Hi, and thanks for writing! I understand that being waitlisted is a stressful process. In your case, your GMAT is solid (and well-balanced between Quant and Verbal) so I don't think taking it again would significantly boost your candidacy. Regarding managing the waitlist, I would:
- Maintain regular contact with the school (once every 3-4 weeks) and reinforce your interest in Stern. You might reach out to additional Stern alumni or students to chat - this way, in your emails to the AdCom, you can talk about how these conversations have further heightened your excitement about the program
- Is it possible for you to pick up an extracurricular activity that's meaningful to you (perhaps related to something you've done in the past)? If it's something you're genuinely interested, it can help AdCom see another side of you
Hope that helps! Very best of luck
GastonUY
Hello,
I would like to start by thanking you for your time in addressing my situation.
After interviewing for Stern on 01/24/2017 I was under the impression that I had done well. I was notified today, however, that I had been waitlisted.
Considering that Stern admits about 70% of the people they interview I cannot help to think that I must have blew up my interview and I couldn´t convey the strength of my candidacy or how much I wanted to attend this school, and now I´m faced with the task of trying to be admitted out of the waitlist.
I am a 29 yo, so I think I´m on the high end of the age range and reapplying for the Class of 2020 doesn´t seem as the best course of action for me.
A little context on my background:
-From Uruguay
-Assistant Manager at Deloitte. 7+ years of experience in Accounting
-Part time adjunct professor of Advanced accounting in University
-Want to transition into IB or Asset management for which Stern would be a great match.
-Lived a year in Ireland and backpacked from Tokyo to London for six months.
-TOEFL ibt 110
-GMAT 720 Q(49), V(40)
-BS in accounting and CPA in Uruguay
-GPA 2.44 —> This, I feel is the weakest aspect of my application.
I used the additional essay to explain that I had to worked full time while pursuing my undergraduate degree with the subsequent impact on my grades, but regardless of this I graduated in the top 6% of a class of 532 students (most work FT as I did so although I had a low absolute GPA I was among the best on a relative basis).
As a way to improve my candidacy I was considering retaking the GMAT, as 720 is the average for their class, and I wouldn´t be compensating for my low GPA with that score.
But how effective will a 20 or 30 point increase really be? I don´t have much time to take additional course work before they start reviewing the WL in spring so retaking the GMAT seems like the only option regarding academics.
In what other aspects is my application subpar and should I send additional support ?
In the last three months since I applied my Job description hasn´t changed much leaving me no room for an update there.
Should I write an additional essay stating how the schools is my first choice and how well it suits my career goals? Wouldn´t that be redundant with the application essays?
Thanks again and looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Regards,
Gaston