So Round 1 happened.

And now Round 2 is like really far along.

And you’re sitting here going, what happened?!?

If you have this nagging sense of doom creeping into your gut, thinking that after all that, it’s not looking like you’re going to get in anywhere, then leave it to EssaySnark to make some snarky comments about it try and help you figure out some next steps.

• If your first apps went out in Round 2 and you’re doubtful they’re going to pan out, well… now you know! Round 1 is better, not only because it’s easier to get in, but because you have time to regroup if things don’t turn out well. (Life lesson #1: Don’t put sh!t off.)
• If you didn’t get invited to any interviews at all, well… now you know! Something was off on your apps. In most cases, it should be pretty easy to debug the situation (or you can get some help from EssaySnark if you are stumped on the reasons why).
• If you tried in Round 1 and in Round 2, you did everything right — except, perhaps not. Something was flawed along the way. Now’s your chance to take a REAL honest look at the situation.
• If you’re on the waitlist – this post is not for you! There is STILL HOPE for you! You have no right to be depressed. Go outside and play and come back to us in a month or so, and we’ll talk then.

If you’re still reading, and looking for us to try and cheer you up after feeding you that buzzkill list, here’s what you can do:

1. First: Make sure you really WANT an MBA. If you aren’t that committed to this process, then you’re probably not putting your heart into it — and if you’re not putting your heart into it, then it probably shows.

2. Next: Make sure you really NEED an MBA. Are you just enamored of those three little letters? Or is this something that is actually required for you to get where you want to go? One way to answer this question is, when you were first faced with writing up your career goals for those essays this year, were you completely clueless as to what to say? If so — if you had to cast about for something to talk about, or even worse, if you just made stuff up because that’s what everybody does — then you do not need an MBA. Maybe in the future you will need an MBA, once you figure out what you actually want to do with your life. But for now? It maybe makes sense that the adcoms didn’t say yes to you.

So, first assignment: Re-examine your career goals. Are you passionate about them? Are you invested in them?

Spend some time thinking about that today. Do some soul-searching. Be honest with yourself. This whole bschool thing is not trivial. You gotta want it.

(To be continued…. HERE)

 
 
Wanna get our take on where things may have gone sideways? Our Post Mortem App Review will give you the lowdown and help you create a plan of action for the coming months, so you have it all in gear when the next season opens up. It won’t be long, either – Harvard and Columbia should be announcing Class of 2020 info in May! Just around the corner.