WAITLIST HELL!

[longshot]

I thought I was toast this year when applying to grad school, and hence only applied to a few schools. It turns out that I have been waitlisted at one of them.

I personally think this is a cruel joke by the admissions committee to raise my hopes before they crush my soul...

So, I'm curious... what are your waitlist stories??

Did they end happy? Badly?

Share...

"I feel your pain".

What school?

[Edaarin]

I only have undergrad experience here, but these are the schools I got waitlisted at.

Duke University
Cornell University
Yale University (deferred, then rejected, no waitlist)

I didn't bother sending in the card accepting a position on the waitlist, because I just figured it wasn't worth possibly missing a year of college.

EDIT: More on this later, late for a meeting.

[Edited on 4-3-2005 by Edaarin]

[HarmNone]

The way I look at it, some of those people are bound to choose to attend school elsewhere. I wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to attend just because I refused to be "waitlisted". That's just me. Your mileage may vary.

I know it's a disappointment, though, hon. I'm sorry about that. :(

[Hips]

I was waitlisted at one of the schools I applied to and later got in, though I chose to go to a different school. It's worth it if you want to go there, I guess.

[Tsa`ah]

My wife was waitlisted by a few colleges. Her first choice was Ball State, also her first waitlisting notice, sent her several notices of "available openings" after she declined the wait list over availability at the U of I (lucky me). Just past the first mid-term they started calling her about once a week to let her know about an opening in the following semester.

I think waitlists are a joke personally ... well at best, poorly managed. Good schools get a bit too snobbish over whom they accept and often those they accept have already gotten into a better program, decided on a different program/school, or just decided they like the offer of employment an internship produced.
That ... and pretty much every admissions department I've ever dealt with were just rehab situations waiting to happen.

I hate admissions, always have and, probably, always will.

[Revalos]

I got waitlisted at the University of Florida and balked at it since USC was giving me a partial scholarship.

Waitlist is some school's way of keeping the truly desperate (that might end up needing it, high end Ivy comes to mind) options open, but letting the others try at other schools.

P.S. USC means University of South Carolina...but I sure as hell put USC on all my resumes...worked well.

[Keller]

Do you think U of SoCal (USC) is much better than U SoCarolina?

Why?

[Farquar]

Look at getting waitlisted as an opportunity.

Here are waitlist tips that I know have worked for people in the past. I'm assuming that this school is your first choice:

-be proactive, call the admit office and ask about your file. Ask if there are any other peripheral materials you could send them, writing samples, etc. Try to make a friend in the admit office, refer to people by name, etc. If its possible, visit the admit office, ask to speak to a real person and make your case.

-if your application required references or rec letters, send one or two new ones from other employers or professors. Send an updated transcript if you have new (better) grades.

-send a letter to the admit office telling them how much you enjoy whatever programs they offer, how much you liked their campus, how well you'd fit in, how much you like the city that it's in, etc. Also hint, without saying it outright, that you would attend their school if they admitted you.

Basically, schools waitlist for two reasons. The first is that you are a marginal candidate. Your qualifications are good enough that they know you will do well there, but not enough to auto admit you (compared with the other applicants this cycle). The second is that you're a yield protect; they think, for some reason, that you're not likely to attend their school if they accepted you, and this would mess up their yield (% accepted v. % enrolling). Either way, enthusiasm and persistence will likely tip the scales in your favor.

Good luck.

[Alarke]

I was waitlisted mid way through my senior year of high school at University of Illinois business school (even with a 3.75 GPA and 30 ACT bastards!). As far as the wait list goes, I'm hoping for a response sometime soon. I'll be graduating from Miami University next year. So make sure you have 3+ years to spare!

[longshot]

Originally posted by RangerD1
What school?

It's a highly competitive graduate business school ranked in the top 20 nationally on all polls, and is located in the Eastern U.S.

It would be bad luck to say more. I'm not in yet...

Farquar, they gave me a list of things that I can do, and much of what you said was on the list.

Since I've applied, I've gotten a job, which should look good. I've also traveled a bunch.

