Tuck’s commitment to maintaining a small class size means we make difficult admissions decisions within a competitive pool of applicants—including having to waitlist some compelling candidates. An offer for a slot on Tuck’s waitlist is a positive indicator of your alignment with our four admissions criteria and the overall competitiveness of your application. Among the first questions we often hear from waitlisted applicants is, What now?
Below is some guidance on what to do to remain actively engaged with Tuck while under consideration for the subsequent admission round(s).
Read the waitlist notification letter and respond to the waitlist offer form. First, you’ll need to decide whether you would like to remain under consideration at Tuck. We hope we can offer you admission in an upcoming round, so if your answer is YES, follow the instructions in your decision letter and reaffirm your continued interest in joining our distinctly immersive learning community. We will revisit waitlisted candidates with each subsequent round and notify you of your status thereafter. It is possible that we will ask you to remain on the waitlist following the next round. If this is the case for you, we will reach out offering you the option to recommit to your spot on the waitlist. Be sure to respond to this request if you wish to remain under consideration.
Reflect on your application. Think about how you demonstrated each of our four criteria, and whether you see an opportunity for improvement on any of them. Maybe you could have scored higher on your GMAT or GRE. Were your goals or your rationale for your MBA as clear as they could be? Were your professional accomplishments and progression clearly articulated? Did you use the activities section of the application to provide additional depth and breadth to your extracurricular involvement during and after college? Check-in with yourself, and whether there is anything you have done since submitting your application that bolsters your strengths or addresses any of your self-perceived areas for improvement.
Consider our feedback and act on it as best as you can. After accepting your spot on the waitlist, you will receive an email from our team directing you to your application status page for feedback on how to strengthen your candidacy. Our feedback might confirm the results of your own reflection but could also surface actionable steps you haven’t yet considered. We suggest that you take this feedback seriously and reflect on how you might act on it. Following our recommendations does not guarantee admission, but it will likely strengthen your application within a competitive pool of applicants. In some cases, there may be nothing you can do to strengthen your application but wait. Due to our personal scale and our commitment to maintaining a small student body, we can’t offer admission to all of the wonderful candidates who apply. While waiting might at times feel like the most challenging part of the application process, please know we are sincere in our feedback if there are no recommended steps.
Update us with important information. We remain committed to being accessible and transparent throughout your time on the waitlist. If you have new information to share with us that substantially adds to your candidacy (updated test scores, significant new work accomplishment, etc.), let us know via the waitlist update portal on your application status page. These updates will be added to your application for consideration. And if you do not have new information to add, that is okay too. If we have questions or require additional information, we will contact you, so be sure to update us if there are any changes to your contact information. Lastly, over the course of your time on the waitlist, you may decide to pursue other opportunities that preclude you from enrolling at Tuck. If this is the case, please let us know you wish to remove yourself from consideration.
Be patient. This might be the most difficult part of the process. Follow our recommendations, do your best to manage stress and anxiety, and trust the process. Demonstrating good judgment while on the waitlist is further evidence of the aware admissions criterion; please be mindful of the number of updates and check-ins. Some candidates will remain on the waitlist for more than one application round and into the summer months. If you receive additional emails or requests from us, respond promptly and by the deadlines communicated to you. Consider what steps you would need to take to matriculate at Tuck and leave your employer in good standing should you receive an offer of admission in late summer.
We know waiting can be hard, and we hope this guidance alleviates some anxiety and provides additional clarity. We encourage you to look at the Waitlist FAQ for additional insights.
We recognize your potential to contribute and thrive at Tuck, and we look forward to staying in touch!
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