Erika is a rockstar, through and through. She is a fantastic application consultant and can truly do it all. I worked with Erika as my primary consultant on a comprehensive two-school package as well as a-la-carte hours for a third school. It is obvious she cares deeply about you and her other candidates. Erika’s upfront work digging deep about you, your personality, your history, what makes you “tick”, etc. is incredibly thorough and makes her that much more effective throughout the application process. I applied to Harvard, Wharton, and Columbia and was ultimately admitted to Columbia — I attribute most of my success to Erika’s masterful work.  I would strongly recommend SBC, and particularly Erika, to anyone who wants a top-tier consultant to be admitted to a top-tier program!

As I wrap up my first year at HBS, I’m looking back with gratitude for the support of SBC and specifically my coach Joey. As a non-traditional applicant with a social impact background and future focus, I was greatly enjoyed Joey's expertise in helping me articulate my personal story and tailor it to each business school focus. As someone with a nonprofit background, the hourly support was a big investment for me, and Joey was very flexible in helping me maximize each minute of his assistance. Most of all, I appreciated having a supportive partner who gave honest feedback, held me accountable, and was a positive support along the at-times difficult journey. I could not be happier with my experience with Joey and would encourage you to sign up!

SBC and DeeDee were wonderful to work with! Starting out, they took great care to match me with DeeDee based on my background and school interests. DeeDee was extremely helpful in discussing my background, asking me thoughtful questions, and helping me to map out my professional and personal story. From this initial conversation, to helping to unpack open-ended or vague essay prompts, to providing feedback on language and which parts of my experience to highlight in the application, to final prep with the mock interview, I felt confident throughout the process with DeeDee's support. The SBC resources and process are also great to add structure to your preparation process and to provide access to a wealth of insight. You cannot go wrong with SBC and DeeDee!

Christine was the absolute best consultant I could have asked for! She helped me complete four Round 2 applications (Wharton, Booth, Columbia and Tuck) all in one month leading up to the holidays. I am happy to report that I was accepted to all 4 schools (including scholarships at both Wharton and Booth) and I couldn’t have done it without her! Christine provided thoughtful comments on my essays as well as a full detailed review of each application to ensure that my story had a good flow and that I wasn’t missing out on any opportunities to promote new or interesting aspects of my personality/background. From the very beginning, Christine hit the ground running with me and was extremely quick turning around comments, working with me right up until I hit submit on Christmas Eve. I recommend Christine to everyone who is considering applying for business school. She has a great sense of what each school is looking for and what makes each school unique. She also is an extremely nice and encouraging person and she makes you feel instantly comfortable to speak to – which is important given these b-school applications can be a very personal and introspective process (not to mention stressful). I loved working with Christine and felt her sincere happiness for me when I was accepted to each school – she even helped me assess the scholarships I was offered and think through making my final decision. Christine is the absolute best choice!

I worked with Erika throughout my admissions process applying to three different business schools. She helped translate my work and life experiences into a coherent and impactful admission essay that I could not have done on my own. She forced me to dig deep into the past through self-reflection so I could figure out what I wanted and why. Erika’s passion to help me find my why not only helped my application but also has me excited for the next chapter!   Working with SBC was a seamless process. I first interviewed with Esther, who helped identify a consultant based on my past experience. Shortly thereafter, I was connected with Erika who worked odd hours to make sure she was available to talk to me while I was working in a time zone with a 12 hours difference. Additionally, the flight test from a prior ADCOM provided a separate set of eyes that validated everything that Erika had recommended throughout the admissions process.  I would not have been accepted to my dream school without Erika’s help! I highly recommend her to anyone who plans on applying for an MBA program in the future.

