*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Jillian thought she had the recommendation portion of her applications locked up. A few years into her career, she had in hand a strong recommendation from her current supervisor attesting to her leadership skills, and a former boss happy to emphasize her communication skills in a second recommendation.

Jillian was aiming for some top schools, and as she combed through the requirements for Harvard and Stanford GBS with her consultant, they found the catch. Each school asked for not one, not two, but three recommendations. Harvard simply asked for a current or recent supervisor to write one recommendation, and Stanford was a little more specific, asking for the third recommendation to come specifically from a peer and not a supervisor.

“But I work eighty hours a week!” was Jillian’s first reaction. “I’ve made sure to focus on my job the last few years and give it everything I’ve got- I barely have time for anything else so I’m not sure who to ask.” Jillian’s consultant first advised her to look at the problem the other way around: she already had two home-run recommendations ready, so this might be an opportunity to show off a side that hasn’t been showcased elsewhere in her application. They went through all the possibilities, from colleagues at her current and former companies, to her church volunteer work, to her Friday night bowling league.

What they found was Jillian had missed an answer that was right in front of her. At a previous position, she had worked extensively with a peer on several projects in a row, and in the process had become good friends outside of work, continuing their friendship even though both had moved on to other companies. Jillian hadn’t even thought of Grace as a peer anymore since they spent more time at the movies than working on spreadsheets nowadays, but of course Grace was delighted to write her recommendation, and was able to provide personal insight that even Jillian’s supervisors could not.

After digging deep for that third rec, Jillian felt great about sending off her applications to Harvard and Stanford, and as a result of her participation, Grace is now thinking seriously of going for her MBA as well.

Are you having trouble deciding who should recommend you for business school applications? Sign up for a free consultation to talk to one of our experts.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

This time of year we hear from many applicants who have ended up on a wait list for their top choice programs. For our comprehensive clients, wait list strategy is part of the all inclusive consulting package. We’re also available to help new clients on an hourly basis – go ahead and contact us to hear more.

Our comprehensive client Abhishek had selected Wharton as one of his “reach schools” out of a list that included Duke, North Carolina, and UT-Austin. He had a stellar academic record in his engineering program, and an interesting work trajectory. Abhishek started his career at a large multi-national IT consulting firm, and then took a position as the third employee at a start-up providing services to small businesses. The company grew and as their client base expanded Abhishek was able to increase his responsibilities rapidly into project management and client facing services.

Abhishek’s work experience helped him stand out from similar applicants, and his MBA plans were in line with his future goal to be a C-level executive at the company. However, Abhishek had a hard time with the GMAT and had only a 680. The quant and verbal sections were also a bit uneven, and despite taking the test several times Abhishek had been unable to crack the 80th percentile barrier that schools like Wharton prefer to see.

Though Abhishek’s GMAT was lower than the mean for Wharton and many of his other target schools, we thought his excellent GPA and interesting work experience would be enough to get him a close read from the admissions committee. As results came in, Abhishek was admitted to UT-Austin, Duke, and wait listed at Wharton. Because Wharton was his top choice, and the reach school, Abhishek decided to remain on the wait list and see if it would come through.

Wharton specifically discourages additional information from wait listed candidates. Therefore we did not put together a wait list letter or seek additional recommendations to bolster Abhishek’s case. It was clear that Abhishek’s lower than average GMAT was likely causing question on his candidacy and making it difficult to choose him over similar candidates with stronger scores. Since this was such a clear weakness in his application, we encouraged Abhishek to take the test again after changing his study approach (he used a tutor who designed a personalized plan to address his specific issues). Though Wharton wouldn’t accept additional materials, they would see his improved GMAT score when it was officially submitted at the test site.

Abhishek successfully increased his score to 710 by focusing on some of his test anxiety. Later in the summer he was offered a spot in the Wharton incoming class and he decided to take it.

Though we can never know if his improved GMAT score was the reason Abhishek made it off the wait list he was glad to have taken concrete steps to improve his chances.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Natasha wanted to apply to Stanford, her dream school, but was intimidated by the acceptance rate below 10%. When she initially met with us to talk about her candidacy, she wanted to find schools that she felt more comfortable attempting. Though Stanford is a reach school for most candidates, we advised Natasha that it was worth aiming high for Stanford, as part of a strategy that included other schools that might be more realistic.

In Natasha’s case she overestimated her competition and underestimated herself. Natasha had an interesting career as an international banking associate working in the oil and gas industry across Russia and the Middle East. Her experience was diverse, and fed directly into her future career goal to expand alternative energy solutions while partnering with governments around the world. Natasha’s academic credentials were stellar, with a 3.7 GPA and 730 GMAT and she had a long list of volunteer service projects both during undergrad and beyond. In short, Natasha was exactly the kind of well-rounded and interesting candidate a school like Stanford likes to admit.

