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If you do not get into your dream business school on your first attempt, don’t lose hope; you can always try again.
Reapplying is not at all uncommon. For example, typically around 10% of MBA students at HBS were reapplicants, which means one in 10 had to try more than once. So, if you get rejected, all is not lost. With some extra self-reflection and effort to address any gaps or weaknesses in your application, you may well be able to turn your failure into success.
Future MBA applicants should keep this in mind that it may take them more than one season to secure a spot at your dream school. So factor this into your timeline; it’s wise to err on the side of starting your journey to business school a bit too early than too late.
(For more tips on timing your
MBA, see our advice here.)
What is involved in reapplying to an MBA program?
The process for reapplying to an MBA program and the information you’ll need to submit differs across business schools. Will you need a whole, fresh new application, or just an updated essay? Will you need to interview again?
Reapplication processes tend to fall into three general models — and many variants.
- Complete application: Some MBA programs like Stanford Graduate School of Business may require reapplicants to submit a completely new application; they say they ask for this because the details they collect on their application form change each year. That may include updated essays, letters of recommendation, and any other required documents.
- Modified application process: Some programs ask reapplicants to update only specific sections of the application, such as essays, and submit any information that has changed since your previous application.
- Reapplicant Question/Section: Some school’s MBA application may have a specific section for reapplicants to complete. Typically, this will ask about career progress, additional education, or new achievements since you last applied.
If you’re considering reapplying, the first step is to confirm exactly what is required, so you
can plan your time and resources accordingly.
What will schools want to know when I reapply to their MBA program?
No matter what else an MBA program requires from reapplicants, they will all want to know what has changed since you last applied. Usually, you will address this in an essay.
Top schools like Wharton, Kellogg, and Harvard Business School want to know how you have reflected and grown since your previous application. They will ask for any relevant updates on your professional life, your extracurricular and volunteer activities, and additional courses you have taken.
Here you’ll want to share anything demonstrating that you are now a stronger candidate. You’ll also want to briefly highlight your motivation for reapplying, and tie that to your fresh achievements and experiences if relevant.
If your short- or long-term career goals and reasons for seeking an MBA have changed, explain why.
What to include in your MBA reapplication essay
Fortuna’s expert MBA admissions coaches have shared these guidelines on the information and details you should include in your reapplication essay.
Professional updates: Report promotions, increased responsibility, interesting projects, or broadened international exposure, or contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. If you have received awards or developed your leadership skills through formal or informal channels, share those details.
Academic updates: If you have improved standardized test scores or taken coursework in quantitative, MBA-relevant topics since your last application, report the results.
School-specific information: Share anything you may have learned from campus specific visits or insights from conversations with current students, alumni, faculty and admissions team. Demonstrate that you remain committed to and engaged with the school. For example, London Business School explicitly asks, “Have your views of London Business School or the MBA programme changed since you last applied?”
Personal development: Share any new extracurricular activities or hobbies, or any updates and achievements related to activities you have been engaged in. For instance, you might share tidbits like completing your first marathon, achieving yoga teacher certification, or taking up fostering puppies. Focus on the personal growth and new perspectives or ambitions you gained.
Show enthusiasm: Express commitment not just to this school, but for an MBA in general. Show that business school remains a critical next step to achieving your career goals.
Feedback from school: If you had received any specific feedback from this school, explain how you have addressed this.
All in all, as a reapplicant, you want to show that you have grown and developed since your last application; that you have reflected on where you may have fallen short, and made the effort to address those shortcomings and come back to the school as a stronger, more mature candidate with more to offer to the MBA classroom and the school community. Putting together a strong reapplication takes some deep reflection; don’t shortcut the process, because if you apply with pretty much the same presentation of your profile as previously, you are almost guaranteed to get the same outcome.
Keep in mind that some schools may refer back to your previous application, and some may not. (In particular, if you have submitted an entirely fresh, complete application, the admissions reader might not dig up your previous application; however there is no guarantee that they won’t). So while you definitely should communicate what is new in your profile and how you have changed in the past 12 months, you don’t want to present yourself in a way that is incoherent with your previous application. Sometimes, it is a delicate balance to strike, and expert input can be invaluable.
Let’s Get You In.
Fortuna’s coaches can help you focus a sharp statement to reposition yourself, so your reapplication rises to the top of the pool. Request a free consultation to learn more about how we can help.
The post Reapplying to MBA Programs: What to Tell Schools and How to Get In appeared first on Fortuna.
