You just hit the submit button after months of effort, and now you are wondering “what next?” as the waiting game begins.

Be Happy

What did you enjoy before essays and GMAT scores became the most important focal point of your life? Take this opportunity to relax a bit, read a book or take a run. Most importantly, spend some time with your family and friends before every waking minute is spent job hunting and networking with your fellow MBA classmates.

While accomplishing a huge goal such as gaining admission to an MBA program will feel good; friends, exercise and relationships are the path to longer lasting happiness.

Fantasize about Plan B

It’s tempting to start planning out your first few weeks on campus – the clubs you will join and the apartments you will hunt for, but reminding yourself you have alternatives is healthy. You’re young, intelligent and accomplished. If you didn’t go to business school in the fall what huge dream might you fulfill?

Maybe you would flee to Paris and take art lessons, learn Chinese (in China) or hike the Appalachian Trail. Fantasizing about Plan B is more practical than you think, when you start receiving those acceptance letters you’ll have a head start on your summer plans!

Avoid Discussion Boards

While commiserating with strangers over the Internet may seem like an attractive outlet for your anxiety, focusing on an outcome you can no longer control will only add to stress in your life. While it’s certainly positive to network with your potential future classmates, make sure you approach any rumors or myths with a balanced perspective.

In fact, internet rumors are so rampant in the MBA admissions process that Stanford, UCLA and Chicago Booth all have webpages dedicated to dispelling some of the most common offenders.

It is natural to search for certainty in an uncertain process. With admission rates hovering at 10% for the most competitive programs many candidates feel anxiety about the final decisions. However, if you have put together the strongest possible application you can and worked to impact every factor under your control, it’s time to relax and wait for the results.

Prepare for interviews

If you absolutely must remain focused on your MBA plans, starting your interview prep is a good outlet for your energy. Working on your communication and presentation skills can be an on-going challenge. Practicing common interview questions with friends and family will both make you more prepared when the interview invitation arrives and minimize your anxiety.

Check out our interview tips here.
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If you are feeling stumped by your application essays and need some additional guidance, check out our NEW series of essay guides for MBA applications. Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton available now. They are seriously terrific and we are proud to say that almost every person who has ordered one has come back for more!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 7:22 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.