The Rejection Letter

Disclaimer: Before this letter becomes uplifting, the first few paragraphs sound a little somber. To get through them, I suggest watching the following video:

Now, on with the sombering...

It is with great sadness and disappointment I announce that my application to the Oregon MBA program has been denied. In what was described as a “Soft Deny,” the rejection was given to me via e-mail (just as all acceptances are given) and in the e-mail I was wished the best of luck in my next “endeavor.”

I’m writing about this rejection because I can’t see myself enjoying repeated conversations about why I was denied and what went wrong. There are so many people who helped me through this process and so many more who sent well wishes that I feel it’s my responsibility to make sure everyone gets to be informed. I don’t want to be that guy who hides in denial and says, “I don’t want to talk about it.” So instead, consider this as me talking about “it.”

WHY I GOT REJECTED

In nearly every grad school conversation I had with a friend or relative, I was told that I would get accepted. I’d say half of the time this was said because that’s just what you say to keep one’s spirits up, whether you think they’ll get in or not, which I appreciated. Afterall, if someone had acted like Stilwell Angel, I probably would have responded just like Jimmy Dugan, only I would have thrown something harder than a mitt.

The other half of my “you’ll get accepted” comments happened probably because those giving the comments were unaware of either A. What’s Required by Grad Schools or B. The Red Flags in My Application. So let me go into detail for you:

What’s Required by Oregon

1. Minimum GPA of 3.0: After speaking to a few MBA students, their GPA’s ranged from 3.3-3.7.

2. Minimum GMAT score of 600: After speaking to a few MBA students, their scores ranged from 670-720.

3. Work Experience Minimum of 2 years: Mean is 4 years

The good news for me was that I qualified, even if just barely, for the following criteria. That meant that it was good enough for me to garner an interview. Had I just graduated from college, or had I only scored a GMAT score of 560 (Translation: Had I not studied and suffered major brain damage right before the test) then I wouldn’t have even been considered. My GPA of 3.2 and my GMAT of 710 and my just barely 2 years of work experience were enough to at least get a consideration during my interviews. While my GMAT score was above average, my GPA and work experience was not. 1 out of 3 isn’t exactly ideal. Especially considering that I technically had only 1 1/2 years of real full time work experience plus 1 year of being a server. I imagine that the only time holding a server position or something of lower standards is overlooked is when your name is Will Hunting. Also, the mean age of students accepted into Oregon’s MBA program is 27. So if work experience wasn’t holding me back, age experience surely wasn’t helping. And don't call my age experience Shirley.

Red Flags in my Application

1. GPA, or more specifically, my Transcript

On the surface, my GPA is above their minimum and should be considered acceptable. Would it have been nice to have a 3.5 or a 3.6 GPA? Obviously, but a 3.2 was nothing I should have been scared about, especially with a 710 GMAT score to counter it. But it was how I got to the 3.2 that drew red flags. Let me explain:

I was a terrible student in college. Heck, I was a terrible student in high school. Only difference was that my high school classes were still easy enough that I could get A’s and B’s without having to do much work or much studying. A 3.86 high school GPA could have easily been a 4.0+ GPA if I had put in a little extra work. But when you’re still getting into all of the AP classes without having to do much work, where’s the incentive to study more or work harder? You know, unless you can see past high school and you aspire for scholarships and entry into elite collegiate institutions. Which I didn’t.

Fast forward to college. Classes got harder, but I stayed just as complacent. Two years of schooling went by and I still held a 3.29 GPA. So I was at least still getting by...But then Southwestern happened.

Those who know me well know about Southwestern. For those who don't: In short, it’s a program that recruits college kids to sell educational books door to door in a different part of the country. It’s an amazing internship that, if applied to your life correctly, can give you the extra edge on your resume once you graduate college. The way you apply it to your life correctly is if by still working hard in college and use the Southwestern Experience as a Bonus Card in the game of life. I, on the other hand, used it as my only card.

