MBA Waitlist Chat 1/31/2013
If I am going to be doing a campus tour / event, is it possible to interview at
that time?
Interviews are by invite only. We encourage you to still visit, but we cannot
schedule an interview at that time.
Is it considered helpful to your candidacy to visit campus if you have not
already?
We encourage everyone to visit campus to see if it is the right fit for you.
However, this will not impact your decision.
I was wondering if a waitlisted applicant could schedule a time to briefly
meet with an admissions officer if they are coming to campus? Since I
interviewed over winter break I am planning to come to campus to sit in on
classes while students are at Sloan. Would it be possible to briefly meet
with admissions officers during this time, or just to inform the committee
that we are visiting campus?
You're always welcome to visit campus, but we cannot schedule meetings with
WL candidates. If you are here, stop in the office, and if someone is available,
we'll be happy to chat for a couple minutes.
In order to visit the Admissions office, what do I have to do?
You are always welcome to visit the Admissions Office. We are located in E52450 and you can come any weekday! I would try to plan a visit around
Ambassador's Program.
If we visit while on the WL, should we notify the WL email address first, or
would you rather we just came without doing this?
You do not have to email about the visit.
How much more important does visiting campus or sitting in on a class
become as a waitlist candidate vs. Round 2 applicant?
Visiting campus or a class does not impact our decisions because we know
people apply from around the world and may not have the same opportunities.
What is the date of the admitted student weekend after the April 2nd Round 2 acceptance date?
The second adMIT weekend date is April 18-20.
Earlier you mentioned that there is no opportunity to attend admit weekend
for WL students. Does this hold true if one does get accepted with Round
2?
If applicants are admitted in R2 then we encourage them to attend the 2nd Admit
Weekend.
If say someone applied to MIT only, is info you would like to know?
Yes, you should share that about yourself if Sloan was the only school you
applied to.
If we inform you that we have placed a deposit with another school, but
would still accept your offer for admission, will this hurt our chances due
to unethical behavior or a willingness to go somewhere else?
We do not need to know you've committed to another school, but I would
encourage you to do this. There aren't any guarantees with this process. We
would just like to know that you'd still accept our offer, if one is made.
Someone before had mentioned your thoughts on applicants hedging their
admissions bets by accepting an offer at another program but holding out
on the waitlist. Is this a common WL strategy? Is this information your
team would be interested in knowing?
You don't need to tell us where you are going. However, we encourage you to
commit somewhere since there is no guarantee of being admitted from Sloan.
Please notify us if there is a certain date you need to commit by but it typically
does not influence our decision.
Is there really not much that we can control on this waitlist?
At this point, no one will be accepted off the waitlist until April 2nd. Please be
patient.
How many people are on the waitlist currently?
Currently there are close to 200 people on the WL. We plan to actively use the
WL this year and will reconsider all WL candidates with R2.
Can you please tell if the number of applicants you received in Round 2
surpasses that of Round 1?
Yes, the Round 2 pool is bigger than Round 1.
Will Round 2 add more WA or this should be the final count?
Yes, after Round 2 we will add new people to the WL, but we will also release
some folks from the current WL, at that time.
Did last year's over-acceptance affect how you're dealing with the waitlist
this year?
Yes, we admitted fewer people this year than last so we anticipate using the
waitlist more this year!
Can you share statistics from past years on the average number of
students admitted from the waitlist?
On average we take about 10 people from the WL, after the Round 2 deadline. I
don't know what the numbers are for those who get admitted along with Round 2,
I would guess it's much more.
Could you clarify your answer regarding the numbers taken from the WL
after the Round 2 deadline? Is that the expected number of admission
offers after Round 2 from the WL?
I don't have an estimate for this year. I have no idea what this number will be this
year and it's very difficulty to predict, before we have decisions for Round 2.
Mostly out of curiosity, could you share how many people were admitted in
Round 1 this year?
We cannot give out numbers at this time for Round 1 Admits.
What was your yield for last year's class?
The yield is typically 65-75%.