I honestly think my biggest liability is the quantitative portion of my GMAT. Since I don't have an enginerding background, and I never took math in college (AP credits!), I think they want to make sure I can handle the workload.

This means I have to take the test... again.

There exists no smiley to show the pain I'm feeling... the test is an absolute bitch.

[Myitkyina]

I got waitlisted at Emory when I was applying for PhD programs and was told I was first on the list--but ultimately, I didn't get in. However, PhD programs only let in a few people a year (in the case of Emory, I think it was 8 per cohort), so I don't think you should let it discourage you too much. For me, Emory was pretty low on my list anyway, and I got a much better offer to go somewhere else. Have you heard from your other schools yet?

[ElanthianSiren]

I always found it ridiculous to jump through hoops, unless that particular university has a degree program that very few others carry and you simply MUST have.

A degree is a degree, imo. If you present yourself as experienced and passionate in your field of work, (as well as intellectually capable), there really is no reason to wait on the mercy of someone else.

Obviously, I've never waitlisted, but that's my opinion on the topic.

-Melissa
notta wait n see person.

[Jazuela]

Is waitlisting new? Keep in mind - new, to me, means anything within the past 20 years.

I don't remember reading about the possibility of being put on some list when I went to college, and I was accepted at all the colleges I applied to. Oberlin, Emerson, Quinnipiac State, and I think I applied to one of the ivy leagues on a whim (not Yale, possibly Cornell? it's been awhile, I can't remember which). My SATs stunk but I took this test they had called Achievements and placed in the top 1% of my school and the top 5% of the state, so they let my SAT scores slide. Achievements were sorta kinda a substitute for people who buckled under the pressure of the SATs, but who were able to excel in essay-type tests. Do they still have those?

[Atlanteax]

You won't get in Longshot... afterall, you probably call yourself "longshot" for a reason, right? :shibby:

Better start looking elsewhere!!

The Sat had pressure?

[Edaarin]

Did you apply to Darden longshot?

I hope to end up there in oh...5 or 6 years...

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
My wife was waitlisted by a few colleges. Her first choice was Ball State,

You are a lucky, lucky man.

[Keller]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
My wife was waitlisted by a few colleges. Her first choice was Ball State,

You are a lucky, lucky man.

Which is, of course, off of I 69.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
My wife was waitlisted by a few colleges. Her first choice was Ball State,

You are a lucky, lucky man.

Heh ... I either missed the joke or I'm too exhausted to get it.

Ball State has a pretty reputable psychology program.

[Keller]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
My wife was waitlisted by a few colleges. Her first choice was Ball State,

You are a lucky, lucky man.

Heh ... I either missed the joke or I'm too exhausted to get it.

Ball State has a pretty reputable psychology program.

It also has a very good architecture school. But it is BALL State. You know, near 1-69.

[FinisWolf]

Just cause I wanted to post here, but there is like little to no reason to go to my S.U., I do not believe they are best at anything..., maybe the business department, but I am a ways away from there.

I know the animation and information communication areas are about 10 years behind technolically.

Finiswolf

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Keller
It also has a very good architecture school. But it is BALL State. You know, near 1-69.

:lol: Ok ... I'll blame it on distraction then.

Could have been worse, she could have wanted to attend MooreHead.

[longshot]

Originally posted by Edaarin
Did you apply to Darden longshot?

I hope to end up there in oh...5 or 6 years...

Darden, eh? I believe some students referred to it as "boot camp". They really work your ass there.

I didn't apply. That's not to say that I won't next year, but I didn't have much time this year. I was only able to finish two apps. I didn't even finish my app for Columbia.

The timeframe for applying is like 9 months to target the schools, write essays, study and take the GMAT, get letters of rec, interview, etc. I had only six weeks. I think it's almost a small victory to be waitlisted, because I really didn't expect anything. One of my letters of rec. is from a college internship that I had five years ago... that really doesn't fly at top programs.

Darden is a great school, but... there are more relaxed programs. For example, at Michigan, they have no classes on Friday so you can go drinking with your classmates.

