A unique aspect of our admissions-consulting process at Stacy Blackman Consulting is our Flight Test, which replicates an actual admissions committee review of your entire application process. We have a team of former admission officers from the top MBA programs who serve as our Flight Testers, and this week we wrap up our two-episode conversation with one of them: Caryn, a former Kellogg admissions committee member. In Part 2, Caryn reveals how MBA adcoms judge a candidate’s essays, recommendation letters, extracurriculars and leadership.

At Stacy Blackman Consulting, we have a team of former admission committee members from the top MBA programs who serve as our "Flight Testers." Our Flight Test mimics an actual application review, just like the adcom will do it in real life. Except that you'll be getting personalized feedback on what you can improve BEFORE you hit submit. In the first of this two-part episode series, we talk with Caryn, a former member of the Kellogg admissions committee and member of the SBC team, who shares what MBA adcoms really think about -- and are looking for in -- applicants’ transcripts, test scores, resumes and data forms.

Are you having doubts about applying to business school? This could be a good thing. Are you having REALLY BIG DOUBTS? This could be even better. In this two-part episode host Chandler Arnold gets personal about combatting self-doubt and—more importantly—transforming this doubt into FUEL to drive your forward towards your goals. Last week we talked about 5 specific ways to combat self-doubt during the MBA admissions process: FACING YOUR DOUBTS HEAD ON DEVELOPING A PLAN TO ADDRESS EACH OF YOUR DOUBTS ROLE PLAYING *WORSE CASE* INTERVIEW QUESTIONS CLEARING YOUR MIND ASKING YOURSELF WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THIS DOUBT? In this episode we will talk about 5 more tips and suggestions for dealing with doubt: DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE DEVELOP A REALISTIC POST-MBA PLAN IDENTIFY AN “CAREER PATH EXEMPLAR” FIND A MBA MENTOR IGNORE YOUR INNER SABOTEUR Chandler concludes the episode by challenging listeners to reframe their doubts into boldness… by turning fear on its head, charting your own course, pressure testing your thinking and then turning the volume WAY up. This is an episode not to be missed.

Every thoughtful MBA applicant doubts themselves at some point during the MBA application journey. More critically,it is often the applicants who have the most to offer -- the most unique experiences, the most diverse perspectives, the most out-of-the-ordinary life stories -- who doubt themselves the most. Are you having doubts about applying? This could be a good thing. Are you having REALLY BIG DOUBTS? This could be even better. Host Chandler Arnold gets personal in this episode by sharing five specific ways to combat self-doubt during the MBA admissions process. He concludes with a framework for re-casting doubts as things you can learn from to make your application even more powerful. This is an episode not to be missed.

If you didn't get into your dream program, how long should you wait until you reapply? Should you use any of the same materials again? What about recommenders? This episode is dedicated to giving frank advice about how to approach the reapplication process.

Our host Erika is joined once again by former Kellogg admissions director Beth Tidmarsh for a discussion specifically about behavioral MBA interviews (i.e., "Tell me about a time when..." questions). They cover the types of behavioral questions candidates can expect, advice on how to answer those questions, pitfalls to avoid, and more. They also role-play a few questions and responses for listeners.

In the last episode your host Chandler Arnold shared five things he wished he’d known about recommendations when applying to business school, including: How to help your recommender think about the skills grid rankings, as well as how to prep your recommender for several frequently asked questions, including: FAQ 1: Describe the applicant’s key strengths and how she or he compares to others you have supervised FAQ 2: Describe the biggest piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant FAQ 3: Are there any areas of development you imagine the candidate might focus on during business school.   FAQ 4: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the applicant (and why your recommender should not ignore this question). This week Chandler will share 5 additional critical recommendation tips, including: How to pick your recommenders How to create prep materials for your recommender How to make these recommendations part of your holistic application narrative  What to do if your recommender asks you to write the recommendation yourself   Recommendation timeline planning

In this series of two episodes your host shares ten things he wished he’d known about recommendations when applying to business school, including: The *skills grid* recommenders frequently need to fill out evaluating your personal and professional skills Frequently asked questions, such as: Describe the applicant’s key strengths and how she or he compares to others you have supervised. Describe the biggest piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Are there any areas of development you imagine the candidate might focus on during business school? Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the applicant? (and why your recommender should not ignore this question).

Our host Erika is joined by former Kellogg admissions director Beth Tidmarsh for a discussion about MBA interviews. They cover the types of questions candidates can expect, advice on how to answer those questions, what adcoms are looking to get from you out of these interviews, and more. Part 2 will be live on November 23.

You may remember madlibs from childhood—the silly word game where you fill in blanks to make an entertaining story… but don’t let the playful title of this podcast fool you! The content we discuss today is anything but silly. However, we are using the madlibs concept as a powerful FRAMEWORK to help you think about how best to articulate your short and short- and long-term goals in ways that are specific, authentic, bold, and realistic. If you have ever been intimidated about fleshing out your short and long-term career goals, this episode is for you!