I worked with Erika for two schools as a full package and then also engaged with her on an hourly basis for some other schools. She is absolutely amazing at her job. I got admitted to every business school I applied to (Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Haas) with significant scholarship money to both Haas and Yale. I do NOT have a background that is “I saved the world” or “I started a company that went public” or whatever it is that someone might expect given these results. I attribute my success to Erika helping me masterfully craft and share my honest story. Her upfront work in helping me reflect on what that story is/should be was incredibly valuable and then throughout the process she provided fast, direct, and impactful feedback on all aspects of my application. In general, SBC also makes the whole process seamless – from the “consultant matching” phase, the “flight test” (this is where another consultant at SBC who isn’t your primary advisor reads your entire application as if they were an adcom member and gives feedback. I had Kim for that and her comments were very helpful!) I considered a few different consultants before deciding on SBC/Erika and I am SOO glad I chose her. I felt completely supported throughout the whole process. I really don’t think I could have done it without her. If you’re reading this and making a decision about whether to use a consultant and which one, I would highly highly recommend SBC and especially Erika. (She also hosts their podcast ‘B-Schooled’ which I listened to a lot during the process and found to be quite helpful).

I enthusiastically recommend SBC overall, but if you’re applying to Duke Fuqua, do yourself a favor and specifically request Sherry to be your consultant! As a nontraditional applicant working in politics, Sherry helped me immensely with selecting schools to apply to, crafting the cleanest overall “Why Business School” narrative, and helping me balance personality and professionalism across the application. I applied in an intensely competitive admissions cycle and ended up getting waitlisted at Fuqua and two other schools. Sherry was an encouraging voice of reason and once again stepped in with the most helpful feedback. I ended up getting off the Fuqua waitlist in a subsequent round with a $70k Forte Fellowship/Scholarship! I truly couldn’t have made it through this admissions process without Sherry and am incredibly grateful for her and SBC!!!

Bill was fantastic! Bill first helped me define my professional story and through this process, I realized how much value my story and experience has. This served as the foundation for drafting my resume and essays for my applications. I gained confidence that I’m sure exuded in my interviews and communications with the various admissions committees and helped secure admission.  At first, I was hesitant to hire a consultant given the price, but it was worth every penny! Applying to four EMBA programs while working full time with two small children was quite ambitious but Bill helped me organize all my applications and stay on track! Through this process, I completed all my applications and was admitted to all four schools with scholarships from three.

I approached Dione with one target program in mind at my dream school in the USA – however as an international applying to a US advanced degree program, I knew it would be a tough and competitive process at an already highly selective school. I was also applying in one of the last rounds so I knew it was not going to be easy.  First off, Dione is very knowledgeable when it comes to the application process and the evaluation of candidates thanks to her background. She gave me candid feedback throughout the entire process and was my sounding board in drafting and articulating my story. She also asks very thoughtful questions to guide you in the right direction; for example, her feedback on my essays contained some of the most comprehensive comments I’ve ever received, down to even the smallest detail about my past work experience – however, this is exactly what you need to produce a high caliber application. She would also send me notes after our sessions so I knew what to focus on immediately after our calls.  Most importantly and what I think was the real key to my successful application is that Dione tells you the honest truth. I understand that the truth is not always what people want to hear but this is exactly why you need an admissions consultant like Dione as this was essential to avoid potential pitfalls in the application process. As you can imagine, each session was extremely efficient, productive, and filled with value-adding advice.  Dione provides very quick feedback and worked really hard to help me put my best application forward. She is extremely committed and I felt like she went over and above her remit. I am happy to say my application was successful and I am beyond grateful to Dione for all her help as it would not have been possible without her. I would absolutely recommend Dione to anyone and especially international applicants who really do need someone with her level of knowledge and expertise when it comes to US business schools and admissions.

