Mark

I was paired with Mark via Stacey Blackman Consulting via Bill ( a personable and informed gentleman) who introduced me to Mark. Mark’s consultancy transcends the ordinary, especially for candidates from the Middle East seeking admission into top UK MBA programs. His profound familiarity with the cultural nuances and professional landscapes of the Middle East set him apart as an invaluable guide in my MBA journey. Mark’s awareness of these cultural distinctions and his accommodating approach made a significant difference, providing personalized strategies that aligned with my background and aspirations. Beyond his expertise in admissions and his strategic acumen, Mark’s ability to understand and respect cultural perspectives enriches his consultancy. He leverages this understanding to tailor applications that not only stand out but also authentically represent the candidate’s heritage and vision. For Middle Eastern candidates aiming for UK MBA programs, Mark is the best. He offers more than just admissions guidance, he provides a bespoke consultancy that appreciates and incorporates cultural insights into a winning strategy. He is a friend, guide and overall pleasure of a person to deal with. I would recommend anybody looking for counselor to aid them in UK MBA admissions to hire Mark.

I was paired with Mark via Stacey Blackman Consulting given his expertise with applying to European MBA programs. As a veteran, I had difficulty translating my skills and experience in a way that would be appealing to admissions committees. Mark made the process exponentially easier and allowed me to understand how to sell myself to different programs.

I was recommended for SBC by a friend who had previously used them and was accepted into LBS. I was contacted by very professional and eager people from SBC who were dedicated to provide me with the best support they could offer on my application.

Mark was my advisor for 6 months as I prepared for business school applications. As an American applying to LBS he was instrumental in helping me navigate the application process and craft my story. Highly recommend!

Mark is elite at what he does, full stop. He understands the value of both your time as an applicant, but also his own time as a consultant and, because of this, he is highly effective and efficient in his feedback and communication throughout the application process. Mark is proactive in planning out the application timeline and smartly prioritized all four of my B-School applications I had outlined for Round 1.

Working with Mark was critical to being accepted into my top-priority MBA programs. I was also able to use his guidance and feedback to improve all my other applications as well; resulting in a 4/4 acceptance rate in Round 1!

10/10 would recommend working with Mark to anyone looking to apply to top U.S. or International Business Schools.

I was blown away by how knowledgeable Mark was about every aspect of the LBS application process, as well as how hands-on he was with ensuring that my entire application package was of the highest possible standard. I truly believe Mark was instrumental in my LBS acceptance, and highly recommend him to anyone looking to apply to an MBA program (whether at LBS or elsewhere)!

I was admitted at London Business EMBA program, and I am pretty sure, if I didn’t have Mark on my side as a consultant, my journey would have been much harder.

I don’t think I could have ever had a better consultant, he is honest and works with a high integrity, spending time only where it’s needed, so the applicant doesn’t need to pay unnecessary costs. He did a fantastic job with me and I had an absolutely great experience in working with him. I highly recommend him, especially if you are applying for London Business School or other European business schools.

I was recommended to Mark through a friend who had worked with him the previous year. I was a late round applicant with limited time. Crafting a concise and impactful essay and answers to the application questions can be quite a challenge. As I had a very diverse set of experiences and longer working history, it was difficult to summarize it all into a good pitch. Mark helped me synthesize my story into the essentials and get the “most bang for the buck” to create maximum impact. He knows exactly what the adcoms are looking for and helped me cut out the fluff. His many years of experience working with hundreds of candidates are clearly visible in the way he works – very efficient, concise, professional. Working with him was incredibly smooth, he was always available to answer any of my questions via email or phone. I felt very well supported and prepared to submit my application after having worked with him. He also gave me many tips along the way on how to interact with the admissions staff, what to focus on in the interview and how to manage offers/negotiation. I would definitely work with him again and recommend him to anyone.

I am thrilled to share my experience working with Mark O’Brien, who played a pivotal role in my successful admission to LBS. From the very beginning of our engagement, his expertise was evident, and I couldn’t have asked for a better guide on this challenging journey.

