7 Steps to Reapplying to Business School

With the b-school application season for the Class of 2019 officially over (unless you are being slowly tortured on a waiting list) and the next application season just around the corner, there may be a few of you in application purgatory thinking to yourself, “I didn’t get into any of the school I wanted. Now what?”

It wasn’t long ago when I was in your shoes. My MBA application journey started back in 2012. I applied to five schools in Round 1 that Fall. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding (we like you, but want to see more experience—thank you Tuck for at least giving me some direction). It was a painful and sobering reality check. After several late night conversations with my wife, I decided to wait a year, retake the GMAT, and strengthen my application, rather than applying to lower ranked schools in. Looking back, waiting a year and reapplying was absolutely the best thing for me. Not just because it gave me an opportunity to again apply to some top schools, but it also gave me time to grow—growth that would be imperative to my career success.

So, back to those who are feeling they aren’t where they would have hoped to be after this past application cycle. Getting dinged sucks! I know how you feel. But the question is, what are you going to do now? The next several months before you reapply and the next year, before you actually go to b-school will be vital to your application and career success. I don’t have any magic answers or steps that will guarantee that you will get into the school or your choice. But I do have some experience and perspective that might help out.

Here are the 7 key things I did before reapplying. Hopefully you will find some value in them.

Get Feedback

Adcom

Of the five schools I applied to, one school was open to giving me feedback on my application, Tuck. I spoke with an Adcom for about 15 minutes. In that session, she told me what parts of my application stood out and what the team liked. We reviewed areas that need work and why they didn’t feel like I was ready to be admitted that application cycle. Finally, we discussed areas where they would like to see improvement if I decided to apply the following year. She was very encouraging. In my rejection notification, Tuck actually mentioned that I was designated as a candidate whom they would like to see apply the following year. Although I was frustrated to get dinged, Tuck was my top choice, so hearing this was encouraging (unfortunately, the following year I didn’t realize that Tuck only re-interviews re-applicants who travel to Hanover for a pre-application interview). The feedback was invaluable to how I approached the following application season. If you have the opportunity to get feedback from a school you applied to take it! Go into that meeting prepared. Take notes. Ask questions. Be humble and open.

Admissions Consultants

In addition to the feedback I received from the Adcom at Tuck, I reached out to a few admissions consultants and took advantage of the free session that most of them offer. It was a great way to get some high-level advice on a refined strategy for the following application cycle. They also gave me some great insights into better program fits for my interests and background.

Students

During my first application cycle, I was able to connect with many students from the schools I applied to. A few of the connections I made, especially the ones I was able to meet in person, turned into meaningful relationships. I was able to share my application with them and get some helpful and candid feedback on my approach. The feedback was a more specific and easily actionable compared to what I got from the admissions consultants and even the Adcom. I am truly grateful for the help that I received from these students.

If you decide to go this route to get some feedback, please remember that the students you are approaching are very busy. Be respectful of their time. You need to have earned their trust before asking for this feedback. Show gratitude. Buy them lunch if you have the chance to meet them in person. Send them a gift card or something afterward to show your appreciation. Then, when you are on the other end, give back to prospective students who reach out to you.

While I was applying, I reached out to a few students from each of the various schools I was looking into. The majority were one-time information conversations, but as I mentioned before, a few turned individuals I felt comfortable bouncing thoughts, questions, and concerns off of beyond the initial chat. Most of these individuals have turned into good friends who I still stay in touch with. I can’t express how grateful I am to these folks. I have done my best to pay it forward.

Since getting into Anderson a few years ago, I have talked with easily over 500 prospective students or current students about admissions or recruiting. I have reviewed hundreds of resumes, numerous essays, and have done probably 100 mock interviews (several of whom have gotten into Anderson or hired at Microsoft).

Friends and Family

Finally, I had a few close friends and family members review my applications, particularly my essays to see if I was getting the message I wanted to across to the reader. The thing I found most valuable with this was giving the person my essay without the question/prompt and having them tell me what question(s) they thought I was answering and what my overall message was. If it was inconsistent with my overall application story, it was a clear sign that I need to tighten things up.

Retake the GMAT

I took the GMAT one time before applying the first time around. I got a 700. I was happy with that score, but at the same time, I knew I could do better. Because I didn’t have much time before Round 1 application deadlines, I decided to just go with it.

When I decided to wait and reapply, I had time to study and take the GMAT again. The only reason I did this, is because I knew that I could do better. I was consistently scoring between 730 and 750 on practice tests. If you don’t think you can do better and your practice tests aren’t evidence of that, I would strongly recommend using that valuable to time to work on other aspects of your application. The GMAT can be a big time suck and remember, it’s only one part of your application.

I took the test a few more times and, unfortunately, was only able to get my score up to a 710. Looking back, it probably wasn’t worth the amount of time I put into it, but at least I was able to raise my score a little.

