Now that you are relaxed (pt. 1) and you have regrouped (pt. 2), no matter where you are in the continuum of the B school journey, whether you’ve been admitted, denied or you’re waitlisted, the next step to getting through the process with your sanity (and hopefully an offer letter) is to:
3. Refocus. Now that you’re relaxed, balanced and organized, you can think about next steps. You can make decisions from a place of power and confidence.
If you have been on the waitlist for awhile, have you updated the Admissions Committee on any significant changes in your profile? Have you been promoted, traveled internationally for the first time or transitioned into a career or volunteer opportunity that aligns with your post MBA area of interest (particularly if you’re a career switcher)?
If you’ve already heard from some of the schools to which you applied, have you begun to consider what your “Plan B” might consist of if you don’t achieve admission this year or if something in your life changes and you decide to stay in the workforce for another year before accepting deferred admission or re-applying? The goal here isn’t to ponder the negative, but to prepare so that no matter what, your options are positive. The key here is that you plan ahead so that you can act versus react.
Are you performing to your highest capability at work so that you can maximize another year with your employer should you decided to wait another year or need to re-apply? Have you checked to see if the schools to which you’ve applied and been denied admissions in the current round provide feedback? If so, plan to take advantage of the opportunity, particularly if you plan to re-apply (anywhere) in the fall.
And a special note to those who may not achieve admission to any school this year or decide not to take the offer(s) they do have and reapply (or not), there’s no shame in your game. Many people will feel a blow to their egos after “losing a very public war” as one candidate put it. You’ve made your bid for B school public, you did your best and now your support network (or that annoying guy on your weekend kickball team) wants to know the results. It can feel awful to have to admit that you did not get in to X or Y or Z school. But hold your head up, because 99.9% of the people on the planet have dreams that they aren’t pursuing. You are. And I don’t see any pigs flying or chubby ladies singing. If anyone asks just say “I’m working on it!” with your 1000 watt smile. You never know who you may run into that can help you.
For everyone, are your finances in order so that you’ll be able to make the transition to B school without the stress of money worries (student loan checks generally arrive in late September)? This includes making sure your vehicle is in good shape in case you need to bring it with you or sell it. If you own a home, will you sell or rent, who do you need to enlist to help you with that process? Can you schedule any medical check-ups or major appointments before you transition out of the workforce and into a higher education system’s health insurance?
Last but not least, have you thanked everyone who has been a part of your B school support network? Even your best friend who had to listen to your recap of your interview 12 times, or your spouse who had to read 7 versions of your “Why I Want an MBA” essay. Because as much as you are proud, excited, scared, disappointed or amazed, your support network was hopefully right there with you and feeling much of the same.
If you know anything about Tuck, you know that we value relationships, collaboration, communication and community. And we hope that whether you matriculate at Tuck or one of our sister/peer schools, whether it is this year or next, that it will be important to you that the people sitting on either side of you for those 16 months will be better off because you were there. We already know that you’re amazing people for undertaking the toughest journey of all, the journey to self-improvement.
Good luck!
Read the full article: What to Do While You’re Waiting, Pt. 3 (fin)