Stacy Blackman Consulting | MBA Admissions Consultants

Anthony did a great job helping me prepare for my MBA application. As a former adcom officer, he’s super familiar with the overall process and can help to design your plan from the very first step. Also, his expertise in reviewing essays can help you identify points to improve and give you some perspectives, to begin with.
He also helped me to prepare for the interview. He mentioned important points and advise specific suggestions based on the school. Overall he did a great job!

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Caryn Altman during my MBA application process. I did the all-in package, and Caryn seamlessly navigated me through the entire process of my school selection, essays, interviews, and decision day. I applied to 8 schools and received 7 interviews, with acceptances to top schools with generous scholarships. I now have the luxury of choosing between two M7 schools.
Caryn replies to emails promptly, is always there to lend either constructive criticism or her perspective, and truly keeps the client’s best interest at the forefront.
She is the guiding light throughout the chaotic application process and really understands what the adcomm boards are looking for in applicants. She’s been featured in numerous articles and podcasts and is always straightforward from the beginning of the process.
Esther, the person you will immediately meet upon coordinating with SBC, is extremely knowledgeable and matches client personalities and goals to the consultants’ backgrounds perfectly. She is very responsive and clear. My flight test point of contact, Beth, another consultant at SBC, was also very knowledgeable and helpful when providing a second opinion. Understanding how thorough SBC is and how structured their program is is ultimately what drew me to commit to their program, as well as knowing how well-versed the consultants are in the MBA world, as they are all former adcomm members.
I most definitely would not be in the incredible position I am in now without the help of SBC, and specifically, Caryn! 10/10 recommend their services– worth every penny!

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!

Amy has been an incredible advisor and resource to me throughout the application process – her guidance helped me secure admissions to my top 3 MBA programs.

Through our initial touchpoint and a brief recap of my personal and professional experiences to date, Amy readily identified the idiosyncratic strengths and weaknesses of my application and helped me establish a unique personal brand. She put together a highly detailed and extremely well-structured plan to tackle school applications, with careful consideration not only of application deadlines but also of which school essay topics should be prioritized which we would later use as a baseline for the remaining school essays.

Amy is a gifted storyteller. Her strength is her ability to balance the core facets of what Admissions Committees are truly looking for in essays and applications (through her perspective as a former Wharton admissions officer) while eloquently conveying the core of one’s personal story and journey. Her keen attention to detail and ability to drive to the heart of ideas and concepts were invaluable in helping me craft four sets of essays and applications of which I am truly proud.

Amy was also invaluable in helping me take full advantage of the resources available to me at SBC. She helped me strategize the early completion of a draft application to my first-choice school so that I could complete a Flight Test of my application with a former school admissions officer. She also put me in touch with Anthony, who led a practice Virtual Team-based Discussion with other SBC clients ahead of the Wharton TBD interview – which proved to be invaluable preparation.

With Amy’s help, I truly feel that I put my very best foot forward with every application. I would highly recommend Amy to anyone who aims to apply to M7 schools – and I will certainly recommend her to family and friends in the future!

I was skeptical of hiring a consultant at first, due to the cost and a desire to preserve my own voice. Although, after drafting everything I still wanted a reality check. I contacted SBC looking for a Flight Test for my HBS application. Ashley reviewed the entire submission thoroughly and paid special attention to my resume. She provided excellent tips across several revisions–the result was a concise, good-looking one-pager. Couldn’t be happier! On our hour-long phone call, she really honed in on the essay. She provided specific feedback about where to cut and what to add. This outside perspective allowed me to tailor my materials while keeping my voice; I clicked submit with confidence and got the offer! Highly recommended to anyone, even if it’s just for a last-minute Flight Test!

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 me 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!

I initially reached out to SBC to do a flight test for my CBS application, but after doing an intro call, I was steered toward buying two hours of consulting with Christine instead (which was cheaper than the flight test and ended up being much more helpful for me). In those two hours, Christine did an initial high-level review of my resume, data form entries, and essays, providing lots of valuable insight about the MBA application process that I hadn’t considered since I did not know anyone who had applied before. She also did a second review (which I really didn’t think would be possible given I had only bought 2 hours) and gave detailed feedback that helped me finalize the application. Christine’s help in crafting my story for the CBS application helped with my thought process for other schools as well. I’m happy to have been accepted to 4 schools including CBS thanks to Christine. Overall, I was extremely impressed by Christine and the entire SBC team — I was able to get exactly what I needed at a price point that was comfortable for me.

