Erika

Consultant

Stacy Blackman Consulting

United States

Net Promoter Score: 9

Consultant Bio

Erika received her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she also served as an HBS Admissions Ambassador. She earned her BBA (with high distinction) at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and spent the first two years of her undergraduate studies in University of Michigan’s Honors College, where she was named an Angell Scholar. In the spring of 2011 she was invited back to the Ross campus to help judge the undergraduate investment competition.

In addition to her admissions consulting work, Erika is a freelance writer who has written everything from corporate web site copy for design firms, to white papers and PowerPoint presentations for mutual fund corporations, to social media content and movie reviews for national DVD retailer Redbox. She is a board member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and attends movie screenings each week alongside the likes of Richard Roeper. What’s more, her first book, Zero-Sum Game: The Rise of the World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange, was published by Wiley in late 2010. It’s about the stranger-than-fiction multibillion-dollar bidding war that erupted for the Chicago Board of Trade while Erika was a Managing Director there. Erika’s thoughts on the exchange industry and mentions of her book have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and several other publications.

As the Managing Director of Marketing at the Chicago Board of Trade, Erika was not only taking down notes for her eventual manuscript, but also responsible for the exchange’s heavily trafficked web site, a multimillion-dollar advertising budget, and all product marketing materials. Further, she was selected by the CEO to be part of a small team dedicated to integrating the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s operations after the two companies agreed to merge.

Before joining the Board of Trade, Erika was the Vice President of Communications, Programs and User Experience at JPMorgan Chase. In this role she was responsible for the Commercial Banking division’s web site, as well as all marketing communications for Internet-based products and the company’s first-ever ethnographic customer research effort.

Prior to graduate school, Erika was an Internet strategy consultant and worked with clients in the financial services and pharmaceutical industries. She oversaw a five-continent, ten-country customer research project and opened the Chicago office for her Seattle-based firm.

Company Information

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.

Menu of Services and Associated Costs

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

Contact us to request a free MBA advising session with an SBC Principal. Just give us 15 minutes.