When I decided to work with an MBA consultancy, I reached out to three top firms to find the best fit. From my initial call with SBC, it was clear that SBC was the right choice. The attention to detail, in-house talent, and level of commitment was immediately evident and unmatched. My matchmaker, Sarah, was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to understand my goals, expectations, and personality to ensure she paired me with the most compatible partner.  I can’t say enough good things about my experience working with my primary partner, Jessica. She is a Darden alum and former Darden Admissions Officer, and her familiarity with the program was particularly helpful, as Darden was my top school. Jessica’s expertise allowed her to provide an informed answer to every question I had, and she also utilized the SBC network to ensure a thorough, diversified perspective was always available for reference.  I opted for the “all-in” package for two schools and can sincerely say it exceeded all expectations. Jessica’s support and guidance through each and every step were invaluable, but what I appreciated the most was how dedicated Jessica was throughout the entire process and her genuine belief in my candidacy. She helped me better understand my own goals and pushed me to own and thoughtfully articulate my narrative. She is phenomenal at her job and an absolute joy to work with. Jessica and the support of the SBC team, including another talented former MBA Admissions Officer who conducted my flight test, were without question the key to my success during a highly competitive admissions cycle. I’m proud to share that I received scholarships to both schools and will be attending Darden in the fall. I cannot recommend Jessica and SBC enough!

I have definitely gotten the full experience with SBC and have been overwhelmed each step of the way. I worked with Caryn on my applications. Caryn is such a valuable resource when applying because she makes a very overwhelming process seem so simple. From our initial intro call, Caryn helped me layout an organized pre-application plan, advised me on recommenders and essay topics, collaborated on final essay and application versions, and answered any question that I had along the way. Caryn’s push to help me understand the “Why” of my application really made my application process smoother. It’s easy to think that “Why” is an easy question but Caryn clearly lays out how important that one question is in your application, essays, and interviews. I can promise Caryn will make your application experience infinitely simpler!

I’m an international applicant who is over 30 and comes from a non-feeder industry (non-IB or consulting). Before signing up to work with SBC, I also had calls with several other firms (Admissionado, Personal MBA Coach, Fortuna, among others). I decided to work with Margaret and cannot recommend her more highly. She knows all the top MBA programs inside out, doesn’t “market” herself, and always tells it as it is. During our initial call, unlike several other consultants, she didn’t encourage me to include schools outside of T10 in my application package and advised that I apply to just 3-4 schools, focusing on the quality of the stuff that I do (others recommended that I go for 6-8 schools). I added two more schools to the initial package of four in December as I still had time.  The results of my work with Margaret exceeded my expectations. Out of six schools, I applied to (5 with Margaret, 1 on my own, for which one Margaret still gave me insights), I received interview invites at five (four of them M7 schools!). I got admitted at Wharton, Booth, and Yale, and received some scholarship $ too! All of this in a year of COVID-19 with a surge in applications. Margaret’s guidance was instrumental in securing these admits.  If you’re hesitating over who to work with the way I did, think no more and just go with Margaret. She knows what schools are looking for, has a clear process in place, and has an answer to ANY question or concern you might have. Margaret is wise and has a great sense of humor, and this makes working with her a great pleasure. Special thanks to the rest of the SBC team I interacted with – Bill, my initial matchmaker, Beth, my flight tester, Anthony, Toni, Tina, Esther… Highly recommend!

When I decided to work with Stacy Blackman Consulting, I thought that they would assign me a consultant to help me with my MBA application. What I received instead was a true partner who genuinely believed in me, wanted me to succeed, and ensured that I was putting my best foot forward. I cannot emphasize enough how much Emily helped, both technically with the application, and emotionally as a coach. From day one, I could tell that Emily was genuinely excited about me as a person because she truly believed that I had the experiences and perspectives to craft a powerful application. At the same time, she was practical and honest: she understands the MBA application enough to be critical of every piece of the application in order to improve it. Some of my initial essay ideas were awful, and she was direct with her feedback. This perfect balance between believing in the outcome and remaining critical of each output was what made Emily an invaluable partner for this process. From the beginning, Emily got to know me holistically: my experiences, background, strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. She drafted a comprehensive strategy document, which helped so much for writing the packets to my recommenders explaining my motives for the MBA. I was also in a situation where I couldn’t get a recommendation from my current manager, so Emily helped me navigate that messaging and strategize the people to select for the recommendation to best cover my strengths and what admissions would want to know. My resume went through a thorough makeover with Emily, and her feedback on the essays were so insightful. She has an impeccable intuition for identifying what the essays are missing and being able to articulate them in a way that helps me act on that feedback. While she knew exactly what the story needed from a bird’s eye view, she could also easily jump into the details. She was so meticulous, culling out the smallest errors here and there, and always looking to make sentences and paragraphs flow more clearly and effortlessly. She never missed a detail. She also went above and beyond many times. For example, she looked up the classes that I mentioned in my essay and pointed out that one of the names was wrong. Because I was applying to the program from which she graduated, she also forwarded me information on the school and articles about classmates who made the career transitions that I hoped to make. When I procrastinated several weeks on my essays, Emily was there every day, reading and rereading through my revisions during crunch time. The application process is stressful, and I doubted myself many times, but Emily was always there to pull me out of my head and push me forward. Even after I had received my acceptance letter, Emily gave me thoughtful advice for the MBA program itself. I’m honestly not surprised because, after working with her, I’ve gathered that she is just that type of person: she will always help where she can and wants to see her clients succeed, whether it be in the MBA application or beyond. I couldn’t have imagined this application process without Emily because she is truly an expert at what she does. If you are lucky enough to work with Emily, you will definitely be in the best of hands.

