Mr. AI in Asia

Also sorry to hear about your news from Harvard and Wharton. You are really accomplished. I think the GPA and being in a highly overrepresented part of the applicant pool is what did you in. Stanford will be tough for the same reasons, though the fact that you played a role in the growth of the unicorn you are with could make a difference. We’re all rooting for you at MIT Sloan. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Hi Mr. AI in Asia! This is JP from The MBA Exchange. I’ve had loads of experience with reapplicants, and was a reapplicant myself. Having spent more than a decade in Asia and done my higher education in North America, I think I have a good grasp of your profile and situation. There are two big pieces to consider based on what you described:

1) An interview at MIT doesn’t automatically translate into an acceptance. The process is still incredibly selective at that stage. Even if you are granted a seat and accept it, it’s important that you assess whether you’re taking it ‘by default’ rather than loving the program, and whether you’re going to have any regrets about the other programs. Which leads to point #2:

2) Top programs like H/S/W only consider reapplicants who show a “significantly different or heightened perspective” (the AdCom’s own words) since their previous application. This means you’d have to show significant personal growth and/or a new outlook on your life and career. It can’t be ‘more of the same but slightly better’. This factor is why most reapplicants are rejected. This is especially vital for applicants from over-represented segments.

We have some free resources I can share with you on these points, just get in touch with us via The MBA Exchange website, stating that you posted your profile here and that you’re looking to reach out to ‘JP’.

Cheers!

Hi, Mr. AI in Asia. Julie-Anne Heafey here with mbaMission. I’m sorry to hear about your results with Harvard and Wharton; those are very tough schools, so I wouldn’t beat yourself up. And good luck with MIT – that’s great that you got an interview there. Crossing fingers for you!

With regard to reapplying – your chances of success will tend to depend on 2 things – 1) why were you rejected in the first place? is this something that can be improved on? and 2) can you show growth/progress vs. when you last applied? There are many reasons you might not have gotten through at HBS and Wharton – as I said, it’s tough! Your GPA was probably part of the story (below 3.3 tends to be a problem for the M7, but if in a hard science there’s a bit more wiggle room), but there may have been other things as well so I’d try to get a second opinion on your application because you may have things you could improve/mitigate/clarify with a reapplication. I will say your goals are confusing to me. You want to do EITHER AI entrepreneurship OR investment management? Those seem….pretty different. If you don’t get good news from MIT Sloan, I’d step back and reevaluate, see what you can improve, cultivate at least one new recommender, and hedge your bets by adding a few more MBA programs to your list. GOOD LUCK!