Reapplicant (with 2 years gap)

Question

In 2020 intake, I applied in Round 1 to some of the programs and was dinged.
I am planning to apply for 2022 Intake.

In the website, it basically states that after 1 year gap in admission cycle , a completely new application needs to submitted and not as a reapplicant.

So basically my score on their cards are zero and not negative ?

I was waitlisted in couple. But since then I have improved my GMAT score by 40 points and also 2 years of addition experience at a good company with an engaging role.

Nikhil · Answer

I think they will consider your application as a new one. Your past application shouldn't have an effect on the new one but I guess you should put more emphasis on what changed in the last 2 years

Admissionado · Answer

BoundMan :

Yes, I agree with Nikhil. I believe they will be evaluating you as a fresh candidate. The admissions committee is implying that they will effectively consider you a new candidate.

Was there a particular school you were referencing when posting? If so, you can always call the admissions committee anonymously, give them the information you listed above and simply ask how they take your previous application into consideration, if at all. Some schools may have your previous application on file but not reference it. Others may reference it even if you are required to submit an entirely new application. The point is, each school has its own policies.

Also, even if you were denied or waitlisted does not mean that your past application will be viewed negatively. Admission to these programs is competitive given the limited seats. There might have been many redeeming qualities in your background (including continued interest in their program) that could actually work in your favor. Don't assume you're going into this process handicapped. Good luck!

GyanOne · Answer

Hi  BoundMan

This would depend on the programs you are applying. While almost all would require you to submit a fresh application after 2 years, none of them would really hold the outcome of your previous application against you. A GMAT score increase of 40 points, and 2 years of additional experience is enough change in your profile to merit a strong reapplication.

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  BoundMan ,

Thanks for your query.

Whether a school counts your application as a new one completely depends on the policies of that particular school. Having said that, a 40 point improvement and 2 additional years of experience will definitely help you project a stronger version of your story; so, you needn't worry about your re-applicant status having a negative impact on your candidature.

All the best!

MBADecoder · Answer

Hi Boundman, As I understand, you applied in 2019 for the 2020 intake. Right? In that case, you would be applying after a gap of 2 years. My understanding is that some b-schools would consider you a new applicant, whereas some of them would consider you a reapplicant. It really depends upon the b-school where you are applying. Therefore, its safest to thoroughly look at your target program websites, and also reach out to adcom members to get the facts directly from them. Moreover, your continuing interest in their program will make them notice you. To prove my point, i am copying below some guidelines from 3 different b-schools on how they approach the reapplication: Booth - You are considered a reapplicant if you submitted an application for admission to Chicago Booth's Full-Time MBA Program within the past two academic years. If you applied to the Full-Time Program more than two years ago, or if you applied to another Chicago Booth MBA program, please apply as a new applicant. Stern- Reapplicants may submit an abbreviated application to Full-time MBA if you have applied to any of these three programs in the last two application cycles, e.g. the 2019 and 2020 application cycles. Kellogg: If you have previously applied to Kellogg, you must submit a new online application with updated transcripts and resume. If you submitted GMAT, GRE or TOEFL test scores in a previous year, you do not need to resend them. Speaking from my experience, I worked with an applicant rejected by Wharton, who applied 2 years later. He did have to write a 250 word reapplicant essay. He did get in. IMO, writing a reapplicant essay is not too bad- esp if your profile has gone through remarkable changes (as had my applicant's ans also seems to be your case). You say that you brought your score up, have two years of noteworthy experience. This, along with more maturity in your essays, a more solid resume and better aligned career goals can help in submitting a killer reapplicant essay.

Reapplicant (with 2 years gap)

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