Any statistics on admits from the waitlist for last year?
We cannot give out statistics from last year. However, we anticipate using this
year's waitlist more.
Do you know whether this year's pool was stronger than previous years in
terms of GMAT, GPA or any other aspect?
This year's pool was incredibly competitive.
Was there any admit of a sub-660 GMAT?
There were probably people admitted with a score lower than 660, but this is low
compared to most.
.
By which date must we submit additional info/ materials for enhancing our
status?
I would send before April 2nd but the sooner the better!
What opportunities are there for waitlisted students to attend admitted
student weekend?
Unfortunately, waitlist students cannot attend the admitted student weekend.
However, you can always attend our Ambassador's Program this Spring.
Is it possible to apply for scholarships before getting accepted, so that if
we do get accepted we still have a chance at receiving scholarship aid? Or
will we miss all scholarship opportunities by being on the waitlist?
You actually applied for scholarships in your application. We will assess that
once we accept students.
Does a later admit decrease our chances of getting a scholarship?
If you are admitted with the Rounds 2 pool, you are still eligible for scholarships,
but if you remain on the WL after April 2, it's unlikely you'll receive an award if
admitted later.
Would one be reconsidered for a scholarship if admitted from the waitlist?
If you are admitted in Round 2, you'll be considered for a fellowship, but if
admitted after that, our awards will have already been made, so it's unlikely you'll
receive something.
Given that the I-20 & the VISA process takes long, will International
Candidates get to hear the decisions early?
We will try to get decisions out to everyone as soon as possible. We are aware of
the Visa process so we will take that into account.
As an international student, if I start my visa process with an offer from
other school, and then later get an admission offer from MIT, will it be
possible to change visas?
I don't know the answer to that, but you should definitely start your visa process
now, with the other school.
Will only those who receive admission from the waitlist be notified, or will
people also be notified that they are not longer being considered before
August/September?
Everyone currently on the WL will be re-evaluated with the Round 2 applicant
pool. Those who have not been interviewed, will be re-assessed for an interview
invite with Round 2, and may be invited to interview along with R2 applicants (in
March). Those who have already been interviewed will be re-considered at the
Round 2 decision time. If your decisions changes we will notify you on April 2, the
R2 decision notification date.
Would it help if I am willing to be deferred to the following year? I
understand that Sloan had an above average rate of matriculation last year
and that this might be affecting acceptance rates this year.
Unfortunately, your willingness to defer does not help. However, the admittance
rate for re-applicants is higher than non re-applicants.
For those absolutely committed to MIT Sloan, is there any chance of
deferred admits for next year in case there's no opening on the waitlist?
At the end of the summer, if there are one or two really strong WL applicants who
we’d like to admit, but we don't have a spot for, sometimes we can make a deal
with them to come the following year (Deferral), but nothing at this time.
The wait list FAQ says waitlisted candidates are not ranked--does this
mean that whenever there is a space available, the adcom will reevaluate all
waitlisted candidate together for that spot?
The WL is not ranked, that's because everyone on the WL is strong, and
potentially admissible. We take people off the WL as openings in the class
become available, depending on the openings in the class, we'll look to fill those
spots with a similar profile.
I was waitlisted without an interview. Does this mean that I am lower
priority than a waitlisted candidate that was interviewed?
There is no rank for the waitlist and if you were put on the WL without an
interview, that means we will reconsider you for an interview in R2. After April 2
(the R2 Decision notification date), everyone who remains on the WL will have
been interviewed. So it's safe to say, everyone who is on the WL without an
interview will get an updated decision from us by or on April 2.
I have been waitlisted without an interview. For such candidates should
they send most of their updates before mid-February as interview invites
would be going out from these dates?
Yes, in your case, the sooner the better for updates!
Is there anyway you can share how waitlisted applicants are categorized
(or bucketized) when being considered for admission?
No buckets or categories for the WL.
What if WL candidate doesn't get interview from Round 2, will they be
considered in Round 3 again?
We don't have a Round 3. If you don't get invited to interview, most likely you'll be
released from the WL on April 2.