Location: United States

Phone: 866-667-8229

Email: info@StacyBlackman.com

Website: https://www.StacyBlackman.com

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P&Q Consultant Reviews

  • Choose Erika!!
    2 years ago
    I don't have a single regret about hiring Erika and wonder where I'd be today if I hadn't. I was nervous about the MBA application process and Erika, using her decade of experience, guided me through each component, expertly teasing out the aspects of my background in order to craft a compelling narrative. She is extremely thorough, knowledgeable, and professional. I also valued and depended on her frankness; I always felt that I received a completely honest and transparent opinion of my essays and other materials. Above all, I felt that Erika was truly invested in my success, which assured me that we were putting forth my best application. After many weeks of hard work with Erika, I was admitted to Booth and my dream ...
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    Class of 2024 Admit
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  • Erika Is Absolutely AMAZING!!!
    2 years ago
    Erika and I worked together for ~12 weeks toward one objective: get into my dream schools. She guided me from the application strategy, all the way to interview preparation. Her structured and detailed advice, combined with her decade of expertise, has given me absolute comfort throughout the application process. Erika portrayed the highest level of professionalism and approachability, and made sure that every minute spent with her is valuable (e.g., through very efficient email communication). I also ENJOYED working with Erika... I mean, she's super cool!! I would HIGHLY recommend Erika and SBC to any person applying for MBA -- it was such a great experience, AND I got into both HBS and SLOAN!!! (round 1)
    Class of 2024 Admit
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  • Erika Was AMAZING!!!
    3 years ago
    Erika was absolutely fabulous throughout the entire admissions process. From brainstorming what schools were the right fit for me, to helping me decide which school was the best fit after acceptance, she was always there! I applied to HBS, GSB, Wharton, and Sloan and she was able to navigate the intricacies of each application. Her methodical process had me well prepared for the madness of application season and I never felt overwhelmed because of it! She very effectively utilized all the tools of the broader SBC such as the flight test and knew exactly when and what to look for. Terrific with the small details as well. Such a nice person too and a real pleasure to work with. I wish I could put six ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Erika & SBC Are Fantastic!
    3 years ago
    Erika is an absolutely terrific consultant, resource, and all-around person, and I could not be happier with my experience. I worked with her on all three of my MBA applications – GSB, HBS, and Wharton – and was admitted to all three schools. To be clear, I haven’t done anything world-changing to warrant that track record… I have a pretty traditional finance background. But Erika has an amazing ear for stories and a gift for drawing out the personal side of applicants, which is so critical to the process. After a lot of digging, she gave me the confidence to write about topics that I initially thought wouldn’t be “high impact” enough to include on my application. (While also kindly but firmly dismissing loads of ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Erika Is A True MBA Guru!
    3 years ago
    I worked with Erika in the 20-21 admissions cycle on applications for top MBA programs as a traditional applicant - despite the risky strategy, Erika helped me feel confident in each step of my journey. She called BS on an initial essay idea and helped me craft it in an authentic yet compelling way. She answered all the small and detailed questions, often leveraging the entire team at SBC to give me the most accurate and recent data possible. She gave me expert copy/editing advice, calling out what's confusing or redundant. Most of all, she helped provide an objective perspective on what key moments were worth telling in the apps vs. not. Thanks to her help, I got into my dream school, and thanks to ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Erika Is A Rockstar
    3 years ago
    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 ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Enjoyed Working With Erika
    3 years ago
    Erika was a phenomenal resource throughout my application process. She spent the time listening to and understanding my experiences and helped me translate these into compelling stories. I especially wanted to hire a consultant given what I felt like was my typical background post-college. By the time I had finished my application, I realized that there was a lot more to my story than I had originally anticipated. I'm not sure I would have gotten there without Erika's help.
    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Awesome SBC Experience
    3 years ago
    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 ...
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    Franklin Yu
    MBA Class of 2023 Admit
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  • Erika Is Incredible
    3 years ago
    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, ...
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    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Professional Editor Integral To My Application Process
    3 years ago
    Erika was wonderful to work with, providing comprehensive advice and support from the beginning of the process to the end.  Erika's background as a writer and editor was clear in the insightful edits and thoughts she offered on my personal statements that went so much further than just superficial grammar/syntax. She had such a clear view of the big picture and helped me tease out my true story and helped me tell it in the best way possible, leaving me confident I was putting my best foot forward in my application.  Her advice was integral to me receiving not just admission to Wharton and CBS, but merit aid as well. I would not have been able to do this without her insight and experience in helping me tell ...
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    Class of 2023 Admit
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  • The Elite Admissions Consultant
    4 years ago