[longshot]

Originally posted by ElanthianSiren

A degree is a degree, imo. If you present yourself as experienced and passionate in your field of work, (as well as intellectually capable), there really is no reason to wait on the mercy of someone else.

Obviously, I've never waitlisted, but that's my opinion on the topic.


You couldn't be more wrong.

I'd explain this in more depth, but it's obvious that you understand very little, and I'd be wasting my time.

I think I'll apply for my MBA at Southestern Buttfuck University... that should give me the same career options as Stanford, right?

After all! A degree is a degree!

[xtc]

Never been wait listed, however I never applied to a US school. In both my undergrad and my Master's, I only applied to only a few schools.

It does seem like a tough thing. How many people here have been wait listed then accepted?

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by longshot
You couldn't be more wrong.

I'd explain this in more depth, but it's obvious that you understand very little, and I'd be wasting my time.

I think I'll apply for my MBA at Southestern Buttfuck University... that should give me the same career options as Stanford, right?

After all! A degree is a degree!

That was a bit on the harsh side, but both of you have valid points.

Those carrying degrees from top rated programs can be choosier about who they work for. An Ivy League degree is no better than a degree from a state university ... the Ivy League degree comes with a bigger foot in the door.

I've seen more than one person with a top notch degree get deflated after a year or two of employment when they were passed up and over by an employee from a state college.

In the end it's the person and quality of work they do, not the degree.

[Hulkein]

Go to Wharton business school at UPenn, Longshot.

It's in Philadelphia, your favorite city.

[Edaarin]

A degree helps you get your foot in the door. Who would you as a prospective investment bank employer grant an interview to, given hundreds of applicants for a handful of positions? The kid from East Bumfuck University or the kid who went to a top 10 business school?

[Keller]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah

Originally posted by longshot
You couldn't be more wrong.

I'd explain this in more depth, but it's obvious that you understand very little, and I'd be wasting my time.

I think I'll apply for my MBA at Southestern Buttfuck University... that should give me the same career options as Stanford, right?

After all! A degree is a degree!

That was a bit on the harsh side, but both of you have valid points.

Those carrying degrees from top rated programs can be choosier about who they work for. An Ivy League degree is no better than a degree from a state university ... the Ivy League degree comes with a bigger foot in the door.

I've seen more than one person with a top notch degree get deflated after a year or two of employment when they were passed up and over by an employee from a state college.

In the end it's the person and quality of work they do, not the degree.

In the end it's the alumni at the school you graduated from and not the quality of work or the degree you recieved that gets you in the door.

That's where going to top 10 PRIVATE schools is so helpful. Imagine trying to get an internship in Washington with a JD from Yale, which graduate COULDN'T you ask for a job?

It all about who you know, knows. It sucks for people without a large social network, but it's true.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Keller
It all about who you know, knows. It sucks for people without a large social network, but it's true. I think it boils down to that. Who you know and who they know and so on.

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Keller
That's where going to top 10 PRIVATE schools is so helpful. Imagine trying to get an internship in Washington with a JD from Yale, which graduate COULDN'T you ask for a job?

It all about who you know, knows. It sucks for people without a large social network, but it's true.

Tthe benefit of a top 10 legal education is the extensive social network that can get your foot in many doors. YLS is a special case, however. Yale Law holds a special mystique among the legal profession, because its so damn hard to get in. Imagine, with a perfect LSAT (180) and a 4.0 GPA, you only have a 50%-60% chance of getting in. Even a 4.0/180 would get you a 90%+ chance at Harvard Law. Plus, the number of YLS grads is so small, that ANYONE from ANY school will be eager to hire them. Yale Law grads are coveted. If a firm can grab one a year, they'd be pretty happy.

There are around 200 YLS grads per class, and you know how many employers come to interview on their campus? 700+. Yep, three employers per person. In many cases, not only will a YLS degree open doors for you, it will actually create a door where one didn't exist.

To stay on topic:

With a lowish GPA from Princeton (below 3.6) and a 179 LSAT:

Rejected from Yale
Waitlist at HLS and application withdrawn
Went to a NYC law school instead.

[Keller]

I just got waitlisted at U of M Law. :(

I now understand. This blows.

