My MBA Journey cannot get any worse at this point!

Question

Dear clubbers,

that old adage, Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.
Some of you might know I have been slaving over essays for the last few weeks for one of my MBA applications.

Well this week was my last week of my application and it happened to be a week where I was away on business to another country. I slaved all day at work and refined my application late into the evenings and early mornings. Life was tough. During the week I got a draft from one of my referees. She had written it well . I was happy. At least my recommendation will be great.!

Well the deadline was at 5pm today (GMT).

I decided to get up early and give a call to my recommender at 8am. No answer,, maybe she gets to work a bit late. I try at 9, no answer. I try at lunch time. No response. I then think, well she must have submitted it, lets not worry.. i have seen the draft recommendation, all will be sweet. She must have submitted. I send her an email via blackberry. "out of office". I think thats cool..she must have sent it yesterday. I do some digging and get hold of her personal mobile phone. No answer. very strange. THen i go to the airport to fly home. I login to the internet at the airport waiting for my plane. I see an email in my inbox that is from the business school admissions director. the email was sent at 4pm saying they still need my recommendation. It was too late. When i read this it was 6.30pm.

Then i try repeatedly, every 5 minutes to call her. Still no answer.

I fly home. Literally just got home 20 minutes ago. Turn my phone on after travelling via underground train in london. There is a SMS message saying that she was sick last 2 days and didnt send it and it "slipped her mind". F@$!&'ed up big time (sorry but i dont usually swear but this deserves it).

She logged on from from and sent it. 4.5 hours late.

The question is, WHAT DO I DO? At the airport I already replied to the admissions director saying that it must be a mistake, she was going to send it during the week. She tells me that she wrote a letter of apology.

My essays and bosses recommendation got in on time. She is a "peer" referee. Since I am a freelance consultant, I couldn't keep tabs on her (since she is a client).

Shall i email the admissions director and tell him my story, or leave it at her apology? Shall I get her to call him? Shall I call him?

So confused. After 2.5 months of GMAT, 1 month of essays, this happens. All this hard work and no reward yet.

advice needed....along with some luck

westsider · Answer

I would send an email telling a (simplified) version of the story. Then follow up in a day or two with a gracious phone call to thank them for accepting it late.

It is just a couple of hours late, and as long as you didn't burn any bridges with the admissions office (in other words - get self-righteous, indignant, rude, etc) I can't see why they would turn down an otherwise qualified candidate because a peer recommender was a couple of hours late. :-D

bkk145 · Answer

I suggest you call the adcom, not her, and explain the situation. I honestly believe that this kind of situation happens quite a few times, and adcom will most likely understand since it was out of your control. Good luck!

nervousgmat · Answer

I would not worry about a late recommendation. Just call the admissions people and confirm that they received your recommendation and if there is a problem that it was submitted late. I know a bunch of people who had a similar issue with recommenders, even some who found out that recommenders submitted the reco 5 days late. The truth is that admissions is probably not going to look at your application for another week.

dosa_don · Answer

I agree with nervous- dont think schools really care much about a later recommendation. You should follow up next week to make sure everything is fine but dont stress too much over it.

xerox · Answer

No big deal, really. Adcoms know that recommenders screw up on a regular basis so just follow up with a phone call, and ask them if they have everything on file.

Chill out.

buffdaddy · Answer

Dear all,

I will call the ad-com on tuesday, since they are interviewing round-2ers on monday. I will tell them a shorterened version of the story and hopefully also see the apologetic email from the reco.

this is the actual statement from the email and guidance notes for the application

so strictly speaking, they can refuse my application. Lets see, i am a super underdog at this stage.

riverripper · Answer

Its very common to have this happen. Within 24 hours that wont be an issue. They would probably even accept your application file if it was a little late...they want all the applications they can get in R3.

kryzak · Answer

just to repeat everyone else and give you some confidence. It's OK.

Call the adcom and explain politely and they should accept it.

buffdaddy · Answer

hi All,

So I got stuck at an airport this morning for a few hours. So I had time and was really bored so I decided to call the school. The lady on the other side of the phone said "yeah i am sure it will be fine", and just like that I got a lot happier. I got back to the hotel and checked my email and they have updated the status page!!!. I am BEGIN CONSIDERED during round 3, and I also had an email from the admissions director confirming!.

thanks for keeping me sane over the weekend guys and gals!

rhyme · Answer

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" />

kryzak · Answer

HUGE congrats Buff! I'm very very glad to hear about the admit!!! Go out and party now!

svrider · Answer

Kry - I think buff meant that his application was being considered for R3  (unless I am totally mistaken!)

buffdaddy · Answer

hey Kryzak,,

gosh save the champagne...long long way to go

all this means is that they are not throwing me out..yet...

kryzak · Answer

oops, misread... sorry, but still congrats on getting the application in! Man, I need to get my eyes checked... or stop reading GMATClub in such a rush these days...

sperinko · Answer

Actually, even I thought he was Admitted.....the word "IN" has become synonymous with admit these days in MBA forums.

buffdaddy · Answer

ok i have changed this. post.. call me supersticious but i didn't want to jinx myself

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