How to Get Off the MBA Waitlist: Insider Tips for Admissions
This expert guide offers tips and strategies to help you stand out and increase your chances of acceptance. We'll show you how to make the most of your waitlist status and increase your chances of getting admitted.
By Karla M.
*M7 Expert* | 10 yrs. coaching experience | 5 top MBA admit w/ $1mm in $!
Posted March 6, 2025
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As MBA applicants anxiously await their admissions decisions, being waitlisted can feel like a setback. However, it's important to remember that being waitlisted is just a detour. With the right approach and mindset, it's possible to turn a waitlist designation into an acceptance. As someone with deep admissions experience helping candidates navigate the waitlist process, I want to share some insider tips.
What is the MBA Waitlist?
First, it's important to understand the waitlist landscape. The business school waitlist is a list of applicants who have been neither accepted nor rejected, but will be considered for acceptance if and when spots in the program become available. They're often used by schools to ensure that the class is diverse and qualified.
Though waitlist acceptance rates vary widely by school, only about ~30% of waitlisted MBA applicants receive an offer of admission, according to Poets & Quants. Furthermore, many applicants receive no feedback or guidance from Admissions, making it difficult to know what to do next. In the current application cycle, professional coaches are seeing longer waitlists than usual, making it even more important to have a clear plan of action.
How Are Waitlist Decisions Made?
One crucial aspect of the waitlist process is the assessment of application materials. Admissions committees consider academic ability, professional experience, leadership potential, and diversity when evaluating candidates. It's essential to ensure that your original application materials demonstrated your strengths and that your interactions while waitlisted address any areas of concern.
Here is an overview of the primary factors the AdCom will take into account when evaluating your candidacy for admissions:
Strategies to Get Off the MBA Waitlist
1. Write a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
Crafting a compelling Letter of Continued Interest is an important step to shoring up any areas of weakness in your application and demonstrating your continued interest in the program. A strong LOCI can make a difference in your chances of being admitted off the waitlist.
For example, if your test scores did not meet the program averages when you applied, this might be an opportunity to update the AdCom on your progress towards improving your scores. Perhaps you’ve spent some time working on retaking the test and now have a better score in hand. Or, maybe you didn’t visit campus before applying and now you’ve had the opportunity to interact with the community 1:1 and feel that this specific program is the best fit for you. Relaying any useful updates like these is important to make yourself memorable to the AdCom.
2. Get Additional Letters of Support
Obtaining additional endorsements or recommendations from school alumni or those with ties to the institution can also be a helpful strategy. These can come from individuals who can speak to your qualifications and commitment to the program. Personalized endorsements that indicate your intent to enroll can be particularly effective.
3. Show Your Commitment
Staying engaged with the program(s) is another important tactic. This includes networking with people close to the AdCom, attending classes, and demonstrating your interest in the program. It's essential to strike a balance between staying engaged and being over-demanding.
Being waitlisted can be a challenging and uncertain time. However, with the right approach and mindset, it's possible to turn a waitlist status into an acceptance. Remember, it's important to stay positive, engaged, and focused on your goal.
If you'd like to work with me on your waitlist strategy, head to my Leland coach profile! I'd love to help you strengthen your areas of improvement and maximize your chances of admission.
Written by Karla
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Karla (she/ella) has 10 years of formal admissions and career coaching experience through top-rated admissions firm Ivy Advisors, the Harvard Kennedy School Admissions Office, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Career program. Karla is a good fit for deferred, dual / concurrent degree, underrepresented / BIPOC, investment banking-focused, and traditional profile candidates (e.g., consulting, banking) looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded field. Karla has assisted all kinds of applicants in landing their desired programs or career professions at places such as Stanford GSB and Morgan Stanley. In her ten years of coaching, some big wins include helping an individual with a 3.2 GPA and 145 (Quant GRE) / 158 (Verbal GRE) secure admission to a top 5 MBA with 60% tuition scholarship and negotiating another candidate's M7 waitlist offer to admission with 100% tuition funding. Karla's successes are fueled by her formal admissions training at the Kennedy School and proofreading expertise. Outside of coaching, Karla is a finance professional focused on covering the technology sector. After completing a concurrent MBA/MPP at UChicago and Harvard, respectively, Karla joined J.P. Morgan’s Technology coverage group in the Investment Banking division in San Francisco, CA. Karla was personally accepted to 5 M7 MBA programs with over $1 million in scholarship offers and secured her investment banking offer before even starting graduate school through the J.P. Morgan Early Advantage Program ($90,000 scholarship). Karla is also an alumna of the following programs and fellowships: Forte Foundation MBA Fellowship, MLT MBA Prep, Toigo MBA Fellowship, LunaCap MBA Scholarship, SEO Career, AmeriCorps, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Upward Bound. For her contributions to underrepresented communities and promising career trajectory, Karla has been identified as a Rising Star through the Most Powerful Latinas Summit hosted by the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA).
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Harvard Business School
The Wharton School (UPenn)
Harvard University
Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
