Etiquette After Submitting Your MBA Application
After youve submitted your MBA applications and are waiting to hear back from programs, its normal to have a moment of paniceither immediately, or at some point a little later on. Youve been agonizing over your materials for months, and now you just want to know where youre going to end up already!
When that moment of panic hits, try to remind yourself that you pulled together the absolute best set of materials that you could. Everyone feels extremely anxious in the weeks between due dates and interview invitations, so if theres anything you can do to keep your mind off of The Waitdo it.
What you shouldnt do, however, is contact the school with updates on your candidacy. There are deadlines for a reason. If each of the thousands of hopefuls kept emailing and calling their dream programs after their materials were submitted, the admissions committee would never have time to actually read through those materials and make decisions. The best thing you can do is sit tight and let them do their jobs.
But what if I just got an unexpected promotion? you might say.
What if I just single-handedly brought in $2 million of new business to my firm?
What if I was let go two days after the deadline?
What if
Weve heard every type of scenario, but the reality is that its extremely rare for anything to happen to someone post-deadline (personally or professionally) that would actually change the AdComs ultimate decision on his or her candidacy. Theyre judging your fit with their program based on a lot of different factorsone new accomplishment probably wouldnt be enough to sway their decision.
So please, resist the urge to call or email the admissions office after youve submitted your materials. Instead, plan to share any exciting updates with them during your interview.
And try not to stress out in the meantime. Remember:
Students ask me how to find their purpose. My advice is simple: stop looking for a purpose and start noticing when you get excited by what you are doing. When you enjoy your work, your purpose usually finds you, Professor Richard Shell, Wharton School.
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