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($) Backup plans and next steps: What if it’s looking like you might not get in?!??

February 17, 2020 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Some of you are starting to worry, which may or may not be justified. If you tend to be a worrier, you already know that about yourself, and you may intellectually recognize that you’re doing it, and be unable to stop. Worrying in this case only adds to your stress levels and is not productive, but you still will be worrying. Our post today may not actually help those of you who are worriers, since all we’re going to do is talk about the “what if” scenarios that can make the worrying worse. But, we do want to acknowledge that worrying is a “thing” and that many people succumb to it, and there’s also techniques you can learn to help yourself find more peace in day-to-day life, perhaps with the support of a qualified therapist or counselor.

So, with that mental-health disclaimer out of the way:

If you’re waitlisted from Round 1 and you have active Round 2 apps, yet have not gotten an interview invitation yet… Your waitlist could still pop! And, if you made it onto the waitlist in Round 1, then that means you did something right, and there could still be a chance with Round 2, even if no interview invitation has yet materialized. Right now, we’re predicting the highest potential for admit with domestic (American citizen) applicants who have a decent GMAT score and are waitlisted at good schools. There’s also strong possibilities for international applicants with high GMAT scores at good schools.

If you’re waitlisted at H/S/W/K/M* then this prediction may not apply. Those schools have maintained their incredibly high standards this season and we have not seen much softening. Obviously there’s still a chance if you’re in the waitbucket at those places, but we cannot say one way or another if an admit will materialize from there. It’s just too competitive to call it, especially since we have not seen your application (or even if we have; these schools are simply too selective to know for sure at this stage).

Of course, the other big category is the second-round applicant who has come up short with invites so far, and we’re now six weeks past the deadlines. If you applied to more than six schools in Round 2 and none have extended an interview, then yeah, we’re worried. 🙁 That’s particularly true if you applied to schools in Round 1 and also did not get interviewed.

Or what if you’re interviewing, but only at one school?

Well, it only takes one! But yeah, that is a lot of eggs in a single basket.

Certain types of applicants are going to have certain paths available to them regardless of whether there’s an MBA in their future. If you’re sitting pretty at your current job, especially if you’re in private equity or maybe consulting or some other field where they want to keep you around based on how much institutional knowledge you’re carrying, then you could end up leveraging this crossroads into a new opportunity with greater responsibility. No, it won’t be bschool, but maybe you can construct a plan for building a bschool-equivalent path of experience, training, and on-the-job real-world learn-big-things-while-working with some key executives at your company.

Other BSers will determine that no matter what, they must go to business school in order to get where they’re headed in life, so they decide that if this year doesn’t work, they’ll regroup and try again in the fall.

If you’re starting to wonder if you might not get in, now is a great time for reflection!

Why did you want to go to business school in the first place?

 
Obviously you’ve been grappling with this question since starting to write your essays many months ago.

But during that process, you were writing your essays for some stranger to read. You were undoubtedly trying to say the right thing, to impress your adcom reader into giving you an interview.

It’s not that the things you said in your essays were wrong (hopefully!). It’s just that you were saying them for an audience.

Stepping back now, what do you want to do with your life?

No really. Answer that question. What is it that’s driving you towards the MBA?

Yeah yeah yeah it’s likely money, and the elusive concept of greater opportunities.

But what do you see the MBA as giving you?

Maybe you know concretely. Maybe you did this exercise in earnest before, multiple times, and you really understand the value for you personally of what business school can provide.

But have you re-examined all of that lately?

If your heart is set on transitioning from your current career, into some new-and-different career path entirely, then yes, the MBA can be instrumental in that.

And, what can you do to start working towards it now?

If this is REALLY what you want to go do, then why not try to take that first step today? Even without knowing if you’re going to bschool in the fall or not?

There’s plenty of actions to be taken to prepare you for whatever transition you have in mind.

You can join an industry association in the new field that you care about.

You can find a Meetup group or hook up with some alumni from your college who are doing this job that you want to do, and ask for an informational interview.

You can start to build skills today.

Maybe you don’t really know Excel very well. Now would be a great time to improve.

Maybe you don’t like public speaking, like, at all. Join Toastmasters and get some practice. Or find an improv group and REALLY get practice in overcoming those fears!

Pro Tip: All of these suggestions are going to be useful for you whether you’re going to bschool this fall or not! All of these are how you start getting ready for a new transition. And, if you end up in the unfortunate spot of reapplicant, then all of these will be useful to talk about in a Round 1 app when that time rolls around a few months from now. And yes, it’s only going to be a few months. Essay requirements will begin coming out in May and June. There is not that much time at all for you to loll around on the bench before it’ll be time to get cracking on essay strategy again.

And, there are also other career opportunities that you could potentially pursue, including structured training programs offered by big corporations. For example, many consulting firms have an experienced-hire track where they bring people in from other (non-consulting) careers and give them on-the-job training, even without an MBA. Is it the same as going to business school? No. Is it likely going to end you up in a similar place? Oh yes definitely it could, if you’re motivated and apply yourself.

The MBA matters most for your very first job once you graduate.

In five or ten years, it may be difficult for you to imagine this, but quite likely, you’re going to forget that you have an MBA at all, and there might be little differentiation between you and your non-MBA executive peers, in terms of achievement and competence. There will always be differences of course, but please keep in mind that the MBA is ***not*** a requirement to succeed in life.

There is one category of applicant for whom the MBA may be more valuable in making the next-step transition, and that’s the individual who is coming out of the armed services and looking to find his or her footing in the civilian world.

(If you have access privileges on your account to view our Military MBA content then you’ll see this next little snippet of info.)

 

You do not have rights to view this Military MBA content or you are not logged in. Please log in, or follow the instructions on the Military MBA microsite if you think you should have access.

[start nifty special military-only content here]

 

PS: This BSer went on to score an admit to an excellent school but it was damn tough for awhile as they were waitlisted at four or five places before one converted in June.

[end nifty military-only content]

 

Hopefully you can appreciate now: There are options!

And, whether you score an admit in the coming weeks or not, you have the ability to start changing your life TODAY.

Don’t put your life on hold waiting for the MBA to materialize. That’s not how to make the most of the days you have stretching before you.

Decide to start working towards your next phase NOW. Don’t turn over all the power for how you will be a success to the whims of the adcom.

Be the protagonist of your own life.

The proactive are the ones to whom opportunities come.

Construct your own fate.

Be an advocate for your own happiness.

Make life happen.

Don’t let it simply happen to you.

 
 

*Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/Kellogg/MIT in case that needed explaining

Filed Under: "why MBA" essays Tagged With: your life

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Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

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From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    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
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    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!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    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!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

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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: International student headed to the US for school? DO NOT BREAK THE LAW.
  • 2017: ($) The reality of GMAT scores and top schools. Featuring Darden.
  • 2016: The other likely driver of increased MBA app volumes
  • 2016: Really, Columbia?
  • 2014: Apparently we’re giving free services to assholes.
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