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8,700
Graduate: 4 Years
Firm
Harvard Business School
Finance
Technology
Deloitte
English
Stacy Blackman Consulting
United States
Net Promoter Score: 9
Yvette received her MBA from Harvard Business School.In addition to her work as an MBA application adviser, Yvette has worked as a tech sector professional focused on international expansion and emerging markets. She sits on the HBS Club of the GCC Board of Directors and has collaborated in writing HBS cases focused on real estate finance. She has personally met with admissions officers at 25 of the top MBA programs in the US. Born in Los Angeles, Yvette has chosen roads less traveled and nudged norms around the globe. She started her career interning with a startup (onscreen keyboards, before the iPhone existed) and Texaco. As a college junior she spent a year abroad in London studying arts & culture. Her travels around Europe made the world seem more accessible, triggering her desire to do business internationally. Before attending HBS she learned from great corporations including Deloitte Consulting, Fannie Mae, and UBS Investment Bank in the US. Post HBS she relocated to Dubai,where as an entrepreneur she successfully built a real estate services company (acquired), an SME Growth Fund, an online interest graph fueled food portal, search vertical, and a startup consulting business.
Since 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting clients have been admitted to every top business school worldwide, often with merit scholarships. Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) delivers results, as shown through its record of the highest number of online reviews across multiple MBA admissions ranking and review sites. Our online track record includes #1 on MBAinsight, BeattheGMAT, ClearAdmit, and #1 out of 11 firms for our team caliber by PoetsandQuants.
We begin with meticulous matchmaking before we begin an engagement or accept payment. We recommend a primary consultant only after evaluating your candidacy strength and differentiating qualities; we respect your investment and the trust you place in us. We offer a high-touch, limited client-per-consultant experience.
Contact us to request a free MBA advising session with an SBC Principal. Just give us 15 minutes.
OUR TEAM
SBC is the only consulting firm in the industry who has on our team a complete panel of former MBA Admissions Officers from the top US programs and European programs. No other firm has this complete talent. 75% of our MBA consultant team hails from the top seven US MBA programs as MBA graduates and/or former MBA Admissions Officers, including from Harvard and Stanford. The SBC team has MBA expertise at every top school, has graduated from elite MBA programs and understands career paths in every industry, traditional and non-traditional.
Over 1/4 of SBC’s consultant panel is of minority background, and SBC has five consultants who identify as and specialize in LGBTQ+ applicants. This reflects the company’s mission to further diversity in the MBA applicant pool. No other established MBA admissions firm has a team that is as diverse.
OUR KNOWLEDGE
We know what’s going on, and we know it first. We have former Admissions Officers (AdCom) from every top MBA program who are informing us of the current internal program priorities, best practices, unusual dilemmas, successful essay strategies, and interview standards. We have tremendous insight as to what is currently keeping the AdCom up at night and what values they are looking for from their current students.
As one SBC client explained, “What really sets the SBC team apart, however, is the breadth and depth of knowledge; any time that my consultant 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.” Another client said, “I appreciated how the team uses all their former AdCom members to make sure you feel like you’ve put your best foot forward in the application process.”
OUR MODEL
The SBC System™ has eight core modules and is the most robust of all firms.
SBC offers unlimited time with a carefully selected primary consultant, who will be dedicated to understanding you authentically, creating a winning strategy, and defining your unique story for each school. Your primary consultant will be your creative and strategic guide, helping you to create materials that are provocative, informative, school-specific and ultimately effective in resonating with each of your target MBA programs.
Your primary consultant will engage in multiple iterations of brainstorming, development, outlining, and applied review across all MBA application touchpoints—resume, online application form, recommender letters, essays, short answers and more –to eliminate blindspots and optimize every detail so that your story shines and reflects deep knowledge of each of the MBA programs.
SBC also believes in checks and balances, as it has the Flight Test™ which is a complete review by a former AdCom. This structured feedback from a former AdCom mimics a real AdCom review and helps to ensure that a candidate’s application is most compelling to the target audience.
We also include free access to THE VAULT, SBC’s Resource Center with over two decades of sample essays, recommendations, resumes, school overviews, interview transcripts and more. A recent client shared, “The large SBC database was priceless, especially when understanding the differences between schools and when preparing for interviews.”
GET STARTED WITH SBC
SBC deeply values mentorship within its client engagements and limits the number of clients for each consultant. We engage with clients only after evaluating candidacy nuances and deciding that we could be successful together.