Right from our initial consultation, Mark displayed a deep understanding of the MBA admissions process and an impressive knowledge of LBS’ unique requirements. He perfectly analyzed my profile, taking into account my international experiences, professional background, and personal aspirations. His insightful questions allowed me to delve deeper into my goals, helping me articulate a compelling narrative that set me apart from other candidates.

The guidance he provided for my essays and personal statement was invaluable. He was very responsive and timely in providing feedback. Our mock interview and case study sessions were extremely helpful in preparing me for the admissions interview, giving me the confidence to effectively communicate my motivations and ambitions.

Thanks to my Mark’s guidance, I was admitted to London Business School, a dream come true for me. I firmly believe that his exceptional expertise and personalized approach were instrumental in securing my place. I wholeheartedly recommend Mark and SBC to anyone aspiring to pursue an MBA or seeking guidance on the challenging admissions process.

I was very lucky to have Mark on my side during the MBA application. As I had relatively high GMAT score and past experience in M&A, I thought the only way I could fail in getting into my desired program was through the essays. And boy was I right…

I only applied to one program, no backup.

Mark really deeply understands the small details of crafting a standout application that gets through to adcoms, while keeping everything that you truly are in the picture. Honestly, it felt great to understand myself and my desires on a deeper level and being able to put those thoughts on paper. Why am I here, why do I want this, is this the right choice, and if so, why..? It was a really introspective experience.

He was really helpful throughout the whole journey, answered all my questions in a very clean way immediately… all-in-all, a great experience.

If you feel like you need help with your application, trust me, most of the time you actually do. And Mark is the right person to guide you through your journey.

I had the great opportunity to work with Mark during my 8-month LBS application process. As a former LBS admissions officer, Mark’s insight into the program, the region, and adjacent schools within the space was invaluable. Through our time working together, Mark and I identified my strengths and weaknesses, how best to own them as well as highlight them in my application packet. With Mark’s feedback, I was able to best utilize my word count and response space to share my story in a relevant manner. I really appreciated Mark’s professionalism, responsiveness, and candor toward my application and candidacy. I absolutely recommend him to anyone attempting to gain admittance to their MBA dream school. Thank you so much to Mark and the SBC team!

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’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.

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!

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.

My experience working with Mark was flawless. Simply put, without Mark’s help and expertise I wouldn’t have been accepted to a top-tier MBA program.

I applied to only one business school and the stakes were high, but in our first video session, Mark asked me a ton of questions to identify my strengths and weaknesses (including my GMAT score) and helped me explore my passions and fears. He talked me through every detail of the application process and calmed me down. Mark made me feel confident about the application steps and excited about the challenge.

One of Mark’s greatest strengths is his profound understanding and expertise in the admissions process of the best business schools in the world, he has a born talent to tell stories, and that is why he is so successful at what he does. Mark worked as a recruitment officer at London Business School and Oxford for several years and has a vast network in other top U.S. and European schools. Mark taught me since day one how the MBA recruiters think, what they value and what they hate, and how to really connect with them. He gave me ideas and gave me a framework to start crafting my essays, my resume and encouraged me to openly talk with the people that could be my potential recommenders and how to approach them.

Mark sent me a tailored strategy, with detailed, easy to digest directions to tackle each of the admissions requirements, and motivated me and encouraged me all along the way.

I worked on my first drafts following Marks’s guidance (that was EXTREMELY specific to the business school I was applying to) and exchanged a ton of emails, Mark always answered quickly after thoroughly reviewing my proposals and adding comments and suggestions. The final versions of the essays and the resume were masterful. He made sure that I couldn’t express any ideas in the essays in a better way.

Mark also helped me prepare the video recorded questions, we made mock interviews, reviewed every single type of question that could potentially be asked, and worked on my delivery. After his feedback and help to improve every aspect of the interview (light, tone, dressing, facial expressions, body language, volume, preciseness, content, etc.), I was so ready that I felt that the recorded interview was an easy pie and crushed it.

Obviously, his strategy and his work in polishing my story resulted in an interview invite. We had two more sessions to prepare for the face-to-face interview. In those two sessions, he made sure I understood how an interviewer thinks, how to make an impact and most important of all, how to get back on my feet if anything went wrong or I faced very tough questions.

