Admissions Updates from UM Ross School of Business

Like most admissions departments, the AdCom folks at UM Ross School of Business have been busy, busy, busy as they wind up the final week of review before the March 15th decision date for Round Two applicants.

Director of Admissions Soojin Kwon Koh recently shared two important updates on the Ross Admissions Blog. Of great interest for future applicants will be the results of the pilot group interview exercise.

In January, her team traveled to China to test out a supplemental group interview process between current students, alumni, and applicants designed to provide further insight into candidates’ interpersonal and communication styles, as well as fit with the UM Ross learning community.

While the participants were somewhat nervous about their performance in this new interview format, Kwon Koh notes that by the end, the feedback on the experience was quite positive.

“The reality with one-on-one interviews is that candidates are generally well-prepared for them,” Kwon Koh acknowledges. “We know that candidates get coaching from consultants or friends, and rehearse many of the expected questions. Because of all this, the people we meet in one-on-one interviews are sometimes quite different from the people who end up sitting in the classroom and working on team projects.”

This year, the supplemental group interview was not a requirement for admission but was highly recommended. UM Ross will assess the contribution of the group interviews and tackle the challenge of scaling it should they decide to roll it out more broadly next year, the admissions director says.

For waitlisted candidates, Kwon Koh explains that the admissions committee includes a re-review of Round One waitlisted candidates in its Round Two review. While there’s too many variables in play to say what one’s chances of getting in might be, the director urges those on the waitlist to take heart, as UM Ross does admit many people off the waitlist each year.

In the past, UM Ross has explained that the number of students admitted from the waitlist varies from year to year depending on a variety of factors.  The number of people on the waitlist itself fluctuates throughout the cycle as individuals’ circumstances change.

The best advice is to be patient—admittedly a difficult task while you’re playing the waiting game. Hang in there, though. The end is near!