Our matchmaking process includes criteria such as track record with target schools, proficiency with your career path, demographics, interests and character qualities, and the consultant’s availability at the time you’re interested in engaging. You’ll be matched with a primary consultant who believes in your candidacy and who is truly excited to work with you. Some of our consultants have a sweet spot for non-traditional applicants while others excel with engineers. Just like you, our consultants’ backgrounds and perspectives are varied.
SBC offers a limited number of complimentary phone or email-based consultations weekly for inquiries who have been pre-screened by our tenured team.
Contact us today to request a free MBA advising session with an SBC Principal.
The SBC All-In Service
A FORMER HBS ADMISSIONS OFFICER ON OUR SBC TEAM SHARED THAT MBA ADMISSIONS LOVE A GREAT STORY AND CLARIFIED:
“I believe it’s true that all people, and therefore all MBA admissions boards, love a great story. It’s a way to bring life to your application and show the realness of who you are during what can be a dry process.”
The majority of our clients select our All-In package because they recognize that the competitive admissions process requires an application set that is stellar and strategic on all levels. SBC’s “All-In” engagement includes:
Personal Assessment & Critical Reflection. Your primary consultant will work to understand you through deeply-probing questions that reveal your authentic dimensions.
Your consultant will dig into the who, what, how and why that forms your story through our 360° Personal Orbit™. You will explore the key MBA acceptance triggers that will be central to crafting your personal story.
We will evaluate your school preferences and criteria and develop a school list according to reach, reasonable, or safer program choices that ensures you apply to programs that you’ll love attending.
We will cover career path guidance–selecting and optimizing your career goals to ensure they are ambitious, purposeful, and attainable– and also recommendation letter(s) guidance to support your story and reinforce your aptitude and potential.
You will receive a complete MBA Application Strategy written summary including your value proposition and career path evaluation, as well as deliverables and tasks with an Attack Plan & Timeline.
One AdCom Flight Test™ as described by a recent client: “After I had gotten the applications to a near-finished state, we shared my application with my flight tester, who was a former MBA admissions officer, to offer a fresh perspective of my entire package. This review was unique and insightful because the reviewer reviews the file in the same way as an admissions officer. The Flight Test ™ provides insight into how the application stands up under the realistic, unbiased scrutiny of an AdCom member versus intensely in the details as your admission’s consultant.”
Up to three formats of interview coaching. Post-application consultation to work through issues such as interviews, waitlist and deferral strategy and school selection.
Hourly First Services
Start with 2-3 hours for the initial strategy work a la carte to test the waters, and you can then roll up into the purchase of an All-In package.
Hourly Services
Hourly services can include any or all of the below:
Initial Strategic Planning
Background Assessment & School Selection
Resume Review
Recommendation Counseling – selection, prep, review
Essay Review – one draft of set of essays
Waitlist Strategy & Communications
Ding Analysis
Location: United States
Phone: 866-667-8229
Email: info@StacyBlackman.com
Website: http://www.StacyBlackman.com/contact
10=Without Hesitation, 1=I would advise against it.
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My experience with Yvette was exceptional. I am a Mexican reapplicant, and I faced the challenge of a less-than-ideal GMAT score, which I believed to be a weakness in my application. It was crucial for me to collaborate with someone who could grasp the nuances of my non-traditional background and my status as a foreigner with a different cultural perspective.
Yvette diligently reviewed my previous application, providing insightful feedback on areas for improvement. She explained the importance of effectively portraying myself through my essays. We delved deeply into my personal stories, refining them to enhance the overall impact of my application. Yvette was candid in pointing out the aspects that needed improvement.
I applied to five top-tier schools and successfully gained admission to two of them: Chicago Booth and Kellogg. I am extremely satisfied with the results and grateful to have worked with Yvette throughout this process
-Final note- Spanish Para mí, encontrar a alguien que pudiera asesorarme entendiendo la cultura latina fue muy importante. Yvette me ayudó a armar mi historia de forma que el equipo de admisiones entendiera mi contexto cultural. Estoy muy agradecida por el trabajo para mi aplicación.
I was matched with Yvette and worked with her from the start of the application process. She provided valuable, and critical, know-how around the MBA application process that significantly improved my application and resulted in me being accepted to my top-choice schools.
She worked with me to schedule meetings across multiple time zones, jump on last minute calls, and provide pointed feedback – which allowed me to meet rapidly approaching application deadlines.
