I just got a rejection letter from ESADE today. They were the first school I submitted an application to and I had an interview with them about a week ago... they made a decision really quickly after that.

I am still working on applications for IESE and IE.. but now I'm really discouraged. I had such a good interview with ESADE that I really thought I would get in.. now I'm questioning whether any of them will let me in :(

That's a bummer, but don't let it discourage you. Keep going strong, and lick your wounds only if the other schools you want fall through. You say your interview went well, and the rest of the application (scores, etc.) were good enough to get you an interview. Any idea of what it might have been?

Well, my GMAT was not that high (only slightly above 600).. that was my biggest weakness, I think. Other than that, it's really hard to say... maybe I didn't display enough leadership experience? Or maybe my career goals weren't clear enough? I am going to have to step up my game for the other applications! And I definitely won't submit my applications until after I get a new GMAT score... I am planning to retake it in 2 weeks.

Sally,

1st of all i know that what doesnt kill you,makes you stronger.so if you are not dead ,keep on trying!!!

2nd i believe that you get what you want,so if you really want an MBA you will be admitted in the end!!!no stress!!

Of course im telling you this from a safe point of view,as i havent started my applications yet,but

your post was the one to make me get off my lazy **** and start the whole procedure!!!

Regarding the gmat, take a look at www.manhattangmat.com .The first time i took the test i also scored 610 (back in 2007) but this year i bought the tests from manhattangmat (it was about 40$ if i remember correctly) and they reaaally helped me.In fact i found it harder than the real test,dont know why.I guess i was also a bit lucky and improved my score a lot....I hope you will find it useful (they have a free first test anyway-no harm doing it!!).

As i haven't applied yet to any school (but intend doing so at IESE and IE),it would be really helpful for me and others if you shared with us some thoughts about your interview,anything you think that will help you assess the rejection.

Best of luck!!

Hi Sally,

In your case, I would retake the GMAT. Most of the people do it and you can easily go up by 50 points which will be better for your application to any of the mentioned schools.

Maybe you can enroll to a GMAT course in your city or go to the UK or anywhere for an intensive GMAT week.

Really worth it!

Singlespain

Shoot, sorry to hear that, Sally. Like others have said though, all is not lost. If the rest of your application is strong, you still have a shot at the other schools. Although a stronger GMAT score would probably help out. Are you retaking that soon?

Like I said, I am planning to retake my GMAT in two weeks

Also, I am actually in a GMAT course right now

Hey Sally,

It sucks that ESADE processed your application even though they said they would wait. Don't get discouraged though. I did pretty crappy on my first go with the GMAT, only a 560, but I re-wrote it this past weekend and scored a 640. Study hard and you'll see an improvement next time.

Stay focused and don't let this stop you
Ganesh

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. That helps! I'll make sure to update you guys on my mission to study an MBA in Spain.

You might have noticed that I deleted some of the things I had posted before. Once I had time to come down from my initial disappointment, reason got to me.. I figured admission officers probably read these things.. especially when the name of their school is in the title of the post! Not that I said anything inappropriate, but I figured it's best to play it safe and erase anything that might be perceived as even slightly critical. I'd like to hang on to the slight thread of a chance that I could be admitted someday :P

Sally, first of all I would like to join all other people who responded to your post and say: don't be discouraged!!!

I was recently admitted to International MBA at IE and can share some application experience with you.

You have to realise that GMAT is only one aspect of application. Even if it is low, you can be brilliant in many other aspects. At the interview they only asked what my score was, but the whole conversation was about other things.

- You have to come up with a story for yourself about who you are and who you want to be in the future. To me it was the most difficult part, because you have to speculate without knowing all the possibilities. Be creative, try to stend out.
- Past work/education experience. How does it relate to your story?
- International outlook. How many languages do you speak? maybe English is not your mother tongue, hence, the GMAT score is less important.

My advice: Do not assume that they turned you down because of your GMAT score. Insist on getting feedback on your application. Usually they do not have time for that, that's why I say "insist". Look critically at your work, maybe there is something else in there that requires improvement.

Hello Sally...

sorry to hear about yr rejection but keep persisting with your application process for other universities. I am sure you will be able to get to a program of your choice..

I am also applying to ESADE, IESE, HEC and Mannheim Business school (lot of people don't know about this school as its located in germany) for 2010 intake.

I have sent my application for ESADE and HEC already and in process of sending IESE application. If you need any help or you have any advice then please let me know.

Thanks