WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’VE BEEN WAITLISTED

JonFrank

Hey Guys, recently I received many questions about waitlist and I thought it would be valuable for everyone to know the answer of “WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’VE BEEN WAITLISTED”!

QUESTION:

I just got Waitlisted at Kellogg. I know it’s better than an outright ding, but is it? Do people really get off the waitlist? And how?

ANSWER:

Okay gang, tis the season…to be WAITLISTED.  So many new folks have reached out to us, asking what to do if they have been waitlisted.  Now to be sure, there is an ART to waitlist management.  Some schools know this, and they have hired special STAFF to manage this process.  Ha, can you imagine?  Wild stuff.

If we had to boil it aaaall down, there would be THREE things that you can do to get yourself in off the waitlist.  Let’s get into it.

1) Write an additional essay.  Have a fresh look at your application (or, better yet, ask someone else to do it for you). What have you missed?  What did you leave out? Anything good?  Let’s come up with 500 words if we can.  No more than 750.  Has there been any significant improvement since you submitted?  Get promoted?  Do anything cool?  NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO BOAST!  You should be in touch with the adcom every 3 weeks or so with an interesting update. So don’t let it sliiiide, my friends.

2) Submit an additional LOR.  Is there an aspect of your background that perhaps your recommenders left out? Approach someone for an additional reference.  Perhaps someone connected to the school–faculty, alum, or current student. Would you make an AMAZING fit? Well, let’s come up with something and SAY so.  An additional LOR can go a long way, especially if you MISSED something else where in your app.  And again, ask a third party to read your materials with a fresh set of eyes to identify this kind of gap.

3) VISIT! I was once chatting with a friend who sits on the adcom of one of the leading European schools.  Our conversation was FASCINATING.  She explained that she expected EVERYONE who applied to her program to have visited.  “How could an applicant know that it is a good fit, if he hasn’t ever been?” And it is a fair question.  I asked, “but what about visas, the cost to visit?” She wasn’t fazed at all. Compared to the cost of an MBA, she said, a visit was peanuts.  If you’ve been waitlisted, above and beyond all the stuff we just listed, you can go and prove all of these things…in person. How’s THAT for proving your dedication to the program?

One parting thought, folks: the only BAD thing you can do while waitlisted is to NOT follow directions.  Wharton is VERY clear that they don’t want ANY additional contact.  So…follow directions!  You must do EXACTLY what these folks say, especially at this sensitive moment.  But if there is room to be a bit…creative, use the guidelines above.

Good luck to everyone!

If you have a question about your applications, feel free to leave a comment here or send me a Private Message. I'm happy to help!

vampireluna

Mark一下！               

feihang23

Hi Jon, I just got waitlisted by Ross. Ross specifically says that updates by email, hard copy or in-person are not encouraged. They only encourage waitlisted applicants to submit a 300-word essay through its system. Does it mean what I can do are only two things: visit Ross and write an essay? I should not submit an additional LOR?

Looking forward to your reply.

倔强

very useful information
thanks

JonFrank

feihang23 发表于 2016-3-20 23:34
Hi Jon, I just got waitlisted by Ross. Ross specifically says that updates by email, hard copy or in ...

Hey there,
Indeed. You should follow their instructions. Now if you have an additional LOR that is so amazing that it can be an application-chager, sure you can disregard their instructions. But otherwise, I’d suggest following them.

Best of luck,
And if you need help with that waitlist letter, drop a line,
Best,
Jon Frank

feihang23

JonFrank 发表于 2016-3-22 16:49
Hey there,
Indeed. You should follow their instructions. Now if you have an additional LOR that is ...

thank you Jon