What to Do When You Hear Back from Business School
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After months of preparation and enduring the MBA application process, your reply finally arrived. Hearing back from the business schools you applied to is equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. No matter what schools say, you’ll want to review the possible scenarios below and ask yourself several questions to ensure that the program you select meets your personal needs, interests, and goals.
How long does it take to hear back from business schools?
Before you bite off every nail in nervous anticipation, it helps to know when you should expect to hear back from the top business schools you applied to. Even if you apply in the earliest round, you shouldn’t expect to hear back right away. In fact, most business school admissions decisions take two to three months from when your application was submitted.
You’ve been accepted! But is this business school the right one?
Your best bet in this scenario is to go with your gut to ensure this business school’s program still meets your interests, talents, and goals. Get confirmation by talking to mentors, teachers, alumni, and current students with interests that match your own. Also, check your financial situation—is this an MBA program you can still afford? If this is THE school, be sure to respond by the decision deadline. Once you say yes, remember that you are more or less committed to this program since transferring credits to another program isn’t typical for graduate business schools.
Several business schools have accepted you—now what?
Forget about the cost differences: What does your gut say? In this case, start by re-examining why each one of these schools made your short list in the first place. Visit (and even revisit) schools, talk to mentors, alumni, and current students to help narrow your choices.
You’ve been accepted, but can you defer enrollment?
Generally, no. Most schools will only consider deferrals for serious reasons such as: a family crisis or illness; an unforeseen work promotion or new project opportunity; an inability to acquire visa papers in time to study in a foreign country; or a short-term military deployment.
You’ve been waitlisted to your business school. What should you do first?
It’s best to contact the school to find out what the process for is admitting students on the wait list. Ask what you can do to strengthen your application or if you need to submit any additional information.
What if you’re not selected from the wait list?
Even though you are feeling pretty disappointed, there are some positive steps you can take to improve your chances for reconsideration next year. First, contact the school to find out why you never made it off the wait list and address these reasons based on the feedback you receive. Then remember that you can add to the quantity and/or quality of your work experience during that year, or you can demonstrate your aptitude and motivation by repeating an economics, calculus, or statistics course.
You may also want to retake the GMAT™ exam to improve your score—and do a more thorough job preparing for the exam. If you are an international student whose native language is not English and your TOEFL or Pearson Test of English (PTE) score is low, spend the year improving your communication skills.
What else can you do while you’re waitlisted from business school?
Examine your current list of schools and perhaps search for additional programs to consider where your credentials would be more competitive.
You’ve been denied admission to business school. What’s next?
Talk to the admissions office to determine why you were denied, and develop ways to strengthen your future application or admissions interview. If you really want to reapply to the same schools, keep in mind that your admittance chances may not improve unless your application changes significantly. This is a good time take a step back, review your criteria, and decide if you should be targeting another group of schools. Ask people in your network to give you an honest assessment and suggestions on ways to improve your marketability.
Why Business School is Still Right for Your Career Path
Whether you’ve been accepted or denied admission to your top business school, remember why you chose to pursue a graduate business degree in the first place—to propel your career. Keep your eye on that long-term goal, and your long-term success is sure to follow! Want help planning for your future career? Explore our free career planning guide.