8 Things To Do Once You’ve Hit Submit On Your MBA Applications

You’ve done it. After months of wrestling with essays, polishing your resume, chasing recommendations, and rethinking your story, you’ve finally clicked “submit.” Take a moment to appreciate just how big that is; completing your MBA applications really is an achievement in itself.

But while the hard grind of writing is behind you, the journey isn’t over. The period between submission and decisions can feel like an anxious waiting game, yet it’s also a chance to prepare strategically, stay engaged, and keep your momentum strong. 

If you want an expert read on how your application landed, or you’d rather get ahead of the interview cycle than wait for it, this is exactly the stage Fortuna’s coaches work with candidates through. Schedule a free consultation to talk through what comes next.

Here are eight things every candidate should do once the deadlines have passed, drawn from the collective wisdom of Fortuna’s team of former admissions leaders.

1. CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

This may sound obvious, but too many candidates rush straight from “submit” into worry mode. Pause and recognize the sheer amount of effort you’ve invested. You’ve balanced a demanding application process with your professional and personal responsibilities, and you’ve articulated your goals and values with honesty and courage. That’s no small feat.

So give yourself permission to rest. Not only will it give you a sense of closure on one stage of the journey, but it also replenishes the energy you’ll need for what comes next.

2. UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE, AND STAY CALM

Once the deadline passes, the admissions process shifts gears behind the scenes. Each school has its own cadence. Many schools like Wharton release interview invitations around five weeks after the admissions deadline, although at some programs, you might hear back within two or three weeks. Some schools, like HBS and Wharton, tend to release all interview decisions on the same day, while other schools, like Stanford GSB, release them in batches. Make sure you check each school’s policy.

“Stanford GSB pulls interview invitations in batches over several weeks, and there’s no ranking behind that order,” says my Fortuna colleague Silpa Sarma, a former Stanford GSB admissions reader. “I’ve seen strong candidates hear back in the very last wave. Don’t read anything into timing you can’t control.”

Knowing this rhythm in advance can help you manage expectations. A later notification from a school that releases decisions in batches is not necessarily bad news, and it doesn’t say anything about your chances of receiving an invitation. Keep an eye on official communications, since some schools publish invitation windows, and avoid falling into the trap of constant second-guessing. Your focus right now should be on readiness, not speculation.

3. LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR INTERVIEWS

Once you’ve taken a couple of days to reflect and recharge, this is a good moment to start laying the groundwork for interviews. Once you receive an invitation, you’ll normally have anywhere between one week and one month to prepare, and sometimes schools provide very little notice. The candidates who feel most composed on the day are the ones who did some early groundwork rather than waiting for the invite to land before thinking about it at all.

Now is a good time to:

• Reread your application thoroughly. You should be able to discuss every line with ease.
• Refresh your leadership and impact stories. Choose a handful of examples that you can draw on to showcase skills like teamwork, resilience, and initiative.
• Review sample interview questions and start thinking about how you’d articulate clear, concise responses.
• Familiarize yourself with the format. Interview styles vary considerably: HBS interviews are highly personalized and probing, while Stanford GSB and INSEAD use alumni-led interviews. Knowing the flavor of each will help you prepare the right way.
• Check if anything else is required. Like many schools, LBS requires a Kira video interview, but only for candidates invited to interview; MIT requires a written response to an additional short-answer question, which candidates must submit pre-interview.

Then, once your invitation arrives, that’s the moment to sharpen your delivery, ideally with a mock interview alongside an MBA admissions expert. The value isn’t just in feedback on your answers but in honing your confidence, pacing, and body language.

“The candidates who feel most in control on interview day are the ones who’ve done some early groundwork and then practiced properly once the invite arrives,” says my Fortuna colleague Melissa Jones. “A mock interview gives you the chance to actually absorb feedback and build muscle memory with your responses, so that even when you’re under pressure, you don’t get tripped up.”

4. STAY ENGAGED WITH SCHOOLS

Even though you’ve submitted your applications, your engagement with schools shouldn’t stop. Attend a virtual panel, information session, or networking event if one is offered. Reach out to a student or alum to ask about their experience in an area relevant to your goals. This continued engagement will give you rich material to draw on in your interviews.