The semester I returned from Southwestern, I went into a tailspin. I kept thinking about how the Southwestern program was going to change my life and how college was only of secondary importance compared to the experience I was getting by “owning my own business.” ***Disclaimer: Southwestern does not train you to think this way. As far as I know, I’m the only schmuck who thought this way. I take full responsibility for every decision I made.***

During the first 2 years, pre-Southwestern, I had a transcript with 0 withdrawals and a 3.29 GPA with 65 Credit Hours attempted, 65 completed.

During the following 2 years that I was involved with Southwestern, my transcript read as follows: 8 Withdrawals, 2 fails. 60 attempted Credit Hours, 30 completed. By the time the semester was over, I had 3 Withdrawals and 2 Fails. To say that Southwestern played a part in my tailspin is unfair. To say that my dependence on Southwestern played a part in my tailspin is extremely accurate.

By the end of 4 years of college, I still had a 3.17 GPA, but I had plenty of reason for Oregon to believe I was not a motivated student. I had hoped that my final semester of college, the one I finally took seriously, along with my GMAT score (which is not easy to get unless you work and study hard) would help sway their decision, but I guess it didn’t.

My first Red Flag took a word document's page-worth to explain. To say it may have played a part in Oregon’s decision to deny me would be a vast understatement.

2. Work Experience

This one is easier to explain. I simply haven’t worked enough. More specifically, as an applicant for an MBA in Sports Marketing, I simply haven’t worked enough in the sports world. My first 16 months post college I spent selling insurance. The following 10 months consisted of being a server while interning in the sports department of a weekly newspaper. To accept me with that type of resume would have meant Oregon thought my GPA and GMAT score made me way too impressive to pass over. And as I’ve discussed already, that clearly wasn’t the case.

During my visit to Oregon, I met a few first year MBA students and I spent enough time with them to pick their brains on their GPA, GMAT and work experience. GPA and GMAT lined up (although they probably didn’t have 8 withdrawals during college), but their work experience was far more impressive. One guy had worked in the ticket office for a minor league baseball team in Portland, Maine (Go Sea Dogs!) and another had worked 3 years for the PGA.

I had 8 months of experience writing a blog and setting up a weekly calendar of events.

3. My Interview

There were two men I interviewed with: Paul, the jolly recruiter who just wanted to make sure I’d fit in with the rest of the students and who ultimately made the final decision whether to accept me, and Andrew, the stoic German whose main job was to take a look at my transcript and resume to determine if I was capable of handling 2 years of MBA classes.

The Paul Interview went great. In the short time I was with him I believe we developed a good relationship that I expect to grow even after my rejection. (More on that later.)

The Andrew Interview felt like a lost cause. I was honest with my reasoning for my Ws and Fs in college; my reasoning being that I was an irresponsible kid. I should have talked more about the Southwestern Effect, but it probably would have sounded like I was blaming Southwestern, and that I was not taking responsibility for my mistakes. I also had very little to show that I’m a different person now than I was then, except for my GMAT score. For a man who only cared about the numbers, and not the reasons, Andrew was probably not that convinced about my abilities.

3 Red Flags, 3 Strikes and I’m out. That’s how I’m looking at it. 1 strike can be forgiven, 2 strikes can be overlooked, but 3 strikes without any good cuts (Baseball reference) is too big of a risk when there are probably other more qualified candidates. I’ve accepted this and am ready to move on.

THE SILVER LINING: Moving On

In today’s world, you don’t receive your initial admissions notice by physical mail. You don’t get the 10-15 seconds that send millions of thoughts racing thru your head while you open up the envelop. Instead, you receive an e-mail and the first 10 words of the e-mail are immediately available before you even notice who the e-mail is from. Before I could even see the e-mail was from Andrew, the stoic German, all I saw was “Dear Will, I apologize in advance, for this is obviously...” I knew what I was in for before I even opened the message.

But I did not act like I thought I would. I didn’t get angry, I didn’t get bitter, I didn’t cry. Yes, for about 30 seconds I could feel my heart beating faster than usual, but I think that would have happened if I had been accepted, possibly for a longer period of time. I didn’t get up and pace around the room, wondering what I was going to do with my life. I didn’t get in my car and turn to the nearest bar or liquor store, either. Instead, I did the only thing I felt confident doing successfully. I pulled my MacBook from the counter to my lap, and I wrote.

I wrote e-mails to both Paul and Andrew thanking them for the opportunity. The e-mails were gracious and never hinted at resentment. In the e-mails, I asked both of them for help and advice. I asked Paul for help on improving work experience as I know he has plenty of contacts and also offered to help anyone who was rejected, assuming they asked for help. I asked Andrew how to improve my grades. I knew there was nothing I could do about my past, but I know there’s something I can do to put my past behind me. But in order to do that, I know I’ll need Andrew watching me do that every step of the way.

Yes, I’m asking both Paul and Andrew for help because today begins the first day of my quest to be accepted into the Oregon MBA program for 2012. This year I may have failed in my attempt to gain admittance to the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, but I have not quit to eventually be accepted.

There are plenty of things I know I’ll have to change about my life in the coming months. I’ll have a clearer picture of what those things are as soon as I have a conversation or two with Paul and Andrew. New job, almost certain. Relocation, I wouldn’t be surprised. Take a few post graduate classes, I’m expecting to do so. I’ve set plenty of goals in my life that I've given up on after I fail the first time. But not this time, not anymore.

But to show I’m not stubborn, I will likely cast a larger net next year. Applying to multiple colleges like San Diego State (absolutely) and South Florida (possibly) will help me stay out of a tunnel vision that could drive me crazy. Basically, I don’t want to be the guy who continually gets rejected by the same gorgeous woman and goes crazy only because he forgot about all of the other pretty girls who’d love to date him. And San Diego State is a very pretty woman.

Other Possible Changes to the Following Year:

1. Pull a Rudy: Wear an Oregon bomber jacket until I get accepted. Chances of Happening: 15%

2. Pull a Rudy Part 2: Be a groundskeeper for Autzen Stadium and befriend the head black janitor who uses double negatives in motivational speeches. Chances of Happening: 5 foot nothin’ %

3. No Drinking: I need a constant during the year to show I’m serious about attending Oregon. For me, I see nothing more convincing than no alcohol until I’m accepted. This is not a “I’m done drinking forever.” That’s stupid and unrealistic. This is not “my life is in a tailspin and I need to change some things” stance. Quitting alcohol would not fix that, although I’m sure quitting would help in that type of situation. It’s simply a “I need a constant.” I need something to remind me, day by day over the next year, why and what it is I’m trying to accomplish. This will be the hardest, but most satisfying goal to accomplish. Yep, I’m aware I’m against the odds. I have both history and present/future temptations to suggest I’ll fail. All I know is that last night, when I received my rejection, I could have easily chosen to grab a six pack and drown in my sorrows. Instead, I went straight to work on my 2012 goals. Chances of Happening: 100% I’ve already purchased my bottle of Dom Perignon 2000 to celebrate getting accepted. Chances of Failing: 80%

4. Send Oregon a Montage Video of me working hard to reach my goals like Rocky did in Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III and Rocky IV. Chances of Happening: Rocky - 4%, Rocky II - 10%, Rocky III - 40% (If I move towards the beaches), Rocky IV - 75% (If I move to Russia)

Lastly, thank you to everyone who helped me out during this process. Gina, Mark, Brenton, Tyler, my family, everyone who helped motivate me during the past 10 months. I hope you continue to do so over the next 12 months, as they'll likely be harder and more grueling than that last 12.

Wish me luck, and I'll be sure to give updates as the year progresses.