We felt a compelling need to write this section, especially for Indian and international students. In the current scenario, many such students make it to business schools as re-applicants through a process of trial and error. We have seen applicants applying to all of their dream schools and not keeping any option in the ‘reach’ or ‘safe’ categories. Some people realize very late that their GMAT scores leave much to be desired. There are others who take recommendations from CEOs only to realize that their recommendations lacked substance and were very superficial, taking away from the application instead of adding value to it. The mistakes they made the first time guide them through in the subsequent application cycles. We do hope that with resources such as this book, applicants would not have to go this route. But still, we would like to address some of the most common outcomes of the admissions process and suggest ways to handle these in an effective manner.
Waitlist decisions have become so common these days that you need to treat it as an extra step to the admissions process, which you had not been informed about earlier. There have even been instances where schools have waitlisted more candidates than they admitted in a given cycle and then used the waitlist to complete the class. You may be surprised to know but schools waitlist as many of their strongest applicants as they do those who are borderline cases. The philosophy is different in the two cases, but you can clearly see that it is more of a selection tool rather than a rejection one. Strong candidates are waitlisted so that the schools can manage their yields better, so as to come on the top with the rankings. These candidates are admitted at a later stage, only when they can demonstrate that they will definitely join the school if admitted. Even then, schools have been known to push the admissions decisions till the end of the month of July and sometimes even August, when the sessions are about to start. In such cases, only those candidates, who are really interested, would still hold onto the waitlist and all others would move on to other schools. This helps the schools to manage their yields. The other case of borderline candidates is different in the sense that they are pulled off the waitlist only when spots become available in the incoming class. This happens when some of the earlier admitted candidates decline the offer and join other schools, thus making space available for a few more people, who are then offered admission with a similar set of conditions.
This system differs from the earlier one where schools used to admit excess candidates knowing very well that there would be a few people who would get admission in other schools and leave the present school to go and join there. This way, the overall number would fall in place with the number of spots in the incoming class. However, more than once, schools have gone wrong with this calculation. A recent example being the dotcom bust year of 2001, when most of those offered admission, chose to enroll, thus pushing up the numbers drastically. Schools, till then, used to behave in a conservative manner where waitlists were concerned. They managed small waitlists and that too of deserving candidates, only of those who would be offered the spots to complete the class strength. Today, the picture is at the other end of the spectrum. Schools need to show their exclusivity by their high yields, which refers to the percentage of number of people joining from among those offered admission to the school. Huge waitlists means that schools are able to get an idea of overall applicant pools and admit candidates at a later date, when they are sure that the offer would convert into an enrollment decision. Again, waitlists are also cleared as part of a wave starting at the top of the pyramid. Schools like Harvard and Wharton release their waitlist decisions first, which causes the admitted candidates at these schools to then withdraw from lower ranked schools and as spots in those schools are filled, more spots become available at schools further down in the rankings.
Whatever the reason for a waitlist, once you are on the list, you need to make sure that you make calculated moves from then on. The most important thing to decide at this stage is whether you really want to join this school or have you already got into your top choice or a better school and so it does not matter anymore. If the latter is the case, we suggest that you pull off from the waitlist, so that it gives a chance to someone who needs the spot more than you do. If you do want to get into this school because you have no other options or this is your dream school or it is the best option that you have, then follow these steps.
Avoid sending more than three letters and making unnecessary phone calls. The admissions staff is really busy during the application cycles and do not appreciate being bothered beyond a point. So to avoid loosing effectiveness, limit written communication to three letters and direct conversations to two phone calls only. Your second call should be placed roughly about eight weeks from the first one made immediately after receiving the waitlist decision.
The purpose of all of the above is to make a strong pitch for the few available spots for those on the waitlist. Your objective is to gain top of mind awareness as a strong candidate who is interested in attending the programme and who has shown strong commitment to make every possible effort to achieve this goal.
We concur that it takes a lot of effort to accept a rejection and the first reaction in most cases is that of despair and hopelessness. However, if you handled the application process in a sensitive manner, as laid out in this book, the chances are rare that you would face a rejection from each of your five to seven choice schools, particularly from the safe and reach schools. A rejection from a couple of schools is nothing to worry about, but is in fact a reason for applying to more than one school. Again, a few rejections along with a couple of admits do not allow you to make a definitive statement about the weak areas of your application, unless you yourself are sure about those, for each school follows a different process for making such decisions. Let’s look at the various rejection scenarios and the suggested responses.