I got admitted to my dream school thanks to Mark O’Brien. He is a great mentor always willing to help. He is a person I would like to call for career and life advice.

Mark got Covid during the time I worked with him and although he was feeling terrible, that didn’t change his super positive attitude. Every time we talked, he always made sure to ask about my life, and how things were going outside the business school world, he made our calls fun and interesting.

If you have read this review so far, you probably have noticed that I am not a native speaker. He didn’t tell me, but I’m pretty sure he really adapted his teaching and communication style so I felt comfortable and confident all the time, he cheered me up every time I said that I was not sure if I could make it, and made me feel special.

On the administrative side, Mark was always willing to talk and answer all my questions, in our calls he never tracked the time or rushed to finish a call. He was always on time and super polite. He is an example of professionalism and excellent customer service.

Apart from being a great consultant, he is a very nice, kind individual. Mark earns my highest recommendation.

When I started my MBA journey, the only school I was interested in attending was Oxford SBS. My GMAT score was low, really low, and other consultants discouraged me from applying, suggesting that I was better off focusing my efforts on retaking the GMAT. However, I knew I had a great ‘story’ that aligned with the SBS vision for future leaders, I just needed someone to help me highlight the key elements of that story in my application. Mark was that person for me. He started out by recapping the application process end-to-end, and highlighting the key things I needed to bring out in my essays, resume, and interview questions. He was extremely responsive, and we did 2-3 iterations, deciding what to cut and what to strengthen before I felt confident that I was capturing the best version of myself in the application package. Mark went above and beyond during this process, through reviews, interview coaching, and (after getting accepted!), scholarship applications. I sincerely would not have had the confidence to submit an application without Mark’s guidance, and with his support – I even received a scholarship! If you’re looking for someone who will not only provide you with top quality guidance, but also cheer you on along the way. I would highly recommend Mark O’Brien.

Mark O’Brien from Stacy Blackman Consulting was an important part of my MBA application process. I only got a few hours of his time (~6) but he helped me select schools when I was unsure, craft my story, review my essays, guide my networking, and even help with making a final decision between schools. I recommend Mark specifically for UK / EU schools where I applied. I also recommend that the applicant knows what they want to get out of the consultant before they engage one. In my case, my writing skills were already good. I just needed to validate the arc of my stories with someone and found myself asking questions like: “Is there anything contradictory about my story? Do you see any red flags? What does this school look for specifically?.” Mark also helped me with the video, as well as the in-person interview prep which was useful. He had a list of questions for each school and was also able to advise on the ethos of each school. This allowed me to tailor my interview prep to each school.

Above all, Mark did not make me feel like he was keeping a strict tab on the time spent and focused on delivering value. I am pretty sure he ended up spending more than the contracted time, and we met up multiple times after my admissions decisions for casual chats about which school I should choose in the end.

I was going through a time of great anxiety during my application process as I had bet heavily on a positive MBA decision coming through by moving jobs / countries beforehand, and having a gentle, guiding hand in the form of Mark O’Brien was of great support.

Applied: INSEAD, LBS, Cambridge, Oxford
Admitted at: INSEAD, LBS, Cambridge, Oxford

Doing an Executive MBA at Oxford University was one of my dearest dreams, which just came true. This wouldn’t be possible without the amazing help of Mark O’Brien, a consultant who navigated me through the whole process. He helped with the preparation of my application, essays, and interviews. I am so highly impressed not only with his deepest knowledge of the application process in Said Business School but also with his incredible selfless guidance and ability to bring up the best in me. I wouldn’t be able to produce an application of such high quality without his detailed editing, advice and guidance. His work on essays and the whole application was truly phenomenal and absolutely beyond my highest expectations. Any time I was reading his draft, I was amazed: it was all me and my story but in such a wonderful way. Mark was exceptionally fast, proactive, super friendly, and made the whole intense process in fact very enjoyable. His help in preparation for the Interview was priceless: questions I was asked in the Interview were covered by Mark during our discussion, so I was fully equipped. Words are not enough to express how grateful I am to Mark O’Brien for all his help. He is truly The Best at what he does.