Early in January, the Ross School sent an email to MBA Applicants with the subject heading: “Ross MBA Online Decision Posting”. Countless candidates no doubt raced through their emails looking for the word “Admit,” only to find this:
“The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is pleased to announce that we will post admissions decisions on line for the fall 2007 (November 1, 2006 application deadline) term. Since you applied on line, you can take advantage of this feature to obtain your decision on line. Decisions will be available on line effective 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on January 15, 2007.
To obtain your decision, simply log on to the site where you completed your application using the same login information that you used when you submitted your application. Instructions will be displayed on how to proceed from there. It’s that simple.”
A more reasonable, “Decisions to be released January 15, 2007,” might have helped save a few lives.
Well, it is entirely possible that you pressed submit a number of times last week and that you will do so several more times this week. If you are like most candidates, you will soon emerge from a six month writing frenzy and suddenly discover novelties like sunshine and free time. The natural question many will have is, “What next?”
Relax: For many candidates, the process is over and it is time to relax and enjoy life again. This is probably the easiest and most stress free option and thus needs little explanation.
Start Preparing for Interviews: We certainly recommend a week or two off so that you can regain your composure and get some distance from your work. Thereafter, you might reacquaint yourself with your story and start testing yourself, so that you can deliver your best for different audiences in different environments (alumni/admissions/student; high-pressure/laidback). Please contact us if you need coaching for your interview; we offer comprehensive mock interview and feedback sessions.
Look East: For those who are looking for international MBAs or simply high-quality programs with later deadlines, the European programs offer compelling opportunities. The following list only shows each school’s nearest deadlines; many extend even further: Cambridge-Judge (Rolling Until June 5th), ESADE (January 31), IMD (February 1), IESE (January 17/February 14), INSEAD (January 31), Oxford-Said (March 23).
Look North: While your time is running out for Queen’s (January 15), you still have ample time to consider an application to Ivey (April 30), Schulich (February 1 is early decision) or Rotman (February 1 is early decision), as the Canadian schools follow spring deadlines.
The Third Round: While the third round is challenging at top MBA programs, an acceptance is certainly not impossible. At MBA Mission, we observe the obvious, “If they were not prepared to accept anyone, they would not even have the third round”. We have seen strong candidates get accepted late in the cycle and if you have a standout application, it is not at all unreasonable to take a calculated-risk.
Safety Schools: You have applied to all of your top-choices and now, you just want to sleep easy, knowing that you will be in school next year. For each candidate, the phrase “safety school” means something different. Our bottom line: ensure that you are actually willing to go or you are wasting your time and should be (see entry 1.)… relaxing.
We, at MBA Mission, wish our clients and friends around the world a Happy New Year. May your year be filled with health, happiness and MBA dreams dreams fulfilled!
Pagalguy, India’s premiere MBA community recently conducted an interview with Sara Neher, Admissions Director at Darden. For those interested in Darden, this is obviously a must-read, but for those interested in vitrually any MBA program, there is still immense value in getting into the mind of the Admissions Committee:
At MBA Mission we pride ourselves on our elite communication skills — all of our consultants are published authors. In our opinion, only those who have experience communicating at the highest levels can help you creatively express yourself.
This month, MBA Mission Founder, Jeremy Shinewald, has published a piece of personal journalism in The Walrus, a multiple-award winning general interest/international affairs magazine.
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