Why did you withdraw from Harvard's pool?

[Goldenranger]

Rejected from Boalt and Yale, waitlisted at Northwestern and preferred waitlist at Georgetown... I agree, this blows. Always the lesser schools though...

[longshot]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah

Those carrying degrees from top rated programs can be choosier about who they work for. An Ivy League degree is no better than a degree from a state university ... the Ivy League degree comes with a bigger foot in the door.



This might be true in certain fields, but in terms of professional degrees (law school, business school), I really have to disagree. Strongly.

The foot in the door comes with reputation of the university, and the alumni network. I will give you that.

But the quality of the degree is MUCH greater at the top schools for several reasons.

First off, the faculty. Look at a school like the University of Chicago. There is not going to be a Nobel Prize Winner teaching at Eastern Michigan's prestiguouzz MBA program.

Second, the pace of learning and depth are going to be much greater because the talent and intelligence of the other students is much greater.

Third, the access granted to elite programs. A consultant I know who went to NYU had Michael Bloomberg come in and teach one of his classes. This doesn't happen at Kansas State... it just doesn't. You will get to do things and meet people that the big boys do not. As a student, this gives you tremendous advantages.

In a top school, you have smarter people doing more difficult work at a faster pace being instructed by the best faculty in the world.

I don't understand how this can be equal to dumb kids with shitty proffessors doing elementary work at a slower pace?

I don't want to get into a debate on the merits of Ivy vs. non-ivy education in general... but in terms of professional degrees, there is a gigantic difference.

What you said is true... it's entirely possible for an Ivy grad to get passed up by someone who makes better decisions, regardless of the university.

But, that does not mean that person has a better education. They don't. They have other atributes that make them successful.

On a personal note, I've received about 30 letters from solid schools that have offered to waive application fees (at about around $150 dollars a pop) and promise scholarships... and I didn't even bother. And I took my GMAT very late in the application game... I'm sure there would have been more junk had I taken it earlier. There's no way I'm fogoing two years of salary and $100,000 in expenses without knowing that I come out the other end leaving no questions in anyone's mind about my abilities.

It comes down to branding. I'm not about to buy a shitty education that leaves tons of question marks in the eyes of employers. They see "Harvard", they know what they are getting.

[longshot]

Originally posted by Hulkein
Go to Wharton business school at UPenn, Longshot.

It's in Philadelphia, your favorite city.

I dream of sitting in some bum's feces on the subway...

Random gunfights in the street...

And fat women everywhere...

Take me home... to Philadelphia... mmmm!

Seriously. I'm just not tough enough to live there. I don't know how you do it.


Edited for poor use of prepositions.

[Edited on 4-7-2005 by longshot]

[Soulpieced]

Yeah, the private top 10 school vs. state college argument is bullshit. There is some site on the net that says the average Harvard MBA will be offered something like 80k-90k a year. Master's with no experience. You won't get that with a degree from Eastern Kansas State College.

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Keller
I just got waitlisted at U of M Law. :(

I now understand. This blows.

Why did you withdraw from Harvard's pool?

I wait for no one.

[Farquar]

Originally posted by longshot
I don't want to get into a debate on the merits of Ivy vs. non-ivy education in general... but in terms of professional degrees, there is a gigantic difference.

I don't think there's a great difference in terms of actual educational quality. I don't know much about business schools, but I could confidently say that the top 100 or so law schools (Tier 1 & 2) offer a "solid" legal education. I'd also go as far as to say that the top 10% of students of the top 100 law schools are on the same level intellectually. You learn the same law everywhere, so if you're a good student, it will show no matter where you are, and you'll just be as qualified as someone from a top school.

Generally, the top 10% at any law school will have no trouble finding a job. It's at the middle and the bottom of the pack where the differences are more pronounced. Some dude in the bottom half of his class at Harvard can still land a plum 6 figure job, while a similarly situated student at a third tier school would be lucky to get a job with some TV lawyer.

I'm gonna have to go with the crowd on this one. My mom works at the University of Chicago's department of ecnomics and there is something like 4 nobel laureates who work there. The admissions requirements are extreme.

