What Stacy Blackman Consulting does

Stacy Blackman Consulting (SBC) is a privately held, founder-owned MBA admissions consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2001 by Stacy Blackman (Wharton BS, Kellogg MBA; previously founder of WebWisher.com, sold to The Knot in 1999). The firm serves individual applicants targeting elite MBA programs, with a cumulative base of 10,000+ successful placements across more than 30 countries and documented admits at every major US and international business school. SBC's primary customer segments include MBA applicants targeting top programs, reapplicants and candidates with non-traditional backgrounds, college students pursuing deferred programs (e.g., HBS 2+2), Executive MBA candidates, and underrepresented candidates including LGBTQ+ and first-generation applicants.

SBC's core product is the All-In Package, a tiered full-service engagement priced from $7,300 (1 school) to $18,500 (8 schools) that pairs each client with a dedicated primary consultant and bundles eight proprietary modules collectively marketed as the SBC System™, including the 360° Personal Orbit™ assessment, strategy development, marketing materials, the Flight Test™ AdCom-style application review, interview preparation, and decision navigation. All-In clients receive access to THE VAULT, a proprietary resource database of over two decades of sample essays, resumes, recommendations, and interview transcripts. Ancillary offerings include hourly consulting ($375–$395/hr), GMAT/GRE test prep ($275–$350/hr), the SBC Lab™ capstone development program ($1,250), MBA PreCheck background verification ($349), Plan Ahead early-stage counseling ($4,995), Financial Aid Advisory ($1,895), specialized HBS and Wharton interview prep ($625–$1,495), and 25+ digital strategy guides. In 2025 SBC launched the MBA Launchpad App, packaging 25 years of admissions outcome data into a self-serve profile benchmarking tool.

Revenue mechanics are consultative B2C inside sales: free advising sessions qualify prospects, followed by matchmaking with consultants based on candidacy strength, target schools, and availability, and close via the firm's website storefront. Pricing is publicly disclosed, payment plans are available for All-In packages, and all hours must be used within twelve months of purchase. Distribution is anchored by an owned digital stack including the B-Schooled Podcast, SBC YouTube channel, a content-rich blog with program Smackdowns, the SBC Newsletter, the MBA Launchpad App, and a recurring 'MBA Admissions: Strictly Business' column for U.S. News & World Report. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no institutional investors.

Name

Stacy Blackman Consulting

Legal name

STACY BLACKMAN CONSULTING, INC.

Website

https://stacyblackman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stacy Blackman Consulting is a Los Angeles-based, founder-owned MBA admissions consulting firm founded in 2001, serving individual applicants targeting elite business schools worldwide via dedicated-consultant packages, hourly services, and proprietary assessment tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Consulting Services (MBA Admissions)

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate & Professional School Admissions Counseling (MBA/MD/JD/MS) (EDANAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graduate & Professional School Preparation (EDALABAI), Personal Statement / Essay / Supplemental Writing Support (EDANAEAF), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

Keywords

• MBA admissions consulting
• Business school admissions
• MBA application strategy
• MBA interview preparation
• GMAT GRE test prep

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Comprehensive Consulting (All-In Package): Full-service MBA admissions consulting from strategy through interview prep with dedicated primary consultant. Pricing scales by number of schools targeted, ranging from $7,300 (1 school) to $18,500 (8 schools).
2. Hourly Consulting Services: Structured hourly packages for targeted help with essays, strategy, and application components. Packages include 2-hour ($790), 5-hour ($1,925), and 10-hour ($3,750) options.
3. Test Prep Services: GMAT and GRE tutoring with trial test review ($600 for 2 hours) and additional hourly packages ranging from $275-$350 per hour.
4. Flight Test Application Review: One-time application review by former admissions officer for $825.
5. SBC Lab Capstone Development: Structured 4-session program to help applicants architect and deliver signature MBA capstone projects for $1,250.
6. MBA PreCheck Background Verification: Background verification support service including offline review and 30-minute strategy call for $349.
7. Plan Ahead Package: Early-stage candidacy strengthening program for applicants 13+ months from application submission, priced at $4,995 with $995 credit toward future All-In purchase.
8. Essay Editing Services: Error-free guaranteed editing for MBA essays and application documents. Price varies by package.
9. Financial Aid Advisory: One-on-one consultation with financial aid advisor for admitted MBA students at $1,895.
10. Interview Prep Services: MBA interview coaching including mock interviews, feedback, and preparation. HBS-specific prep at $1,495, general All-In at $1,050, group sessions at $625.
11. Strategy Guides and Digital Products: Over 25 e-guides covering various aspects of MBA admissions process available through SBC Store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Stacy Blackman Consulting sells paid MBA admissions consulting services to individual applicants targeting top business schools. Core offerings include end-to-end application packages (The All-In Package), modular hourly consulting, GMAT/GRE test preparation, school-specific interview prep (including HBS and Wharton), essay editing, financial aid advisory, and proprietary diagnostic tools such as SBC Flight Test™, SBC Lab™, MBA PreCheck, and MBA Plan Ahead. The firm also distributes the MBA Launchpad mobile app for applicant profile analysis.