When do you expect to have the interview invitation sent out for Round 2?
Invites for Round 2 will begin in mid-February, and continue to go out, throughout
March.
If we've already been interviewed during Round 1 interviews, come April
2nd if there's a WL decision then that decision will be on admission, not
interview invitation, right?
No one will be interviewed twice so if you already have been interviewed, you are
all set.
Just to be clear, the only word from you prior to April 2nd would be
interview invites to certain waitlisted applicants, if applicable? Do you
always invite at least some Round 1 waitlisted applicants to interview in
Round 2?
You are correct. There will be no word until April 2nd unless someone is invited
for an interview who has not been interviewed. We always invite some waitlisted
students to interview in R2.
I have been waitlisted without an interview. I have written to MIT Sloan for a
request for an interview. Can you shed some light on why I was waitlisted
without an interview?
About a 100 people were WL'd without an interview, there are a lot of reasons for
this, but basically we felt you were a strong applicant, but didn't have space to
interview you in Round 1.
I will travel internationally for 2 weeks and have limited access to emails, is
it possible to notify you that I won't be able to take interviews during that
time? I do not want to miss the interview invitation.
Yes it's possible. If you're traveling find a way to check your email, or let us now
how to reach you.
What percentage of Round 1 waitlisted candidates do you expect to receive
a final decision as a part of the Round 2 review?
I don't know that answer. It all depends on how the Round 2 pool looks.
Is it appropriate to send in additional letters of recommendation or letters
of support? What would be most helpful to write about in a personal update
to the admissions committee?
Yes, you are welcome to send a couple pieces of additional information including
an email explaining more about yourself. However, please be careful to not send
too much. Additional info that is most helpful relates directly to the questions we
are asking on the recommendation forms. If you ask additional people to send a
letter on your behalf, they should use this format. If you send us an update
yourself, we're interested in professional accomplishments (promotions,
entrepreneurial activities, new project work, evidence of success professionally),
in addition we're interested in leadership activities you've had, specifically if they
are from an area outside of work.
Can additional recommendations come from a peer just to show other
aspects of my candidacy?
The additional letter of rec can come from a peer to show other aspects of your
candidacy.
I have a doubt regarding sending Letter of Support from a current student
at MIT Sloan who was a friend and we were together in our sports team in a
league but won't know much about my professional work against sending a
third letter of recommendation from my current boss who can answer the
recommendation questions in detail. Would LOS from current student who
doesn't know me professionally be valuable?
Any support from a member of our community is welcome, students, alums,
faculty, etc....
How many additional LORs could you recommend us to send? Alumni
preferred?
This number is up to you. I would stick to 2-3 updates. If an alum knows you well
then they should send it on your behalf, but it is not preferred.
I understand that letters of support from individuals in the MIT community
can be valuable. Would a letter of support from an individual who has
committed and will be enrolling this fall (deferred a year) be viewed
similarly to that from a current student?
It can always help, but from current students or alums would be better.
Could you please explain more in detail how is that additional people who
want to send a letter on my behalf should do it? When you refer to the
recommendation forms, do you mean they should answer the same
questions that my official recommenders answered?
Yes, ideally they can answer the same questions as your official recommenders.
However, they do not have to use that if you or the recommender prefers not to.
I am a bit confused in terms of demonstrating my interest to attend MIT
against sending updates, which may not be substantial. I am very keen to
get an opportunity to study at MIT. But I don't have any significant updates
like promotion etc. in this small time window. Would lesser significant
updates still be valuable to show my interest?
We encourage you to write just an update about yourself and your interest in
Sloan. We want to admit people we know will accept our offer.
In the past have WL candidates typically all sent in additional information?
Nothing is going to change much professionally for me these few months,
except that I'm going to start learning a new language, which is not
professionally related...
It's important to communicate to us that you're interested in our offer, and if
anything changes, we'd like to hear too.
What's a good cadence/frequency to send along updates? Is it better to
send large, aggregated updates less frequently, or would you prefer
shorter but more frequent?