So much in fact that most of the students aren't even American. Imagine going to some place like Yale, pulling a 4.0 and a perfect 180 and not even standing a chance. It's ridiculous.

[longshot]

UPDATE!!

The axe has fallen.

Denied!

Manhattan is safe for another year...

[Back]

That blows. I think its safe to say we all know you are smart enough.

But another year in NYC... can’t beat that.

EMO version = Maybe it was meant to be

Reality version = Maybe you didn’t want/try hard enough for it

[Edited on 7-30-2005 by Backlash]

[HarmNone]

Sorry to hear that, Longshot. I know it had to be disappointing for you. :(

[Terminator X]

A lot of this process revolves around how adequately you are skilled in the art of harassing various directors of admissions. You can always, for example, be turned down by phone, only to show up mysteriously at different campuses registrar's offices dressed in thousand dollar tuxedos and a briefcase filled with important looking documents.

I am an extremely firm believer that if you just continue to lay down the hammer, "special" policies will, in fact, be revealed to you. And hopefully they will be the kind not involving your being escourted out of the building by local security.

If you want something bad enough and have wasted your time in conventional application methods, there is always the possibility of loitering a waiting room until someone, other than yourself, gives up.

[Revalos]

Yep...you'd be amazed at what alumni can do in a situation like this.

I was rejected by Penn State because my favorite absent minded USC professor forgot to write my reccomendation on time, everything else was in order. My dad and his PSU fossil hunting buddies, a huge group donator to PSU college of Earth Science, wrote a scathing letter to the dean and revoked all future pledges.

He got a personal visit by said dean two weeks later...in coastal North Carolina...along with two members of the board of admissions. They had magically had an acceptance letter with a 50% out of state tuition waiver with them too.

I wish I could have seen their faces when they asked why I wasn't present for the meeting. He told them I had accepted a full teaching scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison a week ago and was already in Madison...and that they could kiss his group's money goodbye forever for being complete bureaucratic assholes when he knew they could have given me the under the table admission at any time.

I'm with Terminator on this. If you want to go to this school, find some alum you know and let the games begin.

[longshot]

I did meet with an alumni from the university before I was formally declined admission. Not a powerbroker, but he said he would write a letter for next year when I reapply.

I truly believe it came down to a matter of work experience. A couple of years ago, two to three years of work experience was the norm for business school. Now, some schools average five years or more.

I had only two years of work experience. I didn't have letters of rec from current managers. Shit, I was unemployed when I turned in my application... I explained these circumstances to the alumni I met with, and he said, "You must have written some absolutely killer essays". It made me feel pretty good about the whole thing...

Truth be told, I'm still learning a lot at my job. I don't think another year will hurt me. I will have time to be promoted again. Another year of experience will look better. Plus, I will have time to prepare applications... unlinke this past year where I was writing up until the midnight deadline.

While nobody likes to be denied, I can't really complain because I was shocked to make the waitlist in the first place.

I'll be a much stronger applicant this time around, and will have time to devote to applications at more than just two schools.

[hectomaner]

hey man, it might suck, but its not as bad as my position. the school i'm going to attend, was supposed to be finished being built in november last year, starting classes end of jan. then pushed back to march set date, because some equipment problems and had to get new gear from manufactureres, about 1.4mil worth. then there was a delay in the acoustic people in designing the rooms, i guess they are worse than roofers with scheduling. so put to june start. all was good, got paperwork in, loan taken care of, start date, june 27th. along comes june 22nd. last day of construction for HVAC, then the next day was 3 hours of drywall, putting in glass, and cleaning up mess, and unwrapping/setting up gear, all good to go on time. landlord of building shuts down construction because a 16" section of the ducting system was viewable and he didnt like it. no more school the following monday. so the schools HQ in byron bay offered to send people attending the june start date to their main campus, in byron bay australia, or their campus in amsterdam, for the same tuition, and pay to fly us there, and give us free accomodations (room/board/set amount of $ for food for the year program). so i was going to australia. well its not a 4 year university, and so it wasnt on THE LIST that financial institutions have that are allowed schools for international student loans. no more australia. the construction halt went to court, put infront of a judge, and plans were finalized with landlord and the school, and being finished now. so now its a september start date. its been such a fucking mess.