    I enlisted Erika’s help for 1 H/S school application (end-to-end) and I wholeheartedly recommend her. Certain qualities of Erika particularly stand out to me: - Erika has unparalleled insight into the admissions system. I was both a conventional and unconventional applicant, with certain elements of my profile that really required some thoughtful consideration to convey. Erika was masterful in handling these aspects - she knew exactly how to communicate these to the AdCom and how they would be perceived - Erika's system of feedback via email is superb - all communication after the initial call is done via email/comments on documents. This is hugely helpful - it saves a significant amount of time, and Erika ensures all her comments are captured with rich detail. She is extremely responsive ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • A True Partner In The Process
    4 years ago
    I first reached out to Erika for help in putting together my "story". On my own, I would have been much more risk-averse in my essays, and would likely have had a very run-of-the-mill application that would go unnoticed by AdComs. Working with Erika gave me the confidence to put myself out there and tell a more genuine and meaningful story through my essays. I was able to bounce ideas off of Erika, and she'd be very direct and honest--she has no problem saying "sorry, but nope, this doesn't work". But eventually, we got to a point where she'd say "you hit on exactly what they are looking for." My essays were quite deep and personal, and something I wouldn't have felt comfortable submitting on ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Erika is Excellent- Couple Who Applied Together
    4 years ago
    We have, and will continue to recommend Erika to anyone who can afford this service. Working with her offered a real advantage in this process as she kept us organized and helped craft our application. She did an excellent job of getting to know us and providing invaluable guidance on how we tell our stories to fit what each school was looking for. A couple points to note (highlights for us): ⁃ Erika is really honest. She gets straight to the point and will not hesitate to provide direct feedback. Her feedback is always constructive. ⁃ Erika is also really kind. She invested in us and we both felt that she was pulling for our success. She engaged in our stories, both individually and as a couple. ⁃ She looks at the ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Great Experience Working with Erika!
    4 years ago
    I truly enjoyed working with Erika on my business school applications and am so glad I chose to work with her and the rest of the SBC team. Given that I was coming from an over-represented field, I wanted to work with a consultant who would take the time to help me comb through my story and help me cherry-pick the most compelling aspects of my candidacy. Erika was truly helpful in that regard. She provided invaluable advice and recommendations for the entire application process - from formatting tips to interview insights, she always had an answer for my questions, responded quickly and thoroughly, and most importantly, helped me "get out of my own head" and assemble 2 applications to my dream schools with confidence. ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Highly Recommend Working with Erika at SBC!
    4 years ago
    Coming from an over-represented career background with a relatively “blend” personal story, I knew that an outstanding personal essay would be the key component of my application package. Seeking professional help, I chatted with quite a few MBA consultants before making a decision, and Erika stood out within the 5 minutes of our first conversation. And as it turned out, my first impression of Erika was right - she was highly professional, experienced, and absolutely fantastic to work with. At the beginning of our cooperation, Erika spent a significant amount of time understanding my background and helping me look for the unique personality traits and anecdotes that could differentiate myself from other qualified candidates. This self-reflection process has proved helpful in essay brainstorming and writing ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • The Real HBS Guru!
    4 years ago
    I reached out to Erika after hearing amazing reviews from two friends who both worked with her and ultimately ended up getting into Harvard Business School. I couldn’t be happier that I did decide to touch base with her, working with Erika was one of the best decisions I’ve made! The care, guidance and attention I received from her during my MBA application process were exactly what I hoped for! She provided candid feedback throughout the process, helped me to shape and stay on a timeline, and assisted with laying out a clear vision for how an MBA would help me to achieve my long-term goals. I have absolute trust in her ability to guide candidates through the oftentimes intimidating process of applying to business ...
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    Class of 2022 Admit
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  • Erika is Amazing!
    4 years ago
    Working with Erika and the SBC team was one of the best decisions I made. Going into the application process, I had my eyes on only one program that I felt was within my range. After talking with Erika, I decided to shoot higher for the top tier schools. Erika's thorough approach got the best out of me for my resume, and her advice helped me convey my true self to the admissions committees. She helped me tailor my application for each school I was applying to, prepared me thoroughly for my interview, and kept me on schedule during a hectic application season with her gentle reminders. She remained in my corner as the decisions came out, including the inevitable dings, and her encouragement helped ...
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    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Personable, Knowledgeable & Extremely Helpful
    5 years ago
    Applying to the top 5 MBA programs and coming from a fairly traditional financial background, I knew I would need to differentiate myself through my story in my essays. I enlisted Erika for this exact reason, and she was able to help me execute on this. Erika will push you to craft your own ideas, which allows you to take ownership of your essays, but will provide necessary commentary to turn your ideas into a thoughtful story that tactfully addresses the essay question. She was very helpful in streamlining my essays to actually get to the point, while leaving an impression on the reader. I would definitely recommend Erika to anyone applying to top MBA programs, who sometimes struggles with expressing themselves via writing! Erika ...
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    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Thank You Erika at SBC!!!
    5 years ago
