Bill (SBC) Reviews

Bill was very insightful on what it takes to get into the MBA program at Ross. With his advice, I was able to know myself better and know the program better. That allows me to put together a compelling application. When it comes down to preparing for my interview, it was very helpful to have a mock interview with Bill. Bill was very helpful with what I should improve on with my interview responses and strategies. Finally, during the entire application process, Bill was always very encouraging, and he always responded to my email quickly. I would recommend Bill to anyone who is seeking MBA admission consultation.

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SBC lived up to its reputation as a premier MBA admissions consulting service. I really enjoyed working with Bill. I thought he was practically lying to me at first when he said he could help get me in to all the schools that I wanted to apply to. Not only did I get accepted to all the schools in which I applied, 3 of the 4 extended me some sort of fellowship or graduate assistantship offer!

If you’re thinking about using SBC but are concerned about cost, you need to recognize the potential ROI. From re-working my resume to editing my essays, I’m not sure if I would have even received an interview if it weren’t for Bill’s assistance. He not only helped me from an applications material standpoint, but also taught me quite a bit about an MBA in general and how that will ultimately shape my career. Just keep in mind that this service is only as good as you allow it to be. You have to put in the work and be willing to accept the feedback that you receive, even if it is not what you want to hear.

I am more than willing to answer questions anyone may have regarding my experience with SBC.

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I read all the reviews, talked to Esther at SBC and did a lot of research on SBC before hiring them. They have been around longer than almost any other firm, so that helped boost my confidence. Still I was nervous about making a mistake - wasting my money or worse - just getting bad advice and really screwing up my application. When I started working with Bill I quickly felt calm because he was so NICE, and knowledgeable, and in general everyone on that team was so helpful - I always felt that I could turn to someone. And I did many times, when I had a panic about one particular essay, or how to handle a school visit, or the follow up after a weird alumni interviewer. My skepticism has turned to belief as the system worked for me! YEAH! I grew a lot through this process and credit Bill and SBC with guiding me on a journey that in many ways was valuable even if I did not get into a top school. Thankfully I DID get into a great school which of course was the whole point. These are good people who want to help and have a ton of knowledge which allows them to be effective. Bill was so responsive and smart. He eliminated my indecision and helped steer me towards success. NYU Stern here i come. Thank you.

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In a nutshell - I highly recommend Stacy Blackman Consulting to any individual who is truly serious about getting into a great school. I spoke with five different firms and asked every question I could think of. Stacy Blackman was so buttoned up and professional and at the end of the day the only one who said - "hire us for a couple of hours and see how it goes". They were willing to prove their value. I was sold after one hour, my consultant helped organize me and put things into perspective. I then hired them for 3 schools. Money well spent. I now had an expert at my fingertips. Every question, every fear, I could discuss with someone who had seen and done it all. Bill was amazing as a resource and a friend in many ways. He knows more about me now than many close friends. He put me at ease and made me feel comfortable that we could work through all the parts of me and pull together a package that would really represent me. I am in to my number one and all I can say is....THANK YOU BILL. THANK YOU Stacy Blackman.

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I was not sure if I wanted to get an admissions consultant initially. However, I had signed up to be on SBC's mailing list, and their weekly emails always had great advice. So, I decided to get their help in preparing my application for NYU Stern. I was paired with Bill who was incisive in telling me how I should craft my story. Bill was prompt, insightful and a source of great help and guidance for me through the process of writing essays. He was frank and prompt with feedback, and without his assistance, I don't think I would have been admitted. Thanks Bill!

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I begin my consultant search by calling the free consultation that most consultants offer. In the call, a lot of them are very quick to point out that my academics would be my biggest obstacle to my Stern MBA pursuit and that I have to take some other finance/accounting classes before my application to show the admissions that I am serious about my MBA pursuit. They also recommended me to get the 1 school package for unlimited help.

I am skeptical of their assessment until I talked with Bill Chionis from Stacy Blackman Consulting. He walked me through the process of the optional essay to address my undergrad mishap. He also provided a lot of pointers to brush up my resume and essays. Finally, he assure me that my application to Stern would go smoothly because I have strong working experience. The most amazing thing is that he did all of the above in 5 hours.

To nobody’s surprise, I got accepted to Stern. To me, Bill’s work demonstrate what a good consultant should possess: a working knowledge of what admission officers are looking for, quick responses when you need some pointers and most importantly, confidence in the client he is working with. For that reason, I would highly recommend Bill for your MBA pursuit.

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I cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am that I had the opportunity to work with Bill Chionis. We connected immediately, he was patient, diligent and his insights were critical at every step of the process.

I was an untraditional applicant, with an entrepreneurial background. Bill's positive attitude and confidence helped put my mind at ease from the beginning, as I was unsure of the process.

I opted for a 3- school comprehensive service (all-in) and Bill supported me from essays to interview. He also provided me with observations into the programs I was considering and also encouraged me to expand my search.

