Reaching Out to Admissions

Question

Hello there,

I am wondering what the consensus is on reaching out to admissions departments after submitting in Round 3 as a friendly hello and just to demonstrate interest. Considering taking the trip out for a campus admissions event and stopping in in person but do not know if this would be completely frowned upon?

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

I don't think this would be seen as fair to the other candidates and I would discourage it. It could be perceived that you're expecting special treatment and that would probably negate any benefits of showing interest.

The more critical orientation to have right now is amping up *their* interest in you. So if there is something you can share with them that would increase your perceived value that's what you would want to do. If you improved your test score or if you got a promotion or even if you received a promotion in the area of community service.

I recently helped someone get off of the waitlist for INSEAD the month before school started and the only real update he had was being promoted to the manager for the local soccer club. So thank broadly about potential updates.

If you have some good updates to share then it would be appropriate for you to plug that in but I think making that the sole focus of the communication would be a little tacky borderline Primadonna.

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PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I certainly understand the anxiety here and the temptation. That said, I don't recommend reaching out just for a friendly hello. Now if you have not visited campus yet and you want to do a campus visit, that is always great to do. I wouldn't expect a 1:1 meeting with admissions but you can certainly do all of the events they offer that day and you will likely see someone from admissions if you are at an event. You just don't need to email someone directly beforehand to ask to say hello. Of course this does depend on the school to some extent.

Good luck and wait patiently so that you don't look too anxious (which is the hardest part!).

Best,
Scott

ABatExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  mc896 ,

Quite like everyone above, we do not recommend reaching out with a friendly hello. It may be perceived to be a bit forced and not give out a great impression. That said, of course, you may visit the campus of the school and interact with students there. However, in case there has been a significant update to your profile, such as an improved GMAT score, some sort of international exposure, or a promotion at work, you could always share such details with the Admissions Committee via a formal email.

Hope this helps.

All the best!

mbaMissionKrista · Answer

Hey  mc896 
Thanks for posting. Let me add my voice to the chorus...a "friendly hello" email isn't going to help you here and is not a strategy I'd recommend. Your apps are in now so the horse is already out of the barn, but I hope that before you applied, you had a chance to network with current students, attend info sessions, and possibly visit some programs? That helps indicate your interest. At this stage, unless you have a big update to your candidacy (new GMAT, promotion at work, etc) it's time just to sit back and wait...
Hope that provides some insight,
Krista

Reaching Out to Admissions

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