Stacy Blackman Consulting

I'm so thankful that I chose to work with the SBC team, and particularly Amy Hazen, my consultant. The MBA admissions process is grueling, and I knew that I needed a partner who would guide me through the journey with patience, understanding, and expertise.

The SBC team works together to create a holistic experience. Bill took the time to understand my goals before pairing me with a consultant. Amy spent countless hours with me understanding what made me tick and helping me translate that into an application. Beth flight tested my application and made sure that there weren't any glaring holes, and Anthony helped me prep for my Wharton Team Based Discussion.

By far the most valuable part of this process was having Amy by my side. No question was too trivial for her, and she had limitless patience with me as I obsessed over every detail of my application. Amy's most valuable contribution, however, was her ability to help me focus on the RIGHT details. It is easy to lose sight of what you are building as you write the applications from the ground up, and it can be particularly challenging not to write applications based on what you THINK the AdComms WANT to hear. Amy encouraged me to embrace my authentic voice, and ensured that I was telling a story that highlighted who I am as a human.

Thanks to Amy and the SBC team I was admitted to FIVE MBA programs: GSB, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, and Stern (with a full ride).

My journey with Stacy Blackman Consulting was transformative, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my experience. From the get-go, the service was top-notch. It started with an illuminating call with Bill, who provided valuable insights and helped me connect with several exceptional consultants. I chose Margaret, whose passion, expertise, and demeanor resonated with me instantly.

As a non-traditional student, I knew there would be obstacles to gaining admission to a top 15 program. Margaret was very straightforward in explaining the depth of those barriers and her plan for overcoming each one. Her constructive feedback, coupled with her motivating approach to the hard work required helped me develop the most compelling story I could tell. It was more than just guidance; she acted as my mentor, pushing me to constantly improve.

Margaret's seasoned advice enriched every stage of the MBA application process. Among the most noteworthy, she helped me comprehend the value of networking with current students and conducting comprehensive research about my prospective schools. While initially, I wasn't sure how these efforts would manifest in my application, I now understand that they were pivotal not only in strengthening my application but also in preparing me for the rigorous academic environment of a top MBA program.

It's not an exaggeration to say that I owe my successful admission to one of my target schools to Margaret's outstanding coaching. The skillful strategies she recommended, her constant encouragement, and her unwavering confidence in me all played a significant role in my accomplishment. To anyone seeking a top-tier MBA application consultant, I highly recommend Margaret at Stacy Blackman Consulting, whose professional expertise, dedication, and personalized approach made a lasting impression on me.

Because admissions consultants represent such a significant investment, I wanted to make sure I worked with a consultant who'd have a night-and-day impact on my Kellogg application. But, it was challenging to evaluate that before committing to move forward with one firm.

I'm sharing this review of Beth because she was exactly what I was looking for. In my admissions call, the admissions officer told me one of my application reviewers said they were hard-pressed to find anything wrong with my application. Beth made a significant impact on my application in two ways:

(1) In all areas of the application, especially the essays, she maximized the portion of content that Kellogg admissions officers care about. Before working with Beth, I had iterated my essays several times and thought they were in a decent spot. After she reviewed, it turned out only a small fraction was content Kellogg admissions officers actually care about. We worked together to maximize the portion of the content admissions officers care about and pared down the rest.

(2) While I had a high-level idea of what a good application looked like, I didn't have a crystal clear picture, and as a consequence, I found I would iterate on application components much more than necessary because I wanted to be sure they were as good as possible. Beth let me know when each one was in a good state so I could focus my time effectively, and that allowed me to put adequate effort into every portion of the application.

There's nothing magic in those two items, which is why I recommend her so highly: I'm confident that her impact on my application is repeatable with any application. I could tell in working with her that she's evaluated thousands of Kellogg applications, and that makes her uniquely suited to advise in those two areas.

Deanna with Stacy Blackman Consulting was an incredibly valuable resource to me as I navigated the MBA admissions process. My background is in public arts education and Deanna helped me frame my nontraditional background as an asset rather than a concern. Deanna was easy to reach and was a clear communicator. She took an interest in me as a person, which enriched our working relationship and helped her give me very specific, helpful feedback. With her guidance I was able to obtain a T20 MBA Admit with scholarship!

While Deanna was my primary consultant, the biggest benefit of SBC was the depth of their team and the breadth of their experience. This depth and breadth are what set them apart from other consulting firms that I looked at. From my initial discussion with Sarah, to my flight test with Lisa, a former AdComm member, I felt I was being guided by people who could give me targeted advice based on their lived experiences with MBA admissions. If you are serious about getting admitted into the top programs, it is well worth the investment to seek out their expertise!

On the contrary with external reputation, the initial communication with Stacy Blackman Consulting (Esther Magna) has been the worst I experienced among all agencies. The lack of basic process and professionalism from their team was appalling:

1. After leaving my information on website for 2 weeks, receiving no follow up other than spam emails.
2. I called to follow up, being instructed to leave only phone number.
3. Received texts from Esther Magna, the Principal MBA Admissions Consultant, requesting to email my information.
4. It took 5 emails between me and her to send the intake process and questionnaire with an editing date of 2014, mostly overlapping with one I filled out initially on their website.
5. No follow ups

They could be quite full for the round when I inquired, therefore having little interests for new clients. However, this is not an excuse for the gross lack of professionalism.

I chose to not work with them.

