Waitlist Strategy: It's Admission Purgatory but not Admission Hell

Waitlist Strategy: It's Admission Purgatory but not Admission Hell

Hi fellow waitlisters,

I wanted to start this discussion for all of us who recently received the dreaded waitlist letter from our favored business schools. I analogize it to that time when I was in high school and asked the hot girl out to prom. She said: "I would love to but just in case things work out with the quarter back then... So, I might have to put you on my waitlist." That being said I wanted to take this opportunity to gather some of the great minds who have been waitlisted at their top choices and to discuss strategies that may help us navigate this Bermuda Triangle. After all, a rising tide helps everyone!

In addition I wanted to give a bit of a pep talk to people who feel a bit down about their waitlist notice. Please keep these things in mind:

-You are a QUALIFIED candidate for the school, if you weren't good enough they wouldn't given you the waitlist option. PERIOD. Remember these schools are the 9s and 10s (if they were girls) of the world. They don't need to settle, but you can't blame them for hoping.

-Many of us hate the nature of the waitlist because its almost like having to go through the application process again. We have to remake connections, strengthen ties, put aside personal time to deal with the matter. But try to think of it as the line from the Pixar movie Cars: "it's the journey that counts."

-After speaking to my admission consultant I realized that you can summarize waitlisters into 3 categories:
1. The school couldn't admit you because there was another candidate that was better with the same background as yours or something in your application was a bit off.
2. There are many people applying with your background and we are expecting more in the future so let's hold off until the next round to see what else we get. After all the greater size the population the easier it is to make an assessment.
3. Schools worry about their yield. No school has a 100% yield but they want to get close to that number as much as possible. Why? Rankings. So if they think your overall candidacy amounts to using them as a backup they are gonna waitlist you and see how much more you try!

All in all, I hope people who are currently waitlisted and who were waitlisted can share their thoughts in the forum. Again, best of luck and god speed!


Bayareaapplicant