I would recommend sending larger updates less frequently, maybe 2-3 unless a
significant change happens in your life.
If I were to send additional information regarding my candidacy during the
waiting list period, will I hear a response from Sloan that the additional
information has been reviewed?
You will receive a response that is has been received. We cannot notify you
when it is reviewed since we receive so much information on a daily basis.
I read that MIT welcomes updates during this process. Can you comment
on the form by which these updates should be provided? Is a letter format
with a more casual tone acceptable, or is a formal essay describing new
professional experiences/stories preferred?
The updates can be casual and in email form.
It appears that the main avenue of communication is through
mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu. Is there any format that you expect in those
communications (identifying information, attachments vs. pasting into the
body of the emails, frequency of communication, etc.?)?
Yes, please send updates via email. The format should include your full name,
and we prefer it to be in the body of an email.
Just to confirm a response above, new recommenders should send their
recommendation letters in the body of the email, not as attachments (e.g.
company letterhead).
An email is fine from the person.
I wanted to see what advice the adcom has about the duration of our stay
on the waitlist (i.e. choosing when to remove myself from the waitlist).
What does the adcom use that information for?
We only use that date to know what date you still want to be considered for. We
do not use it for any other purposes. International students should only put up to
July 1, 2013.
If a validator wants to send a message regarding some accomplishment
that a waitlist member has made since the original application, does it need
to be sent to the email address (mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu)? If they
want to send a paper letter, can they address it to the Sloan Admissions
building?
All communication regarding your candidacy on the WL needs to be sent to this
email address: mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu, that way we can track what you're
sending us.
When I was informed that I was placed on the waitlist, I indicated a "latest
possible date" that I could be notified of a final decision (there were four:
June, July, August, September.) If this date changes, is
mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu the correct avenue to communicate?
Yes, email the waitlist email with the new date.
For additional recommendation letters, can recommenders send the letters
by themselves directly to mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu?
Yes, send to mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu.
If an additional letter of recommendation is prepared, is it best for the
author to send the information directly to the admissions team, or for the
candidate to submit the information herself?
You should have the recommender send it so we know it is from who it says it is.
I am wondering if the interview and written application hold the same
relational weights for waitlist candidates as they do for accepted
candidates?
Yes, the same weight is placed on the application/interview for waitlist candidates
as it was for interviewed candidates.
Would getting a higher GMAT score improve the candidacy of someone on
the waitlist? Is it a factor considered by admissions?
Yes, anything you can do to improve your application helps.
If the Round 1 WL candidates are evaluated with the Round 2 candidates,
does this mean we'd hear the first round of WL admission decisions on the
date of the Round 2 Admission Decision Date?
There will be no update to the waitlist until April 2nd.
Yes, many of you will receive an updated decision on April 2, but if you've
already been interviewed, you may not hear from us, meaning you would
continue to remain on the WL.
I understand nobody will be admitted from the WL until April 2, but what
about applicants you decide not to admit after reviewing them against R2
applicants? Will they have to wait for April 2nd as well or will there be an
'early release' for them?
Most likely not. We'll try to get you an update as soon as possible.
If you remain on the waitlist past the Round 2 decision on April 2nd how is
the wait list evaluated throughout the summer without additional round of
applicants?
The WL after Round 2 will be smaller, and we will take people off the WL as
spots become available, but those who are admitted, will fill the profile of the
candidate who dropped. So if an international female declines our offer, than we
would look to fill that spot with another int'l female on the waitlist.
I understand that you try to maintain the class shape when picking from the
waitlist. However, I read in previous chats that sometimes you will take the
strongest application regardless. Being an engineer and knowing how
strong the MIT brand is for us, I'd like to know if there are other ways than
to have other engineers give up their seats for me to get an opportunity.
That is true, anything is possible with the WL... especially the longer you are on
it. In the summer, we don't always have the luxury of replacing each spot to the
exact fit.
