What To Do If You Are Not Accepted Into The MBA Program Of Your Choice

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Nov 27, 2010

Regrettably, only approximately 15% of all applicants will receive positive news from the admissions offices of the most competitive business schools. If as a candidate you are very selective and only consider a small number of top MBA programs, you may not have any options at the end of your applications process. You will need to consider reapplying to MBA programs the following year. Some MBA programs are more open towards re-applicants than others. On the positive end, a reapplication can show determination and commitment to a particular MBA program.

If you decide to reapply to a specific MBA program, what is most important is that you show that you have learned and progressed since your last application. For some MBA programs, reapplying the following year can be a challenge because there is not enough time to significantly improve your application.

There are a number of ways to demonstrate that you have progressed. At work, a clear sign of evidence would be a promotion. Unfortunately, promotions do not always occur at the perfect time. Therefore, you may have to create progress in other ways. At your office, you can consider looking around for processes or methods that can be improved upon. Then you can volunteer to be the individual who makes this change. Additionally, you can spearhead some activities or university recruiting events. Another example could be leading a community outreach program. There are a number of ways you can emerge as a leader at work.

There are even more opportunities outside of work. If you are currently involved with activities outside of the office, consider taking a leadership role in those activities. If you are not involved with any outside organizations, this would be a great time to join one and grow that part of your application.

In general, applicants tend to increase their list of MBA programs when they reapply. I usually recommend to applicants to reapply to an MBA program that they most want to attend, but to also select several additional choices. If there is an MBA program that they are not particularly looking forward to or one that is too selective, perhaps they can select several new schools that would be a better fit.

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