Toggle navigation
MBA Watch Logo
MBA Watch Sponsor
Rice Business | Mr. Doesn’t Know When To Quit
GRE 331, GPA 3
Stanford GSB | Mr. Anti W2
GRE 331, GPA 3.0
MIT Sloan | Ms. Sassy
GRE 329, GPA 3.46
MBA Watch Sponsor
Kellogg SOM | Mr. HealthAI
GMAT 700, GPA 3
Harvard | Mr. Global Consultant Leader
GMAT GMAT FE 705, GPA 7
INSEAD | Mr. SE To PM
GMAT 675, GPA 3.0
MBA Watch Sponsor
Harvard | Mr. Data Econ
GMAT 750, GPA 4
Harvard | Mr. Energetic Indian
GMAT 760, GPA 9
Stanford GSB | Ms. Multifaceted Desi
GRE 309, GPA 4
MBA Watch Sponsor
Tepper | Ms. MRI Gal
GRE N/A, GPA 3.3
Columbia | Ms. Big4 CPA To MBA
GMAT 730, GPA 3.69
Cornell Johnson | Ms. Indonesian Tech
GMAT 740, GPA 3.02
MBA Watch Sponsor
Stanford GSB | Mr. IB To TFA
GMAT 750, GPA 3.4
NYU Stern | Ms. CA – Controller
GRE 321, GPA 8
Chicago Booth | Ms. Low GPA High Impact Care
GMAT 685, GPA 2.56
MBA Watch Sponsor
PQ Logo
Featured Schools
University of Cambridge Judge Business School logo
NYU Color (440 x 200 px)
Rice Logo
IESE Business School logo 440 x 200
University of Pittsburgh Katz
MBA Full time event
Today's Featured Schools
Featured Schools
University of Cambridge Judge Business School logo
NYU Color (440 x 200 px)
Rice Logo
IESE Business School logo 440 x 200
University of Pittsburgh Katz
MBA Full time event
  • Home
  • Main Menu
  • Most Recent
  • This Week’s Most Viewed
  • GMAT Master
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Study In UK
  • Special Reports
Rankings
  • MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Executive MBA
  • Undergraduate Business Schools
News & Features
  • All Business School News
  • MBA
  • International MBA News
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Admissions
Inside Business Education
  • THE Register
  • Thought Leadership
MBA
  • School Profiles
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Jobs
  • Faculty & Leadership
  • Best 40 Under 40 Professors
  • Events
Students
  • News & Features
  • Meet The Class
  • Best & Brightest MBAs
  • Best & Brightest Online MBAs
  • Women In Business School
Careers & Pay
  • News, Advice, & Trends
Online MBA
  • News & Advice
  • School Profiles
  • Rankings
  • Events
  • Pursuing Purpose At Gies
Masters Degrees in Business
  • News & Advice
  • Specialized Masters Directory
  • Rankings
  • Business Analytics
  • Master's In Management
  • Events
Financing
  • Financing Your Degree
Study IN Series
  • Study In France
  • Study In UK
Admissions
  • News & Advice
  • Admissions Consultant Directory
  • Your MBA Game Plan
  • Admissions Gateway
  • Getting Into HBS, GSB, & Wharton
  • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
  • MBA Watch
  • Events
GMAT & GRE
  • News & Advice
  • GMAT Master
More Resources
  • FREE: Insider Guides
  • FREE: Successful Essays To The GSB & HBS
  • Special Reports
Events
Videos
Podcasts
Executive MBA
Undergrad
Full Archive

About | Privacy Policy | Advertising| Editorial | Contact Us

Follow Us

Subscribe | Login

  1. Home
  2. Sponsored Blogs: Insights & Advice From MBA Admissions Consultants
  3. More Business School Admissions Advice You Don’t Want To Hear

More Business School Admissions Advice You Don’t Want To Hear

by: Karen Marks, president and founder of North Star Admissions Consulting on February 28, 2018 | 899 Views
February 28, 2018
    • Copy Link
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Email
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on WhatsApp
    • Share on Reddit

There is so much information swirling around about business school admissions that it can be hard to know what to believe. It’s also easy to find advice that supports what you want to hear, which can lead to trouble. In addition to the blind spots that I previously wrote about, here is some more business school admissions advice that you might not want to hear.

