Rejected by HBS/GSB/Wharton? How to bounce back in R2

A little more than 900 of the round one MBA applicants to Harvard have been invited for interview. And with Stanford invites trickling out the door and Wharton selectively reaching out to applicants for their Team Based Discussion, it is the first reality check for many applicants about their chances of securing their place at a top business school for next year. For those who did not receive favorable decisions from their R1 target schools, there is plenty you can do to step up and nail your applications for round two:

Get up and brush yourself off.

Just because two or three of the most competitive business schools on the planet didn’t offer you a place does not mean you won’t become a titan of industry. It doesn’t even mean that you’re not an attractive candidate: you knew when you were applying that H/S/W reject thousands of fully qualified candidates, because their programs simply cannot accommodate every qualified applicant. If it’s comforting, Warren Buffett was rejected by HBS. But let yourself feel disappointed for a day or so, because you don’t want negative emotion to cloud your thinking: there’s important work to be done to get you into other world class business schools in round two.

Learn as much as you can about your new target b-schools.

Remember that schools like Yale, Duke, Tuck, Darden, Michigan, NYU Stern, and UCLA Anderson will see a spike in round two applications from those who were dinged elsewhere in round one. So the admissions office will be looking for evidence of your commitment to their program, and not just a R2 afterthought. Once you know where you are applying for round two, visit the campus if you can, or at the very least sign up for an info session, or participate in webinars or live chats with Admissions. Understanding what makes each program distinct will enhance your application with knowledge of the culture and personality of each institution. You will have an advantage over students who didn’t show motivation for each school; their less specific, less personalized applications imply, “This is my plan B.”

Read your own application file.

Gather everything you submitted as part of your round one applications and read your own file. Take an honest inventory of your shortcomings: perhaps you could have been more articulate, or more passionate, in communicating your career goals.

Ask someone who you can trust to give honest feedback to also read your application. Their fresh set of eyes can help to identify blind spots in your narrative.

With new essays to write, you can make the necessary improvements. Perhaps you knew that your GMAT scores or GPA were a little lower than the school profile’s. In your next set of applications, consider taking advantage of the supplemental essay to expand on any weaknesses and describe what you’ve learned (or what you want to learn!).

Retake the GMAT or GRE

If you have time, and you realistically think you can increase your score by twenty points or more, or achieve a more convincing quant score, sign up to take the GMAT again. Or consider the GRE as a better suited alternative. If you are concerned about making the round two deadline, you can call Admissions and explain that your application will be submitted in time for the round two deadline, but you have a second test score coming their way shortly.

Touch base with your recommenders

When you talk to your recommenders about your new school list (and the new deadlines), this is an opportunity to give them more guidance. If you didn’t already, you can give them a document that shares what the overall message of your application is, what strengths you are emphasizing, what accomplishments you are highlighting, and what your career goals are. If your recommenders can share insights or provide examples that work in tandem with what you’ve submitted, your profile will be even more compelling. Remember that a great recommendation focuses on who you are more than what you do. So encourage your recommenders to share their thoughts on what makes you tick, your values and professionalism, how well you collaborate with others, and your potential for growth and leadership.

You can always reach out to the team of former b-school admissions officers at Fortuna Admissions, to analyze your applications and assess where you can improve to stack the odds in your favor for round two. They have reviewed thousands of applications, and can help you to diagnose and strengthen your applications for round two.

Whatever strategy you choose, remember: you’re a future business leader, not a luxury sports car. You can—and should—forget about a few dings and carry on. Practicing resiliency and a willingness to move past setbacks is an excellent skill to exercise that will serve you well in b-school (wherever you land) and during your long and rewarding business career.

by Matt Symonds, Director at MBA admissions coaching firm Fortuna Admissions, author of “Getting the MBA Admissions Edge”, founder of Kaplan Test Prep in Europe and QS World MBA Tour

Fortuna Admissions is composed of former Directors and Associate Directors of Admissions at many of the world’s best business schools, including Wharton, INSEAD, Harvard Business School, London Business School, Chicago Booth, NYU Stern, IE Business School, Northwestern Kellogg, Duke and UC Berkeley Haas.