B-school Brochures and E-mails

Question

Just a quick question, I've started to get a lot more e-mails and interest from some pretty reputable B-schools. Now, I'm wondering if that's because they can actually run a search for my GMAT score and they contact all people above a certain level, or if everybody who has signed up for the GMAT through mba.com gets these informative e-mails? Any insight?

bherronp · Answer

I've gotten brochures from Stanford, MIT, and UVA in the last week. Kind of cool, but it doesn't make me think that I will actually get in to Stanford :lol:

mNeo · Answer

Everybody (AFAIK)

kidderek · Answer

It costs them maybe $2 to print and send out brochures. If 1 in 100 applies in response to this brochure, it has already paid for itself.

mbagal1 · Answer

I have gotten 0 emails. I am not sure if thats something I selected before I took the GMAT.

gmatclb · Answer

Me too. I got nothing except for some emails from schools when I signed up for the MBA Tour.

But then again, my GMAT was not spectacular.

My perception of a program would actually be less if I knew a program solicited candidates based on the GMAT.

ishcabibble · Answer

I've been kind of wondering the same thing. I only scored a 620 and I've gotten several e-mails from schools including Ross and Sloan. Maybe MIT is just looking for more females with a humanities background who work in a non-profit lobbying firm? Because really, I wouldn't have a snowman's chance in hell of getting into those schools.

lepium · Answer

As far as we know it's random. I've gotten e-mails from schools across all clusters and at different times. So when only marginally reputable schools were contacting me I thought my stats sucked. After that I got some interview invites (and got into 3 very good schools) and for some odd reason I'm now being targeted by the big guns. 

My reasoning is that the schools have different marketing targets (not only applicants volume, but diversity targets, GMAT targets, etc.) so at different times they would be targetting different people. Furthermore their timing for targeting people is different, so some schools will only target you if you'd make R1, whereas other schools target last minute applicants.
L.

emoryhopeful · Answer

And it obviously costs nothing but time to send out mass e-mails. So, it seems they pretty much send to everybody. So much for that ego boost getting e-mails from Darden and Wharton.

kryzak · Answer

Haha, I was just getting excited receiving a Darden viewbook today! That also explains why I got TWO Stanford viewbooks, one I requested, the other probably because of the "GMAT Whoring". 

Well, at least my GMAT is getting noticed, so that's a good thing.

lepium · Answer

hmmm, you don't actually need booklets to figure out that your GMAT is getting noticed. you just KNOW. 

Stanford will never target you based on GMAT. They have like 5 times as many high GMATters as they need. So it must be sth else (like being on their mailing list?).

L.

kryzak · Answer

That's what I thought, but I got a duplicate copy of the viewbook, arriving on the same day. One of them must be the mailing list (I did sign up), but what's the other one for then? That still puzzles me.

aviroop · Answer

A sign of love from Stanford... but Valentine's day is still a solid 5 months away....

aaudetat · Answer

No matter what brings those mass mailings to your door, I would recommend that you all take a moment and check out the program. Duke had not been on my list at all, and then I got an email from them around Christmas. Needless to say, I was impressed enough that I applied in time for the deadline two weeks later. And here I be.

kidderek · Answer

Stanford sent me an email. I have a lot of loooove for Stanford. But that's kind of like my love for Jessica Alba -- unrequited.

emoryhopeful · Answer

The thing I'm disappointed in is that the schools I'm actually interested in, including Duke, haven't sent me squat.

aaudetat · Answer

don't worry about that. UNC and Cornell never sent me a thing. Both let me in with dough. 

Consider these emails as help in your search. Check out the school, if you like it, put it on the list. If you don't, keep it rollin', and stick with what you've found on your own.

You guys are getting to the point in the process where you're so tied up in this, so much wanting to do well, that you lose the ability to put things in perspective. You sweat the small stuff. I'm here to tell you that these mass communications are the small stuff. In fact, the micro stuff.

kidderek · Answer

That doesn't mean anything. I got stuff from the most random schools including M7. I also directly requested (multiple times to same school)material from some schools and haven't heard a peep.

Really doesn't mean a thing.

kidderek · Answer

aaudetat,

How's the wrist?

aviroop · Answer

Now if Jessica Alba reciprocated to me I wouldnt be on this board and not thinking of MBA....

I have received 2 info packets from NYU, a dozen emails from Columbia for info sessions..(and nothing about my application status), random emails from Georgetown, Boston U, Duke, Darden and Haas.

Duke and Darden are tempting me for R2, but after looking at the essays (shiver!!!) I have set the thoughts aside.

Nothing from Cornell, UCLA and Chicago.....especially the last 2, considering I visited the schools and spent a solid time of my miserable life getting to know everyone, right down to the gardener.

life is unfair

B-school Brochures and E-mails

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards