Calling all Darden MBA Applicants: 2022 Intake [Class of 2024]

Interesting, I’m also on the waitlist but I didn’t receive that

I am an early action applicant

oh ok

what do such mails mean?

dommychou, oh ok. hang in there buddy!

I’m guessing they are considering those who received that mail

I received something similar from Rice

where I’ve been waitlisted too

and when did you get that email from RicE?

dommychou, you are 100% wrong

PMMEGMATQUESTIONS, Last week

dommychou, has there been any update on your Rice application since then?

nightblade354, No?

PMMEGMATQUESTIONS, No not yet, but I’ve seen some updates on clearadmit

someone on the waitlisted got in

dommychou, yes. When you said those who received the email are the ones that they are interested in. Anyone STILL on the waitlist is being considered regardless of whether they recurved a follow up email

nightblade354, Got you, I guess that’s good news

I got the email too and was also waitlisted in R2.

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It can only be a good thing to get communication regarding the waitlist. The benefits of receiving such an email asking for you to reiterate your interests are two fold: 1) the school is still thinking about your candidacy and 2) responding to the email gives you the opportunity to produce a well-crafted update showing how your candidacy has improved since you applied (accomplishments like promotions, raises, increases in scope/responsibility, direct reports, etc. at work or EC updates like new board memberships or hobbyist commitments/achievements). Administratively, another reason for sending out these waitlist communications is to cull down the waitlist so that the adcom can give out acceptances to waitlisted candidates after deposit drop deadlines and make sure that those applicants haven’t already gotten into another great program that they are more interested in attending or have dropped the notion of b-school altogether (because, for instance, they got a promotion at work or started a company that is taking off and they want to see it through).

The good news for schools like Rice and Darden is that because they have lower yields (yield = % of accepted students who decide to matriculate), they let in more people off the waiting list and they have longer waiting lists because of this. The waiting lists for these schools don’t have an individual rank # for every applicant out of the total # of all the applicants. Instead, they likely have candidates grouped in bunches based on what they bring to the student body (e.g., “big 4 accountant” or “family business manager in the industrial sector with aspirations to be CEO,” or “bulge bracket IB Analyst/Associate seeking PE”). Getting clarity from students about whether they are still interested in attending helps the school reorganize their waitlist so that they can pick somebody who could hypothetically fill a similar profile as one of the accepted applicants who decided not to attend. In this way, the school can build the rich tapestry of professional and demographic diversity they seek in their well-rounded incoming class.

If you get accepted off the waitlist, play up the deposits that you may have already paid to others schools and any scholarship money you have already secured. Most candidates who get in off the waitlist think that they are lucky to have gotten in at all, so they are hesitant to ask for scholarships or they are taken off guard by their acceptance because it came at an off-cycle time. In truth, we have seen many clients who were accepted off of waitlists negotiate scholarships for themselves. One bit of advice that we have for these particular candidates is to highlight that although X school is their first choice, they have already deposited $Y to hold a non-binding acceptance at Z university where they received $XX financial aid. (Candidates who say these things should be ready and willing to provide proof if necessary.) By the time these waitlisted candidates are being accepted off the waitlist, there is more clarity over available scholarships, since many previously accepted R1 or R2 applicants who were offered scholarships have likely declined and that money is back on the table and possibly available for those on the waitlist.

Personal MBA Coach’s founder, Scott Edinburgh, attended the annual Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) conference this May. Along with general upcoming application themes, we gained insight into how schools are engaging with prospective students.

More than two years after the start of the pandemic, top business schools are finally beginning to invite visitors back to campus in small numbers. While not required, visiting business schools is a great tool during the school selection process. By exploring a campus, MBA hopefuls will gain a sense of life on campus and a school’s overall culture, helping them determine whether a particular program will provide them with a fulfilling MBA experience.

That said, virtual events are still a strong option for folks who are unable to get to campus (admissions committee members will not hold it against you if you cannot visit in person). For those who are interested in visiting their target business schools in person, sign up early! There are limited spaces, so the sooner you schedule a visit, the better.

Here, Personal MBA Coach has shared some insights on school interaction in a post-pandemic world.

About Personal MBA Coach:

Founded by a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 15 years and is consistently ranked #1 or #2 by leading sources. Personal MBA Coach is the #1 most favorably reviewed US Consultant of all time on Poets & Quants.

We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, application strategy, school selection, essay editing, and mock interviews. Our team includes former M7 admissions directors and former M7 admissions interviewers.

Last cycle, our clients earned more than $6.5M in scholarships!

is there a thread created for darden future year applicants?

FYI, we have added Darden to the MBA Spotlight schedule.

This Darden session on Monday, June 13th has a limit of 100 attendees. You can register at the following link

https://gmatclub.com/mba-spotlight

What time do darden future year results come out?