In the ISB PGP application pool, we get a large number of re-applicants who have unsuccessfully applied to ISB once or more before. This is a key demographic for us and we value these candidates greatly, simply because they persevere when others in similar situations don’t.
There may be several reasons for not making it through ISB’s admissions process in the first attempt. Many may have applied in the previous year even though they had not spent enough time to build and present their most compelling argument. Or they may not have done sufficient homework to understand what the school looks for in prospective candidates. Perhaps they may not have been ready for business education at that time, and that came through in their application or interview. It is even possible (and is often the case) that they may have done everything right and submitted a great application, but may not have made the cut in a very competitive application pool. Whatever the reason, a candidate’s unsuccessful attempt can sometimes discourages him/her from reapplying to ISB next year, and may even lead to dropping the idea of going to B-school altogether. For those who do reapply, however, not getting an acceptance letter from ISB becomes a source of motivation to improve themselves, find out what needs to be done to make it next year, and then put in the necessary effort to get that letter. These are the candidates we seek.
So if you are keen on making it to ISB and have decided to reapply in spite of being unsuccessful previously, here are some of the things you can do to improve your chances this year:
- Identify what was lacking – Ideally, you did this exercise soon after learning that you did not get an offer of admission. While we may not provide point by point feedback, when you request for a feedback on your application, we do give detailed pointers on how to prepare a good application. For those who have been interviewed, it would be a good idea to work on presenting oneself better at interviews. We will try and provide inputs to everyone who seeks them, but sometimes it may not be possible to respond to all requests. Even then, share your application with friends, alumni, colleagues, mentors, admissions experts, etc. and figure out where you need to improve.
- Figure out your purpose – If your previous attempt failed to make a convincing argument, it could be because you yourself were not very clear about why you needed to go to B-school. Ask yourself, should you go to B-school? The answer might provide the clarity, direction and conviction you need.
- Showcase your strengths – By now, you must have realised that ISB focuses on applicants’ strengths rather than weaknesses. Strengths demonstrate to us that you are capable of becoming very good at things you take up (or at least, some of the things). So understand your strengths and differentiators, highlight them in your essays, and present your case better the next time.
- Be honest about your weaknesses – This is related to the previous point. While we focus on strengths, we also acknowledge that all our applicants have some areas where they need to improve. If not, why would they even need to come to B-school? In fact, you will notice from our online application portal that we do not ask about candidates’ weakness anywhere in the application. So do not be unnecessarily nervous about any weakness. Instead, understand it, figure out how ISB can help you address it, and communicate that to us clearly. If there are areas where you have proactively taken steps to overcome a weakness, we’d love to hear about them and also the results of such actions.
- Focus on improvement made since your last application – This is something that we do not compromise on. Once you have applied to ISB but not made it, you know that there is work to be done. You need to show us how much effort you have put in over the last year to improve yourself and what results you have achieved. In fact, there is one full essay dedicated only to this, and it is mandatory for reapplicants. You should also highlight any awards and achievements received. We will be looking at all this in the context of your previous application.
- Finally, prepare and present a strong case for why you should be part of the next PGP class. I have blogged in detail about several different aspects of the application procedure, so you have a great amount of information available at your fingertips. You can get started here.
In conclusion, my advice to you is this: If you have applied to ISB PGP before and not made it, do not lose heart. It is an opportunity to demonstrate perseverance and a never-say-die attitude. We value those candidates who can show tenacity and stay in the game long enough to succeed. So understand your strengths and weaknesses, put in the necessary effort to make critical changes, and be smart about putting your best foot forward. In fact, this is exactly what will be expected of you when doing business in the real world too.
All the best!
Thanks for the info, informative for a re-applicant.
I am a re-applicant from the previous year. Can you please let me know if i need to re-submit my GMAT scores? I have not taken the test again this year and pan to continue with same score this year too. Also, the score is valid for this year’s admission.
Thanks for your help
There is no need for you to resubmit the GMAT score. We will pick the official score from the previous application.
Thank you sir for the info.
I am a re-applicant. Can I reuse my earlier recommendations? Would I be at a disadvantage if I do so?
Yes, you may use the same recommendation if you applied last year. If your earlier application was older, you will have to get a fresh set of recommendations. You may use the same recommenders even for the fresh recommendations. Use of the same recommendations is not a negative, but you may want to consider that recommenders may be able to offer more recent/updated/useful information about you if they gave fresh recommendations now. You will need to take the final call on getting new recommendations vs. using the older ones.
Hi Sir,
I am reapplicant, I have given another GMAT and official scores should reach ISB as the school was selected for the score to be reported, and will enter my new score details in the application too. Guess thats it for GMAT?
And regarding the essays, I did make it to interview last year, dropped a few other colleges to be applying to ISB again this year, my essays would have been read well by the committee before giving me the interview call, so in such case, could repeat part of my essays, stories and writing style ( if the topics are relevant or my new essays deems that excerpt acceptable) ? Does it leave a negative mark on the profile? Do you read the last year application/essays again? Let me know, because I spent a significant time and effort discovering and portraying myself in my previous essays, doing so all over again is tough and differently would be an even more daunting task.
Thanks
Suyash
Dear Suyash,
You may send in your updated resume to pgp@isb.edu. We will schedule a telephonic counselling session for you.
Thank You.
Team Admissions.
Hello Team ISB,
While going through the essay topics this year (intake of class 2016) I realized that the re-applicant essay was missing. Rather there was an essay on “Anything else the admission committee should know while considering your application”. Now should this space be used for showing improvements in the last one year?- like the re-applicant essay or should it be used for any extra information for the admission committee that has not previously been mentioned in the essay.
Secondly, What are the traits you look for while considering a re-applicant? I am curious for this one since, I was wondering how much of a personality change could someone bring in one year.
Thanks in advance
Dear Rahul,
Optional essay is itself the re-applicant essay for you.
In the re-applicant essay, it is important to show a significant overall improvement from the previous year in view of extreme intensity of competition.
Thank You.
Team Admissions