MBA Application Myth: Reapplicants are Unlikely to Succeed

We would like to offer some words of encouragement to anyone who was not accepted into the MBA program they applied to and are contemplating reapplying in the next admissions cycle.

As we mentioned in our previous post about reapplying, there are few competitions more fierce than trying to get into a top MBA program.  We give a lot of credit to anyone who has simply made an attempt -- regardless of the outcome, you have dedicated yourself to an extremely difficult mission and seek to better yourself, which requires incredible discipline and a very forward-thinking mentality.

Upon reflection, if you have decided that you still want to pursue an MBA, and more importantly, that you absolutely need an MBA to achieve your career plan then there is no reason to give up.  However there seems to be a myth that reapplicants cannot succeed, or are less likely to succeed.  Based on our experience, we believe that is not true.  In many cases, we have seen reapplicants succeed the next time around.  Here are a couple common myths that we would like to address:

Most schools do not welcome reapplications:  Most MBA programs (except for a few) welcome reapplications.  If there is a school that you are really in love with, there is nothing wrong with reapplying, as the admissions committee can appreciate the dedication and persistence you have shown to getting further education at their school.  If you are applying to the same school in the next application cycle, it would probably be even more important to apply in round 1 in order to display your enthusiasm for the school.  If you wait until round 2 or 3 they might wonder whether you are really dedicated to their program.  Be sure to carefully review and follow the reapplication policy, which can vary from school-to-school.

If you did not get in the first time, you are unlikely to get in the second time:  Experience matters.  Creating and submitting a few MBA applications is a long and involved process.  After going through this process, even if you were not successful, you will have gained a lot of experience in crafting essays and how to handle yourself in a high-pressure interview.  We find that when people reapply, this past experience becomes very valuable.  With some important adjustments, reapplicants are often able to create better essays and market themselves in the interview with more confidence.  As they say, practice makes perfect.

However, a reapplicant cannot expect to simply write more attractive essays and interview a little bit better and expect to succeed next time.  You must convince the admissions committee that you are now a stronger candidate than you were last year.  To do so you will need to take real action so that you can provide solid proof of your improvement.

In our next blog post we will discuss the actions a reapplicant might take to make their next application a winner.      

Some Food for Thought for Reapplicants

The top MBA and top Master's program application process is one of the most fiercely competitive "games" anyone will ever enter.  The applicant pool seems to get stronger each year.  Many extremely outstanding candidates are turned away by top schools for one reason or another.  If this happened to you, you must continue to stay positive.  One key to success is believing that you will succeed.  Another key to success is analyzing what happened and correcting your mistakes.

So if you are committed to getting an MBA or Master's degree at a top university you should not give up.  NOW is the time to analyze what happened so that you can make necessary adjustments and ultimately put forth a stronger effort next time.  Here are some things for reapplicants to consider going into the next application cycle:

- Analyze Your Goals:  Did your goals make sense based on your background and abilities?  Did you very clearly articulate them in your essays and during your interviews?

- Analyze Your Profile:  Does your profile fit the school you were applying to?  Were your GMAT & TOEFL scores and work experiences competitive compared to others in that program?  Not sure? -- then it's time to talk to current students or alumni.

- Analyze Your Target Schools:  Did you choose the schools that were the right fit for your background and goals?  Are your test scores and work experiences competitive for typical members of that school's class?

- Analyze What Happened During the Application Process:  If you did not get any interviews then you need to take a closer look at your resume and what you presented in your essays.  If you received several interview invitations and no admissions it's time to focus on your English speaking ability and how you presented yourself.  Perhaps you were not able to communicate your unique value in the interview or came across as too shy or immature.

If you plan to reapply now is the time to analyze these key issues and create an action plan for success.  Most schools do not give feedback to rejected applicants but a few do, such as U. Virginia (Darden) and Dartmouth (Tuck).  It won't hurt to ask if your school would be willing to give you any feedback.  Otherwise, reach out to your network for help, or better yet, contact me at david@transcendadmissions.com.  In my next post I will discuss more specific actions that a reapplicant should take to achieve success the next time around.      

Tips for Waitlist Essays

When an applicant is put on the waitlist they are being told by the admissions committee that they are qualified for the program but that they have not quite distinguished themselves from other admitted or waitlisted candidates.

Therefore, now is the time to quickly take some action to distinguish yourself!  Here are some tips on what steps to take next.  Whatever action you take, such as getting a higher GMAT/TOEFL score, taking a Calculus course or leading a new community service project -- the key will be to craft a persuasive essay that clearly explains your actions and improvement.

We read many waitlist essays that are a little bit off the mark and would like to provide some tips on how to write a very effective waitlist essay.  The key to a waitlist essay is to highlight the improvement the applicant has made.  Therefore, simply mentioning the new project you have worked on is not enough; the essay should explain how working on such project has helped you improve.  The essay should clearly highlight the critical knowledge gained and the skills the candidate has enhanced.  Then the final and most difficult step (that people typically omit) is to explain why this new knowledge, or the enhanced skill allows them to make a stronger contribution to the program.  The most persuasive waitlist essay will make clear connections to the specific aspects of the program where they they might make an impact.  Thus, the logic flow of a waitlist essay should include: recent actions taken -> explanation of improvement -> potential impact to the program.  

Another major goal of the waitlist essay is to convince the admissions committee that the candidate is 100% committed to attending their program.  To do this, the candidate should list the actions they have taken to connect with the school's community, and highlight something new they have learned about the program that really excites them.  Doing so can display a candidate's commitment and passion to attend the school.

After reading the waitlist essay the candidate will want the admissions committee to come to the following conclusions:

- The candidate is making a diligent effort to improve;
- They are now a stronger candidate than they were when they submitted the application and better able to contribute to the program; and
- The candidate is very knowledgeable about the school, and will likely enroll if given an admission.

We hope this information is helpful for all of you waitlisted applicants out there!  Keep pushing and improving, and if you do, you just might be one of those people sharing a success story in the near future.

If you have any questions about the waitlist or would like help crafting the most persuasive waitlist essay possible, please reach out to us at transcendadmissions@gmail.com