Yvette

I engaged Yvette to help with my HBS application (MS/MBA engineering). Overall, Yvette was incredibly helpful for crafting my narrative. She took my “traditional” background and helped me pull out my unique personal brand. We had an intro session where Yvette provided a framework for each essay and I then brainstormed ~6 outlines for each. Yvette reviewed my ideas and we decided together on the three topics I’d write about. I never in a million years would have thought I’d write about what I did for the curiosity essay, Yvette’s extensive experience with the HBS app process made that possible.

Yvette was available, direct, honest with time needed for offline reviews, and invested in my success. I also did a mock interview with her which was great practice and de-stressed me for the actual day.

The cost is steep, but worth it. I’d encourage you to enter the process knowing exactly what you want from a coach. I’d also encourage you to listen to the SBC podcasts (some featuring Yvette) to get yourself set up with the basics before moving on to tailored coaching.

Outcome: Admitted to HBS (no MS/MBA)

Background: MBB consulting, interest in tech, state school undergrad

I worked with Yvette on 3 schools for R1 and got 2 offers (HBS MS/MBA, Kellogg MMM) and 1 waitlist (Sloan).

In addition to her being an HBS alum, Yvette stood out to me because we share a background in engineering, and she blazed her own path towards PM and entrepreneurship, which I also hope to do. A huge plus was her great familiarity with joint degrees like the MS/MBA and MMM, which were at the top of my list.

Yvette’s friendly but firm approach helped me feel at ease throughout the application process while still recognizing all the areas for improvement in my application material so I could address them effectively. Yvette helped me tell my story better than I ever could have on my own, and truly boosted my confidence despite concerns I had over my GPA and GRE. Yvette also helped me prep for my interviews in such a way that I could easily come up with great answers tailored to both the MBA and the MS portions of my application. I really couldn’t have asked for a better guide than Yvette – she was genuinely as invested in my application as I was, and working with her has been incredibly gratifying.

The broader SBC team is also great to work with. As I was considering various firms (Fortuna Admissions and mbaMission), I had a call with Sarah Tsai to inquire about SBC’s process. She was very transparent, could answer all my questions in great detail, and her insights were super helpful. SBC also has plenty of amazing consultants including lots of former admissions officers from all the top schools. I particularly appreciated gaining insights from them through my flight test with Kim (former adcom) who provided great feedback on my essays and resume, helping me to refine my story and tie it all together. I also used many other resources offered by SBC including its extensive Vault database with past essay examples, interview questions, etc.

Overall, I really recommend working with Yvette and SBC to anyone looking to tell their story, no matter how complex, in a way that will impress the adcom.

I worked with Yvette through SBC and I’m so happy that they matched me with her. I spoke with Esther from SBC for an intro call, she asked about various components of my application, like scores, extracurriculars and the angle I was going for. From there, SBC matched me with Yvette and I felt like she was the perfect match for me. She was honest with me right off the bat and kept it real with me throughout this process – I seriously valued this, MBA applications are a blackbox and it’s helpful to have someone that’s on your side, telling you the truth about how it works.

For a process that can sometimes feel all about numbers and scores, Yvette made me feel seen, that my story was heard and helped me convey it in my applications. When I initially spoke with Yvette, I was insecure about my GMAT score and how it would impact my application. That being said, Yvette holistically reviewed all components of my application, identifying strengths and weaknesses to figure out areas that I needed to highlight more.

Post-application submission, Yvette helped me also prepare for all interviews. The mock interviews conducted were very accurate and similar to the real environment. The questions she identified to help prepare were also on point and were exactly what was asked during actual MBA interviews.

Overall, working with Yvette has been an amazing experience. As a woman of color that knew very little about the MBA application process, Yvette helped me understand it all. I really only wanted to go through this process once, that meant investing in myself and I can honestly say it was worth it. As a result, I was admitted to UCLA and MIT, two amazing schools that I’m not sure I would have been able to get into on my own. So a huge thank you to Yvette for all her help, support and encouragement!

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.