[Edaarin]

I'm a firm believer in the idea that if you want it to happen, everything will work out in the end if you work at it.

I can't blame people who use connections to get what they want. If I had any, I probably would too. There's something to be said of getting to where you are on your own merit though.

[Sean of the Thread]

Networking is everything. Anyways stop your bitching.. you could be an out of work divorced recovering alcoholic who is homeless and has slept on their parents floor 3 out of the past 4 days.

Back on topic.. it really doesn't matter where you get your degree. Just get one and don't put it off for another year.

[Revalos]

Edaarin, what if your own merit is good enough but the bureaucracy is what screws you?

I had a 3.78 GPA, 4.0 in my Major
I had a reccomendation from the head of the National Hydroclimatology and Remote Sensing Laboratory
I had a reccomendation from a top Geology professor at Plymouth University, UK
I had 3 years programming experience in four different GIS
I had 1890 on my GRE
My essays were top notch

All that was missing was a reccomendation from my unknown acaedemic advisor who requested to me specifically that he wanted to write it.

But Penn State had someone with a checkbox shredder and blew up my app because it was missing a third redundant reccomendation.

Obviously I could have only paid off the other two, I just couldn't afford the third after all the money I was paying to play golf in the Hampton's posing as the son of the registrar who came from a long line of golfers so that they would keep my real GPA and test scores a secret. It was also nice that I saved the dean of the English department's daughter from a pack of rabid wolverines so that he would write my essay for me.

Connections are how the world works, it isn't about getting what you want, it is getting what you deserve by your own merit when the system fails you.

[longshot]

I'm IN!

The grueling application process is now just a painful memory. I can finally move on with my life, and get a job that doesn't leave me drooling in boredom.

I'm so rediculously pumped... like real ultimate power pumped.

I've already put in notice at work, and I'm heading out to Japan and Thailand.

Life is good...

[Stretch]

Congrats.

The moral of the story is that Asian people are always right.

And remember, don't be a fool, cover your tool. Thailand is dirtier than Klaive's mom.

[Sean of the Thread]

Networking is everything. Anyways stop your bitching.. you could be an out of work divorced recovering alcoholic who is homeless and has slept on their parents floor 3 out of the past 4 days.



Man that floor sucked...

[HarmNone]

Good news, Longshot! Congratulations! :)

[Necromancer]

Congrats on the admit! I've got law school apps going out this fall, and I'm desparately trying to get all my eggs in a basket with it. I anticipate many rejections and waitlists. I'll be reviving this thread in about a year <g>

[DeV]

The waiting paid off. Congrats and good luck with everything.

[Warriorbird]

Indeed. Congratulations. Neither of my waitlistings have paid off yet.

[Hulkein]

Congrats, longshot.

I have one waitlist so far for law school.

[Necromancer]

Hrm got into NYU with a 3.5-3.6/179? I'm really wanting to hit Columbia or NYU for law school. Unfortunately, the GPA for undergrad was only a 3.45. Grad was 3.8 though (both at Stanford). Taking LSAT this fall. Get to claim undiagnosed severe ADHD for undergrad and have the benefit of great recs, a crap load of leadership ECs and internships, but am going to need a skyrocketing LSAT to get in. Definitely freaking out right now. Where else were you admitted? What do you think ended up costing you the HLS admission?

[longshot]

Hrm got into NYU with a 3.5-3.6/179? I'm really wanting to hit Columbia or NYU for law school. Unfortunately, the GPA for undergrad was only a 3.45. Grad was 3.8 though (both at Stanford). Taking LSAT this fall. Get to claim undiagnosed severe ADHD for undergrad and have the benefit of great recs, a crap load of leadership ECs and internships, but am going to need a skyrocketing LSAT to get in. Definitely freaking out right now. Where else were you admitted? What do you think ended up costing you the HLS admission?