5. KEEP BUILDING YOUR PROFILE

Submitting your application doesn’t mean your growth stops. While schools might not welcome unsolicited updates before the interview stage, the progress you make now can still strengthen your candidacy in important ways. If you’re promoted, take on a new project, or assume additional leadership responsibilities, these examples will give you powerful material to draw on in your interview.

And if you do end up on the waitlist, these kinds of updates can be invaluable. Admissions committees want to see continued momentum, and demonstrating how you’ve evolved since submission can tip the balance in your favor.

“The waitlisted candidates who stand out are the ones who stay active and involved,” says my Fortuna colleague Caroline Diarte Edwards, former INSEAD admissions head. “I once had a waitlisted candidate send a two-line email that just said ‘still very interested.’ Compare that to a candidate who tells us about the certification they just finished or the project they’re now leading. Only one of those moves a file forward. Show the committee exactly how you’ve grown since you hit submit, and why that matters to your candidacy.”

Think of this period as a continuation of your story: seek opportunities to contribute at work, mentor others, or engage meaningfully in your community.

6. PLAN AHEAD FOR DIFFERENT SCENARIOS

While you wait, it’s worth thinking ahead to the possible outcomes. If you’re invited to interview, you’ll need to ramp up your preparation quickly. If you’re waitlisted, you’ll want to understand how to strengthen your candidacy through thoughtful updates and a letter of continued interest. If you’re admitted, you’ll face important choices about comparing offers, scholarships, and fit. 

And if you’re not admitted this round, it will be time to reflect on where the gaps are and whether reapplying makes sense. Thinking through these scenarios ahead of time helps you act with clarity and confidence, whatever comes your way.

7. MANAGE THE WAITING GAME

Finally, acknowledge that this stage is as much psychological as practical. After months of intense focus, suddenly you’re in limbo. The temptation is to spend your days analyzing forum chatter, but that only feeds anxiety (and there’s a lot of false information and speculation out there). Instead, channel your energy into something constructive.

8. RESIST THE URGE TO UPDATE THE SCHOOL

In the anxious weeks after submitting, it’s tempting to look for ways to stay on the admissions committee’s radar. You take on an exciting new project, or think of the perfect point you wish you’d made in your essay, and the instinct is to fire off an email letting them know. Resist it.

At this stage, the committee is hard at work reviewing the materials you’ve already submitted. Unsolicited updates rarely help your case. Admissions teams are managing thousands of files to tight deadlines, and additions they didn’t ask for risk creating irritation rather than moving the needle.

There are exceptions. If a school explicitly invites updates, or if something genuinely significant changes, such as a major promotion or a substantial improvement to your candidacy, then a brief, well-judged note may be appropriate. 

The one moment when updates truly come into their own is the waitlist, where demonstrating continued momentum can genuinely tip the balance (see point 5). Until then, trust that your application is being given a fair and thorough read, and channel your energy into interview groundwork instead.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Submitting your MBA applications is both a conclusion and a beginning. It’s the end of a demanding process of self-reflection and storytelling, and also the start of a new phase that calls for patience, preparation, and perspective.

Take time to celebrate, stay proactive, and keep your momentum strong. Most importantly, remind yourself that you’ve already achieved something remarkable: you’ve put yourself in the running for one of the world’s most transformative opportunities.

LET’S GET YOU IN

The waiting period rewards candidates who use it well: prep for interviews, keep building the story, and know how to read a school’s timeline without spiraling. That’s exactly the kind of coaching Fortuna’s team, many of them former admissions directors at the schools you’re waiting to hear from, provides during this window.

Ready to prep for the next steps? Fortuna’s coaches, many of them former admissions directors at the schools you’re targeting, can help you prepare for the full MBA journey. Schedule a free consultation to get started.

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Emma Bond is a Director at Fortuna Admissions, the dream team of former admissions directors from the world’s top business schools. A former senior member of the London Business School admissions committee, she has been named the #1 admissions coach by Poets&Quants, and achieved a perfect 10.0 client satisfaction score in client reviews posted on Poets&Quants for five years running. For a candid assessment of your MBA profile and personalized feedback on your next steps, schedule a free consultation.

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