    I was very lucky to work with Erika at SBC on my HBS application this year and couldn’t be more pleased with the process. I’m sure each applicant struggles with information overload when applying to MBA programs – there are many (and often conflicting) opinions available online that can over-complicate the application process. I found Erika’s approach to be extremely thorough yet efficient, which was particularly valuable given I was applying from a finance job that didn’t leave a lot of time for second-guessing my application materials and approach. Erika has a gift for quickly internalizing your “story” and nuanced qualities of your overall applicant profile and helping you highlight elements that you may otherwise overlook or take for granted. This fresh, focused perspective really helped ...
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    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Working w/ Erika at SBC!
    5 years ago
    I was on the fence about hiring an admissions consultant. With so much information available online, it seemed like it may have been unnecessary. I ended up getting an all-in package from SBC and working with Erika and I am so glad I did. Erika did a great job of helping me tell my story in a unique and creative way that brought success. I got into every school that I worked with Erika on (HBS, Kellogg, and Wharton), and the insights she shared were helpful for other schools as well. I cannot speak highly enough about Erika, and my only regret would be that I did not enlist her help earlier in the process.
    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Review of Erika & SBC
    5 years ago
    I worked with Erika on Round 1 applications for the Class of 2021. Coming from a military background, I didn’t know what schools were looking for or how to speak about my background in a way that would make sense to the admissions committees. Erika’s perspective was invaluable in helping me create a personal brand that resonated with the schools I applied to. She not only helped me translate professional jargon into a language understood by the adcoms, but she also highlighted many skills and experiences that I had but took for granted, having only worked around military colleagues my whole career. Erika was an excellent sounding board for essay ideas and gave me candid feedback on which ones to discount and which to run ...
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    Class of 2021 Admit
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  • Working with Erika at SBC
    6 years ago
    Starting the application process, I was daunted by the challenge of applying to eight schools (all top ten) while trying to figure out how to make my profile stand out in a common and competitive applicant demographic. I started working with Erika at SBC, and was immediately impressed with how efficient she made the process, and how insightful her feedback was. Erika was quickly able to help me focus on the key stories from my professional and personal experiences that would differentiate me. As we progressed through all the applications, I had peace of mind in knowing that with her guidance, I was writing essays that would resonate with the admissions committees. Ultimately, I was accepted to five out of eight schools (Booth, Columbia, Sloan, ...
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    Class of 2020 Admit
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  • Working with Erika
    6 years ago
    I worked with Erika for admission to the Class of 2020 R1. I started working with Erika in January. She was absolutely great as a resource and just a great partner to bounce ideas and issues off of. The application process is filled with self-doubt and uncertainty and she was a steady hand throughout the process. She helped me go over career decisions as it related to the MBA process. On the application side, she helped me pull the most authentic and effective stories for my essays. She was also extremely personal and gave me vacation tips when I visited Bali. She was a pleasure to work with but kept it real. If something I wrote or said was negative, she didn't hesitate in letting ...
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    Class of 2020 Admit
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  • Review of Erika at SBC
    6 years ago
    I considered Stacy Blackman, Veritas, and MBA Mission before choosing an all-in package. I read extensively online and held phone screens with each before making my selection. After applying during the R1, I am incredibly glad that I chose Stacy Blackman. I highly recommend SBC’s all-in package and specifically have wonderful things to say about Erika. One of the primary reasons I was initially drawn to SBC is because they let you choose your own advisor, who you work with across all schools/applications, while the advisor will thoughtfully bring-in school-specific experts when necessary. By the time you decide to apply to b-school, your job experiences, grades, and extra curriculars are all set, so the advisor’s primary goal is to help you craft your story. Besides her impressive ...
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    Class of 2020 Admit
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  • Review of Erika (SBC)
    7 years ago
    I worked with Erika at SBC, had a fantastic experience, and recommend her with the fullest enthusiasm! Despite feeling prepared, I wanted some support from an impartial but expert source to ensure my applications were strong. Erika provided hourly advice for my applications to 2 schools, and I couldn't be more thankful for her help. I was admitted to both schools and will be attending HBS in the fall. There are many reasons why Erika was a huge help, but I found three things to be the most helpful. 1. She will save you time and keep you on track: Having someone to be accountable to will inherently help you meet and keep deadlines. But Erika added value beyond this. First, she ensures very quick ...
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    Class of 2019 Anonymous
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  • Working with Erika at Stacy Blackman Consulting
    7 years ago
    I worked with Erika at SBC and was admitted to both Harvard and Stanford in Round 1! I spoke with many services before selecting SBC for their honesty, professionalism, and straight-forward advice. Most importantly, I felt comfortable with Erika and sharing my perceived strengths and weaknesses. The business school application process can feel like a black hole that you're stuck in for upwards of half a year. Not only do you need someone with years of tangible experience and best practices to help you position your resume, essays and recommendation letters in the best light, but you also need someone who understands the full weight of the process to keep you above water. Throughout the application process, Erika was not only a fantastic consultant who ...
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    Class of 2019 Anonymous
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