My understanding of MIT's process for admitting candidates has been
scoring applications on a scale of 8-9 different qualities and the taking the
highest scores and offering admissions (If I understood an interview with
Rod Garcia correctly). Do you know why the waitlist is different where you
don't rank the applicants by score, but will fill in the profile of the candidate
who dropped?
Typically those on the WL all have similar competency scores (based on the
interview/read), and we are certainly taking those into account with your
candidacy, but we need more to look at.
I submitted September as the latest possible date that I could be informed
of my admittance off of the wait list; is it common that you are admitting
students off of the waitlist this late?
We have admitted students off the waitlists a day before classes start, so yes this
is common.
How did folks who were taken off the waitlist just days before classes
started respectfully leave work? How did they make travel arrangements
(I'm from California)?
That's the tough part about being on the WL, but we almost always have some
last minute spots open up.
Is there any chance a candidate can be taken off the waitlist and be offered
admission before the Round 2 notification deadline? For example, if many
other Round 1 admitted candidates from his country / with similar
backgrounds don't accept their R1 offers?
Nobody will be officially admitted off the WL before April 2.
Could you please clarify - after April 2nd, is there still a probability to
remain on the WL? Or will the April 2nd decisions be final regarding
admission?
Yes, there is still an opportunity to stay on the wait list after April 2nd and be
admitted.
Just in order to have some perspectives, what was the approximate rate of
admitted people from the waiting list last year (are we talking of 10%,
80%...)? Even knowing that it can vary from one year to other.
The WL process for previous years is not a great predictor for how things will
work this year. Each year is different... last year we took a handful of people off
the WL (most came at the Round 2 decision). This year we expect the WL to be
more active, as we've admitted fewer Round 1 candidates than we did last year.
How does the WL process work for those who applied to the joint
Sloan/HKS program? Is that simply resolved with both schools if one is
ultimately accepted?
We don't communicate at all with HKS and their decision process. Our decisions
are made independent of theirs. Your dual degree candidacy does not change, or
impact our decision process.
Could you provide insight into how the WL works for Sloan/HKS
applicants?
The waitlist is the same for Sloan/HKS applicants.
Would it be inappropriate to contact our interviewer for feedback?
It's not appropriate to ask for feedback. Unfortunately we don't have the capacity
to offer feedback to candidates.
If we email mbawaitlist@sloan.mit.edu, could we receive feedback on any
perceived weaknesses in our application? Areas that we could fill with
additional recommendations or insight?
Unfortunately we cannot provide any feedback, but in my experience, applicants
know what didn't go well or what their area of weakness is. For example if your
test score or GPA is lower than our average, this is an area for improvement, or if
your experience wasn't represented well, have another recommendation letter
submitted.
I have begun taking supplementary quantitative coursework that I believe
will improve my candidacy for Sloan. Is there a way -- and, is it advisable -to communicate with the Admissions Office about what particular classes
might best serve this purpose?
Yes, please share with us what class you are taking and where.
I am considering taking an advanced MBA course at Sloan this spring.
Would that help my admissions chances and if I get in later, would the
course be counted towards my degree requirements?
We encourage you to take the course, but it cannot be transferred over if you get
in.
If I take MBA classes at Sloan this spring, would they help my chances of
admission and would they be counted towards my degree requirements if
admitted?
Taking a class at Sloan does not impact your chances of being admitted, and
nothing can be transferred to count toward your future MBA Degree.
Another question - I am planning to change my job to gain a different set of
skills that would help me in my career and get the most out of an MBA
experience. Will this be looked upon positively (this person has acquired
newer skills and experience) or negatively (this person is not sure about
what he wants to do, etc.)?
That is hard to determine without knowing your past experiences. However, we
typically like seeing people who want to learn new skills and experiences.
I have a question about FAFSA: for those of us who are planning on taking
out loans to finance our education, should we still file the FAFSA
application now, even though acceptance decisions would likely be made
in April-June?
That decision is up to you. You can apply for FAFSA while being on the waitlist.
Please email mbawaitinglist@sloan.mit.edu if you have any other questions or
updates.