The comprehensive package for SBC is expensive, but it is worth the price. With their guidance, I was accepted to all the schools I applied to: HBS, CBS, Kellogg, and Stern.

Jen was very thorough and responsive. I really enjoyed working with her. I come from an engineering background and was initially worried about adcoms not understanding what I did and seeing me as a stereotypical engineer. After our kick-off call, my worries were allayed. She understood my background, weaknesses, how to overcome them, and what I should highlight in my essays. I don’t think I would have written the essays I did without her guidance.

If you are worried about finding or telling your story like I was, I highly recommend Jen.

10/10. I got the All-In package with Caryn Altman to tackle my list of target schools.

Caryn was absolutely fantastic to work with. She really understands the application process on a granular level and helped me execute a strategy that highlighted my profile’s best attributes. She was fantastic in identifying the spots of my application that were weak and really helped me focus on rethinking and improving those areas. Her wisdom and guidance, from essay editing to letter of recommendation support, were nothing short of stellar.

With Caryn’s support, I got accepted to Kellogg’s (MMM program) and Chicago Booth with a scholarship. I am extremely thankful and truly grateful for Caryn and the entire SBC team!!

SBC was recommended to me by a former Wharton grad who raved about his experience with them. Although I was hesitant to spend the money on a consultant, my first meeting with Amy confirmed that it was the right decision. Amy provided an excellent roadmap for completing my application and truly helped me format my story compellingly and honestly. She was an excellent listener and believe that she truly understood my background and career desires. Amy’s experience with Wharton and guidance was essential to my earning admission to the Wharton MBA program.

The team at SBC was excellent as well. Sarah, my initial contact, challenged many of my assumptions and was a big reason I chose to proceed forward with a consultant. I also worked with a former AdCom member, Kim, who reviewed my application before submission. Lastly, SBC provided a practice team-based discussion led by Anthony with personalized feedback. After the practice discussion, I felt incredibly prepared for my TBD. Overall, the team-based approach of SBC provided a lot of value and I would highly recommend Amy and the SBC team to anyone applying.

I got familiar with Sherry through students admitted to Kellogg. Sherry could be the best consultant that each MBA applicant could ask for. She is really approachable, and patient, gave me feedback on my resume and documents with great accuracy. I believe that having a professional consultant like Sherry can really do a charm when applying for MBA programs at top business schools.

I know it’s extremely difficult choosing among all the different MBA consultants, but candidly, I don’t think there’s a better person to support you than Caryn. She made the daunting application, truly seamless. I knew immediately that we were a good personality match and that she would be easy to work with; what I didn’t know was how sharp, thorough, and thoughtful she was on the end-to-end adcom process. As a generally disorganized person, she kept me motivated and on track. With her guidance and the SBC team, I was admitted to 4 top ten MBA programs with scholarships and a full ride.

I had an amazing MBA application experience thanks to Meg and SBC. When I first contacted Esther, she was very communicative, quick to respond, and so helpful in kickstarting the process. Esther got to know me and matched me perfectly with my primary consultant and former MBA adcomm, Meg. We clicked instantly on our first call, and she quickly understood my strengths and themes I could leverage through the materials in my applications. Meg helped me plan out my MBA application process, including a very detailed schedule with due dates for drafts, and helped me clearly write my personal and unique story. She made me feel at ease throughout. Meg was incredibly supportive and gave me so much confidence in everything I was working on. She was my cheerleader when at times I was feeling doubt. She made me believe in my story and my candidacy.

SBC provided me with an incredible support system. Not only was Meg so knowledgeable in every aspect of the process, reviewed my drafts as many times as needed, and gave feedback promptly, but I also had the support and feedback of two other former adcomms, Beth and Anthony. Beth was my flight tester and a second set of eyes who reviewed my application of choice and gave me great feedback. Anthony helped me with my Wharton mock interview and gave me great points to improve on during the real interview. All in all, SBC had an amazing team of former adcomms to help me every step of the way.

I was able to get into three out of the four schools I applied to: Wharton, Booth and Kellogg, and with significant scholarships. I would recommend SBC and Meg to anyone looking for a supportive team. Thank you, Meg, for being a remarkable consultant!

