Research MBA Programs

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to write a very small note as I experienced a very interesting phenomenon with many applicants I have spoken with in the past 11 years of my career as an MBA Consultant.

That phenomenon is: "Before the School rejects me, I will REJECT IT by NOT EVEN APPLYING" �

I hear this from a lot of you: "My dream school is ABC, but I am not going to apply this year as this year, I am only looking at these other 4 schools in Round 2"

Last month, I spoke with an Indian female applicant with 720, and an average background. She was averse to picking up schools such as Duke, Tuck as she thought that they are not very likely. Her strategy was to fight very hard for the other 4 schools, and if nothing works out, she will look at Duke and Tuck in Round 1 next year, as these two schools are in the Dream category, and she wants to give her best shot.

My question for her and a lot of people like her: What if you crack 2 out of 4 schools in your "Readily available" or "easy" category this year? Your dream schools will go untouched for you, and they will never hear from you. You are risking joining the "Compromise category" without ever trying for your dream category.

IF you have Round 1 next year as a back up plan, why are you not frontloading yourself with your TOP Schools for Round 2 this year.

I am not a wishful thinker, and I am not suggesting that every Indian male applicant with IT background( 3 to 4 years of Infosys) can crack Wharton or Tuck with a 710 in Round 2- NO it is very unlikely ! And I will not even recommend that you apply and waste your limited bandwidth in creating stories for schools that are way beyond your reach.

However, I want you to strongly consider applying to programs that are slightly on the difficult side for you. Do not limit yourself to only those places that will readily pick you.


Draw a decision tree while applying- what are the two probably scenarios. Best case- you will be admitted. Worst case: You will be rejected. Just because you are afraid of the worst-case scenario, will you exercise that option yourself and get rejected by not even applying? And you are doing this because you hate a rejection email in your mailbox? This is a classic example of "Let me reject them before they get an opportunity to say NO to me"


When I recommended ISB to this applicant, she said, "I got rejected by ISB last year. I do not feel that I will be able to get a good admit this year and I do not want to face these rejections this year at all".

Think about it this way- First of all, just because she failed to create a strong communication last year with a program does not mean that she will not be able to do so with any program in the future. Does it?

Second- If you are so afraid of rejection in life, you will FIGHT only for programs where an admit will be a CAKEWALK( or almost a CAKEWALK)- that means you are settling for things way below what you can deserve.

There is NOTHING WRONG IN GETTING REJECTED.

Regards,
Jatin






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