The best way to cope when you’re anxiously waiting for news of any kind is to stay busy. As a business school applicant, however, this doesn’t mean devoting hours each day to stalking the MBA message boards.
Although these forums provide a tempting distraction for MBA hopefuls waiting for interview invites and admit decisions, they also stir up enormous stress in candidates and often spread misinformation that can derail your carefully considered business school application plans.
You’re much better off focusing your energies on the following three activities to pass the time productively.
[Learn six ways to play the MBA waiting game.]
1. Stay engaged with the school: You may not have a firm answer yet from your target school, but you should still continue to invest the time to further immerse yourself in all things related to that program.
Every b-school asks applicants “Why this school?” either explicitly in the application or during the interview. With a potential interview on the horizon, you’ll want to keep up with any big news announcements that you can reference later to demonstrate your interest and commitment to attending this particular institution, if admitted.
If you haven’t already done so, follow the school and relevant professors on social media through their podcasts or blogs, and check the program’s event calendar for any winter break meetups designed for prospective students. The more specific details you can weave into a conversation with your interviewer, the more you will convince the admissions team of your fit with the school’s culture.
Also, use this time to rekindle or reinforce any relationships with current students or alumni that you started cultivating months ago. Send a brief message reminding them that you’ve submitted your application and hope to have good news to share with them soon.
This simple gesture signals your continued excitement about the program, and, as an added bonus, these contacts can answer any new questions you may have as well as provide valuable admissions interview insight.
[Check out ways to use your network to get into business school.]
2. Prepare for interviews: Last month, I shared my recommendation for 30 minutes of interview prep a day. That may sound like a lot of time, but given that business schools typically weigh an applicant’s interview performance as heavily as the GMAT or GRE score, this area is obviously too important to just wing it.
Spend time developing appropriate responses to the most common MBA interview questions, such as what your strengths and weaknesses are, why you want an MBA now, why you applied to this program and what your post-MBA career goals are. Prepare, too, for typical ice breakers, like “Tell me about yourself” and “Walk me through your resume.”
[Highlight the qualities that MBA admissions officers look for during interviews.]
But be prepared for curveballs and behavioral questions that start with, “Tell me about a time when … ” At Harvard Business School, prior applicants have reported receiving a variety of interview questions, including ones they weren’t expecting, that have ranged from “What is one thing I’d never have guessed about you, even after reading your application?” and “What is the most interesting conversation you’ve had this week?” to “Explain to me something you’re working on as if I were an 8-year-old.”
While you can’t fully prepare for these types of surprise questions, it’s helpful to brainstorm stories and examples from your professional or personal life that support the general themes of leadership, overcoming challenges and your unique passions and ambitions. Come ready to discuss things you haven’t already shared in your application.
Nonnative English speakers need to make sure their language skills pass at a near-native level, and ramping up reading is a great way to prepare for the interview experience. Even daily reading of five pages of a business publication or books related to your primary areas of interest can help improve your interviewing skills by giving you something memorable to talk about during the exchange.
3. Allow for a plan B: These days, it’s wise to balance your ambition with a dose of realism. If you land on the waitlist in rounds one or two, will you try your luck in ultra-competitive round three?
If you have your heart set on a particular school and don’t get in, will you reapply next year? If you don’t go to business school next fall, what career shift or lifelong dream might you pursue instead?
Remembering that you have choices feels immensely reassuring. Having an acceptable backup plan in mind will go a long way toward helping you not only cope with any potential adverse outcomes but also thrive in spite of them.
More from U.S. News
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Do More Than Wait for MBA Admissions Decisions originally appeared on usnews.com