Working with Yvette was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I received multiple admission offers (including HBS and GSB) thanks to her help!!! I never even dreamed I’d be in this position—I will always be grateful to Yvette for being my coach and number one champion.

Here are three things that made working with Yvette so awesome…

(1) Personal and genuine. This process involves a LOT of reflection and introspection, and from day one I knew Yvette would be the perfect coach and cheerleader. We used our first call to go through my entire background/life story and I felt like she really heard me. She helped me tie pieces of my background together that I’d never even realized were linked. She also helped me preserve more personal/emotional aspects of my story and weave them across my entire application. When I pressed submit, I felt relieved and excited because I knew those applications represented ME—had it not worked out with any given school, I would be at peace because I had put my absolute best foot forward.

(2) Honest and efficient. It’s easy to get attached to early versions of your essays, but Yvette helped keep me on track by distilling what was strong content vs what needed improvement and always pushed me for a better rewrite. She doesn’t sugarcoat or beat around the bush—if any points in your writing are vague, inconsistent, or misleading, she will raise them and give you suggestions on how to improve. She consistently turned in edits very quickly with incredibly thorough and insightful feedback.

(3) Expertise. Yvette is an expert in what the different MBA programs are looking for, which was especially important in nuancing how I shared my story to each of the schools (i.e., which parts I chose to emphasize over others). Certain schools are big on dreams and plans for the future, while others are almost entirely focused on past professional experience. Yvette helped me execute my story in the way that was most compelling to each.

Lastly, a big thank you to the wonderful SBC team. I knew I was in good hands from my intro call with Esther, who gave me an honest read on my profile, and there were some potential strengths/weaknesses. The coach-matching process was extremely thoughtful as well—it’s a big investment in yourself and your future, so Esther had no problem working tirelessly to find me the perfect fit. The flight test was a great bonus, especially after spending nearly two months writing/rewriting, I found it incredibly helpful to get a fresh pair of eyes on my full set of application materials. Caryn, my flight tester, helped identify what are some areas in my story that she wanted to hear more about, so Yvette and I quickly got to work and made my essays that much better.

THANK YOU again!! It truly does take a village, and I can proudly say Yvette and the SBC team were an instrumental part of my village.

I was accepted to Wharton, Kellogg, and Tuck with generous scholarships, and I have Stephanie and the SBC team to thank. During my admissions process, I worked with Stephanie C. (a former Admissions Officer). Working with Stephanie was great – she was very professional, helpful, and knowledgeable. Stephanie was super helpful throughout the entire process, even when I was feeling stressed and anxious. She was also always encouraging and positive! I also used the flight test component of SBC, which provided additional helpful context and the Wharton TBD prep was incredibly useful to help prepare for my Wharton interview.

Anthony was a phenomenal resource, coach, and partner throughout my application, I wouldn’t have gotten into Wharton without him. I worked with Anthony as a re-applicant, specifically a ding analysis, a Mock TBD, and some ad-hoc coaching hours.

On the application deliverables, Anthony had strong recommendations for strategy and positioning. His years of experience showed in the way that we refocused my story from my previous application to the readmitted application that ultimately got me in. His experience was evident when we discussed application round strategy. I received some candid advice from a current AdCom about pushing my applications to R2, however given my fit with Wharton Anthony advised against it and I decided to listen to Anthony. I don’t think I would have been as competitive in R2.

Outside of the deliverables, Anthony was the exact type of coach I was looking for. I wanted a coach who was in my corner from day one, and from my first ding analysis, I always felt like Anthony genuinely believed I would be a good fit for the Wharton program. He showed that through his very quick replies when I would ask about the letter of recommendation positioning or even just a quick pep talk about getting through the tough application cycle. It always felt that my application mattered to him as much as it did to me.

Ultimately, if you and Anthony are the right fit as a client and consultant, there’s nobody better to have in your corner. With Anthony’s help I was admitted to Wharton with a scholarship!

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!

Mindy is incredible. I came to her after receiving a recommendation from a friend who used her services prior to joining Stacey Blackman. I was terrified when I started the process – I had a low GMAT in an extremely overrepresented bucket. Mindy helped me narrow in on what made me special and gave me the confidence to bring my personality and lived experience to the forefront. I work long hours and she was supportive with tight timelines and patient with my process. She gave me feedback when I needed feedback, support when I needed support, and her EQ was exactly what I needed. I got into 5/6 schools with scholarships.

