One thing is likely true for you: You have probably lost track of what day it is.
That whole “first of September” thing that you had on your calendar, when you planned to have most of your apps already done? Yeah, that date came and went quickly didn’t it? We’re now already at September the 17th. Wow! What’s happened to this month???
What’s happened is deadlines. Yup, this is Round 1. Kinda crazy isn’t it!
Many of you have gotten multiple applications submitted in the past 10 days – congratulations! You should be proud! Even one single app is a major accomplishment.
If you’re feeling burned out and ready to quit, we offer this idea that maybe can be motivating? (or not??)
Now that you know how much work each one is, we’re betting that you never want to go through this again – right?!!
So, please don’t cut corner! Don’t get sloppy at this stage! YOU’RE IN A CRUCIAL MOMENT!!!
Finding a way to rejuvenate yourself for the next wave of apps is really really important.
The main reason for that is, if these apps don’t turn out, you do not want to have to muster up the motivation to go through all of this again in December!
You think it’s hard now? It would be WAY harder if you had to start all over again several months later.
You’ve got motivation right now. Keep plugging away — stick with it while you’re on the current roller coaster — but no coasting!!!!
If you need to take a day off from essays, then maybe today is a good one. It’s fine to take a break from the grueling slog of deadlines that likely has hit you harder than expected.
It’s tough to write essays in a pandemic!!!
Or, maybe, for some of you, it’s the best you’ve felt in awhile, because you’ve had something to FOCUS on. Those deadlines are non-negotiable. Maybe it’s been a little bit exciting or energizing? Not everyone is wired that way, but perhaps some of you are.
The trick is to keep things going. Don’t let up. Definitely don’t skip out on a school you planned to try for in Round 1. Here’s our Round 1 is better than Round 2 warning.
At the same time: You know in your heart that you’ve phoned it in, please don’t submit. This is not a numbers game. You’re not going to win any prize for the number of apps you get in. You’re going to win the prize for GOOD apps. High quality apps. Apps that represent who you are. If you’re just exhausted and dragging your feet and resorting to copy/paste attempts at essays, rethink that. That’s not a strategy. That’s just pretending. Apps like that don’t get accepted. You’ll be wasting your dollars on app fees for nothing, and when those apps get turned down, you’ll feel lousy as all get out that you didn’t try harder. Better to regret not submitting at all, then to regret being REJECTED because you rushed it when you knew you weren’t ready.
Being rejected SUCKS. There’s no reason to set yourself up for that self-recrimination later on.
While it’s true that you miss all the shots you don’t take, that is simply not a strategy for admission to a top MBA program.
So today is all about celebrating the apps you’ve already turned in, because the fact that you submitted is a win.
And today is about exhorting you not to cut corners, to find a way to self-motivate and work up some excitement for your fourth school as much as you had for your first.
If we can help, hit us up, we’re still around through to the end!
Tell us what you think.