Being proactive while awaiting your MBA Round 1 results

This is a stressful time. You have submitted your application materials, completed your interviews and are now awaiting that much desired “You have been accepted” to your dream business school.  Yet at the back of your mind there is a niggling doubt that the decision might be ‘Rejected’ or ‘Waitlisted’. Your head is swirling with thoughts that maybe you could have written an essay differently, maybe your supervisor could have written a stronger letter of recommendation, or maybe you should have taken the GMAT again and got a higher score.

1. Our advice: stay positive and focused. It’s hard to contain these thoughts, because they seem totally logical and rational.
2. Revisit your school list - Is your school list too aspirational? What other schools could you add to this list?
3. Repurpose Materials - Check out application requirements and deadlines and strategically repurpose your application materials. 
4. Changes since Round 1 - Have you worked on an interesting project since you applied in Round 1? Did you recently get promoted or did you and your team work on a critical project?
5. Extra-curricular interests - Did you travel to a destination that changed your outlook to life or challenged your beliefs in a significant way? 
6. Introspect - Have your goals undergone a change? Are you still determined to pursue the MBA program? 

Use your energies to strategise for your Round 2 applications. It is an opportune time to think about the decisions you want to make. 

However, it is after all a numbers game. If you have applied to the top business schools be aware that these schools get thousands of applications, and there are only a limited number of seats available. Business schools are looking for diversity in their classrooms, across ethnic groups, educational backgrounds and industry experience. Brace yourself to the fact that if you do not make it in Round 1, you still have the opportunity to find the ‘right school’ for you in Round 2.