You’ve spent months (or even years) preparing what you hoped was the perfect application, only to find yourself in limbo.
The MBA waitlist process can be frustrating, however, with the right strategy, it’s possible to leverage what can seem at first like a disappointment into an offer of admission! (Learn more about creating your waitlist strategy here)
That’s why I touched based with former client Luiz Lourenço, who recently received an offer of admission from Chicago Booth after navigating the waitlist – twice – to share his top tips on how to turn a question mark into a spot at your dream school.
(Luiz Lourenço, Member of the Chicago Booth Class of 2020)
Ellin Lolis: Can you tell us a little more about your experience with the Booth Waitlist? Did you apply in Round 1 or 2 and was Booth your first choice school?
Luiz Lourenço: Booth was absolutely my first choice!
I started out in finance before becoming a consultant, so I naturally heard about the University of Chicago early on. But I only really started learning about their MBA program in 2016.
(Photo courtesy Chicago Booth)
I remember going to the US to visit schools and meeting with Booth alumni, including the CIO of a large investment fund. He cleared an hour in his schedule just to talk to me about the school he attended ten years earlier. That kind of commitment of the alumni to pay it forward to the community really got my attention.
The more people I met, the more I was certain that Booth was the right place for me.
I applied in R2 that year and was waitlisted. I was kept on the waitlist until mid-July and decided to just drop out and reapply in R1. I rewrote my entire essay and was waitlisted – again! This time, however, I took the necessary steps to get the offer.
EL: After you found out you were waitlisted, what steps did you take?
LL: The first time I was waitlisted, I didn’t really know what to do except just keep sending the materials the school required.
In all honesty, my head just wasn’t there, as I was starting a relationship and reapplying the next year with my girlfriend, who was just beginning her application process, seemed like a better choice.
I won’t lie – that first waitlist made me question my fit with the school. I found other schools where I thought I would be a perfect fit, as I ‘clicked” with every alum I talked to. I just couldn’t find a school, however, that would give me an academic challenge as interesting as Booth would.
That’s when I became serious about reapplying. The second time around, I meant business. Besides completely revamping my application, I researched more about the school and felt more prepared. Still, no cigar.
Being waitlisted a second time around, however, only made me more determined to make my case.
I did submit every waitlist material the school allowed me to, but I believe that three other factors were even more important:
- I reached out to every waitlisted student I could find, even cold-calling at times. This gave me a deeper understanding of the process and insight on the school;
- I talked to everyone I knew from the school and asked them to submit additional support letters to admissions – at Booth, those are called “Shape the Class” recommendations
- I visited the school again.
EL: Why did you decide to visit the school again? What role do you think this played in getting off the waitlist?
LL: I had been to Chicago before, in 2016. I had taken the tour, participated in a class and met with students. I felt like I had already “checked” that item off my list. I was wrong.
There is always more you can learn if you want to.
This time around, I did all of those things, but I was much more attentive to detail. After a full day at Booth, I had an insight. I thought that submitting a video essay recorded right there at Harper Center, with a “Welcome Class of 2020” banner behind me, would let people in admissions know just how serious I was about my goals.
(Photo courtesy Chicago Booth)
I strongly believe that, at least for my application, that may have been the nudge I needed.
EL: How frequently did you communicate with the school?
LL: Surprisingly, little!
Booth takes a very impartial approach, which I completely understand. It could be perceived as unfair to favor one applicant who had the resources and the time to talk to an admissions officer personally about their application.
I emailed admissions a couple of times regarding simple questions, but I don’t think that my emails had any effect in the final outcome.
EL: After you got the offer, was it an easy decision for you to attend Booth?
LL: Life is not always simple, right? And applying with a partner may add a layer of complexity to the decision process.
We were on waitlists from multiple cities, and I already had a partial scholarship from a prestigious school in Europe. After careful consideration and with some luck, everything worked out!
I was happy about the offer but confused at the same time. I accepted the offer while many variables were still undefined, but ultimately, we were both happy with the final results! I’m starting classes this September, and she will join me next year when her classes start at another school in the spring.
EL: Congratulations to both of you! Do you have any other tips you’d give to someone navigating the waitlist?
LL: Don’t give up! I think I could write an autobiography with all the materials I submitted, but this resilience was key in achieving my goals.
If doing an MBA and, more importantly, doing it at the school you chose, is a goal you are passionate about, hang on!
Use the waitlist as your opportunity to take the time to truly understand what the school is all about. You may just get that offer!
Also, if any applicants are interested in Booth or are in a similar situation, please feel free to reach out to me via email at luiz.lourenco@chicagobooth.edu .
EL: Thank you for your time and for these great tips, Luiz! I hope you have a great first semester at Booth.
Back in 2016, I met Luiz for the first time. From that point forward, it was an honor to play a role in helping him navigate the admissions process, and was an incredible honor to see such a talented professional secure a well-deserved spot in one of the world’s best business schools.
Like we were with Luiz, my team and I pride ourselves on being with you at every stage of the process as you apply to an elite program.
We dedicate all of our energy and expertise to give you the confidence that you are taking the right steps toward your future with the information you need to make the best decisions. That’s why I truly enjoyed talking with Luiz and bringing this information to show you should never give up on your MBA dreams.
If you need help navigating the waitlist or even if you’re just starting the application process and aren’t sure exactly what to do next, my team and I can help! Schedule your free consultation with us today.
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School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