I had the pleasure of working with Deanna after purchasing a set number of hours with the goal of entering an MBA program in the Fall of 2021. I was confident in my profile as an applicant, but I was aware of potentially weaker points where I required assistance. I interviewed five different MBA consulting companies in my search for support. I felt three were unrealistic with my goals and one never responded. I was immediately impressed with Stacy Blackman’s quick response and attention to detail from one of their principals, who corresponded with me via email promptly and answered all questions until pairing me with Deanna based on my target schools and goals.  I was feeling overwhelmed by the application process. I was furiously studying for the GRE, preparing to ask my recommenders, researching for essay prompt answers, and working full time as many applicants are during this process. Stressful! Then I had my first meeting with Deanna and I breathed a sigh of relief. Deanna was transparent, realistic, supportive, and most importantly, effective. Deanna carefully evaluated my profile and provided recommendations based on my strengths and areas for growth. Aside from Deanna’s impressive background and qualifications, her work ethic is unparalleled and her prompt responses were incredibly helpful for quick edits and questions throughout the day.  During my time with Deanna, we worked on my resume, essay edits, recommendation requests, and interview preparation. I applied to four schools and was able to accept an offer to my top school before the deadline to submit the fifth and interview with the fourth. I am grateful to Deanna and SBC for their support and effective guidance throughout this process. I am thrilled to attend my top choice in the Fall of 2021. MBA consulting firms are a huge investment and I recommend Deanna and SBC without hesitation.

Laura is absolutely fantastic! I went into the application process with a GMAT score I wasn’t thrilled about, so I knew I needed to make my application stand out as much as possible. Throughout the application process, Laura challenged me every which way and helped me tailor my resume and essays to showcase my strengths. Not only was I admitted to multiple programs, but I also received scholarship funds. I know for a fact that I would not have been as successful if I hadn’t worked with Laura. You can have the best resume and experience in the world, but if you don’t frame it correctly, you can leave things on the table.  The last thing I’ll say is I searched and met with multiple application consultants before finally selecting Laura as the person I wanted to work with. From my experience, many consultants are just worried about taking your money and don’t truly care if things work out for you. This is not the case with Laura. I could tell she cared from day one and was going to be a true partner in my application journey.  The application process is not something to be taken lightly and having Laura on your team is something I strongly recommend.

When I first contacted SBC, I spoke with Esther who paired me up with Jennifer after understanding my style and what I was looking for. I feel so lucky that she matched me with Jennifer.  I had previously worked with a different MBA admissions company who proved very unhelpful so I was nervous about paying for another but I am so glad I did.  Applying for business school can be an intimidating process but Jennifer broke it down and made it seem achievable. She helped me through the whole process - finding my story, choosing my recommenders, filling in the application form, practicing for interviews, and the waitlist strategy.  Jennifer helped me find my own voice by guiding me, rather than telling me what to write. I am from Europe and she helped me make that shine through in my application. She was always very quick to respond and a genuine pleasure to work with.  I also found working with the wider SBC team very easy. Caryn completed a "flight test" for me where she assessed my full HBS application. It was great having another pair of eyes on my application to spot any bits that I had missed being so close to it all.  I feel very grateful that I got into two of my dream schools - Wharton and HBS - and am very excited to start in HBS later this year.  I would 100% recommend working with SBC and Jennifer in particular!

