My inbox lately has brought lots of good news:

 Sonia,

I just wanted to tell you that I GOT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [To Wharton]

I am so thankful to you.  I really appreciate the help.  This is the best X-mas present I have ever received.  I could not have done it without you.

                                       

Dear Jennifer, 

I am thrilled!!! I got an email from CBS this morning saying that I was admitted!!!!!!! My first choice!!!! I am very very happy. Jennifer, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to you guiding me thru the application process. The inspiration you gave me to the essays was amazing! Thank you so much for being very patient with me as well! It was wonderful working with you. 

And this email was the tip of the iceberg. There were more from other clients. Email with news of acceptances is definitely one of the outstanding perks of this job. I love getting them. 

I also had a call bright and early this morning from someone (not a client -- yet) who had applied to six top programs with good scores and work experience. Articulate,impressive, and from an intensely competitive applicant subgroup, he was rejected at every school. Despite his bitter disappointment, he is wisely planning to apply to a number of programs second round.

For those of you faced with the disappointment of rejection, realize that rejection stems from one or a combination of the following factors:

1) A weakness in your profile. Weaknesses can usually be fixed or addressed.

2) Poor presentation of your qualifications. You can improve your presentation. You can take care of this one.

3)  Intense competition among people like you. This last reason is the most frustrating, because there is little you can do about it except apply again and to more schools.

4) Inappropriate school choice. If you are not competitive or if you are not a "fit" in other ways, you chose your schools poorly.

If you have received your first ding, don't despair. You may hear better news from other schools. Do, however, consider submitting one or two additional applications in January.  If you are like the caller I spoke to this morning and have a fistful of ding letters to show for your efforts last fall, then stop to evaluate what went wrong. Consider purchasing an Application Review to ensure you have a competitive profile and that  you are presenting your qualifications effectively. Don't make the same mistakes again.

 A few resources to help you:

• Reviewing your Rejected MBA Application
• Decisions, Decisions
  
• Rejected MBA's: Now What?
• Six Steps to a Remarkable Reapplication
• Create a Better Sequel: How to Reapply Right to Business School (an ebook)
• The Nine Mistakes You Don't Want to Make on an MBA Waitlist (an ebook)