I had an amazing experience working with Dione on my applications. Starting from the very beginning, she spent time building a thorough understanding of me as an individual and my ST/LT goals. Based on this initial assessment, she helped me craft tailored applications for the two M7 schools I applied to. This tailored approach was proven effective in landing me an offer from one of them and WL from the other program (top 3).

As a non-citizen Asian male (saturated demographic pool) coming from a non-feeder college and a non-standard career path, I’m very happy with the results. Dione played a pivotal role in helping me better position myself to stand out from other applicants with similar backgrounds. In particular, she talked through with me the pros and cons of various options I had when writing my essays and narrowed down the most effective ones for each of the programs. Her POV and candid feedback were super helpful given her nuanced understanding of what each of the schools was looking for, as well as her extensive experience in B-School application advisory.

I highly recommend Dione to future applicants who would like to position themselves as “compelling” applicants to any top MBA program!

I bought an all-in consulting package from SBC to apply to a Sloan Fellows type of program (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloan_Fellows). Alex was my main partner in choosing the right strategy for mid-career professionals and executing it for my applications. Thanks to Alex, I was able to submit three applications in a very short time (about a month) and was admitted to 2 out of 3 programs. Although we had an 11-hour time difference, we were able to perfectly and efficiently interact online like in a ping pong game – one full iteration every day and the reply the next morning; thus keeping our progress at a constant fast pace. I have chosen MIT SFMBA 2024 program and would like to strongly recommend Alex to mid-career candidates.

I can confidently say that without Christine’s help I would not have had the positive outcome I did. Throughout the process from application to interview she provided keen insights that helped to narrow my focus and improve my presentation of myself. She is kind and easily approachable on all topics of your application. She was great at helping me think through certain aspects of my application that I was unsure about. She also was instrumental in showing me key places to improve my application that I would have NEVER known about. I highly recommend working with Christine and SBC as a whole.

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!

Very grateful to Dawn for her coaching and would not be able to do this without her!

Ashley helped me both review my essay content through the eyes of a former HBS Admissions Board Member, as well as to mock interview. Her mock was the most challenging of any of my practice interviews, but I really think that it prepared me well for what was to come on interview day. Ashley was always friendly, supportive, and willing to work around my busy work schedule – I cannot thank her and the SBC team enough!

I believe Margaret made all the difference in my success in getting accepted to my top two choices, Tuck and Darden. She was extremely process-driven and kept me on schedule by creating an environment where I had to stick to key deadlines and write dozens of iterations of each essay draft. It was really hard work but the results speak for themselves. Additionally, she helped me be honest with myself about which programs were suitable for me and also which programs were realistic targets given my academic background, work history, and test scores. Finally, I think she does a masterful job of helping a candidate pull out what makes them unique based on the stories you can tell from your experiences. I could not recommend a consultant more highly.

I worked with Ashley for my HBS mock interview. Ashley is absolutely amazing and has a lot of experience in HBS interviews. She sent me this very detailed email explaining the HBS interview structure before our mock session. During the session, she really helped me to organize my responses to interview questions more clearly and understand the unique interview format of HBS better. I felt so much more confident and prepared after having a 1:1 mock interview with her. I’d highly recommend working with her!

The journey of working on my MBA application with Dione was as rewarding as the result – admittance by HBS. A few highlights:

1) throughout the process, Dione pushed me to do a lot of work to understand myself and my career drive. This was a valuable exercise even outside MBA application.

2) she helped me identify my personal narrative that was both authentic and unique and ensured this narrative carried through the whole application process: essays and interviews.

3) great advice on how to effectively communicate with people who can help me (e.g. recommenders, B-school alums)

I got in touch with Mark because I was having trouble effectively communicating my life story. Mark helped me portray my lived experiences in a positive manner.

A few minutes into a conversation with Mark, you can tell that he’s a seasoned veteran at this. The interview prep I did with him really helped me calm my nerves before I went into the interview.

He is extremely punctual and turns docs around very quickly. He communicated proactively and replied to every single one of my annoying emails within the hour.

10/10 would recommend.

I had some issues with my essays and was not a professional at writing and designing resumes, so she helped me with my application. She was an excellent guide; She explained all the details that mattered and showed me how to write and complete my application better. Also, she has a fantastic attitude, and it was such a great time when she coached me. If you need to focus on all points, I recommend you hire her for help.