Um... I'm in for an MBA, not law school. Maybe I missed the post to which you were replying?

Coincidentally, last year I was waitlisted for NYU Stern's fulltime MBA program. I was finally denied at the end of August of last year.

It was kind of a longshot (no pun intended) for me to get into a top program at the time, because I had only two years of fulltime work experience. This is a huge difference beteween applying for an MBA and for law school: I really don't care what law schools say... your GPA and your LSAT rule. Recs, leadership, extra curriculars can eliminate you if you're exceptionally weak in that area, but they really don't help you.

In terms of MBA apps, there's a lot more to consider than the GMAT and GPA alone. The essays play a really huge part in it.

So, needless to say, I had a lot more time to prepare, and my apps were much better this year...

------------------

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:

After careful consideration of your application materials, the Harvard
Business School MBA Admissions Board would like to extend to you an invitation to interview.

(blah blah blah…)

We appreciate your interest in Harvard Business School, and we very much look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,
The MBA Admissions Board

------------------------

Yeah, I was surprised too.

So, I landed in a top program (I'm not going to Harvard), and now I get to turn down the school that rejected me last year. I still think NYU is a great place to get an MBA though. They were very professional throughout the whole application process. But, they lost.
:)

[longshot]

Congrats, longshot.

I have one waitlist so far for law school.

Stalk them. Do not let up. I'm serious.

Schools are using waitlists more and more to tweak their "yields".

Basically, a huge indicator of a school's prestige is the percentage of students that actually accept offers of admission. So, a school can waitlist you just to get another crack at seeing how serious you are about attending. If you are in at another school that you like better, it's highly unlikely that you will expend the energy to show interest in the waitlisted school.

Call the admissions office. Get the name of the person you talked to, so you can reference them when you call back again, or speak to the same person again. Explain how interested you are in attending. Ask her if it's okay to call back in a week or two, or if you when a good time to call back is.

If you weren't qualified, you would be denied. Remember this.

If this is the place you really want to go to, tell them that you will accept on the spot if they admit you. Go to the admissions office with a check for a deposit. I've heard of people doing this. You will cease to be someone they offer admission to, and you will become a guaranteed thing for them. This removes the risk of you rejecting them, and can help you stand out.

It also might just be a simple waiting game for them to see how many of their offers are actually accepted. But, anything you can do to distinguish yourself from the other people on the waitlist (in a positive way that shows how determined you are) will help.

If this is where you want to go, don't let up.

I was waitlisted at the MBA program I'm attending this fall. I was VERY persistent. Not annoying, but I'd say things like:

Let me know if there's any other information that would be helpful. I'm extremely interested in attending in the fall. I'll be sending you updated information on Thursday.

So, I sent them a bullet point list (just four bullets, but nicely explained) updating things I had accomplished since I had turned in my app. And then, I told them I'd call them late next week...

And I did... and this went on, and I was about to pull out the "If you let me in, I'm coming, and the check will be in your hand within seconds" move,... but I didn't have to, because they admitted me. I was off the waitlist within three weeks.

If they get an unusually large percentage of their offers accepted, there's probably little that will help you. But, if they pull people off of that list, you want to be the first name that they think of.

Sorry if this was redundant, but my experience this year was drastically different than last year because of how active I was. And by writing this, I hope that you, or someone that reads it, will not have to go through the crap of waiting for four months only to get rejected like I did.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

[Hulkein]

That's good info, thanks man. I called them to remain on the list (letter said I'd be removed in 30 days if I didn't respond), I like the idea of bringing a deposit to their admissions office.

It's a tier 2 law school so getting in there after dicking around my entire undergrad (AKA: having fun) and not doing much prep at all for the LSAT would be awesome for me.

[Daniel]

Congrats Longshot, and Yea you're 100% spot on about persistence.

I just got a fellowship I had no business getting by doing the exact same thing. (I'm talking, barely reaching the requirements, not having any rec's because I just transferred and so forth)

You have to imagine that whoever is looking over these applications is probably seeing the exact same thing.

Dean's List
3.89 GPA
7xx on GRE

blah blah.

