The Application Process

Hi all,

I just have a hypothetical question for you - if let's say, I were to apply to 5 different schools. Of those schools, my top 3 choices all rejected me, for one reason or another - however, two of my bottom-ranked choices offered admission. If I feel that I can re-apply to my top 3 choices the following year with a better chance after gaining more work experience or re-writing the GMAT or for whatever reason, would it be wise to reject my bottom 2 choice admission offers?

Would it essentially have me 'blacklisted' at those 2 schools, in the event that I do decide to re-apply the following year or later years?

And how do ad-coms generally look at re-applicants? Especially with a year's time between application and re-application? Do they automatically say "we remember this applicant from last year, we rejected them, and so why should we admit them this time around?"

Thanks!

Well here's a question for you. Why would you apply to those other 2 schools if you wouldn't go to them if accepted? Seems like a waste of application fees and time. You should only apply to schools that you would go to if accepted.

With regard to re-applicants... ""Do they automatically say "we remember this applicant from last year, we rejected them, and so why should we admit them this time around?"

Essentially yes...you'll have to flag your application as a reapplication. They won't remember you explicitly from your prior application because they see thousands upon thousands a year... but the key in your quote is the last 9 words "So why should we admit them this time around?" you will have to show how you have improved your candidacy since submitting your last application.

I would say if you're rejecting an offer from them, why would you want to reapply to those schools you turned down? It makes no logical sense at all UNLESS your career goals dramatically change and you realize you should have gone to the school you turned down. Like money said, all you're doing is wasting time and money.

I briefly thought about turning down an offer from one of my schools, and no way would I ever reapply to them if I had rejected their offer. If I were to reapply, it would be to try to get into the schools that rejected me, not to the ones that already accepted me.

Thanks for your replies guys, appreciate it a lot.

Keep in mind that this is all hypothetical - I've essentially got 3 schools as my top choice schools, with maybe 1 or 2 backup schools that I'm planning on applying to. My question is posed on the basis of me *expecting* (or hoping) to at least get into one of my top 3 choices. If for some reason it doesn't happen, then I'll have my 2 backups to fall back on. I'm just asking if I do decide to re-apply for my top 3 choices because I don't want to settle for either of my backups, in hopes that I can strengthen my application with an extra year of work experience and/or other things. The money factor is a big deal because it's a lot to spend simply on a 'backup' school. But at the same time, I don't want to come away with no admit offers at all, because then I'll have to wait another year for the next round of applications.

I know it all sounds contradicting, but I just want to give myself the option to choose when the time comes, as opposed to having no options to choose from at all. Does that make sense?

If you're this unsure about your backups then I would suggest putting a lot of effort into researching them (just as much as your top schools, or even more if you know your top schools really well) to make sure you would want to go there if you were accepted. If you don't get a good vibe or you learn about things that reduce your enthusiasm, then take that time and energy you would have spent on the backup apps and apply them to your top 3 apps and/or other activities you can do to strengthen your application.

I'm sensing a certain abount of pride seeping through your posts. Maybe I'm wrong. But it's not necessarily a bad thing! It can drive you to be extremely successful (I've been told, even by my own parents, that I have too much pride for my own good). Don't take that the wrong way, and definitely shoot for the best school for you.

But I know this application process can be a big ego booster/destroyer for a lot of applicants. It's easy to want to compete with everyone else, because there is so much information out there to identify the "best schools" and it's so easy to talk to these elite applicants - just hop on a message board and boom, there they are. For schools, there are multiple rankings, salary figures upon graduation, acceptance rates, and lots of other numbers that make you want to shoot for the school with the highest ranking/lowest acceptance rate/most elite institution. I'm not saying those numbers aren't important, but I believe ultimately the "best school" is more subjective than anyone really realizes when they start the process. When it comes down to making your decision, so much is going to be based on personal fit, feel, and community aspects and you may determine those numbers that led you to apply to the schools you did in the first place are of secondary importance.

Thanks brian, I appreciate it. You're right about a lot of things, there definitely is an element of pride but I think there's also a great deal of uncertainty with regards to how competitive my application is to my top choice schools, hence why I'm willing to invest some time into putting together applications for backup schools.

You do bring up a lot of good points though, so thanks for taking the time to respond.

Just putting everything else aside though - regardless of my rankings for school choices and rejections/acceptances, to go back to my original question - hypothetically, if I were to reject a school's offer of admission, would I have to explain my reasons to do so? (I guess during my re-application to the school if I decide to do so). Would it hinder my chances of getting in or 'blacklist' me in any way?