Tighten Your Story (Reflect, Reflect, Reflect)

In my experience, this is where most people go wrong. I cannot stress enough the importance of introspection and taking the time to do some deep reflection, not just for the sake of your story on your application, but for your career too. Self-awareness is one of the biggest factors contributing to your success in your career and living a meaningful life. Here are some questions I asked myself (and I wish I would have asked myself). Looking back, I really should have spent a lot more time on these to really understand myself.

• What are my career goals? Why?
• What events or influences lead me to have this career interest?
• How will breaking into this career help me live a meaningful life?
• What does living a meaningful life mean to me?
• How does a career play into my personal life satisfaction?
• Why do I need an MBA?
• Is there another way to get to where I want to without an MBA?
• What are the skills I have that are applicable to the career that I want to pursue?
• What are the skills I need to have to be successful in the field I want to go into?
• How will I fill those skill gaps?
• What MBA programs can help me the most in filling those skill gaps by giving me the experiences and learning opportunities I need?

After going through these questions, you should be able to clearly state: this is where I have been, this is where I am going, and this is exactly how I am going to get there. Once you are able to do this, make sure your essays, resume, and recommendations all reflect this story. In your resume, don’t just highlight your best accomplishments, highlight the accomplishments or emphasize your accomplishments in a way that supports your overall story.

For example, before b-school, I worked in operations at Goldman Sachs. I lead a project where we worked on building a new client portal. The result was increased efficiency, higher customer satisfaction, and reduced risk. If my goal was to go into marketing, I could highlight working with customers to understand their needs when building the platform. If I was looking to get into product management, I could have talked about the various aspects of managing the technical build out of the platform. I could give a few other examples, but the point it, find a way to show how your accomplishments support your overall goals and story.

Reflect on and Strengthen Personal Profile

This goes hand-in-hand with tightening your story, but as I mentioned before, one of the most valuable things you can do for not just your b-school applications, but also for your career, is taking the time to understand yourself. Self-awareness is a rare trait. Take time to develop it. Once you have it, you will know what you want and what you need to work on.

Be honest with yourself. What are you good at? Where are you lacking? Own your strengths and your weaknesses. If you want something to become a strength, start working at it!

I wish I would have done more of this. It really wasn’t until my second year in b-school that things started becoming clearer, in-terms of understanding myself. Once I gained that clarity, I stopped messing around with things that didn’t matter. The focus I had allowed me to get where I am now. I am still on my journey, but I am headed in the right direction. I just wish I could have started the process before I was in b-school. My time at Anderson would have been that much more valuable.

Figure out who you are.

Align and Strengthen Professional Profile with Long-term Career Interests

Again, most of these points are interconnected. Take inventory of where you are at with your current job. What opportunities do you have for not just getting a promotion, but also taking on new or side projects that will help you strengthen your resume for your MBA apps and for when you’re recruiting for internships.

Take advantage of the time you have before you start school. Remember, getting into b-school isn’t the finish line—it’s just the start of your career transformation.

I was at Goldman Sachs prior to b-school. The first time I applied, I only had four months of experience. Not enough to tell a decent story about my time there. Over the next year, I focused on developing my understanding of the finance industry and stretching myself by volunteering to lead projects that were outside of the scope of my daily job. I ended up getting a promotion and luckily, got to work on a few projects that dealt with customer experience, which helped me with my story when trying to transition into marketing. Like I said before, I wish I would have taken the time to do some more self-reflection, because I would have been able to focus more of my activities at work on things that would move the needle.

Community

Strengthen your community profile. Get involved in a cause or organization that you believe in. If possible, don’t just be a volunteer. Find ways to lead.

I did a few things on this front. Because I didn’t have a ton of traditional leadership opportunities at work, I built those out here. I got involved with Junior Achievement and taught kids at Title I schools about finance, business, and entrepreneurship. I also continued to work on the organization I started, Run for Innocence. During the year prior to going to Anderson, I was able to speak in front of several City Councils and hundreds of members of the community about childhood sexual abuse. It was an amazing growth experience.

Revisit Your List of Target Schools

I applied to HBS and GSB my first time around. I needed to be honest with myself. Even though I believe I could have succeeded in those environments, I knew that my profile wasn’t strong enough to get in.

This has been a theme through almost every point, but I needed to understand myself. Once I did this, it was pretty easy to see what programs would be a good fit. Take the time to do this. Understand yourself. Visit as many schools as you can. Connect with students. If you invest a little time in this step, it will become pretty clear where you should apply and ultimately what school you should go to.

Here is that list again:

1. Get feedback
2. Retake the GMAT
3. Tighten your story
4. Reflect on and strengthen personal profile
5. Align and strengthen professional profile with long-term career interests
6. Get involved in your community
7. Revisit your list of target schools

I can't say that this is a sure fire way to get into you b-school of choice, but I am confident it will put you in the best position to be able to do so.

Good luck to everyone reapplying to b-school this Fall!

This article was originally published on mbaafterlife.com.