  • You probably shouldn’t apply third round.

For most people, third round is not the place to be. It’s unbelievably competitive, you need to have an incredibly strong application and under some circumstances it can hurt you to reapply. Yes, some people get in, and I have worked with successful third round candidates. Nevertheless, it’s usually not the right move.

  • Wait listed? Don’t visit uninvited or send tons of unsolicited materials.

This one is really hard for people to hear. There are definitely things that you can do to move the needle when you are wait listed, and those things vary depending upon why you were wait listed in the first place. Demonstrated interest is good, as long as it’s done correctly. However, it WILL backfire if you ignore the school’s rules and cross boundaries. Use good judgment, and even though it can be hard, sometimes the best way to enhance your candidacy is just to wait.

  • Yes, you should interview on campus.

I know that the MBA application process is expensive, long and time consuming. When schools offer you the option of interviewing remotely or locally it can seem like a great plan. If you are really interested in the school, I strongly suggest that you make the effort to go, especially if it’s a school like Wharton or Ross that offers a team-based exercise, or a school like Tuck, Duke or UNC, which offers applicant- initiated interviews.

For all programs it never hurts to go in person – you are demonstrating interest, which reassures them a bit about yield, and it’s easier to credibly articulate your passion for the school in-person. Plus, it’s harder to connect with your interviewer via skype, and alumni interviewers can be erratic. You have already put in a tremendous amount of work to get the interview, why take a chance?

At some level, you probably already know which business school admissions advice makes the most sense for your candidacy. Follow your instincts, find trusted advisors and use the information that’s available to enhance your applications.


Karen has more than 12 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Clients have been awarded more than $47 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

Trending

How To Get Into HBS? Part 2 Of 2

5 Tips For Addressing A Gap In Your MBA Resume

MBA Calculating The Real ROI

Is An MBA Worth It? How To Calculate The Real ROI

Dr. Judith Silverman Hodara Fortuna

The ‘Introduce Yourself’ MBA Essay

Finding Your Best MBA Admissions Consultant: A Guide For Applicants

avoid-being-a-copycat-applicant

Avoid The Trap Of Being A Copycat MBA Applicant

mba-application-tips-and-tricks

MBA Application Final Touches: Top Tips and Tricks

MBA specialization with Melissa Jones from Fortuna

LBS Application Video Interview Questions: Tips And Strategy

Tagged: admissions advice you don't want to hear, admissions consultant, admissions consultants, business school admissions, Karen Marks, mba admissions, mba admissions consultant, North Star Admissions

Post navigation

Previous Article: Best Free MOOCs In Business In March
Next Article: Highest & Lowest GMAT Scores At Top Schools
  • Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login
    Logout
    Search for:
  • Personal MBA Coach's Chicago Booth Essay Tips
  • Partner Blogs

    What Europe’s MBA Admissions Directors Want You To Know

    by Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions (5 days ago)
    MBA specialization with Melissa Jones from Fortuna

    6 MBA Specializations To Supercharge Your Career

    by Melissa Jones, Fortuna Admissions (1 week ago)
    NEW Karen Marks Photo

    Advice Column: Predictions For The 2025/2026 MBA Application Cycle

    by Karen Marks, North Star Admissions Consulting (1 week ago)

    How To Stand Out In The Application Pile

    by Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions (1 month ago)
    Jody Keating, Fortuna Admissions

    5 Tips To Craft A Killer MBA Resume

    by Jody Keating, Fortuna Admissions (1 month ago)
  • Online MBA Hub Specialized Masters Directory Business Analytics Hub MBA Admissions Consultants Assess My MBA Odds

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register

Copyright© 2025 C Change Media, LLC All Rights Reserved.

Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com