Can you apply to grad school too many times?

Question

I was rejected twice (two years, in a row), but the same set of grad schools. These are really top 10 ones, so it's tough, I know. But I'm really intent on going to these schools. I want to apply for a third time. I do have an updated record, research experience and reference letters, but can I apply "too many times?" to grad school? Or will they say, "oh, we've rejected him twice, we might as well reject him a third time?"

Answer 1

Here's my professional appraisal of your situation.

Positives:
You've improved your application by gaining research experience and (hopefully) better letters.

The pool of applicants will be different this time, so you'll be competing against a different set of people. This time, they may not outstrip you.

Negatives:
A third application WILL draw some attention, and this attention will not necessarily be positive. The committee will be looking very closely to see what has changed. Be sure to draw attention to these changes, especially in your personal statement.

You did not mention that you gained language skills or that you published or presented anything during the last two years. If you DID NOT do any of these things, you did not do everything you could to improve your chances of admission.

Also, many rejections are based on the fact that the candidate is not a good MATCH for the program. If there is no faculty member that specifically wants to work with YOU, your're going to be rejected again. If the faculty has not changed, your application will quite probably be rejected again.

My advice? Apply to a few other schools this time. See what happens. You might be a better match for other programs.

The burden is on you to do the requisite research to find out where professors with similar interests and/or congenial methodologies are.

Finally, when it comes to grad school, the rule of thumb is to "follow the money." This is not only because you want to avoid a huge loan burden, but also because a department that invests in you WANTS you to succeed, and will help you to do so. You want to do your graduate work in a department that wants YOU, not merely a department that YOU want. This is yet another reason to widen your search for the right place for you.

Best wishes!

Answer 2

The best time to apply for the MBA is about 2-4 years after you complete your bachelors degree and hold a responsible job. MBA programs accept students in any undergraduate field. They prefer students who do not have a business major because they give you the business training but they cannot provide the broad background that managers should have. The best majors are in the sciences, engineering, or math, but other majors are also suitable. Religion? Religious organizations need good management. Theater arts? Entertainment businesses need good management. Tourism? Hospitality businesses need good management. MBA programs prefer students with 2-3 years work experience after the first degree. Some accept students right out of college if they have good grades and a high GMAT score. Some MBA programs are designed specifically for new college graduates without work experience. But in those programs you don't get the benefit of learning from other students who have work experience. A lot of valuable learning takes place through class interaction. Also when you graduate your job offers will be about the same as a business undergraduate gets because you have no work experience, and you've been two years out of your undergraduate field so it's hard to get work in that area. Explore the Official MBA Guide. It's a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria.

Answer 3

I would do it one last time but if you get rejected again just apply else where. Because there really are only a handfull of people in admissions they won't even read your app next year. Give it one more shot and apply really early