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($) MBA app volumes and you

July 3, 2019 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

As we started to discuss yesterday: Yes, applications have gone down to the top schools in the U.S.

Simultaneously, there’s been a strengthening of interest in bschools in places that aren’t called the United States.

We’ve talked about this plenty o’ times, and it seems to be largely attributed to the image of American unfriendliness that’s being projected on a world stage.

Hopefully what you saw as the clear takeaway message from that previous post: Yes, applications have gone down, but the 2017 dip was STILL ABOVE THE PREVIOUS PEAK THAT WE SAW WHEN THE ECONOMY COLLAPSED IN 2006-2007. In other words, apps are down year-over-year, but not down historically.

This distinction is important!!!

The public tends not to be very quantitatively-minded so it’s easy to miss these things, and reporters need to write headlines that will get clicked, so talking about apps going down is high-drama (for weirdos who track such things). It’s just not the actual situation.

And anyway, what happens with application numbers at Harvard or Yale does not matter in the context of your own strategy.

There are only two factors that need to be considered when you know about such trends.

One is: Are you dead-set on going to bschool this year?

If so, then knowing it’s going to be a relatively tighter, or looser, admissions environment should inform which schools you select as a “safety” (and we truly dislike that term, but whatever). Given that this admissions cycle, for admits to the Class of 2022, it’s likely to be a softer situation with more schools seeing fewer numbers than they had before, then sure, you should feel empowered to set your sights high. IT’S STILL GONNA BE TOUGH TO GET IN but it shouldn’t be IMPOSSIBLE tough like it’s been in other years. It’s just STANDARD TOUGH. So if someone had a list of, say, Harvard, Wharton, Yale, and MIT, we’d still encourage them to consider adding one more school, perhaps in Round 2, as a just-in-case, since all four of those are pretty darned selective and difficult. And, if they had multiple significant flaws in their profile, we’d be steering them in a different direction completely. (Note: We give such input and advice as a standard part of our Comprehensive Profile Review.)

If you’re not 100% sold on absolutely definitely getting in this year, where you’re a bit earlier in your career, or you have a good job that you like and you’re not even certain you’d leave for bschool if you get accepted, then you can go for broke and aim high, and not worry about compromising your standards or setting your sights a tad lower. That’s because it’s going to be a somewhat less competitive cycle (probably) so you can afford to go all-out, and not worry about a school like maybe Ross, where you like it but you don’t love it, and even though it would be “easier” to get in, you don’t bother with submitting there, because you’re not yet sold on the idea of the MBA at this point in life anyway.

If you’re in the all-or-nothing camp of you HAVE to get in this year, then you’d want to consider schools like Ross, if it’s a good fit to you socially and culturally and community-wise, and you have a profile that matches their standard class. Ross is by no means a “safety school” but they’re not as hard to break into as, say, MIT or Yale or whomever.

So the fact that it’s likely to be a softer season means that, depending on your own priorities for timing, and where you see yourself, and how important it is for you to go to a brand-name super-elite school (or not at all, if you don’t make it in), all of this adds up to the possibility of aiming higher, and having a better chance of making it.

It also means that you should not feel compelled to paper the country with applications — which is not even a strategy anyway. But it does mean that you can afford to limit your apps to like a smaller handful of five or six, and don’t think you need to submit ten. Which honestly we think is silly under any circumstances, but it really does not need to happen this year especially. It might be a more reasonable mindset to do that if it’s a tighter race in admissions. But this year, it won’t be. Not quite as tight, anyway.

When applications suddenly increase, without forewarning, then it can be a true shock for BSers who have done all the right things in preparing their strategy to get denied even when their applications were strong. This happened due to unforeseen changes in the application environment, later easily attributable to new policies instituted for canceling GMAT scores, in conjunction with a trend at top schools to reduce the number of apps they required. That was unpleasant, since schools that should’ve been in reach for certain profiles suddenly became unattainable.

Now we’re in more the opposite environment, where those who try hard — particularly reapplicants who put in effort and show improvement — may end up surprised by the positive outcomes they reap. Not all of them, surely, and not every candidate type is equally advantaged in this climate. But by all measures that we’re tracking here in Snarkville, it should be a more balanced playing field for BSers this year.

Filed Under: number of apps, planning your strategy, the admissions consulting industry Tagged With: trends

« Previous: ($) OH NO! Bschools in trouble! (aka, Are MBA applications REALLY tanking?)
Next: Prediction: What will cause you the most pain and suffering in the next six months? »

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CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
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    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
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    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
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    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
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    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
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    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
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    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
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What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: This is why tuition at top schools shouldn't be reduced
  • 2019: The secret to how to get into HBS
  • 2019: ($) Canceling your GMAT score is a bad idea (plus, how many schools should you apply to?)
  • 2018: ($) Deciding between the U.S. and a good school at home
  • 2018: Our quasi-annual predictions on the coming MBA application season
  • 2017: ($) The reality of GMAT scores and top schools. Featuring Darden.
  • 2017: ($) When informing the adcom about a new GMAT score (waitlist, optional essay)
  • 2016: Really, Columbia?
  • 2016: A plea to Admissions Directors: Move Round 2 deadlines to later in January.
  • 2014: Apparently we’re giving free services to assholes.
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