MBA Admissions Ep. 14: The Shocking, Pleasant Truth About MBA Waitlists

Congratulations - you’ve been waitlisted! Now what? What steps can you take to convert your waitlist spot into an acceptance? How can you use this time to impress admissions committees? What’s the best way to demonstrate interest without being annoying?
For answers to these questions and more, check out this discussion between Donna Bauman (Senior MBA Admissions Counselor at ‪@StratusAdmissionsCounseling‬), and GMAT Ninja’s Charles Bibilos. Drawing on her experience as both an admissions consultant and an admissions committee member at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Donna explores the following points:
1) Take the Win -- making the waitlist shows that a school is interested in you. That's a good thing!
2) Attending school events and making personal connections can help you stand out on the waitlist.
3) Self-awareness goes a long way -- schools respect your efforts to address the weak points of your applications.
4) If your test scores are on the low side, retaking earns you points. Even if your score doesn't go up, the effort is noted and admired by admissions committees!
5) Be an active waitlist member, but don't be annoying. Express your genuine interest in the school, but avoid flooding the inboxes of admissions committee members.
6) Always follow the waitlist instructions!
Bottom line, while many applicants are understandably disappointed if they get waitlisted, you may want to see this as a great opportunity. With some effort and a little luck, you may be able to turn that waitlist spot into an acceptance.
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Want more MBA admissions tips & advice?
More information about GMAT Ninja's MBA Admissions consulting services: www.gmatninja....
More on Stratus Admissions Counseling: www.stratusadm...
Several (painfully honest) articles that will help you choose the best MBA admissions consultant for your specific needs: www.gmatninja....
Articles that will help you produce your very best MBA application: www.gmatninja....
For more on Donna Bauman, her expertise in business storytelling, and her efforts to ferment fish sauce: www.stratusadm...
For more on Charles Bibilos, his love of international food, and his contributions to ornithology textbooks: www.gmatninja....
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Chapters
00:02 Introduction
03:34 How to Stand Out On a Waitlist
07:40 Use the Waitlist Period to Address Weak Points
12:48 The Goldilocks Zone -- Show Interest, But Don't Be Annoying
17:57 Last Minute Openings
20:33 Conclusion: Stay Positive, and Don't Take it Personally

[@aj1218]

SOM waitlisted me. I find out June 1st. So lets see.

[@GMATNinjaTutoring]

Good luck, and keep us posted, please! We like good news.

[@aj1218]

​@@GMATNinjaTutoring I got in today. Thank you for your videos

[@GMATNinjaTutoring]

@@aj1218 Amazing, congratulations!! You're going to have an absolute blast there. Thank you for the good news, and enjoy the weekend!
- Charles

[@sudipm7]

Hi Donna - I'm just wondering if we can ask our professional connections to write letter of support instead of someone from B-School community.

[@donnabauman3190]

Hi @Suipm7, usually MBA programs want to hear from their alumni base to share that they have worked with you in some capacity and that they know your work and also THE SCHOOL's culture and can speak to how you'd be a good fit for their community. To have someone who is not connected to that business school reach out unsolicited feels more like an additional recommendation letter-- and that's not something that most schools want to do. You can imagine that each school is managing a pool of people on the WL, and if everyone sent in more rec letters it would just clog up the pipeline and add more layers of work. I think the most important thing is to follow the FAQ page and the guidelines that the school sends you in terms of when to update MBA programs with a status update. If you do too much that is not asked for, you run the risk of being seen as annoying and that will not serve your case. I hope this helps-- and I will say that we are entering the time of year where the WL will really heat up and there will be movement. Make sure your top program knows that you'd sign up in a second if you get the call-- (only if true) and make sure they have been updated about any new test scores, extra coursework, promotions and community leadership. That and knowing that you will indeed come if you are accepted is probably the most important thing they need to know. They already think you are acceptable quality for the program or you wouldn't be on the WL, so having another person write an extra recommendation that has not connection to the MBA program doesn't feel like the best approach!