Christina is simply the best - I got admitted into 4/4 schools I applied to, including my dream schools: HBS, GSB, Wharton (with a 130k Lauder scholarship), and Columbia; and this is largely thanks to Christina.
Christina helped me put my best foot forward in all aspects of my application in ways I would have never been able to achieve myself and has an extremely deep understanding of what it takes to enter top MBA programs. She truly understood my profile's strengths and weaknesses and how to make the best of these in my application. She started by understanding me and what drove me, to help me craft a great, yet authentic application. She went above and beyond in terms of her engagement and dedication to my application, always going the extra mile and putting in the extra effort and hours to make sure that EVERY SINGLE element in my application thoughtfully reflected my profile in the best possible angle. Beyond helping me put forward my strengths, she also pushed me to work on the weaker points of my applications throughout our 8 months of work together. Though a combination of incredible intelligence, care, persistence, and honesty, she pushed me beyond what I expected was possible. Christina was EXTREMELY supportive and was a huge source of motivation throughout what can be a long and challenging process. Along the way, Christina also helped me learn more about myself and my life goals. I could not recommend Christina more highly - she is definitely THE consultant to work with. You will never regret working with her throughout your b-school application journey.

Worth every penny. I chose SBC after doing extensive research on top admissions consultants and felt like SBC was consistently getting the best reviews. I was hesitant to pay for the "all-in" service at first because the price tag was intimidating, but I don't regret a dollar spent. After my consultation with Sarah I was paired with Erika. Before meeting with Erika, I was told that if I didn't feel the match was best serving my application, I could switch consultants. SBC wants clients to feel comfortable with their match.

I soon learned that I absolutely did not want to switch consultants, because Erika is a rockstar. She is thorough, has a decade of experience, and most of all was truly invested in my success. Erika has a keen eye for detail and was able to expertly tease out the aspects of my background that would add to my application. Coming from a technical background, I had challenges articulating my professional experience for a broader audience, and Erika was hugely helpful in clarifying my role and responsibilities. She is also refreshingly candid with her advice. She gave me honest (sometimes hard to hear) feedback that allowed me to improve upon my application because she wanted me to succeed. She definitely knows what she's doing.

The Flight Test is also an awesome resource, as you are able to have your application vetted by former adcom members who have real experience looking at thousands of applications and can help you tighten or shift your story.

Although it's always difficult to feel confident in the crapshoot we call the MBA application process, I submitted my applications feeling confident that Erika and SBC had helped me portray myself and my vision in the strongest way possible. Ultimately I was accepted to Booth (with a substantial merit scholarship) and my dream program, Harvard Business School.

I had a wonderful experience with SBC. As other yelpers have mentioned, the process starts with a kick off call with one of the principals, who then suggests several consultants based off of the initial conversation. My first call was with Sarah, who did a great job matching me to Lisa as my primary consultant.

Lisa was WONDERFUL to work with! She broke down the process and setup a timeline. Lisa was extremely responsive to any question I had and always returned drafts to me in under 24 hours. She also always had something encouraging to say regarding everything from a sub-par GMAT attempt to eventually selecting an offer.

With the help of Lisa and my flight tester Caryn, I received offers from the three top programs I applied to and was awarded significant scholarships to two. Lisa believed in me, and helped me to put forth my best application. I would highly recommend her, and the SBC process, to anyone looking to work with a consultant!

I reached out to Esther only a few months before Round 1 applications. Despite being initially skeptical, I am SO HAPPY that I ultimately decided to go for it.

Dione was able to quickly understand my background, my story, and my future goals in order to help me craft a compelling application. She was incredible to brainstorm with and was always available to run through ideas or to answer my (many) questions. She helped me edit all of my essays up until I felt they were truly exceptional, and she was fantastic as keeping these concise, to the point, but still genuine and authentic. I was truly impressed with her work and extremely confident with my applications.

Before deciding to go forward with SBC, I had initial talks with numerous other consulting firms. SBC stood out because of the matchmaking process, the entire team's efforts toward your final application (through their helpful flight test), and their resources. I received interviews at 5 of the 6 schools I had applied for, and the SBC interview resources helped tremendously with my interview preparation.

In addition, I'd like to add that the team at SBC was genuinely so kind and it really felt like they were on my side in this process. I had lots of ups and downs while applying (personally and professionally!) and Dione and the team continued to be there to cheer me on and push me forward. I ultimately got accepted to my dream school and cannot recommend Dione and SBC enough!

Just received an offer from Kellogg!! I simply can't wait to share how much I appreciate the support from Alex and SBC!
My experience with SBC started with Sarah who demonstrated deep insights of the admission procedure. She was also able to point out a few areas that I need to work on in our very first meeting. Based on my personal background and target schools, she recommended Alex.
In addition to being professional on application, Alex is a strategic, organized and super responsive mentor. Working with him has been more than pleasant and beneficial. He guided me to set up the overall game plan and timeline, provided insider perspectives on my profile, and most importantly, helped me stand out among other candidates of some extremely competitive programs. His vast experience with past cases over the years also gave me unique angles to view certain challenges, and he went beyond expectation to answer any of my questions. Needless to mention, Alex has amazing editing skills and did a fantastic job translating my engineering achievements into the language of business.
I would also thank Caryn for the flight test, an assessment with a former admission officer. Based on her feedback, I was able to work with Alex to address some of the concerns that might be raised during the actual admission procedure.
Overall, I would highly recommend Alex and SBC!!!