Beyond advising my MBA application, Yvette was a consultant on my career path, culture at the various schools, and more. In working with Yvette, I knew I had found a trusted MBA-application expert, but also a friend who has my best interest at heart.
I recommend Yvette and the SBC team without hesitation.
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 worked closely with Yvette throughout my 2+2 deferral admissions process. From the beginning, I felt like I could be candid with Yvette about my story and packaging for the admissions process. I think that’s something that is often overlooked in the consultant search – it’s always better to have someone that you feel comfortable with who will also keep you in check and ensure you’re turning in quality work and edits. Everything from the kick-off calls for each school, the timely turnarounds, and the mock interview prep – the entire process with Yvette was seamless, helpful, and amazing. I would recommend SBC to everyone serious about an MBA admission. More importantly, you should 100% ask for Yvette! My HBS 2+2 admission is inextricably linked to the amazing feedback and help from Yvette throughout the process.
I used Stacy Blackman’s All-In Package for 3 schools and I am very happy with my decision! I am a reapplicant who had used a different consultant last time I applied, and I am so glad I went with SBC and Yvette this time. I had consultations with several other admissions consultants and was impressed with SBC from the very beginning – even in the initial consultation I received useful, constructive feedback.
Yvette is an excellent consultant. While I had initially thought I needed to improve my GMAT score, Yvette assured me that my score was fine, I just needed to tell a compelling story. This was something I struggled with, but Yvette did an excellent job of guiding me through the process of identifying interesting parts of my background and crafting a strong narrative. She was skilled in pointing out areas for improvement, but not being prescriptive. Before submitting my applications I also went through a “flight test” with an admissions committee member, which was very helpful for getting a second perspective on ways to improve my application.
I ended up getting interviews at all of the MBA programs I applied for. Yvette then helped me with interview prep. I had struggled with interviews last time I applied to business school, and was nervous about making the same mistakes this time. Yvette gave me strategies for staying calm and responding to challenging questions. I made it through all of my interviews smoothly and was ultimately admitted to every MBA program I applied to, including HBS and GSB. Yvette’s guidance certainly played a big role in this positive outcome. In addition, I found that her advice made me a better writer overall, which has helped in other parts of my career.
I highly recommend Yvette and SBC – definitely worth it!
I worked with Yvette at SBC through the 2 school all-in package to apply to deferred admission/2+2 MBA programs while I was a college senior. From the start, I had positive interactions with SBC including my initial consultation with Sarah, who encouraged me when I was deciding whether or not I should apply. I was a little hesitant about my GRE score being high enough, and out of all the consultants I spoke with, SBC was by far the most positive and assured me not to worry about it.
After being paired with Yvette, we had an initial kickoff strategy call. From the beginning, Yvette was very pleasant to work with and guided me in the right direction to pick and choose the most relevant parts of my story. By the end of the strategy call, I had a clear direction on how to approach my essays. Throughout the application process, she challenged me to be more direct and specific and to think deeply about my long-term and short-term goals to convey them to adcom. Sometimes when I was unsure about my essay approach, she would see the big picture and give me the encouragement to keep pursuing it, and by the end, I was very satisfied with the final essays that I submitted. The flight test was also a unique part of SBC where I got objective feedback from my flight-tester Caryn, which gave me more confidence in my story and learned a few opportunities for improvement in my essay. After receiving an interview invite from HBS, Yvette continued to support me, and her help during the interview process was phenomenal! She offered plenty of tips to prepare, gave good feedback during the mock interview, helped me brainstorm how to answer tough questions, and continued to motivate me positively.
After all this, I am proud to say I was accepted to HBS 2+2!!! I couldn’t have done it without Yvette and SBC and I’m thankful to have had the SBC team supporting me!
I worked with Yvette from the beginning on my applications. She made me feel comfortable with my own story, she guided me to write better essays while being honest with myself. But she also went above and beyond. She advised me on which schools could be a better fit given my personality.
Applying to business schools is no easy task. Yvette helped me organize my applications from the beginning. She made my life easier during this stressful process. Her feedback was on point, and very honest. My narrative was compelling, but not clearly articulated. She helped me improve the way I presented my story. This feedback was customized for each school I was applying. And she has an amazing knowledge on what top schools wants.
We also worked together on my interview preparations. Which is not my strength. She knew right away I was doing things common for non native speakers. And we worked together on improving the structure of my answers based on this. I was able to get into 2 schools 1 full ride, 1 scholarship. And I am also currently waitlisted in other 2 top schools.
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