Timeline for Non-Traditional Applicants

Question

I'm currently applying for admission in 2013, and have yet to hear back from my R1 schools. I'm from a non-traditional background and have good stats/work experience/extracurriculars. I was wondering if you guys had any perspective on how admissions committees evaluate us non-traditional applicants. Do they:

1. Send out interview invites in a time frame that is similar to other traditional applicants, or

2. Wait until they've received applications from multiple rounds and evaluate non-traditional applicants as a group?

Assuming that schools don't receive that many non-traditional applications, it seems that they would need a pool of non-trads to compare them with each other. Whereas for the typical consultant/banker, the schools would have so much experience that they know who to invite/ding right off the bat. Any insights?

ManhattanReview · Answer

They treat you no differently than what you call more traditional candidates -- so your interview invitations will be sent out in the same fashion that other candidates are sent out. This year we worked with a high proportion of what I would consider non-traditional candidates and they all received interview invitations and acceptance notices exactly the same day as everybody else.

Good luck.

Kimberly Plaga
Senior Admissions Consultant
Manhattan Review

Call for a free candidacy assessment.

Good luck.

Kimberly Plaga
Senior Admissions Consultant
Manhattan Review

Call for a free candidacy assessment.

bond007 · Answer

I would assume that schools invite you in the same time frame as the rest of the candidates..

Can you give an example of a non-traditional candidate? Shrimp Boat Captain? Horse Jockey? Fortune Cookie writer? Unless there is another boat captain with better stats than you, then you most likely wont need to worry about schools waiting for multiple rounds to compare you or put you on the waitlist.

machichi · Answer

Where'd you apply? Have you started working on round 2 applications? You should ASAP since they are in a week!

As a "non-traditional" candidate myself I felt like the process went just like anyone else's here on the forum. I guess I'm not a complete nut job though since non-profit work is just less traditional not necessarily non-traditional.

If it's a rolling school like NYU or Columbia you'll hear when you hear and waiting neither means good nor bad news. If it's MIT you should start worrying. If it's R2 at Cornell you have plenty of time since they're so behind.

Timeline for Non-Traditional Applicants

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