An international applicant, I was looking for a consultant to help me navigate the process when applying to the HSW trinity (spoiler: interviewed at all 3 and got admitted to 2!). Before getting in touch with SBC, I actually spoke to a couple of other long-standing teams with good reviews, but there simply was no connection and the conversations felt rather transactional. Esther from SBC, on the other hand, was a breath of fresh air – genuinely invested and empowering from the very first minutes of our call. She then connected me with Jennifer who went to GSB, has experience in my industry, and (as I learned later) is highly professional and structured, yet creative and caring. Jennifer helped me not only to get through the applications and prepare for interviews, but also to actually enjoy this stage of my life (even with the pandemic raging on). Her advice and questions were always insightful and provocative, she both kept me on schedule and gave space when I needed to reflect further. Jennifer herself replied to all my queries within 24-48 hours. I would also strongly recommend taking advantage of the Flight Test (with Caryn) and mock TBD interview (with Meghan) that were part of the package and helped tremendously to get a fresh perspective. Free resources like the SBC newsletters and podcast (B-schooled with Erika) are a great bonus!

Alex is fantastic. Even after doing my own research, it was difficult to know where to begin. Alex helped me get everything on the table so that I could start constructing my story for the AdComs. He was extremely helpful in establishing a timeline to keep me on track and accountable. He’s also extremely familiar with how the AdCom of each school thinks and what they’re looking for, which helped me to uniquely tailor my essays for each school. He was a great sounding board for ideas as I was starting to write my essays, and helped tremendously as I sharpened and refined the final product. By the end, the quality of my application was far beyond what I would have been capable of producing alone.

You may have an amazing experience and earned your undergraduate degree from one of the top programs in the world, which I didn’t, but without Bill’s help, you may not stand a chance. I earned my B.A. degree with a major in Accounting from Jordan. I have great work experience, however a low GPA. I was applying to Wharton Business School for Executives for the 2021 entering class.  Application: Most of my work experience has been in consulting, so I can definitely appreciate and distinguish exceptional service from an average service. Bill is just beyond exceptional. Whether you ask for Bill’s advice during the day, night, or weekend, he will always respond and respond quickly! There is no step that I took in the application process without his advice or review. He will always help with pleasure and will always always always add value and make suggestions. You will never feel he just wants to get you off his shoulder and move on.  Essays: Bill took the time to look through my background in detail, laid out the plan and what to expect, provided detailed insight on each essay with examples, and helped me pick the best examples from my experience that would best tell my story. His final touches and suggestions to the essays were invaluable. After I finished each essay with him, I would roll my eyes and tell myself ‘wow, is that really my experience and essay?!’ Again, it is just how to articulate and present.  Interview: Bill prepared me for the interview in two one-hour calls. In the first call: Bill would go through what to expect and what the admission committee was looking for. He will hear you out and respond to these questions to provide you with feedback and comments. Then, I would go to practice and by the second call, he would make it just like a real interview! He will provide you with immediate feedback on each question and let you know how you can improve. The tactics and small hints and advice he provided me were crucial for my interview success. Again, in every interaction with Bill, you will feel the added value!  I always felt that Bill provided me with the best advice to ensure that I would get the best results. I really enjoyed working with Bill and not only is he an astute admission consultant but a great friend and mentor.  Personally, Bill is the only admission consultant that I would ever use to apply for an Ivy League school! I will absolutely recommend working with Bill if you are planning your next successful school admission.

Laura was such a help in crafting my story and guiding me throughout the whole admissions process. She works really fast and communicates extremely well. I relied on her most for editing my essays and asking for advice. I couldn't have done it without her. Worth every penny. You won't regret working with her.