How To Get In When Reapplying
Not to toot our own horn, but guiding reapplicants is one of our specialties. In fact, Personal MBA Coach has a near perfect record with reapplicants.
To increase your chances of success, keep these five guiding principles in mind.
1) Maintain your goals.
In most cases, your goals should remain the same. You want to demonstrate to the admissions committee that you are focused and consistent. Instead of developing new goals, evaluate how clearly you laid out your vision. Was it specific enough? Did you show how you will leave your mark? Did you demonstrate an understanding of the skills needed to achieve these goals?
While it may be necessary to adjust your goals, tread cautiously here. If life or work circumstances necessitate a change, carefully explain how your goals have evolved and the steps you have taken to get closer to them so that you do not appear indecisive.
2) Focus on school interaction and research.
Engaging with schools is important for all applicants andit is especially crucial for reapplicants. One of the reasons you may have been rejected the first time around could have been questionable interest in the target school (read ourrecent blogfor other reasons you may have been rejected). Increased interaction with schools will not only combat any doubts surrounding your sincerity but also show admissions committee representatives that you are committed to and passionate about their programs.
Visit campuses (even if you already have), sit in on classes, meet with current students and attend MBA events. Naturally, there can be too much of a good thing so be careful to strike a balance between showing passion and being overbearing.
3) Look critically at your testing score.
While your test score is not the be all and end all, it IS important. This is particularly true of your quantitative score. If you were rejected, compare your score to the schools average. Were you on the low end? Keep in mind that if you have an overrepresented profile, you will likely need an above average score. If your score was borderline think about developing an improvedtest preparation planand retaking the test.
4) Strive for balanced essays.
With limited space to paint a picture of who you are and what makes you unique, it is important that you submit balanced essays. If you dwell too much on one aspect of your profile, you will undoubtedly shortchange another. Similarly, for many schools you also need to strike a balance between talking about you and talking about them. For instance, did you adequately discuss classes that you were interested in? Did you share the specific skills you hope to gain on campus? Developing balanced essays is one area that we work on extensively with all applicants, particularly reapplicants.
If you are unsure whether your balance was right, email us for ading analysis.
5) Start far in advance.
All of these steps take time! If you were just rejected, do not put your applications on the back burner until the summer or fall. Instead, start now. Develop a calendar for courting your dream schools. Hire aGMAT/GREtutor (if you are retaking the test). Look at where your essays were weak and think about how you can improve this time around. A rushed application will never be the strongest possible application so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to do it right!
Need personal support? Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate,Personal MBA Coachregularly helps applicants navigate their applications each year. Our comprehensive support includes mock interviews with a team of former M7 interviewers and customized GMAT/GRE tutoring with tutors who scored in the 99thpercentile.
Personal MBA Coachhas been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for over 11 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email[email protected]for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!
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