Admits, Waitlisted, & Dinged

Hello everyone!  I wanted to write this post really quickly because I've just received four messages from admitted students, waitlisted students, and dinged students and I remember being in those shoes not too long ago.

ADMITTED STUDENTS - Right now at Johnson and at all of the other school's us current students are preparing for our schools' respective admitted students weekends.  I hadn't realized all of the planning and CORRALLING that goes on behind the scenes to pull off one of these events.  I am definitely excited to meet the class of 2014!  I've met a lot of them over the last couple of months and it's been an absolute thrill to be able help them out and answer their questions as they are in their quest for choosing a business school.  I loooove receiving email updates from them about their acceptances.

In some cases (not lying) it is interesting to have to speak to folks who are deciding between different schools.  I speak to them in two ways.  First, I keep my Johnson hat on and answer any and all questions that they may have.  Then I take off my Johnson hat and speak to them objectively.  The reason I do this is because I want all admitted students, to whichever schools, to end up at the school that is right for him or her.  It doesn't do anyone any good to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to a school that they are going to absolutely hate.  I've seen it happen to a friend at another school and I just cannot imagine being in that type of situation.

I'm getting some questions now from admitted students as to what they should do now.  I just tell them to cherish this time and celebrate!  There are a few weeks left before the deposit deadlines so simply make sure that your finances are straight and start preparing to figure out your exit strategy from your job.  Another thing that one should start doing is looking for a roommate should one want one.  Those are the simple things.

WAITLISTED STUDENTS - This is an interesting one.  One thing that I never really thought about as an applicant was being waitlisted, nor was I waitlisted.  I was straight accepted and dinged from schools.  Managing the waitlist is very interesting.  I've seen and heard things being on the other side of the table now that makes me want to let everyone know that managing the waitlist IS possible and does work in some cases.  It just depends on why you were put on the waitlist.

A lot of people think that if they are waitlisted that it means that there was something in their profile that the admissions committee didn't like or see.  That's not necessarily the case.  A lot of it has to do with yield and how many other offers they've given out thus far.  That's why it's better to apply earlier than later.  The waitlist doesn't mean - oh we don't like you.  In fact, it's quite the opposite and managing it can be done.  I've helped someone do just that - granted said student applied in an earlier round.

I've been asked - Do I need to retake the GMAT?  Take additional coursework?  Send another letter of rec?  And I think each case requires a different tactic.  In some cases that will work.  In other cases it may not work.  It depends on the reason you were put on the waitlist.  Reaching out to the admissions officers whom one has been dealing with could shed some light on that.  That should definitely be the first step for anyone wanting to know how to navigate the waitlist.

DINGED STUDENTS - This one just sucks.  It's definitely easier to get a ding once you've been accepted to A school, because then you know that at least you have the option of going somewhere.  What interests me though is when students apply to schools X,Y, Z and then get dinged from X and Y and then choose not to go to Z an re-apply to school's X and Y the following year.  I do understand cases where life happens and one just cannot go to school, but why would one spend time on school Z's application and then not go.  It's just of like, well why did you apply in the first place?  ::shrugs::  I'll never know.

I will say however that the later you apply the more likely you are to get DINGED.  That goes without say, and I think that if you've managed to submit applications to school, you already know that.

I think that's it for the day.  I have some great news that I will post about next week!  Whew - almost through my 1ST YEAR!  It's been one hell of a ride, but there's a lot more to go!!!!!!!!!!!  BOOM OVER AND OUT!