Bill played an integral role in guiding me through the process of successfully crafting a genuine, powerful and unique collection of essays. He provided me with great tips in selecting the best topics and situations for the essays. He was always responsive and available.

I found the "Flight Test" to be very constructive: a SB team member (not your consultant) reviewed the application simulating the admission committee of the top school of your choice. I found the feedback to be valuable, allowing us to fine tune the application in preparation of submission.

Next was the interview prep, which I felt I was going to be a breeze as I get the opportunity to speak in front of large groups frequently. I underestimated the importance of preparation for this section and immediately Bill recognized that I did not practice or prepare, but he assisted me in refining my responses and transitions, while helping me find my pace Bill again provided great tips, precise feedback and to account for variables.

I believe the quality of support that Stacy Blackman provided was excellent. Thanks to the passion and wisdom Bill brought to the process, it allowed him to be prepared for any possible situation. Bill was an incredible resource to me throughout the application process. He saved me an enormous amount of time and stress, he was a trusted advisor. Having Bill as a resource provided me with the ability to focus on the important aspects of my applications and was critical in my success. To anyone looking for an MBA admissions consultant with proven results, I highly recommend SBC and Bill Chionis.

I am forever grateful to Bill and SB for helping me gain acceptance into my dream school.

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Hi all,
I was a little skeptical initially about signing up for a consulting service and I tried to do the application process on my own. Later on I realized that the process was taking a lot of time and I was not confident that my application can stand out in the crowd.
I set up a free consultation with Bill Chionis of stacy blackman. After the initial talk , I came to know how I should redraft my resume to highlight my strengths. Then I set up hourly services to go over the essay topics and application process. Bill was very patient, professional and extremely supportive. He guided me to bring the best out of me to the application. My general advice to all future applicants is to go for a consultant. The consultant is very well experienced in this process and he can elevate your essays to the next level and provide you with realistic feedback. I noticed every time I got my essays reviewed that I am able to project myself better.
One more point is when you work all alone, you may not be aware of what others are doing and how much is the competition in terms of ideas and personal strengths. A consultant like Bill can always point out the comparative weakness and strengths in your profile and identify the ways to compensate for your weakness.
A consultant may not be able to land you in harward if you are a dumb ass but he can polish your profile, highlight your strengths, smoother out your dark areas and may unexpectedly bring out previously ignored aspects of your personality into the game. All these will help you to stand out and give you a better chance to your dream schools. I got admitted to all my dream schools and Bill has helped me in all aspects I mentioned above and I will give a five star rating to him and strongly recommend him to any future candidate.

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Bill was absolutely amazing. I purchased the hourly service (6 hours in total), and now I wish I worked with him for full service and for a longer time period – and that’s after getting into all the schools to which I applied. I was not the strongest candidate (gmat and gpa wise) but he was able to guide me through these challenges incredibly.

Bill tells you everything straight - which is what you need to hear. If you can't make realistic goals, then you probably shouldn't be applying to b-school. He worked on every data point and focused on what each school looked for in their applicants. This was crucial for the essays / interviews – displaying how you’re unique and how this uniqueness will benefit the school and how the school will help in nourishing your unique abilities.

Bill, to me, was very easy to get along with and also very available to all my questions/concerns. You will have to work hard, but he makes you work hard on the things that matter, so you don’t waste time with dead-ends or items the schools will not care about. I got into every school I applied to (3 U.S. News top 25’s) and definitely could not have done that without his guidance.

I am very glad to have worked with Bill. He was a definite stress reliever and believed in me more than I believed in myself.

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Just wanted to drop a note about what a fabulous experience it was working with SBC during my successful application for Kellogg Executive MBA program. Getting into Kellogg is a dream come true for me, and it simply wouldn't have happened without my consultant's support. I highly recommend them to anyone applying to Kellogg due to their intimate knowledge about the school, especially the Kellogg Executive MBA program. I was hesitant to engage an admissions consulting firm, as I did not see many testimonials for Executive MBA programs. My consultants lay my doubts to rest as they were very familiar with what it takes to build a solid application for experienced managers like myself. My ideas of how to answer the ten or so Kellogg essays were very different from what they suggested. Their explanation on how to answer these essays from the ad-com point of view was eye-opening for me and worth the cost of engaging them. I am certain that if I had written the essay questions without their assistance, I would not have been able to make a strong case for my candidacy.Not only did they work tirelessly to help me achieve my objective (my edited essays were always reviewed and returned with candid feedback within hours after sending them), they also drove me hard to self-reflect during the long discovery and essay-writing process. Although I did not like that upon my consultants' insistence I had to discard and rewrite an entire 1,000 word essay (I thought it was pretty good!), I trusted their judgement. They expertly guided me to highlight my strengths (work-experience) and to address the weak areas (low-GPA) of my candidacy and at the end of the day, that made the difference.

Thank you for offering such a valuable service. I look forward to a life changing experience at Kellogg.

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