MBA Reapplication Myths - 工管

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.

--
David Johnston
[email protected]



--