In discussing Natasha’s misgivings about aiming for a school like Stanford, she expressed that the competition must be very stiff and she imagined Princeton grads with Goldman Sachs pedigrees as the ideal candidate for the top tier programs. While certainly those candidates are part of the pool and can offer compelling cases for admission, there is no such thing as a “perfect” MBA applicant. Women applicants, in particular, often downplay their strengths and ability to perform in an MBA environment. Self-awareness is a key attribute of successful business leaders, but the ability to take a chance and aim for a long shot can also bring results.

In the end Natasha was admitted to Stanford, as well as INSEAD and Chicago. She told us that even without such amazing results, she was glad that she had not rejected herself from her “dream school” before the school had a chance to make a decision on her admission.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

MBA programs want to admit applicants who they believe will make optimal use of the degree to achieve their professional goals. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to show in all aspects of your application that an MBA will take your career to the next level. Most candidates understand the need to explain why an MBA makes sense in the context of overall career goals, but how do you explain the career stumbling blocks and setbacks that are often part of working life?

Our client Dwayne had performed incredibly well in his work as a marketing professional. He had been promoted rapidly to Manager at his agency, and was sponsored by management for a leadership program. About a year before Dwayne wanted to apply to MBA programs his company went through substantial layoffs, and Dwayne decided to take a voluntary separation agreement and remain on as a contractor for a few months. In the meantime, he took the opportunity to pursue his long-term career goal in non-profit management and decided to focus his time on his volunteer activities and applying to school.

Right before applying to UCLA, Kellogg, Darden and Yale, Dwayne landed a position that was a reduction in title to Coordinator, but which allowed him to gain experience at a large national non-profit organization. Dwayne was excited about the opportunity, yet concerned about how the move would look to MBA programs.

We focused on how Dwayne responded to the layoffs at his agency with optimism and goal orientation. He was able to highlight his volunteer experience and what it taught him about his goals and working with others, and also we briefly mentioned the new position. Most importantly we explained the step back in title in detail and why this was the right move for Dwayne despite his five years of work experience in Marketing.

When Dwayne received his results he was excited to be admitted to Kellogg and Yale, and only faced the tough decision about which top tier program he wanted to attend.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Reza had the luxury of time to plan for his MBA after he called for an initial consultation with Stacy Blackman Consulting in his senior year of college. He was planning to start an analyst position at Morgan Stanley. Reza knew that the competition among his cohort would be fierce, and he wanted to make sure he was thinking of ways to enhance his candidacy as he started his career.

Reza was specifically concerned about maintaining his extracurricular activities with a demanding work schedule. During college he had led an organization that mentored local high school students and was involved in a cultural organization on campus. We advised him that maintaining these interests over the next few years would be a great way to show consistent involvement, interest and leadership. Reza joined a similar cultural organization in his city and encouraged his college alumni association to start a high school mentoring program.

When Reza started working with Stacy Blackman Consulting on his application three years later. As part of the cultural organization he had spearheaded a community outreach event and subsequently was elected to a board position where he continued to find ways to engage with the community. As the leader of his alumni mentoring program Reza had been part of helping dozens of high school students with college applications. These accomplishments were impressive and a great part of a compelling application strategy for Reza’s target programs.

Many applicants we work with wonder how someone can have strong volunteer experience with very limited time outside of work. Reza was able to maximize his time by building on his previous experiences in college. Because he had experience to bring to both organizations he focused on making a large impact with less hours. He delegated many responsibilities to other team members and conducted most of his work over email and phone to manage his schedule. Though Reza didn’t spend hours a week volunteering, he had a great track record of community involvement that was more than enough to help him gain admission to Columbia.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

George was thrilled to be admitted to his safety school, UT Austin.  However he was truly excited about Berkeley Haas, his top choice.  When he received a waitlist decision from Haas he wasn’t sure how to proceed.  He asked us if he should take the UT Austin or hold out for Haas on the waitlist.

The waitlist can be a frustrating outcome for any MBA applicant because there is little certainty about the outcome.  Of course many applicants are admitted from the waitlist, but sometimes with only a few weeks notice before classes begin.

The first thing we advised George to do was send in two updates to Haas.  He had recently been promoted to Manager and had received a leadership award at work.  George wrote up both accomplishments in a brief email to the admissions committee and settled in to wait for a result.  Second, we advised George that it would be smart to think of Plan B as he waited.  There is no guarantee on a waitlist, but there is hope.

Fortunately George already lived close to Austin and could start making his plans to attend UT as he waited.  Because he hadn’t heard from Haas by the time he needed to send in a deposit to hold his place at UT, George decided to move forward with the deposit and lose the money if he needed to withdraw at the last minute.

As the summer began and he still hadn’t heard from Haas, George decided to commit to attending UT Austin and withdrew from the Haas waitlist.  He was increasingly happy with UT as he met his future classmates and contemplated the virtues of in-state tuition.

Many applicants make a different decision, but George was satisfied with his choice.