Laura was an integral part of my MBA application process and key to my acceptance at Duke Fuqua (Class of 2025). I received interview initiations to all three schools that I applied to but withdrew my other two applications as I was accepted to Fuqua in the binding early action round. I have a very nontraditional background and Laura helped me pull from my experiences and craft a compelling application for the admissions committee. She guided me through every step of the process – my school selection, resume, essays, and all other free-response parts of the applications. I am embarrassed that I sent out my resume before Laura helped me rework it. For the first time, I feel like it accurately depicts what I have worked on and accomplished during my ten-year entrepreneurial career. While high school was 10+ years ago for me, she reminds me of one of those special teachers that always brought the best work out of her students. She pushed me to do some of my best writing to date. I highly recommend that anyone that is willing to invest time and money in applying for MBA programs work with Laura – you won’t be disappointed!

I started the process having no idea how to present myself to the ad com. Laura helped me find my own words and guided me through the application process from start to finish. Her feedback both big picture and granular was fantastic, her turnaround was very fast, and the time she billed was very low for the content she gave me.

I worked with another consultant last year and had a horrible experience. Laura was indeed the best person to work with in terms of building up my profile by suggesting what pre-MBA classes I should take and working with me on a timeline to submit my application early. I really appreciated how responsive Laura is as well as candid. It made this application (and acceptance!) experience truly exceptional. I cannot recommend her as a consultant enough.

I’m very lucky to have Mark help with my application to the EMBA of Oxford. He is such a genius who deeply understands every detail and plays a crucial role in my final success. No matter the application documents or the interview coaching, his sound knowledge of the program and every step of the application helped me achieve the final target. All questions asked in the actual interview were covered in the mock interview Mark prepared for me, which is impressive.
I strongly recommend Mark to those looking for a real expert to guide your whole journey. He will be a precious asset you can have when applying for top business schools in Europe.

You will not regret working with Christina. Choosing her was an absolute game changer in my application strategy. I worked with her through all the steps of the application…from creating a strategy that worked for me all the way to choosing which offer to accept.

Yes, CHOOSING. I got into all 6 schools I applied to, including my dream school: HBS, GSB, Wharton, Columbia, Booth, and Kellogg!!!

She truly cares about her candidates. She chooses them carefully and truly gets to know them at a deeper level. Through our discussions, I have learned so much about myself and the path I wanted to follow: a much-needed introspection ahead of an MBA and when writing your essays! Her input was crucial when building the flow and themes for my essays.
She also becomes so invested in your success that she just goes above and beyond to support you throughout this process – she will be your advisor, coach, mentor, friend, role model, shoulder to cry on (virtually), and most importantly…your Nr.1 Fan. She knows the unique ways in which you shine and is able to leverage these to help you reach your goals. She gives honest advice and makes herself available when you need her. Most importantly, she is so resourceful and will help you find the best solutions to any roadblocks you’ll encounter along the way.

I can not recommend working with Christina enough! I would not be at my dream school today if it wasn’t for her.

Meg was an incredible asset in achieving success in applying to MBA programs.

Frustrated with my current consultants who lacked the professional experience on the other side of the table as adcomm staff, I set out to interview several different consultants. After several calls, I knew that SBC was the right fit for me. Sarah was my first introduction to SBC and she was informative, communicative, and understanding. Most of all, I clicked with her better than with any of the other staff from competitive firms.

SBC selects a partner based on industry, interests, and target schools. Basically, they understand you and so I was matched with Meg. Again, I clicked immediately. SBC just seems to have great people! We went through the discovery process and their structured approach and expertise gave me the support and the insight in order to be able to go through the application cycle intentionally.

Throughout the process, Meg provided guidance and suggestions which allowed me to determine the best program to achieve my goals. Once the programs were determined, we set about planning and crafting every element of the application to create a very thoughtful, robust, and compelling package.

Meg was always thoughtful, inquisitive, supportive, and prepared and always available to bounce ideas, squash self-doubt, or anything else that happens during the process. Her experience as an adcomm, her passion for the process, and her commitment to learning about the applicant in order to help them craft their best package was definitely unparalleled.

Working with Meg was exceptionally rewarding resulting in a process of self discovery which I would certainly recommend and do again. Ultimately, it culminated in an acceptance to Booth and CBS.

