Some applicants to Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs get an acceptance letter, others a clear rejection. But where does receiving an MBA waitlist letter leave you? The MBA admissions experts from The MBA Exchange are here to help you understand where you stand, and to outline next steps.
What is the MBA waitlist and what role does it play?
MBA competition is intense; there are lots of good reasons to get an MBA! An MBA waitlist lets b-schools delay the final decision on your candidacy until they have more info on the applicant pool as a whole. You can learn more about the MBA waitlist acceptance rate at top programs through The MBA Exchange’s waitlist support services portal.
Does being waitlisted mean you were rejected?
Your MBA waitlist status confirms that your candidacy satisfies the school’s selection criteria. You haven’t been rejected – yet. Now it’s a numbers game. How many applicants in MBA round 1 vs round 2? How many admitted applicants will actually commit and pay their deposit? How many waitlisted applicants have profiles comparable or superior to yours?
You’ve got to put together your MBA waitlist strategy. Do you know how to respond to a waitlist email?
Steps to take on the waitlist
Getting waitlisted doesn’t mean you should just wait around for adcoms to decide your fate. But, also, don’t annoy the adcoms! Do you know what to do when waitlisted? Where’s the sweet spot between activity and inactivity when you’re on the MBA waitlist?
With a history of successfully supporting waitlisted candidates since 1996, The MBA Exchange has found the happy medium for waitlist strategy. We know how to get off the MBA waitlist and onto the admit list!
Some b-schools have policies that preclude you from sending any additional submissions. But, the good news is that many top-tier business schools give you an opportunity to send in more info on your candidacy while waitlisted. That means you can continue to make the case for your candidacy, updating adcoms on new work responsibilities, academic coursework or extracurricular activities to show off your go-getter qualities.
Here are some steps you may want to take if you receive an MBA waitlist letter.
1. Get needed information
Opening an MBA waitlist letter can be dismaying, but once you’ve shaken off the shock and adjusted your attitude, it’s time to get specific about your next steps. Look at MBA waitlist letter examples. Find out what your target program allows in terms of additional submission opportunities for waitlisted candidates, and strategize the best way to exploit your every opportunity. You also need to know key info about deadlines and the MBA admissions process as a whole.
2. Leverage your assets
Your candidacy clearly has core strengths or you probably would have been denied rather than waitlisted. Take stock and identify attributes – professional, personal or academic – to demonstrate in new ways in your MBA waitlist updates. Do you have any of these 9 strengths of an MBA candidacy to help cement your case?
3. Mitigate weaknesses
If you didn’t explain vulnerabilities, gaps or overlaps in your application, you should do so now in an update email to the school. If there’s some action you can take – e.g., starting a new project at work, prepping for an improved GMAT or GRE, enrolling in a calc or stats class, etc. – to address the issue, even better. If you can’t discover what made your application less than perfect, or you’re not sure what to do about it now, engage a professional admissions consultant for an MBA waitlist consultation and improve your MBA waitlist odds. (WHY NOT LINK TO MBA EXCHANGE WAITLIST CONSULTATION SERVICE HERE? )
4. Leverage relationships
Did you successfully figure out how to ace your MBA admission interviews? Who do you know – other than original recommenders – who could be your champion and cheerleader as you hang on the waitlist? Bonus points if he or she is a current student or graduate of the targeted school!
5. Convey passion and commitment
Adcoms know the value of an offer of admission, and there may be only a few seats left in the incoming class. MBA waitlist acceptance rates aren’t always super high! So, you need to make it very evident and convincing in your updates that, if invited to enroll, you will do so, proudly and immediately. You know the facts about why to get an MBA degree – now show adcoms your dedication for admissions success.
Gaining admission with The MBA Exchange
MBA Waitlist Consultation with The MBA Exchange is designed to comprehensively support you and optimize your chances during a tense time. This engagement includes a critical review of your waitlisted application, a customized action plan for advancing your candidacy, in-depth review and editing of your correspondence to the school and ongoing coaching on any issues or questions that arise. We’ll work with you for as long as it takes to get a final decision.
Learn more about our Waistlist Consultation service online, or send us information on your candidacy through a free evaluation request today.
