Rejected By Your Dream School? Your Safety? Here Is What You Should Do

It is hard not to feel the sting of rejection coming from MBA programs you failed to get into, especially when you just devoted a portion of your life going through such an arduous application process. You may have been rejected by your dream school. Some of you may have been rejected by your “safety” school. We are here to let you know that it is key to your long term success to not let fear of future rejection keep you from reapplying yourself. There are steps you can take to improve your applications and get accepted to a top MBA program.

What should you do?  

Be honest with yourself.

This is probably the most important and most difficult step an applicant can take to kick-start the post-ding process. You will need to look back at your application and honestly assess the strengths and weaknesses of your profile. Look at where you stand from a stats perspective (GMAT, GPA, years of work experience) as well as how you fare in some of the other areas like the essay – scrutinize your whole profile. The data side is easy; you can compare average and median scores to determine your competitiveness in these areas. The “other” areas are a bit more complicated, but assessing whether or not you answered all questions as they were posed, and to the best of your abilities, is a good place to start. The information gleaned from this self-assessment should fuel your next steps as you consider applying to other schools. Evaluating yourself is quite a challenge, and sometimes it helps to have an outside perspective to address your “blind-spots.”

Ask for feedback.  

Anyone who gets rejected will inevitably ask, “What did I do wrong? Was there one thing that kept me out?”  There are some programs that give rejected applicants specific feedback on why they didn’t get in. This can be helpful because if it’s something you can improve, then you know exactly what you need to do, if you decide to re-apply.  The old advice applies, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.”

If the programs you applied to are unable to provide you with feedback on your application, you can get a “ding analysis” from an admissions consultant.  They’ll review your application and give you their opinion on what held you back. Considering many admissions consultants are former admissions committee members this can be invaluable.  

Prepare for the Future.

Now it’s time for you to come up with an action plan. Having a plan to address the aspects of your profile that prevented you from being admitted is key. How are you going to improve your profile and applications to improve your chances of admission? You may need to expand the set of schools you apply to. You may need to improve your essays. You may need to get a higher GMAT score.

Allow me to share the following review posted by a client we worked with. I hope it will give you hope.

“I had applied on my own to a couple of top MBA programs last year and was rejected without interviews. Even though I sunk many hours into my applications, within just one session, Dave was able to highlight different areas in which I could strengthen my essays, resume, and letters of recommendation. I started with Dave in April for a four-school package, and every step of the way, he was an incredible mentor and guide. Dave took the time go get to know my life story, future goals, and general life; I never felt like just another client. Dave was great about really cutting to the core of my stories and the reasons I made decisions while still focusing on the impact of those experiences. The final results blew away my best expectations – 100K scholarship from Kellogg, 60K scholarship from Booth, and full rides from both Tuck and Darden. Thank you so much to both Veritas and Dave for a fantastic experience and amazing results, and I highly, highly recommend Dave. Can’t wait to start school in Fall 2018!”

A ding is not the end of the world! Take the steps above to bounce back and earn the letter of acceptance you deserve.


Veritas Prep is the largest privately-owned test prep and admissions consulting company in the world. Since 2002, Veritas Prep has helped thousands of applicants gain admission to their dream schools using its team of experienced consultants and a personalized game plan for each client. Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or sign up for a free consultation to discuss how we can help you get accepted to the school of your dreams. As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

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