Meg was an incredible help and I couldn’t have gotten into Booth without her. In the beginning, I had some preconceived notions of what I “should” present or how I “should” look on paper. After showing some of my drafts and speaking with Meg on the phone, she strategized an alternative approach and thoroughly explained her reasoning – erasing all of my preconceived notions and putting me at ease with the new strategy. I use the phrase “putting me at ease” because, for me, it was a daunting task to change my initial approach. After all, this is the most important application of my professional life. But this is why Meg is great. She not only brings her incredible expertise but a way to communicate that expertise that doesn’t leave you in the dark. She not only analyzed my essay but also helped me with supplemental explanations regarding my professional and academic career. In the end, I was completely satisfied with my application and I felt confident that Meg truly helped me put my best foot forward. Retaining Meg for her services felt like I was investing in myself and it certainly paid off.

I had the privilege of working with Collette on my MBA applications resulting in admits from Kellogg, Booth, Tuck, Fuqua, and Ross with significant scholarships from each one.
Working with Collette felt like a true partnership – I took the time to give her a detailed overview of my profile, and she took the time to truly understand my profile and helped me craft a strategic narrative. She provided honest feedback on my application and patiently reviewed multiple revisions to bring my essays to the next level. The MBA application process is a rollercoaster and having Collette to turn to for a variety of questions throughout the process played no small part in helping me navigate it. I strongly recommend working with Collette – she is prompt, strategic, and invested in your success.

I applied to 3 schools R2 for the class of 2024. I worked with Kim for 2 of the schools (1 previous reject). I loved the intro strategy session where Kim dove into my past and helped pull out the best experiences and a direction to craft my applications. She had fantastic perspectives around crafting resumes, LOR, and how to build/frame my essays based on my experiences and career goals. She always replied promptly to my endless questions about the admissions process and the different intricacies (and overthinking) of my application. Overall, I was waitlisted to the 2 schools I worked with her on and was rejected from the one I didn’t. After being waitlisted, Kim provided great support in helping craft my final push to stand out and provide a meaningful waitlist update. I was finally accepted into my dream school and could not be happier with the outcome. Thank you so much for your help, Kim! You are truly appreciated!

I couldn’t recommend Beth enough! It was a pleasure to work with her from start to finish. She helped me brainstorm what parts of my story to emphasize to help me to stand out, plan a timeline for writing my essays that kept me motivated but not overwhelmed, and was always kind and thoughtful when answering my questions. Her guidance and support were integral to getting into my goal MBA programs (including one with a scholarship offer!). I really felt like Beth cared about my process each step of the way, and I’m very grateful for it!!

Christine was the best to work with! She was so thorough in helping me strategize and plan my story. She was steady support throughout the entire process from resume review to interview prep and even guided me on how to overcome obstacles such as GMAT score delays. She gave honest feedback and always pushed my application to be better. I have her to thank for my acceptance to Haas and CBS, my top choice!

The Stacy Blackman team was also so great! The resources that they give are so valuable and Lisa, my flight tester, gave such valuable feedback on my application that I’m sure contributed to my acceptance. So glad that I chose SBC!

When I first spoke with SBC, I really felt the excellent team bond and dynamics throughout the entire firm. You are not just hiring one consultant, but the entire team of SBC. Sarah was my initial matchmaker and was thoughtful in her advice to me as a prospective applicant as I had called her two years and a half before applying. After evaluating all the largest MBA consulting firms, I still remembered my conversation with Sarah, which led me to ping her again (a year after we first spoke). She was extremely attentive and eventually recommended I match with Jennifer.

Jennifer was truly amazing to work with. When I compared my experience working with Jennifer to others’ experience working with their respective consultants, I realized just how lucky I was. She not only is one of the most thoughtful human beings I’ve encountered but also a very tactical consultant. She was extremely patient in helping me figure out my voice and was there throughout all parts of my application process.

The thing that makes Jennifer stand out is that she went beyond being a consultant and became a friend throughout the entire application process. She was so easygoing that I could ask her any question; I would text her at all times throughout the day and she would be lightning fast with her responses. Her guidance and advice were unparalleled. After we mock interviewed, she even introduced me to a former client to provide additional interview practice.

The rest of the SBC team was also amazing to work with. For example, Beth completed my “flight test” for my full HBS application. She was instrumental to make sure that my entire application tied together as well as made sure we could get another set of eyes of a former MBA admissions officer on my app.

It still feels unreal to get into my dream schools of Stanford GSB, Wharton, and HBS. I could not have done it without Jennifer and could not have done it without SBC.

