[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text](Today’s MBAnalysis blog post is guest-written by Donna Bauman)
The chat rooms have been blowing up these past few weeks as many top MBA programs began to offer interview invitations. All your friends got a decision, but you have not heard a thing yet. This is more common than you think, as some candidates are on hold for further consideration. What can you do?
No doubt, this is a tough situation; if you bug the admissions team too much, you could get the wrong kind of attention. Yet, if you do nothing, you could be perceived as uninterested. The key is to find the right balance. Here are three tips for what to convey in your one email to the admissions team. Perhaps you will raise your stock and keep moving forward to an interview invitation in either Round 1 or Round 2.
Restate your interest in the school.
Let the admissions committee know that you still have a strong interest. With this knowledge, they will be more confident that you will respond positively if offered an interview and a subsequent admissions offer.
Schools care about their yield, or how many people accept their admissions offers because it factors into rankings. If you can truthfully say that this school is your top choice, share why. If you are very interested in attending the school, state this along with brief but specific support for WHY you are so interested.
If relevant, send GMAT/GRE updates.
One of the easiest ways to raise your stock is to send news of a test score or an upcoming exam date. If the adcom knows that you will be submitting a new score, they may hold their decision until they receive the new information.
Even if you do not improve your score, you will demonstrate that you are aware of the shortcoming and are willing to make the extra effort to improve your application.
Highlight recent accomplishments.
If you have NEW (meaning that you did not share this in your application) updates regarding recent promotions, work projects or extracurricular accomplishments, share details. Focus on your results and impact. Consider linking your update to a specific class, club or center at this MBA program to strengthen your rationale for your interest.
If you do these things, when your name comes up for the next review, the adcom will know that you remain interested. Your name and situation will be on the mind of an adcom member, which can be helpful as they make final decisions.
Remember that this is a very busy time for adcom members. Be brief, yet comprehensive in one well-timed update. While this is not a guarantee for success, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have done everything in your power to remain in consideration.
You may also want to reconsider your Round 2 application strategy. Perhaps you might apply to other MBA programs that are remarkably similar to those you are still waiting to hear from.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
