outside of my reach. A little about me: -Former military (12 years) -Enlisted -Military Special Operations community -Government Contractor -B.S and MA from oldest private military college in the country -Husband -Father to four children -Late 30’s when applied -WAY nontraditional applicant (can’t stress that enough!). Sherry was very patient with me. She saw ability when I didn’t realize it was there. As we worked through the process, she knew when to push and when to let me think. She did all of this through emails and phone calls, which itself is a pretty tough thing to do. I can’t say this enough –Sherry was absolutely amazing! Why you should consider working with Sherry- it’s simple. Just because you might consider yourself a nontraditional candidate for ‘xyz’ prestigious university doesn’t mean you should not set your bar high. I truly thought there was no way I would ever be accepted into the program I was admitted, but Sherry knew I had all of the keys. Do yourself a favor and reach out to Sherry. The admission process is changing every year as universities seek ways to deliver innovative content. What worked last year may not work this year. You need someone who understands this and knows how to navigate the rapidly changing process. Sherry has deep knowledge of the admission process and as a result stays ahead of the industry curve. She helped me reduce my admission learning curve by months! In my busy life, that is priceless. She’s passionate, kind, thoughtful, and extremely talented at what she does. You’ll love working with Sherry and will grow throughout the process. I know I did!

I knew I had the potential to write strong essays, but wasn’t sure how to start the process. It was daunting. I worked with Sherry to create a comprehensive strategy document and used her support to write numerous essays for each school I applied to (5). I would not have felt as confident in my applications without Sherry, who helped make the process manageable for me. Sherry was honest and identified my weak spots quickly – both in my essays and as a B-school candidate. She gave incredibly straightforward, helpful feedback on my essays, and helped me fine-tune my story and strategy, so I could effectively articulate why I wanted to obtain an MBA. She also served as a cheerleader and a thoughtful guide for all of my one-off questions on the admissions process. I have accepted a full-scholarship to one of my top choice schools. I can’t say enough good things about Sherry and Stacy Blackman Consulting. Well worth every penny!

I don’t know where to begin. I was accepted to my first choice school, Yale SOM – a dream that I never thought possible and that would never have BEEN possible without Stacy Blackman Consulting. As a very unusual candidate, I knew that I needed the comprehensive package to have any shot. From my first communication with Esther Magna over a year before I applied, I felt that SBC differed from all of the other admissions consulting companies I was speaking with. Esther was forthright about my strengths and weaknesses and laid out clear advice in our free 30 minute call, and I felt that her assessment was more realistic than that of anyone else with whom I’d spoken. I cannot speak more highly of Sherry, my consultant. I wouldn’t have made it through this process without her. She is so knowledgeable, perceptive, thoughtful, and clear- she helped me conceive a strategy and then held my hand and cheered me on every step of the way. She is extraordinarily responsive over email and would always give me a time frame in which she would get back to me. From helping me plot a timeline and stick with it, to guiding me through writing my essays, to preparing me for my interview and advising on my communication with the Admissions Committee, she helped me navigate every step of the process. Sherry asked incisive, challenging questions that made me think hard about who I am and what I want, and enabled me to convey those things to the Admissions Committee in a coherent and compelling way. Sherry couldn’t have been more helpful with my essay. She was honest about the ways in which she thought that it could and should be better and more true to me, so when I finally got it right after many drafts, I knew that her praise was entirely genuine. Caryn, my Flight Tester, was fantastic. She was honest about anything that she perceived as unclear and had very actionable suggestions, which was critical at that point in the process and made me feel confident when I submitted my application. After submitting my application I quickly had to turn to the video questions, and SBC’s video platform is excellent. I submitted practice video question responses to Bill Chionis for review, and he gave tremendously thoughtful, detailed feedback that I found hugely helpful and was able to implement when I actually completed the video questions. This same video platform was fantastic when I was preparing for my interview, but I found the questions that Sherry asked me to prepare and our mock interview to be the most essential to what I thought was a very good interview. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to the entire SBC team. I could never have done this without you all- you changed my life!

I worked with Caryn at Stacy Blackman on applications to Kellogg and Ross. I wanted to use a consultant because I made a career change one year before applying to school and was concerned about telling the appropriate story. I chose Caryn because she worked with two close friends of mine who were both admitted to their top choices (HBS). I immediately appreciated Caryn’s honest and knowledgeable feedback, as well as her awareness of resources. She helped me create a timeline for my GMAT prep and application process, which was incredibly helpful as we moved along. She was frank about my GMAT score and guided me toward the right resources when I was struggling to get my score up. We did a good amount of work up front to craft my story and this made essay writing, interview prep, etc. later on much easier to manage. One of the most helpful elements of the SBC package was the Flight Test. I appreciated having another set of eyes on my complete materials and was able to incorporate the feedback from Margaret to tie a few loose ends with my undergraduate transcript and career change. I also benefitted from doing the Ross group interview prep, which helped me feel more comfortable going into that session. Caryn was a wonderful cheerleader, while always staying on top of our deadlines and keeping me on track. I always received quick responses and felt like she could accommodate my schedule as needed. I am pleased to say I was admitted to both schools, with strong scholarships at each. The result well compensated for the cost of SBC’s services.

I was a candidate who had a slightly lower GMAT score but really felt I could make an impact at a upper tier MBA. At first, I was just considering hiring a consultant. However, after speaking with Esther, I realized that SBC was going to be a true partner in the process. I was paired with Sherry, who had experience in admissions at Duke-Fuqua. She was very interested in my career thus far, and wanted to take the time to get to know me and why I was pursuing an MBA. This made a huge difference to me, and I really felt comfortable working with her. She was extremely available, and did a tremendous job keeping me calm during a stressful process! The Flight test was also a great element of the package. I did mine with Rebekah- she gave me a great feel for my candidacy and my overall application strength. Overall, when I was accepted into my two top choices, I knew the investment was worth it. I honestly question whether or not I would have been able to get into these schools without Sherry’s help. Not a knock on myself, just a realistic thought. Highly recommend SBC!!

I was paired with Sherry and I appreciate her transparency and honesty during our first conversation. I remembered being told that – every applicant has his / her reasons for selecting certain schools, some may choose not to pursue an MBA if not admitted to these schools as the opportunity cost of going through MBA is high. Her opinion resonated with my thoughts and she took the time to understand my priorities for school selection and proposed another school for my consideration (which I eventually applied to on my own).

Sherry is a rock star coach. She listens to her clients and provides constructive feedback. She provided just the right amount of coaching throughout the consultation process – she identified schools that would be a great fit for my personality and background, ensured that my writing was genuine, checked in with me on deadlines, and even encouraged me to ask for additional scholarship funding. She was always professional, reliable, and courteous. I highly recommend her, especially, if you may be a fit for Duke as she knows the school culture well.