I would recommend working with SBC and especially Jennifer in a heartbeat! Jennifer is truly the best.

When I embarked on my MBA journey, I dreamed of getting accepted into one of the top European MBA programs. I wanted to work with someone who knows the schools and admissions well, and when I explored my options, I found that Mark O’Brien had previously worked on Oxford’s admissions committee.

I read up a lot on choosing the right admissions consultant for you and saw that there is this perceived notion that consultants who previously worked in admissions were less personable than someone who hadn’t. Some previous MBA applicants implied that admission consultants that previously worked in MBA adcoms would only be great as a reviewer after an application was completed to dissect whether it fit the requirements of a prospective student. Well, let me fast forward and say that that was not the case at all with Mark! I’m thrilled to say that Mark’s experience working on an Adcom was a tremendous asset. Mark was phenomenal with all aspects of my application, helping me capture the readers’ hearts. He is very knowledgeable and highly competent, and I would even go as far as to say that he is an expert on UK and European MBA programs.

Mark is very friendly and has a natural way of connecting to people. He makes you feel relaxed and willing to open up and share things about yourself that you might not have realized were essential for the application. He was able to highlight them and teach me how to use them strategically because all of these details make up the person that I am today. Contrary to what some people had implied, Mark’s experience allows him to know precisely how admission committees think – what they look for, what they like, and what they don’t like. Just like any other MBA applicant, I am not perfect. There are rough edges, and Mark taught me how to smooth out those rough edges.
Mark believed in me, and because of that, I felt like he was my ally, and we were a team on this journey. He goes above and beyond and genuinely cares. It was so apparent that my success would be his success, and he inspired me to put my best application forward.
I’m happy to say I was admitted to my dream program and awarded a scholarship as well. I know that if it weren’t for Marks’s guidance, it wouldn’t have been possible. From the initial strategy work to interview coaching – Mark was an outstanding coach, and I am fortunate that I had him by my side during this stressful time.

In conclusion, thank you so much, Mark! Anyone reading this, if you’re hoping to get into a top MBA program, especially in the UK and Europe, I highly recommend you have a free consult with Mark; it’ll be worth it!

As a military candidate, I was a little hesitant to go with someone who had no prior experience in the military. Though, I think Margaret was the perfect person to translate my military jargon into something others could easily understand. Margaret was always quick to respond and always had great feedback. She kept me on track to complete all my required materials early and fully utilize the flight-testing experience.

I purchased the two-school package, and we started right away almost 8 months before the round 1 deadlines. While working with her, she challenged me to really research and figure out what I wanted to do. I think this is what helped drive my essays, and it got me even more excited about life after the military. With her guidance, I learned a lot about myself through different brainstorming and reflection exercises while completing the application process.

I was admitted to both HBS and MIT LGO. Choosing one over the other ended up being one of the toughest decisions of my life, something that I doubt would have ever happened without her help!

I would highly recommend Beth – she was lovely to work with and absolutely invaluable for securing multiple M7 offers during my MBA journey. She is so much more than just a proofreader – she’ll help you take your background and stories and package them in a way that is compelling and understandable for the admissions committee.
Me: an applicant with a 730 GMAT, a middling GPA from a random state school, and high flying, but VERY non-traditional work experience. Goals: M7 MBA, ideally, with $$$. Enter Beth – I would absolutely not have been able to take my non-traditional background and cohesively string together a narrative for an admissions committee without Beth’s guidance.
In short, I’m heading to an M7 in the fall, with $$, and would not have been able to get there without Beth’s help.

I wish the ratings had even more stars because Ally was incredible. She was there anytime I needed her. She answered my 1000 questions at all times. She was super patient and worked with me on tight deadlines and turnaround times. She made a daunting experience much more enjoyable. I would recommend Ally every single time! My experience would not have been the same without her and I would not have gotten to where I am without her help!

It was truly a privilege to work with Beth. She is passionate about her work and that shows in every interaction. She clearly cares about her clients and is rooting for their success. These qualities made it very easy to be open and honest with her, which in turn allowed me to craft a cohesive and impactful narrative in my applications. She provided timely, thoughtful, and honest feedback that both focused my efforts and gave me confidence in the quality of the applications I put together. I cannot overstate the comfort I felt in knowing that Beth had reviewed my applications and provided her seal of approval. Beth was recommended to me by a friend, and I am extremely grateful that I took that recommendation. I recommend Stacy Blackman and Beth’s services without hesitation!

