Most Business schools have questions exclusively for re-applicants asking about the changes in their profile from the previous time. Before you answer the question, we have covered six important questions that re-applicants should ask themselves before applying.
1) What was lacking last time?
Several top Business Schools had introduced feedback sessions for dinged candidates. If you had the opportunity to attend the session, the AdCom would have given you feedback about your weak areas in the application. Understanding what was lacking last time is crucial for this year’s application.
However, if AdCom was not explicit with their feedback then there might be several reasons for it. It might be due to diversity targets or lack of clear differentiation in the application. Each year, schools have to maintain nationality, gender and experience diversity. Visiting the class profile page and understanding the class composition would be useful.
Find out what was lacking by answering the following questions:
a) Were you part of a large application pool? (US Finance Applicant with 3.5+ GPA and 730+ GMAT score)
b) Was your GMAT score below the median by more than 20 points?
c) Did you apply during Round 2 or 3? (Importance of Applying early)
d) Did you fail to differentiate yourselves?
2) Did you select the wrong consultant?
Differentiating from other applicants is a requirement. Unfortunately, AdCom members have their biases like everyone else when it comes to nationality, job experience, and education.
“An IT candidate from India would be more analytical and less creative”
“A US Investment banking candidate would be more aggressive and demonstrate poor teamwork”
The two statements might be false. But the typecasts about nationality and jobs are already ingrained in our minds, and AdCom cannot escape from that. The application: essays and interviews should highlight aspects of the personality other than what is expected.
Last time, if you had taken the help of consultants, evaluate whether they misguided you. Read our article about selecting the right MBA Admission Consultants
Consultants should spend considerable time with you to understand your weaknesses and pick the story that improves your chance to get into a top Business School. If the consultant didn’t spend time doing so, be cautious this time around. Atul Jose (F1GMAT's Founder) offers a holistic consulting service. Contact him and do a quick FREE profile evaluation.
3) What new professional experiences have I acquired?
Most re-applicants would have gained at least one substantial project experience in a year. If lack of leadership experiences was one of the weaknesses last time, list the leadership experience that you have gained this year. You should have a clear idea on the impact that you had on individuals, teams, and organization.
Watch 10 Tips for MBA Resume Editing (learn to highlight leadership).
4) What new volunteering experiences have I acquired?
If the weakness last time was regarding volunteering experiences, include your new experiences. Measurable impact is important than generalizing your contribution.
How did your contribution help the local community – Money raised, volunteers joined, number of individuals served, and impact on society?
What skillset was utilized during volunteering work – leadership, implementation, collaboration, communication, marketing, or organization?
5) Have I improved my entry criteria?
GMAT and GPA are important but depending on the school that you have applied last year, the entry criterion varies. For Quant focused schools, GMAT score is not looked upon in totality but the Quant scores are given more preference. With the new IR section, schools get an additional point of reference on the candidate’s ability to consume large data and find relevant information. The School also evaluates courses separately in addition to the total GPA. Most Quant focused schools prefer candidates with good grades in Calculus, Accounting, Finance & Statistics. If your grades are not at par, you can take online courses from Coursera.
Recommend Online Quant Courses
Statistics One
An Introduction to Financial Accounting -
Calculus One
If the total GMAT score is low (30+ points below the class median) in spite of a strong quant score, we recommend that you join a GMAT Prep Class in your city or try an online GMAT Prep Course, and score within the preferred GMAT score range.
6) Was the competition high?
Even if you had done everything, right last time: Balanced GMAT Score with total score above the class median, Good GPA, Excellent essays with the right stories and application by Round 1 deadline; there might be unforeseen circumstances or there might just be no one reason. The competition from applicants from similar background would have been higher.
If after careful review, there were no specific reasons, apply again and highlight your professional and volunteering experience. Don’t list out weaknesses just to show the AdCom that you had done your homework.
Apply again and hope that the application pool has changed this year.
Next Step
Subscribe to F1GMAT's Career Planning Service (In-Depth Analysis)
Get Free Profile Evaluation from Atul Jose (Founding Consultant, F1GMAT)
