MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - April 1, 2010) - At a time when droves of applicants are eagerly awaiting admissions decisions from the business schools to which they applied, many MBA applicants are receiving notification of a far less definitive nature -- they are learning they have been waitlisted. Veritas Prep, a leading MBA admissions consulting firm, today revealed the four most common characteristics among this year's crop of waitlisted applicants.
"Largely due to continued economic uncertainty, we anticipate most top schools will leverage their waitlists more heavily this year, as a sort of hedge," explains Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep. "As a result, generally attractive applicants may find themselves on the waitlists as schools seek to build diverse incoming classes and protect their yields."
Based on emerging trends in the business school admissions space and their work with hundreds of prospective applicants seeking acceptance to top MBA programs this year alone, Veritas Prep found that the following types of applicants are more commonly being waitlisted this year:
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Applicants with low GMAT scores or undergraduate GPAs. These applicants may be appealing, but the admissions committee has yet to pull the trigger since these low scores may require admissions committees to make a tradeoff in terms of managing their overall averages in business school rankings.
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Older applicants, or those with more than five years of work experience. Many of these applicants would have been near-certain admits a couple of years ago, but now they are past the ideal stage of their careers in which many business schools think an MBA can have the most impact.
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Applicants with unclear or unrealistic career goals. Clarity regarding post-MBA career goals is critical for applicants, and most schools are unwilling to take a chance on an applicant who lacks concrete professional aspirations or has not done enough research about what jobs are available for a newly-minted MBA.
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Applicants who beg the question: "Will they come here?" While they might be appealing candidates, these applicants failed to demonstrate sufficient enthusiasm for the program. Admissions officers see the waitlist as a great way to tease out this enthusiasm, if it is truly there.
"While being waitlisted can be a frustrating experience for many MBA applicants, there is promise for admission off of the waitlist, especially when business schools are relying on the waitlist more than usual," continues Shrum. "Top schools know that applicants are applying to more schools than ever before, and that the cost and availability of financing is often prohibitive compared to other programs -- two factors that necessitate a deep pool of waitlisted candidates should accepted students elect not to matriculate. With thoughtful, proactive outreach to admissions offices, a competitive applicant can turn a waitlist to an acceptance."
For more information about proactive waitlist strategies or Veritas Prep's Waitlist Assistance service, call 1-800-925-7737 or visit http://www.veritasprep.com/mba/.
About Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep is the world's largest privately-owned GMAT preparation and admissions consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the world.
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