Aringo.com client with 580 at HBS – bull?

This is the big month for Round Oners! Let's hope for acceptances, no doubt there will be dings, but You've Been Wait Listed? Spare me, please.

I've only ever met one person who got in, to MIT, after being wait-listed. But he knew someone who taught there and I think he got them to put in a good word for him. All's fair, right?

All's fair, for sure, and knowing someone on staff at the school is a very lucky break but personally I don't know of anyone who has gotten in to a top school after being wait-listed, although I guess it happens. The trouble is, you have to wait (duh), sometimes for too long since you will have had to reply to another school in the meantime. Basically you have to take it as a 'no' as you can't really act on it.

Being on the waitlist is very frustrating and it happens a lot. But there isn't much you can do about it except .... wait. That's why you should have a backup school on your list, one that isn't necessarily in the top 5 but that you'd be happy to go to and have a reasonable chance of getting accepted to. If you're lucky, and you do get accepted to one of your first choices at the last minute, I guess you have to decide whether to forfeit your deposit at another school.

How does that work, anyway? Do you forfeit your deposit if you suddenly get accepted to a better school? Somehow I don't think so but I'd like to know. Most real contenders would probably be wait-listed at one or two schools.

As far I know you have time to make a deposit to a school before you start. Enough time to hear about whether you got accepted in Round 2 or even Round 3. So don't rush to pay another school if you are wait listed at one that you prefer to go to.

OK so I found out there ARE a few things you can do if you are wait-listed and you should check out what they are online while you're waiting. It doesn't sound like much but maybe they can help - updating your resume if you get a new promotion, some breakthrough with your volunteer work, etc. Its good to know in case there are last minute changes that might work to your advantage with the adcoms.

Good to know. Also about not having to forfeit deposit money. Thnx for the tips.

I just did another GMAT and managed to bring my score up to 680! This puts me in the 'average' category for most schools. Not the 700 I was really hoping for but still, an improvement, which I hope the adcoms will appreciate. I worked hard on trying to better my Quant score and brought it up to 40 so I'm happy. I don't think I can do better than that and I don't want to have to do another GMAT ever again.

Congrats! and good luck with your Round 2 apps. I hope you've seen the last of a GMAT exam.

Ditto, bro. Good work and good luck with all your choices!

What's the story with the interviews? I'm not at all clear on who gets asked and why, and if I should be concerned that I haven't been invited for an interview after my Round 2 application? Do all schools conduct interviews? .

As far as I know, all schools conduct interviews, some with video nowadays as you probably know. But they can't interview everyone so I wouldn't panic about not being asked just yet (this timing also depends on the individual school acceptance timetable). I know people who were not interviewed and got accepted and also people who were interviewed and did not get accepted. I think the adcoms use the interview when they need to' round out' their impression of an applicant, or even if they need to check an applicants verbal skills. There might be some subtle detail or characteristic missing from the application that they feel they can hone in on in an interview. Make sense?

Yes, thanks, that makes sense. But I still don't know whether I should want an interview or not. I mean, should I be hoping for a straight acceptance, without an interview, or should I be hoping for an interview?

Don't sit around waiting for an invitation to an interview. Either it will come, or it won't, you can't second guess the adcoms. One thing is for sure - if it does come around, get prepared and don't sweat it. Treat it as an opportunity.