Rejected by HBS – Now What?

February 4^th was either an exciting day or a tearful one for HBS Round 2 applicants: HBS’s MBA Admissions Board notified students whether they were invited to interview or had merited “early release.” Euphemistic though it sounds, early release should really be viewed by R2 applicants as the blessing that it is: you now know that you are out of the running for this program and are free to consider your other options. So dab your eyes with a tissue, patch up the wall you punched, and take a look at what some of those other options are.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

If you are a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, you can still consider Round 3 at your top choice programs, especially if you have a unique background or profile that these programs may still want to round out their classes. Did you steer growth in Africa, lead a new telecom entry in Eastern Europe, or pioneer a revolutionary health program in Mongolia? These are examples of unique insights that many top MBA programs would love to include among their student bodies. While visa challenges tend to be too difficult for R3 applicants who will need F1 visas to study in the U.S., those of you who do have U.S. residency will be prime R3 candidates. 

Moreover, if you are living in the U.S., you may find the many top MBA programs with part-time options to be the perfect alternative if there are weak points in your profile. Berkeley Haas’s full-time program has an average GMAT of 725 but its part-time program students have a median GMAT of only 700. Kellogg’s full-time MBA program’s average GMAT is 730, while it’s part-time MBA average is 673. Chicago Booth’s full time students averaged a 730 GMAT, but it’s part-time student GMAT average was only 679. If your GMAT score was the significant factor holding you back, then part-time programs offer the opportunity to graduate with the same degree without making another attempt – or several! – at improving your GMAT scores.  

Non-U.S. Citizens

If you are not a good R3 candidate to the U.S. fall-entry MBA programs, you do have alternatives that will find you in a classroom in the coming year. 

First, if your heart is set on building your career in the U.S., then there are other program options here. For example, if your goals are in finance, you may consider Master of Financial Engineering degrees at Berkeley Haas (next deadline April 2^nd), or Baruch College (next deadline February 15^th), or NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering Master of Financial Engineering (deadline February 15^th). Columbia also offers a Master of Business Analytics and MS in Industrial Engineering (both with deadlines on February 15^th). 

For those interested in careers in Healthcare Management, you may consider Columbia’s Management of Science in Industrial Engineering, which offers a healthcare management concentration (Fall deadline February 15^th, Spring deadline October 1^st). 

Outside of the U.S.

MBA aspirants who are seeking international careers can consider the top MBA programs in Europe and Canada as well. While Oxford Saïd has one remaining deadline for this year (April 4^th), the MBA programs at Cambridge (March 9th and May 4^th) and London Business School (April 7^th and May 14^th) each have another 2 deadlines for their fall start programs. 

In addition, IMD practically just began its admissions process, with upcoming deadlines May 1^st, July 1^st, and September 1^st still remaining to enter its program starting in October. Similarly, INSEAD has extended its 4^th deadline for its September intake from the end of February to now March 4^th, and INSEAD’s January-start program – which allows students an internship in the middle of the program – will only begin reviewing applications on March 11^th.  

For those applicants who were particularly interested in HBS’s case study approach, the Ivey MBA program in Canada – which analyzes over 300 cases in its one-year MBA – may be the perfect alternative. Ivey’s program starts in March, so its next deadline for the program starting in March 2021 is April 6^th. Also in Canada is the Toronto Rotman MBA program – which advises international applicants (those from outside the U.S. and Canada) to apply by its March 4^th deadline, Sauder – which accepts international applicants until its April 7^th deadline, and HEC Montreal, which accepts international applicants until its March 15^th deadline. Similar to INSEAD, the Schulich MBA has two cohorts, one starting ever January and one every September. Admissions for the January 2021 program will begin in July. 

Address your weaknesses

Finally, if your heart is still set on HBS and its full-time U.S. program peers, early release offers you the time to assess your application profile and address its weaknesses. Many applicants find Accepted’s rejection review the perfect starting point to identifying the weaknesses of their application and their profile. 

Have you made a noticeable impact beyond the norm in your professional role? Have you led enough outside of work? Is your GMAT/GRE meeting (or ideally, exceeding) their average score? If not, this is a great time to take action and patch those holes – in addition to the one you punched in the wall when you heard from HBS ?

If you would like a free profile review to identify your profile weaknesses or shortcomings in your previous applications, register for a free consultation with me. 

At Accepted, we’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top Masters programs and look forward to helping you too! Click here to learn more >>

By Jennifer Bloom, admissions consultant at Accepted for 20 years and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at guiding you to produce application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?]
• What HBS is Looking For, a blog series
• MBA Round 3: Should I Apply Now or Wait for Next Year?

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