Ding Analysis - Updated - Please help

I know it sounds cliche, but I have to think that some things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe Duke wasn't the best place for you. LBS dinged me AND asked me to apply again next year because they thought I needed another year of relevant work experience. As far as I'm concerend, I'm ready now. I have four years of experience (2 in law, 2 in business,) and that's slightly below their average, but only by a year. The bottom line is that you never know what schools are aiming for. Maybe Duke wants its GMAT score to be slightly higher. Or maybe they had several applicants simlar to you. Perhaps LBS wants its average work experience to be slightly higher than it is currently. Generally it stinks; at the same time, I've decided I've done everything I can and things will work out in the best way. If I didn't think that way, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Excellent advice.

willget800
sorry to hear about your ding. good luck to you for other applications.

Your profile looks impressive but think about this
Your app could have been screened by a wierdo narrow minded 2nd year (who probably thoght that any Indian engineer who gets less than 700 is not good ) who probably kept you on border line becuase of ur GMAT score.

thanks guys for all your encouragement.. really..

Well I agree with the comments that if I get all 4 dings, then I need to reanalyse my situation...........

Jay - thanks for the gita thing.. thats what my family said to me last night.. i was quite down the whole night, could not sleep... kept thinking of the next ding..........

well now onto the next 2 weeks. I am waiting for mar 23rd.

Thanks to all..........

I will keep working on keepimg the faith

Feel free to give me a PM.

I'm in the same situation as you willget. My GMAT score & length of work exp are almost idential to yours. I've been dinged 3 times already with no accepts. I am not, however, indian. I have 3 more schools left and cornell is one of my last hopes.

If I don't get any accepts this year, I'm definitly going to improve my GMAT score. I'm sure this was the achilles heel in my app.

Please check your PM.

Lets create a plan and execute it.... I think GMAT is the most important factor specially for Indian applicant .....

Either score >730 or die....

UPDATE -
Ok I was hoping for admits here, but got two wait lists - any tips?
WL at Cornell
WL at London

any tips?

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The Waitlist Paradox I – Why Me?

Some applicants receive a letter stating that they have been put on the waitlist. You too may have received such a letter. This letter means that you have the qualifications that the school is looking for, but due to other factors you have not been admitted. These factors might include you being too young, or being too experienced, or being less unique than desired, or having inconsistent track record, or not demonstrating compelling reasons for a great fit with the school. All in all, the admissions committee is not entirely convinced about your candidacy, but is willing to give you a chance.

If you have been put on waitlist by more than one school, then you should consider re-examining/strengthening your application. You should also consider applying for other schools who might take a different view on certain unchangeable elements of your application, such as you not being in the work force long enough. There are schools which may take prudent risks with young yet ambitious individuals who have a less proven track record.

To be put on the waitlist does NOT mean that you have been rejected. All programs have a limited number of applicants that they can accept each term. With the number of MBA applicants growing, the competition for admission is very intense. There are steps that you can take to improve your chances for admission.

Different Schools, Different Years, Different Policies

Some schools place an applicant on the waitlist early on in the admission process. The reason for this is that the school wishes to wait and see how the class composition is developing before making a final decision. Many times an individual who makes it to the second round of the process is competing not only against new applicants, but also against those on the waitlist. So being on the waitlist early on is not a bad thing at all. It is more like a deferment of admission. Other schools, especially those who are highly selective, rarely move people from the waitlist. This makes sense because very few people who are admitted to the top tier schools decline the offer to attend. Still other schools admit students from the waitlist who have shown improvement in their application. So each school has its own policy and procedure for the waitlist. Depending on each year’s application numbers and quality, each school may also adjust its waitlist policy a bit to better serve its admissions objective. Simply put, the “waitâ€

Thats a great article abt WL! Thanks for sharing.

I hate to point out the obvious, but given your demographic and the apparent competitiveness of the applicant pool this year, have you considered taking the GMAT again? Your GMAT is below the mid-line for these schools so it definitely isn't helping, and at this point you need to do whatever you can to help your candidacy.

willget - sorry to hear that man. Hang in there and I hope it works out for you in the remaining schools.

I do concur with Pelihu's observation - whether you like it or not, you are in the 'oh-crap' demographic and the score does put you at a bit of disadvantage, and since we're hearing lots of applications this year, it could be an unwanted pain. Then again, one never knows ding reasons.

Don't give up yet - your candidature seems strong because of the calls you've had. It might make a lot of sense to up your GMAT score so you leave nothing to chance, and then hit a few schools you haven't applied to (and re-apply). All that is assuming you don't make it anywwhere but I sincerely hope you will get in a school of your choice and you can look back at these posts and smile away.

Wishing you the best.

So what I dont understand is if they feel my gmat score is not upto the mark, why to invite me for interview???? Why not ding me upfront saying your gmat is less...

If my gmat score is an issue, why not say it upfront?

Willget - GMAT is just one of the variables. And we all know that schools will call excellent candidates and in then end they have the luxury to pick and choose. That is why many deserving candidates don't make it. Sometimes it is beyond explanation - a purely random choice where someone decided a profile 'isn't good enough' - a subjective decision for which there is no answer.

But when you look at it - you have an excellent profile, but you have immense competition too. In such a case, it is only safer to swing to your advantage whatever you can.

Bottomline is no one knows if GMAT caused a ding, but you also don't know the other way!

All said and done, don't take it too hard - wait for the remaining results. And don't give up (it's a different matter if you go back and run a multi million $ business in India's booming economy!)

I think this is the best option. once you become successful, these schools will beg at your door for funding and then you ding them