[校友答疑] Reapplying in R3 or next year?

Yeah, this is the bit of the process thatnobody reeeeeeally wants to think about. What do you do if you get dinged earlyon in the admissions cycle? Well, if this is one of your dream schools, thefeeling like you want to reapply NOW will be all the more tempting. BUT…

No way should you reapply in the same year.Why? Well, the key to a good reapplication revolves around a single question:“How much have you improved since last time you applied?” Now, let’s get real.How much CAN you improve in two months? Three months, even? Not much, right?Right. So, go back for nine months and come up with some goooooood stuff.

You’re going to work yourself up anentirely new brand over the months. If you don’t CHANGE anything, then you’rethe same dude that they dinged, so you have to change your approach. Remember,they’re also judging your judgment. How can someone with “good judgment”possibly argue that, after being dinged a month ago, they are a whole new brandnow? A whooole new person, who has improved their app a LOT? Hahaha, no way. NOWAY!

At the very least, if you DO have to applyR3, do it at DIFFERENT schools. Not the same ones; that’d be a BIG waste oftime. Pick two or three NEW schools for R3, like one dream, one match, and onesafety school. Your “I’ve improved so much” speech will surely fall on deafears if you go back to the same schools, so open up fresh opportunities withnew programs. Otherwise, step back up to the plate next year.

–Jon Frank