Intern
Joined: 01 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Given Kudos: 0
Schools:MIT (rejected), Ross (admit), UNC (admit), Emory (admit), Georgia Tech (admit), McCombs (interviewed, waiting...forever)
GPA: 3.3
Re: 2010 Zero Admits... now what?
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28 Mar 2011, 09:47
More of a lurker and don't usually comment, but was right there with you last year. Similar profile, US applicant, 720 GMAT, 3.3 GPA, 6 years work exp.
I applied to Kellogg, Chicago & Yale. Had my heart set on Kellogg (like 110% set), thought we (me and significant other) were moving to Chicago for his work, so applied to Booth as well. Threw in Yale b/c I've worked in non-profs, and everyone kept telling me to apply there. Which is probably not a great reason to apply to any school, but I digress.
Was totally bummed to go zero for 3, had given up hope entirely....And then I randomly had a conversation with a friend's spouse who recently graduated from MIT Sloan who told me that the admission's process is a game, and that you've just got to play it right, and was a game worth playing to achieve my personal/career goals. She offered to look over my resume, essays, etc., and gave me some excellent advice about applying again this year. I'd heard all this before, but she put it all together in a persuasive and eloquent manner and just made me reconsider abandoning hope so easily. (Maybe that's why the Sloanie's get the big bucks!)
I revised my list of schools to better match my background and future career goals. Everything from my resume to my essays to my Rec letters (I did NOT write these, but upon my friend's suggestions, wrote detailed primers with examples my recommenders had witnessed - but may have needed a refresher on - that highlighted key traits and characteristics important to that particular school) were a gazillion times better. In fact, I got a hand-written note on a mailed acceptance letter with a note commenting on my Rec letters! Definitely felt good!
In retrospect, my previous apps were just crappy. Not my A-game. Or even B-game. Did not present a cohesive story or put me in the most favorable light. I think I was having a hard time expressing exaclty why I wanted to go to bschool and what I wanted to do afterwards, and this definitely came across in the application process. In fact, my previous apps were SOOO bad, I did not feel comfortable re-applying to Kellogg - it was just a tragic app, awkward interview, and felt that I had killed my chance. This may be my only regret from this cycle, was not giving Kellogg another go, but everything works out for a reason.
Fast forwarding to now. This year, I got flat out rejected from MIT, but I'm cool with that b/c it's a stellar school and I gave it my best try. But I also got into Ross, Kenan-Flagler, Goizueta, Georgia Tech and am waiting on McCombs. Not quite sure where I'll end up yet (waiting on $), but this is an infinitely better place to be in than last year!
Now, I realize this isn't H/S/W, or Booth/Haas/Columbia/etc., But I took the time to visit each of the schools I applied to, sat in on classes, researched their websites, talked to professors/students/alumni, walked around town, and felt extremely happy with my list - I could honestly see myself being happy at each of them. I didn't apply to any schools that I had any reservations about, or wouldn't attend. And with the exception of MIT, I didn't apply to a plethora of schools I liked, but had hardly any chance to get into, which for me would be have been MIT, Stanford & Kellogg. Others may take a different philosophy on this, but it worked for me. And saved me a bit of money on increasingly crazy application fees!
All this to say - it get's better! And this is just my personal experience with the process. Maybe for you, it's just a subtle tweak here and there and you can re-apply to the same schools and be golden the next time around. I'm a believer that everything happens for a reason and you'll discover that if your heart is still set on b-school, that this minor setback will make you a stronger person and a better candidate next time around.
Good luck!