Anyone Else Still Waiting?

Question

I'm in at a safety school, but think I would rather wait til next year than go there.

So I should hear from my last two hopes in the next couple weeks.

Am I the only one still waiting? Seems like after the Duke admits a bunch of other schools followed and now everyone seems to know what their future holds.

Anybody else still holding their breath like me?

pelihu · Answer

I still have Stanford and Berkeley on the horizon. Stanford announces 4/4 I think, but since I haven't been asked to interview I'm sure it is a ding and I'm not even thinking about it.

I applied R3 at Berkeley, and the decision is due out 4/30. I like Berkeley and if accepted I'd love to give them an in depth look, but frankly, I'm really really tired of the process. Preparing for another interview feels like pulling teeth at this point - but out of respect for the schools that I applied to, and those that helped me along the way (including my recommenders) I will wait it out.

eazyb81 · Answer

Thanks to my last minute decision to submit an R3 app to Tepper, I will not know my fate until the end of April. I have an admit in hand from Vanderbilt and will attend there if I get the 'ol ding from Tepper, so at least I know I am going to b-school no matter what this fall.

jainan24 · Answer

I am in in strange situation also

I did not get into top 10 schools I applied: Columbia, MIT

in terms of 10-20: I got two WL (NYU, Cornell). I already sent lot of material to them, but WL people don't know till like June, July.
I got a ding from Yale (sucks becos of their class reduction policy)

Safety schools: Simon: Offer with 30% schol and Maryland (Smith), son't know about schol, still waiting for packet.

Have hopes from Tepper with interview coming up just like eazyb81

johnnyx9 · Answer

Jainan - We're in a pretty similar situation. If your waitlists don't work out are you thinking you'd go to Simon or Smith, or wait til next year?

Pelihu - You're in at Duke, Darden, and Anderson right? Is there a possibility that Stanford might wait-list you w/out an interview?

jainan24 · Answer

I really want to go to school this year. Hopefully CMU will tell me (by end of April) before deposit dates of Smith and Simon (early May).

Then I can wait for CMU deposit and hope for one of the WL conversion.

Otherwise deposit in either Simon or Smith and just wait for WL. if I get off the WL, forego the deposit and attend Cornell/NYU.

Cornell waitlist might be easier than NYU since Cornell yield is usually much lower than NYU

died4me · Answer

i thought out reapplying next year to get into a M7 school.
But after I realized that merely improving my GMAT (currently 700) doesn't really improve the chance of getting into a M7, I decided Not to reapply.

I was definitely shocked when Pelihu didn't even get an interview from Wharton. I am very convinced that age has a lot of factor in the process of Ultra Elite schools' admissions. As I am approaching 30 years old mark in a few days, I realize that waiting it out till next year for the Ultra Elite cluster is not practical for me.

I am still not 100% sure if I will choose Duke over Darden.
Darden's placement is stronger than Fuqua's. Perhaps, it is because Darden is becoming a power house for consulting and Fuqua is lacking in this area (but strong on brand management)

Pelihu, the 2008 USNews ranking should solidfy your love for Darden over Duke. :lol:

or even over UCLA.

or even over UCLA.

pelihu · Answer

Yes, that's right johnnyx9. Duke with 10k, Anderson nothing (at least haven't received anything yet), Darden just found out full.

I do not think Stanford would WL me without an interview because it's simply too easy for them to interview me. I could understand if someone was in a remote location and they couldn't find an alum with time, but I live 20 minutes away and obviously there are tons of Stanford alumni in the area. I'm sure it's a ding.

kidderek · Answer

Stay positive Pel!!!!

DJM · Answer

I am in a similar situation.

I didn't apply to any safety schools, a personal preference.

Got a ding from Wharton. Still waiting to hear from Columbia (app went complete on 2/14) and not very hopefull about stanford.

So, unless the MBA Gods start smiling at me big time, I will be joining the 08 applicant group.

Was bummed out about it for almost a week, but can now see the silver lining.

johnnyx9 · Answer

If sh*t goes bad and I'm stuck with just my safety schools I'm thinking:

PROs OF WAITING AND APPLYING NEXT YEAR

1. I have a better idea of what schools I will have a shot at and can apply to six schools in my target range. This year I had two "reaches," two "in ranges," and two "safeties" (stupid, I know)

CONs OF WAITING AND APPLYING NEXT YEAR

1. I'll be a year older
2. A promotion, or a move to a management position isn't likely between now and next year
3. I'll have to go through that torturous process of writing essays
4. I'll have to visit new schools ($$$$ and wasted time)
5. I'll have to interview all over again ($$$$ and wasted time)
6. The next year of my life will feel like my life is "on hold"
7. I'll have to ask the same two people to write recs again. And buy them gifts and thank them ten thousand times.

DJM · Answer

I know exactly how you feel, specially about chasing recommenders. This year, one of my recommender was in Pakistan for a whole month, and I had to track him down over there!

However, this is how I think about it. B-School is probably going to be a life changing period for me (and all of us). I am cofident that I will get a near 100% jump in my salary post MBA and will be able to carry the name brand to every future job that I go to. 

I think the life long value is enough for me to wait another year.

johnnyx9 · Answer

Yeah, it would be nice to carry around a brand name on my resume for the rest of my life. The more immersed I've become in this process, the more I've craved the prestige aspect of it.

GMATT73 · Answer

I still think you have a 50-50 shot at Stanford. They are just taking their time triple checking all those posts and organizations you listed on your resume. It's not easy calling an overseas recommender to verify information in another language. I really feel bad if I jinxed your chances in any way Pelihu.

braindancer · Answer

Do you think they perform a background check BEFORE interviewing? Doesn't sound too logical. From two actions that reduce the pool, the most "reductive" should go first... And I believe there are far more people that get screwed on a interview than those who lied in their app package. Besides, interviewing seems to be less effort. So they could save some effort by interviewing everyone who looks good, THEN running a check...

just thinking...

GMATT73 · Answer

Stanford is simply way beyond my scope, so I can't confirm the assumption I made above. Either way, something inside tells me Pelihu still has a fighting chance there and the adcoms are splitting hairs at the moment. "Do we accept the accomplished legal practitioner turned successful entrepreneur or the Sultan of Brunei's grandson?" Come 4/4 they will probably just flip a coin? 

BTW: Huge congrats on the Darden admit w/Batten scholarship Pelihu! XIN KU LE! GAN DE HAO!

helg · Answer

I only applied to 3 schools in R1: Kellogg, Chicago GSB and Wharton. After being dinged in K and waitlisted in GSB and W I applied to Tuck as a safety school in R2 (wishful thinking, yeah...). So, after R 2 I got a Ding from Tuck (with an invite to reapply next year, however), and continued to be on WL both in GSB and W. So, nothing is sure for me till 16-17 May. My hope is that they would not keep the internationals on WL after R3 and it will be either Admit or Ding. If it's a Ding, I will definitely reapply next year...

braindancer · Answer

helg, do you have a visa? If not, you may have a tough time obtaining one if they keep you on WL for too long

helg · Answer

nope. never been to US

well, if they make a decision in may, we still have time to get a visa, if later - that's gonna be a tough one

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