Chandler was absolutely transformational in my journey to getting into my top choice MBA program, the Stanford GSB. From the first intake call all the way through preparing for my final interviews, Chandler was a steadfast support and treasure trove of insight and advice as someone passionate about remaining in the social impact sector. He equipped me with the invaluable tools I needed to find my voice and confidently tell my story, a testament to his deep listening skills and empathetic coaching abilities. His superpowers as a strategic thought partner for those passionate about social impact careers shined in our many 1:1 calls and essay revisions, as he helped me crystallize a powerful data-driven narrative about my career and future ambitions.

Simply put, Chandler is exceptional. The value you will get from working with him will last far beyond your MBA application journey and shape your career decisions for years to come. I couldn’t be more grateful for his mentorship and insight!

I was able to get into my dream school, MIT, thanks to all the support and guidance Meg and SBC offered (the podcast series couldn’t be more helpful). In particular, I wouldn’t have succeeded without Meg’s highly valuable adcom experience, her commitment as a passionate coach, and her talent for helping others develop their own authentic stories.

I truly appreciated how responsive and straightforward Meg was when my essays needed serious improvement. The perspective and feedback from Meg constantly pushed me to think deeper about what I wanted to show about myself in my narratives. The first mock interview I had with Meg was a real life saver – it helped me fix my biggest problem with being too prepared or even scripted in an interview; the second one was a huge confidence booster for me. I would not have been able to do so well in my actual interview without either session with Meg. Last but not least, although I only used hourly service up till my application was submitted, after I got admitted, Meg continued to help me navigate the scholarship negotiation process as well as pick the school best for me before my dream school took me off the waitlist!

I am genuinely grateful for having such a supportive partner who always believed in me and motivated me along the at-times stressful and difficult journey. Thank you, Meg! Anyone would be lucky to have you as their admissions consultant.

Dione is simply 11/10. There is no other way to put it. I applied to 2 schools: Stanford GSB & Harvard HBS. With Dione’s guidance, I received offers from both. The proof is in the pudding.

I came to Dione with the ingredients (drafts, GMAT, rec letters) and Dione helped me take those drafts into a truly powerful application – telling my story in a way that was true to myself and compelling. We worked on my story arc together, diving deep into my experience and personal motivations. Working with Dione also helped me clarify personally why the business school was right for me.

Whenever anyone approaches me about my success in MBA applications – the first thing I do is send them to Dione. She is diligent, attentive, caring, and invested in you. Furthermore, she is flexible – from quick reviews of my post-HBS interview reflection in 24 hours to working right towards deadlines. You can work with Dione however works best for you – with structured shared goals or when you need that quick bit of advice on a question you are stuck on.

Being an international applicant, working with Dione was especially useful to understand how to craft and tell my story in a way that US business schools are looking for.

After my admissions, Dione continued to be on hand to help me think about the right school for me and apply for scholarship applications. I really couldn’t recommend Dione & SBS anymore.

Chandler was instrumental throughout my MBA application journey. I write “journey” because when my initial application round was unsuccessful, Chandler helped me reflect upon what I needed to change and inspired me to improve my resume, essays, and more. Beyond the tactical help, he was outstanding at finding my authentic story and assisting me with weaving it into all aspects of the application. As an atypical applicant with various roles, his ability to weave it all together was extremely beneficial. I couldn’t recommend working with Chandler more!

I decided to go for MBA last year. I got a good GMAT score. But with limited knowledge about top B-schools and procedures, I was unsure to apply for this year. To simply put, Mark has been exceptionally supportive in providing guidance and resolving all my concerns. I got admits from Said Business School, Cambridge Judge, INSEAD, Tepper Business school, Cornell Tech MBA, and ISB. It would have not been possible without Mark’s support. He asked me to write stories about my experiences and helped in creating end-to-end stories while filling out the application. He made me feel confident in writing the applications. We put most of our efforts into writing the SBS application. but because of that overall learning experience with Mark, I have been able to crack the other colleges. When I was in doubt, he gave me the confidence to apply and aim for top ranking colleges.
He provided support beyond the contractable time and resolved all my concerns while I was going through a dilemma in college selection.
I would truly recommend Mark to anyone who is looking for phenomenal mentorship during the application process.