In Episode 125 of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Founder Jeremy Shinewald tackle the most frustrating outcome in MBA admissions: the waitlist. Unlike an acceptance or a rejection, the waitlist tells you nothing about where you stand and that ambiguity is exactly what makes it so hard to navigate.
The good news is that people do get in off the waitlist, and there are deliberate things you can do to improve your odds. Here is how Harold and Jeremy think about it.
Table of Contents
Why Should You Treat the Waitlist as Good News?
Admissions committees are, as Harold puts it, rejection committees. The fact that you were not rejected means the school considers you more than qualified and genuinely likes your candidacy. Jeremy adds that the committee knew you could not succeed there, they would have let you go. It is a victory worth recognizing, even if it does not feel like one.
How Do You Strengthen Your Candidacy While You Wait?
The core strategy is filling the holes in your application. If your GMAT score was below average going in, consider retaking it — or switching tests. If quantitative ability is the concern, a strong grade in MBA Math, HBS CORe, or a statistics or finance class can directly address it. A campus visit you have not yet made, a promotion, or a new board role are all material developments worth reporting. The point is to show effort and tenacity, not to sit passively.
What Counts as Productive Communication with the Admissions Committee?
There is a sharp line between thoughtful dialogue and anxious noise. Jeremy’s rule of thumb: update the school about once a month, unless something genuinely material happens — and every update must contain something new. Do not call asking for news. Instead, share growth: a product launch that beat expectations, a conference you attended, a conversation with a student that deepened your conviction that you belong there. Frame each update around the value you would add to the class, because that is what the committee is evaluating.
Should You Send Additional Letters of Recommendation?
One additional recommendation can help — if and only if it offers something genuinely new. A third letter repeating what the first two said adds nothing, and a flood of character references starts to look desperate. Harold also notes that some schools offer formal channels: Chicago Booth, for example, lets current students and recent graduates submit “Shape the Class” forms on a candidate’s behalf. Check what your school offers before you orchestrate anything informal.
How Do You Decide How Long to Wait?
You may need to live parallel lives for months; some applicants stay on the waitlist from December to August. International applicants face an added constraint: visa timelines are unforgiving, and some schools will release international candidates from the waitlist earlier for exactly that reason. If you reach the point where you cannot wait any longer, tell the school directly: you remain deeply interested, you plan to reapply in Round 1, and you are withdrawing only because the timeline no longer works. Handled well, that conversation leaves the door wide open — reapplicants who stayed engaged are among the strongest candidates the following year.
New episodes of The mbaMission Podcast are released every Tuesday on all major streaming platforms, with full video episodes on YouTube.
If you find yourself on the waitlist, sign up for a free 30-minute consultation. We will give you our honest assessment of your candidacy and help you build your strongest possible strategy for getting off the list.
