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.