Waitlisted? Here’s What You Can Do

Getting waitlisted from your dream B-school can be unsettling. You’re left wondering, “What’s next?”

Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently offered a few tips for waitlisted MBA applicants and what steps they can take to increase their chances of admission.

MAKE A DECISION

The first thing a waitlisted applicant should do is decide whether or not to stay or drop from the waitlist. That decision depends on your interest in the school’s MBA program.

“If it’s your top choice, you may want to remain on the list until school begins,” Blackman says. “That could mean moving quickly and giving up a deposit on a school that has offered you firm admission. If the program is not your first choice, or you would like to settle your MBA plans before school starts, you may choose to remove your name from the list. If that’s the case, do so promptly and give someone else a chance at their MBA dream.”

IMPROVE YOUR ODDS OF ADMISSIONS

If you’ve decided to stay on the waitlist, there are a number of things you can do to improve your odds of admission. One of those things is updating the admissions team of any professional advancements.

“A promotion, raise, or an award is almost always a useful piece of information to share,” Esther Magna, a principal consultant at Stacy Blackman Consulting, says.

Experts recommend periodically contacting the admissions office with any tangible updates that may help improve your odds of admission.

“If possible, share an update on your profile, such as a job move or promotion, or inform the admissions committee if you’re on the cusp of accepting another offer,” Caroline Diarte Edwards, Co-Founder and Director at Fortuna Admissions, says. “At the very least reinforce your motivation.”

Edwards says it can be helpful for waitlisted applicants to step back and analyze the weaknesses in their application.

“Retaking the GMAT may be worth considering, for example, if your score is below the program average, but only if you think you can gain by a solid margin, not just 10 more points,” Edwards says. “Another action is to seek a project at work that will give you a good story to tell in an update to the admissions office.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, Fortuna Admissions