You want yourself to stand out in a positive way, so that when they pick up your application they go "Hey, I know this guy, this is the one who keeps calling from minnesota. Let's see what he's working with"

You don't wanna be another faceless name in a stack of em.

[Soulpieced]

I just started my first Masters course today, been almost 2 years now since I finished my bachelor's. Going to be going towards an MBA in Information Security. Even more $$$ here I come.

[Stanley Burrell]

WTG.

Good luck on your vacation from deflowering the remaining 2% of the Asian continent, you clever bastard.

Stanley Burrell.



P.S., looking at the Edaarin photos, I'd say you have your next extremely willing candidate right there.

[Stretch]

On a completely unrelated note, #2, bitches. (http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06rankings/)

I'd also like to point out that at this time I have posted roughly 37 more pictures with girls than Stanley, although he has me trumped on number of pictures kissing a lizard.

[Sean of the Thread]

Nice school Ed. Annual cost 7k?? wtf cheap?

[Warriorbird]

Man. UVA is damn good. Rock on. I wish I'd gotten in there for law.

[longshot]

Is Stretch Edaarin?

Did you show those rankings to your parents?

I feel bad for you man... they're probably still like, "I don't care. Why aren't you a doctor??"

I met a girl who was in at an elite MBA program, and was still considering Darden because of how much she liked it when she went.

I guess it's like the most beautiful campus of all time or something? I've never been there though...

[Stanley Burrell]

Is Stretch Edaarin?

Stretch is kinda like the Edaarin who washes away the pangs of his twelve extra layers of head epidermis by posting 38 more spring break photos than I did.

We generally refer to Ed now as "Stretch" because in addition to sporting the latest blue awning Ralph Lauren, he also has the mystical ability to make the old man wang skin of his forehead expand about a cubic furlong.



NYU

If you venture south of campus, bring someone who knows the city with you. If the streets conform from being square-shaped to narrow and diagonal, YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR. (Note: Not that there is anything overtly wrong [abject boredom/expensive drinks/expensive clubs/unskilled tattoo artists/crime that causes a loss of income or pain/terrorists] with the south-south village, but I feel for anyone who gets lost there without ample cab fair.)

I'm not sure what the... agriculture... was like for you back home, nor am I aware of how far along you are on the maturity spectrum, but getting stupid in Washington Square Park = definitely a bad idea. I have included this diagram to help better illustrate my point:

PPPPPPPP
PXXXXXP
PX LA XP ----> "Park" dimensions: 2 by 4.
PXXXXXP
PPPPPPPP

Legend:

X = Exactly one tree/blade of grass.
L = You.
A = Woman of Asiatic decent, obviously.
P = Popo.



Lastly, NYU has the highest gay student and suicide ratio of any university. Whatever. I chose not to enter after my acceptance because I am R suffer from big schools.

Fucking private school upbringing.

Okay! Once again, good luck.

Stanley Burrell.

[Stanley Burrell]

Is what I'd be saying to you if you got into NYU.

[longshot]

I'm not sure what the... agriculture... was like for you back home, nor am I aware of how far along you are on the maturity spectrum, but getting stupid in Washington Square Park = definitely a bad idea. I have included this diagram to help better illustrate my point:

PPPPPPPP
PXXXXXP
PX LA XP ----> "Park" dimensions: 2 by 4.
PXXXXXP
PPPPPPPP

Legend:

X = Exactly one tree/blade of grass.
L = You.
A = Woman of Asiatic decent, obviously.
P = Popo.

Stanley Burrell.


Stanley,

I don't date asian women exclusively. I'm not one of "those guys".

I will say however that your drawing is quite accurate if you replace the "A" with "A strange looking dude muttering a barely audible 'Want Smoke?' as he passes you".

[Stanley Burrell]

Stanley,

I don't date asian women exclusively. I'm not one of "those guys".

I will say however that your drawing is quite accurate if you replace the "A" with "A strange looking dude muttering a barely audible 'Want Smoke?' as he passes you".

Get to cracking then, you have a reputation to fulfill.

And I thought it was "Want sucky-sucky?" But alright.