As round 1 application decisions begin to roll in, many candidates are not receiving the news they had hoped for. While this is no doubt disappointing, do not give up hope. Few things to consider next for round 2 applications:
Apply to additional schools during round 2 applications.
If now is really the ideal time for you to get an MBA (see our advice on this here) or if you were shooting for the stars with your round 1 list, you should consider altering your strategy and submitting additional applications during round 2.
Broaden Your School List.
This is why my average candidate applies to 5 schools. For some, this means having schools from a range of tiers. For others, this means spreading your eggs across multiple top-tier school baskets.
Be sure that you not only have a wide enough list, but one that is reasonable based on your GPA, GMAT/GRE and professional experience.Improve Your Applications Development and Interview Preparation.
Finally, reapplicants should focus on improving all aspects of the application itself. Take an honest look at your application and think about whether your story clearly and consistently came across.
Some questions you should consider before filling out the applications include:
- Have you shown your unique value add?
- Did you share what truly makes you shine?
- Were your career goals clear?
- Did you actually answer the questions?
- Did you show passion?
- If you received an interview invite: How did the conversation go?
- Were your adequately prepared?
- Retake the GMAT/GRE.
Even though time is limited for January deadlines, you may want to consider retaking the GMAT/GRE. Remember, depending on your profile and background, you might need a score above the average to be competitive.