Product overview

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers a comprehensive MBA admissions consulting service centered on The All-In Package—a unified, end-to-end engagement model featuring a dedicated primary consultant and eight core modules including personal assessment, strategy development, application marketing, Flight Test review, interview prep, and decision support. The portfolio includes supplementary hourly and a la carte services covering test prep, essay editing, SBC Lab project development, MBA PreCheck background verification, Financial Aid Advisory, and specialized interview preparation for HBS and Wharton. Supporting resources include the MBA Launchpad App for profile analysis, the B-Schooled Podcast, and THE VAULT—a proprietary resource database of sample essays and school guides accessible to All-In clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The All-In Package: Comprehensive end-to-end MBA admissions consulting engagement including personal strategy, essay development, application review, interview prep, and decision navigating.
• SBC Lab
• SBC Flight Test
• MBA Launchpad App
• Financial Aid Advisory

Products and services

• The All-In Package

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% 5-star review rate on MBA Insight with 137 reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Unnamed Nonprofit Partner 1minorOthersNational partnership with a leading nonprofit organization serving first-generation college students, people of color, and students from lower-income backgrounds. SBC provides MBA admissions guidance support.
• Unnamed Nonprofit Partner 2minorOthersNational partnership with a leading nonprofit organization serving first-generation college students, people of color, and students from lower-income backgrounds. SBC provides MBA admissions guidance support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• mbaMission: mbaMission is a leading MBA admissions consulting firm founded by a former HBS AdCom, offering application strategy, essay editing, and interview preparation. Closely comparable to SBC's positioning in the M7-targeted admissions market.
• Veritas Prep: Veritas Prep combines MBA admissions consulting with GMAT/GRE test prep, overlapping SBC's service portfolio. Comparable business model with both bundled and standalone admissions offerings.
• Fortuna Admissions: Fortuna Admissions is a boutique MBA admissions consultancy with former AdCom consultants, focused on top-tier MBA program placements. Direct competitor offering similar comprehensive application and interview prep services.
• Admissionado: Admissionado is an MBA and graduate school admissions consulting firm with former AdCom consultants serving applicants targeting top programs. Direct competitor in the same premium MBA admissions niche.
• The MBA Exchange: The MBA Exchange is an MBA admissions consulting firm offering application strategy and essay development for top-program applicants. Direct competitor in the US MBA admissions services market.
• Stratus Admissions Counseling: Stratus offers MBA admissions counseling with former admissions officers, focused on Ivy and top-tier MBA placements. Comparable boutique positioning and consultant-led delivery model to SBC.
• Accepted: Accepted is a long-standing MBA admissions consulting firm offering similar end-to-end application support, essay editing, and interview prep. Direct competitor to SBC across the All-In and hourly service tiers.
• Prep MBA: Prep MBA is a graduate school admissions consulting firm with packages across MBA, medical, and law school admissions. Overlaps SBC's MBA consulting service line with similar tiered package offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Manhattan Prep: Manhattan Prep is a larger test prep and admissions services provider, offering GMAT/GRE prep with MBA admissions consulting. Broader portfolio but overlapping MBA admissions and test prep service lines with SBC.

Others

• Poets & Quants: Poets & Quants is the leading MBA industry publication that ranked SBC #1 of 11 firms. An adjacent media and ecosystem player covering MBA admissions, programs, and careers — a content/credibility partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/stacyblackmanconsulting
• Xx.com/StacyBlackman
• Facebookfacebook.com/StacyBlackmanConsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stacy-blackman-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stacy Blackman Consulting