

B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit
Stacy Blackman Consulting, the leading MBA admissions consulting firm
B-Schooled: Get Your MBA Admit, a podcast from top MBA admissions consulting firm Stacy Blackman Consulting, covers all aspects of the MBA application and admissions process. We offer insight and advice on how to pull together your personal-best business school materials — and make the most of your time once you get on campus. We’ll occasionally hold interviews with current business school students and recent graduates, as well as other important players along a typical candidate’s MBA admissions journey.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 6, 2025 • 22min
Avoid these MBA application time & energy wasters: B-Schooled episode 256
In this replay of one of our most popular episodes, Meg — a former University of Chicago Booth admissions committee member and current SBC admissions consultant — joins Erika to discuss some of the biggest things they see MBA candidates wasting their precious time on during the application process. They address: Their most-hated question MBA candidates often ask *Why* it doesn't make sense to worry about certain things in the admissions process What applicants' time is better spent on What waitlisted candidates should do (and not do) to strengthen their position The pros and cons of MBA message boards What MBA candidates should do if/when they find themselves filled with doubts

Jul 30, 2025 • 20min
MBA your resume: B-Schooled episode 255
Your resume is perhaps the single most important part of your application materials. This episode covers how to maximize that one precious page.

Jul 23, 2025 • 29min
Improving your quantitative profile: B-Schooled episode 254
In this new episode, our host Erika and fellow SBC admissions consultant (and former Kellogg adcom) Caryn have a discussion that covers: Multiple tactics applicants can use to raise their quantitative profiles, especially if they don't work in finance- or numbers-heavy roles Insight into who might want to consider the GRE or EA instead of the GMAT for their admissions test How to use the Additional Info field/essay to address any quantitative weaknesses in your candidacy

Jul 9, 2025 • 28min
The "One-Minute Method" for identifying strengths (Part 2): B-Schooled episode 253
For this two-part conversation, Chandler sits down with SBC Consultant Dawn Clare to discuss her "One Minute Method" for identifying underrecognized individual strengths. As many of you know, Dawn is no stranger to the podcast and brings so much to this conversation. Dawn graduated as a PepsiCo Scholar from Harvard Business School with concentrations in finance and marketing. Dawn was also admitted to the Stanford GSB. Outside of her work in admissions consulting, Dawn has experience at a wide range of companies, including Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Pepsi, the Carlyle Group and Warner Bros. In part one of this conversation, Dawn described her “One Minute Method” for identifying strengths. This methodology really is about focus – helping you to identify and focus on your own superpowers and how best to make these central to your MBA application. In part two of this conversation, Dawn shares how to apply this methodology to application time management especially during periods of stress or anxiety. In this segment Dawn focuses specifically on: Helping you improve your own productivity, Managing your workload during times of stress and anxiety, Figuring out what to do when you get stuck on essays and/other parts of their application, Using this methodology to "stand out from the crowd" -- especially if you are a part of an over-represented demographic, Moving from overwhelm to productivity when the application becomes too daunting; breaking down big application elements into smaller manageable pieces in order to move forward. Dawn and Chandler also discuss how many applicants are currently overwhelmed by all that is going on in the world… and how to use this methodology to move from overwhelm to excitement by identifying new strengths they hadn't thought about before.

Jul 2, 2025 • 33min
The "One-Minute Method" for identifying strengths (Part 1): B-Schooled episode 252
For this two-part conversation, Chandler sits down with SBC Consultant Dawn Clare to discuss her "One Minute Method" for identifying underrecognized individual strengths. As many of you know, Dawn is no stranger to the podcast and brings so much to this conversation. Dawn graduated as a PepsiCo Scholar from Harvard Business School with concentrations in finance and marketing. Dawn was also admitted to the Stanford GSB. Outside of her work in admissions consulting, Dawn has experience at a wide range of companies, including Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Pepsi, the Carlyle Group and Warner Bros. In part one of this conversation, Dawn shares her framework the "One Minute Method" for identifying individual strengths and how she uses it with her clients. This exercise focuses on taking one minute to focus on what they do that is AMAZING. This exercise sounds simple, but when done correctly a series of times is incredibly powerful. This exercise is designed to be simple to support you with limited time. You can do it as many times as you would like and it is incredibly powerful. In this segment Dawn focuses specifically on: helping applicants who might be stuck on essay topics, potential interview questions, or other elements of the MBA application, focusing on your instinct and intuition for a brief time rather than over-analyzing or comparing yourself to others, centering who you are at core, clarifying your own internal intrinsic value, and harnessing that to make your application as strong as possible, offering specific and actionable tips on how to think about yourself in new ways or “break out of the box” that others might have put you in. Numerous applicants have found this exercise to be especially useful, when “stuck” or during times of application stress and anxiety. If you enjoy this conversation, we hope you will join us next week for part two of this series.

Jun 25, 2025 • 17min
6 things you think you know about MBA essays (but probably don't): B-Schooled episode 251
In this episode replay, Chandler dives into 6 tips for MBA essays that even the most confident writers might miss.

May 28, 2025 • 14min
What 2025-26 MBA applicants should be doing right now: B-Schooled episode 249
This episode will motivate you to get going on your Round 1 MBA materials, and will cover what makes the most sense for you to be working on right now before applications are released.

May 21, 2025 • 15min
2025-26 MBA Admissions Season Kickoff: B-Schooled episode 248
Memorial Day weekend in the United States represents the unofficial kickoff of the 2025-26 business-school application year! What's the number one thing you should be doing right now if you plan to apply?

May 14, 2025 • 19min
MBA applicant pitfalls to avoid: B-Schooled episode 247
This replay episode covers 5 MBA applicant pitfalls – as in, traits, attitudes or approaches that some MBA applicants take that can ultimately derail their chances of success.

May 7, 2025 • 19min
How to address having several employers: B-Schooled episode 246
Have you bounced around in your career a bit? If so, you’ll need to be strategic in how you communicate your career story — and future career goals — to MBA admissions committees. This replay episode discusses what to do if your career moves don’t look exactly logical “on paper.” We’ll also cover how to write about being laid off or being fired, as well as what to do in your applications if you’ve worked somewhere for less than a year.