AAR: Rejection and Redemption – Getting into HBS
“We’re sorry, but we’re unable to offer you admission to the Class of 2015…Thank you for your interest in Harvard Business School.” That was the note I received in February 2013 after hundreds of hours spent preparing for the GMAT and composing my written application. No interview. No phone call. It was over. A month later, in March 2013, I was invited to join the waitlist at Tuck, where I was ultimately released in July without gaining admission. Having already decided I was leaving the active duty in August 2013, I was on to Plan C.
Disappointed, but undeterred I sought ways to improve myself and by extension, my business-school candidacy. I worked hard through the Spring and Summer of 2013 and resubmitted Round 1 applications to both HBS and Tuck. I interviewed at both and ultimately accepted an offer for the HBS Class of 2016.
Initially, the rejection from both schools was awful. As someone who had been a high performing student and officer, being rejected twice made me question a lot about my qualifications and about myself. I was filled with fear, self-doubt, confusion and bewilderment. In the end, however, determination and perseverance, coupled with an objective improvement plan, would get me into HBS.
If the schools you’re looking at make the mistake of overlooking you on your first attempt, I’d like to offer the following:
1) Resolve not to give up. This is the most important step. You’re a qualified leader and you’ve probably experienced failure at some point in the past, though not very regularly. Draw on that experience to cope with the initial shock, and then use your intrinsic motivation and your support network to get up and get back in the game. You know you belong at these schools or you wouldn’t have spent hundreds of hours on their applications and the GMAT.
2) Seek feedback and communicate with the admissions staff. I know many schools will say they cannot accommodate requests for feedback if you’re not admitted or interviewed. Ignore that. Be humble, be respectful, but find out what failed to set you apart. I sent emails to each admissions department, which led to phone calls and useful feedback. Most admissions professionals I spoke with were very caring, nice folks. They want to help you because they appreciate your service and because it’s in their best interest to get the highest-caliber candidates, and not just the best people at packaging themselves on paper. Take the opportunity to listen to what they have to say, but also let them know what you were trying to communicate and why it’s significant. As a pilot I was surprised to learn how few admissions people didn’t know that the Air Force pilot-training commitment is 10 years post-training, and therefore the youngest pilot applicants are going to be at least 33. I was also surprised that few admissions officers understood how pilots are chosen to fly certain airframes. Through the conversations I had with admissions officers, feedback and background education went both ways. This was helpful to me on the front- and back-ends of the application process.
3) Conduct an objective, 360-degree assessment. In addition to the admissions feedback, I sought feedback from my bosses, peers, and former subordinates. Identifying any weaknesses is critical to your future success everywhere, not just your next B-School application. You probably did this as you prepared your applications the first time, but do it again. I showed my essays to several colleagues and friends with whom I didn’t consult during the application process. I also asked them what stories and points they would make about me if they were writing the application on my behalf. This was very helpful.
4) Find opportunities to improve your candidacy that have upside outside of business school. I decided against retaking the GMAT, despite having a 690 with a 44 quant score. A 690 was within range I felt, and the time/money spent preparing for the test had no upside outside of business school. I chose to use my resources elsewhere. Instead of taking terminal leave in the Summer of 2013, I interviewed for, and completed an unpaid private equity internship. Because I was getting out and needed to find employment, I also applied and interviewed with several firms. Unlike B-school, I received offers from each company I interviewed with. This provided a huge confidence boost, and the interviews gave me valuable experience for future interviews going forward. I also completed Tuck’s version of online ‘Math Camp,’ called MBAMath. Again, this strengthened my future applications and also provided upside outside of business school.
Once you’ve committed to reapplying, received feedback on your unsuccessful applications, assessed yourself and begun to take steps to strengthen your future candidacy, I recommend the following:
Apply in Round 1. Each admissions department will tell you to apply when you’re ready. After getting feedback on my unsuccessful Round 2 applications, however, I’d say make yourself ready for Round 1. In Round 1, the admissions departments only see about 45-50% of the candidates and they have to get a class started. By the end of Round 2 they’ve seen 90-95% of the candidates and their constraints are more defined.
Manage your recommenders. During my unsuccessful Round 2 bids I gave each recommender a pack of information about me along with a general letter detailing why I wanted to go to B-School. Beyond that, I gave them carte blanche to write about whatever theme they chose. In my successful bids, I communicated my applications’ narratives to my recommenders and asked them to use similar themes when writing about me to reinforce my narratives. Instead of just checking to make sure they would meet the recommendation deadline as I did on my unsuccessful attempts, I checked in regularly and kept an open dialogue about what I was writing and why each school specifically would be a good match for me.
Being rejected was tough, but certainly wasn’t the toughest thing I’ve experienced. I was tempted to feel sorry for myself and to question whether I belonged at a Tier 1 B-School. That feeling is natural, and if you end us as a reapplicant those feelings are likely to happen. Recognize them, shrug them off, and determine your best course forward. Ultimately, perseverance, grit and a smart plan will pay off (just like they did in your previous life).
