The Acceptance Letter and What Comes Next

The MBA acceptance letter is the official confirmation of your admission, and it outlines important next steps, including confirmation of acceptance, which is required for securing your spot. Actually, decisions are more than just “accepted” or “rejected”. Below are the possible positive outcomes of an MBA or Master’s application for admission.

What Are the Different Types of Acceptance Letters?

Waiting List

Being put on a waitlist is generally a positive sign for your chances of admission. Business schools will ask you in writing whether you would accept being put on the waitlist. If you decline, your application to the school is at an end, as with a rejection for admission. If you accept to be put on the waitlist you should inform the school in writing. This is an excellent chance for you to communicate to the school any fresh information about relevant developments and accomplishments which have taken place since you submitted your application.

Before you reply, take a critical look at your application and decide whether to get advice from an independent admissions expert about what further information will improve your chances of admission. Your reply to the school should be well thought through, because it is part of your application package.

Conditional Admission

Some schools use a process called conditional admission. This means that you are accepted onto the program, but you cannot enroll if you do not meet some requirements prior to the start of term or by a deadline set by the school. These requirements might be, for example, an additional test or a prerequisite course.

Admission

“Congratulations! You have been admitted to the MBA/Master’s program for the class of…” The letter of admission is a confirmation that you can enroll in the program of your choice. This letter usually specifies a deadline for paying your enrollment confirmation deposit. This fee is usually non-refundable so if you do not enroll into the program, it will not be refunded. If you do enroll in the program, the deposit will usually be deducted from your tuition fee.

If you – as with most graduate school applicants – are also waiting to hear from other schools, you might be in a situation where the deadlines for different schools will not work in your favor. To be on the safe side, you may wish to pay deposits until you have received replies from the rest of the schools and then you can decide where to enroll. This means that you will lose some deposits, but you will be able to make a real choice between all universities that have admitted you.

What to Do After Receiving Your MBA Acceptance Letter

After you receive the acceptance letter you should take quick action to plan your final school choice, confirm the enrollment, acquire visa documents, etc.

Say “Thank you”

After receiving your admission acceptance letter reply, you should write a thank-you letter to the admissions office of the business school.

It is also a good idea to inform your recommenders that you have been admitted. After all they supported your application and it is always nice for them to hear that you succeeded.

Say thank you also to all the other people who contributed to your success, including your test preparation instructors, people who advised you on school selection and preparing the application, family, friends, and colleagues.

Decide Where to Enroll

If you are accepted in several business schools you should decide where you will actually enroll. This is not an easy choice to make. The situation may be aggravated if you still haven’t hear from all schools while the confirmation deadlines for the rest are pressing on you. In this case you may need to sacrifice either a school or some financial resources for a confirmation deposit so that you can keep your place in one or two schools while you wait for the decisions from the rest. Overall, this is a tough moment.

Adhere strictly to all deadlines, because if you miss paying the confirmation deposit on time, your seat in the MBA or Master’s program will be offered to a student on the waiting list.

Do not hesitate to contact the relevant offices of the business school with any questions you may have.

Arrange for Visa Documents

While the program acceptance letter is crucial for obtaining your visa, additional formal documents may be required from the business school to be presented to the embassy/consular office. Also, there are supporting documents that you should request from other institutions, banks, etc.

Note: Specific document requirements may vary by country and program. Contact your chosen business school’s international office and the relevant embassy/consulate for complete requirements.

Start early as the visa process takes time. Getting a visa is also important for planning your travel. Acceptance onto a graduate program does not guarantee that you will be issued a visa. The decision is solely at the discretion of the Consular Office. So, apply early.

Request a Payment Schedule

Once you’ve received your course acceptance letter, it’s important to inquire about a payment schedule for tuition fees and related costs. This is important for planning your budget and making sure you have all resources on time. Actually, you could request the payment schedule before you decide where to enroll as it may affect your final decision.

Apply for a Loan

If you are planning to apply for a student loan, this is usually the right time. Just as with visa application, do not postpone it, as the process takes time. You will need the letter of acceptance and the payment schedule to present to the bank along with other supporting documents. Of course, you should have selected a bank for your loan in advance and be informed about all the conditions.

Celebrate

Finally, the time has come for you to celebrate. Admission to an MBA or a Master’s degree program is always a challenge and a great success which deserves a reward.