{"id":34118,"date":"2016-08-12T09:13:33","date_gmt":"2016-08-12T16:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/deadlines-are-weeks-away-acceptance-rates-are-low-but-now-is-not-the-time-to-freak-out\/"},"modified":"2016-08-12T09:13:33","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T16:13:33","slug":"deadlines-are-weeks-away-acceptance-rates-are-low-but-now-is-not-the-time-to-freak-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/deadlines-are-weeks-away-acceptance-rates-are-low-but-now-is-not-the-time-to-freak-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Deadlines are Weeks Away, Acceptance Rates are Low…But Now is Not the Time to Freak-Out!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\u201cIf I only had a dollar for every time you pulled me back from the ledge!\u201d<\/div>\n
A current client of mine sent me that email the other night while worrying about his GPA and GMAT quant score, both of which are fine. \u00a0I get it - I\u2019ve been there. \u00a0Although it\u2019s been a few years, I remember the struggle of pulling together my own applications while working 80 hours+ per week and oh yeah, having a life. \u00a0And now as consultant, I\u2019ve helped more than my fair share of clients through freak-outs over the year. \u00a0It\u2019s normal - we all have them; and if you\u2019re facing one now, rest assured that you\u2019ll get through it.<\/div>\n
So, we wrote this quick post to give you some ways to re-frame this whole thing when you start to go to the dark place of panic as we near the deadlines.<\/div>\n
Applications aren\u2019t credit scores, no one can quantify your chances in July -I work with a ton of incredibly talented quant nerds every year (I say that lovingly because I\u2019m one too), and inevitably several of them will ask me throughout the application process \u201cwhat their chances are\u201d of getting into their dream schools. I wish the process was as simple as updating a DCF model based on the latest draft of an essay and getting an output. \u00a0In reality, your chances are going to depend on how you leverage your own story and experiences in your final product, but also, in part on factors that you can\u2019t control such as the overall strength of the applicant pool. \u00a0Instead of becoming fixated on your \u201cchances\u201d at any given point, control what you can and send your consultant an updated draft of your essays. You have control over the biggest part of the process - your ability to write killer essays. So spend your time there and don\u2019t let your mind wander back to where your percentiles are.<\/div>\n
Your freshman C isn\u2019t going to be the one thing that blocks you from HBS -Sticking with the \u2018focus on what you can control\u2019 mantra, recognize that everyone has underperformed or made mistakes in their lives, and very VERY few applicants have a blemish-free application. \u00a0Whether it was a C in first year calculus, that time you got laid off, \u00a0or a quick departure from that \u201ccool\u201d start-up job that turned out to be way less than \u201ccool\u201d, stuff happens. \u00a0What is important is that you proactively address any problems or weaknesses in your application. \u00a0And to help ease your concerns...I knew an applicant a few years ago who stole a car during undergrad (while drunk) and is now doing exceptionally after applying to and graduating from a top 5 school. \u00a0That guy puts your \u201cC\u201d to shame - I promise. So, own your weaknesses, address them, and move on to the next drafts of your essays. Thankfully, it\u2019s highly unlikely that your blemish is going to be the landmine that destroys your chances (...unless of course you are on the FBI most wanted list or Interpol is looking for you...yeah, that will be an issue).<\/div>\n
Set yourself an application schedule -With full time commitments (work, partners, kickball leagues,catching pokemons<\/a>etc\u2026) this one is easier said than done. \u00a0If you want to nail your applications though, you need to find a way to establish a consistent schedule and stick to it. At the beginning of the process, most applicants that I work with typically spend 2-5 hours per week: \u00a0a\u00a0nice, leisurely pace of working on their resumes and waiting on schools to release their essay prompts. \u00a0By now though, you should be spending 10+ hours per week. \u00a0Your best bet is to bucket this into two nights during the week, and then a longer block on the weekend. \u00a0Choose your sports analogy, but at the end of the day you want to make sure that you can say you've done everything you can to get into the school of your dreams.<\/div>\n
Get a life -When you are not editing your essays, harassing your recommenders, crushing your online calculus classes, or doing whatever else is left in your application, it\u2019s absolutely crucial to find time for yourself. \u00a0The easiest way to do this is to build \u201cyou time\u201d into your application schedule. \u00a0If pub trivia with your buddies on Monday nights is your thing, keep doing it. \u00a0If there is \u00a0a killer bar instructor at your gym on Saturday mornings, make the class. Do whatever you need to do to keep your head clear. \u00a0This will not only keep your sanity in check, but it will make you more productive during your work periods.<\/div>\n
Keep some perspective -You have crushed life so far, and nothing can stop you from here on out. You have succeeded in your career, have had amazing experiences,\u00a0and have the personality and intelligence to succeed no matter what happens over the next few years. \u00a0Which business school you go to doesn\u2019t define you, the strength of your character and perseverance does, and that is something that\u00a0no admissions committee can define for you.<\/div>\n
If all else fails - If you have reached this point in the email and you are still freaking out\u00a0and convinced that the end is near, please consult the following.<\/div>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gppbrYIcR80<\/a><\/div>\n
If that doesn't calm you do, we don't know what will! \ud83d\ude42 As always, pleaseping us<\/a>with any questions, but mainly - get back to work!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIf I only had a dollar for every time you pulled me back from the ledge!\u201d A current client of mine sent me that email the other night while worrying…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":167,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1955,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-vantage-point-mba","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/167"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34118\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}