The best way to deal with a rejection of type 2 or 3 is to first take a small break and refresh your mind. Once you are more comfortable and able to think clearly, set your priorities right. Decide if you want to reapply (in case of type 2) at all or you want to drop out of the application process. This will depend, more than anything else, on how compelling is your reason to get an MBA. If you decide to reapply and devote another year to the process, we suggest that you start early this time and focus on getting it right.
The following steps should be the pre-preparation to a re-application by a candidate:
If you work hard and direct your efforts in the right direction, you will get into a good business school as a re-applicant or even as a first time applicant (for a different school from your earlier applications). You would have the benefit of your experience, the insights gained from various schools about the weaknesses in your application and the help from this book in planning your strategy for maximum effectiveness. You just need to start early and keep working towards achieving your goal.
Schools stake their reputation on not making admissions mistakes. They, therefore, pay attention to each and every part of your application and take a decision only after a careful consideration of your case. To rule out excessive subjectivity, each file is read by at least two people before a decision is made in most schools. They do not know you personally or for that matter most of the other applicants and hence personal bias has no place in such decisions. Since you stand an equal chance with all other applicants for either getting selected or rejected, the decision made by the school is final in most cases. The schools do not make admission mistakes by selecting inferior candidates but may overlook one qualified candidate for another depending on the impression that the applicant has left on them through his/her application, which is the real medium of communication in this process and also the most important one.
Our recommendation is that you accept the decision of the school. Do not appeal against this decision unless you have strong reasons to believe that your application was not given proper consideration, which may be based on the feedback that you received from the school. In cases where they do not give you feedback, you have no basis for an appeal against this decision. However, if you feel that your profile is strongly suited to the school’s culture and you are absolutely sure that if admitted, you want to attend this school, then give a serious thought to such a discussion with the admissions committee. Even in this case, you stand a far-off chance. Tell them if there is a new development in your professional life that projects you in a strong light and brings to fore some of your strengths making you a suitable candidate for the school, for you will need to present material to support your case during your discussions with the committee. If you are ready with new evidence which supports your candidature, contact the admissions office and speak to the admissions director and present your case as well as request for reconsideration over the decision in your case. It would be more impactful if you can be physically present at the school at this time. Confidence, coupled with a strong application might do the trick for you. Be at your best behaviour and be polite and courteous to one and all, which might tilt the scale in your favour. Remember, that in most cases the decision stands final, and reconsiderations are rare. This is also mentioned in the initial clause that you sign when you submit your application. So avoid an appeal unless you strongly believe in your case and yourself.
For international candidates, reapplying is a difficult choice because the application process is a costly affair. Reapplying also requires a considerable investment of effort and time and even then the guarantee of success is not fixed.
In situations like those described above, one option is to opt for a lower ranked school or your safe choice. It might seem like a trade-off which most people advice against, considering the investment required to get an MBA from such schools is not very different from that of a top school. Of course, enroll at the best possible school that you can get into. But if you consider the top 100 schools across the world, they are all very good institutions, provide quality education and open up a lot of doors for you. It’s true that a Boston college does not match up in brand reputation with Harvard, but it can still get you where you want to be. It is well respected and recognized in the developed world and equips you with all the required management tools. You will get access to a network of school alumni as well as the recruiters based on the east coast of the US, which will provide you a host of opportunities for building a great career. Be realistic about your profile and the schools which you can reach and then apply with an open mind. If you have researched the programmes well, you will realize that the top 100 MBA programmes are all well established and you can surely find a few programmes to suit your needs.
Another option for people seeking a top brand name MBA is to join a lower ranked school, which has a well-established exchange programme with a top school of your choice. If you perform well and are able to work it out, you can go to a top school on exchange. This way, you get to study there and get access to their network as well as make important social connections. You obviously get the brand name on your résumé. Some schools even issue a diploma certificate for such a programme which adds further value. This is a way to get the best of both worlds.
Finally, you could consider doing a related degree such as Master of Science in Business Management, which would allow you to take some courses in the business school and give you the brand name of the university or even the school in a few cases, such as Stanford GSB. This will give you access to the world-class resources of the school, make you a part of the alumni network and give you access to recruiters.