Should You Send Updates to MBA Programs After Submitting?

Updated April 2026

You've submitted your MBA applications. And then – in the weeks between submission and decision – something happens. A promotion comes through. A major deal closes. You reach a meaningful milestone in an extracurricular initiative you've been building. Something that wasn't in your application when you submitted it, and that feels genuinely significant.

The instinct that follows is almost universal: should I tell the MBA programs?

It's a reasonable question – and one that comes up every single application cycle, with nearly every candidate I work with. Here's the honest answer.

The general answer – check the school's policy first

Before anything else: look up the school's specific guidance on post-submission updates.

Schools differ meaningfully on this. Some programs explicitly invite updates from candidates – they have a formal mechanism for receiving new information after the deadline and genuinely want to know about significant developments. Others have no such mechanism and no expectation that candidates will reach out. A few explicitly ask candidates not to contact the

admissions office outside of specific contexts.

The right starting point is always to understand what the school itself has said about updates – not what you've read on online forums, not what worked for someone else at a different program, but what this specific school's admissions website or communication actually says. Following the school's guidance precisely is both practically correct and signals exactly the kind of judgment and respect for the process that Admissions Committees value.

If the school explicitly invites updates and you have something significant to share, the path forward is clear. If the school's guidance doesn't allow updates – the default position is to sit tight unless you're in one of the specific contexts described below.

Why unsolicited updates usually don't help

For most candidates in most situations, sending an unsolicited update after the application deadline doesn't meaningfully improve their candidacy – and it's worth understanding why.

Admissions Committees are making holistic judgments about candidates based on the full application as submitted. By the time your application is under review, the committee has a complete picture of who you are as of the deadline. A single new development – however significant it feels to you – rarely changes that picture fundamentally. A promotion signals continued professional progress, but your trajectory was already visible in what you submitted. A closed deal adds to your professional story, but the qualities that deal demonstrates were already present in your application. The committee doesn't need the update to understand your candidacy.

There's also a practical dimension. Deadlines exist for a reason – they allow admissions offices to manage the evaluation of thousands of applications in an orderly way. Unsolicited updates create additional work for teams that are already under significant pressure during decision season. The volume of applications is substantial; the volume of post-submission communications compounds the workload.

None of this means your update isn't genuinely exciting or meaningful. It means that the value you're assigning to it as a candidate is almost always higher than the incremental value it provides to an Admissions Committee that already has what it needs to evaluate you.

The temptation to over-communicate – and why to resist it

The impulse to send updates after submitting is understandable – and it's worth examining what's actually driving it.

Most of the time, the desire to send an update isn't really about the update itself. It's about the discomfort of uncertainty. Once the application is submitted and out of your control, the waiting period produces anxiety – and sending something, doing something, feels like a way to act on that anxiety rather than sitting with it. The update becomes a mechanism for feeling like you're still influencing an outcome that is no longer within your influence.

That's a very human response. It's also one worth recognizing and resisting.

Sending unsolicited updates doesn't reduce the uncertainty – it just creates the temporary feeling of having done something. And it comes with real risks: appearing to not trust your application, seeming anxious or overeager, or giving the impression that you don't understand how the process works. None of those impressions help your candidacy.

The discipline of trusting your application – of believing that what you submitted was your genuine best and that it's enough for the committee to evaluate you fairly – is itself a quality that serves you throughout the process. It's the same confidence and groundedness that will serve you in interviews if you receive them. Practice it now.

When sending an update is appropriate

With all of that said, there are specific contexts where sharing new information is not only appropriate but genuinely useful.

When the school explicitly invites it. If a program has a formal mechanism for post-submission updates – a specific form, an explicit invitation in their communications, or a stated policy that welcomes new developments – use it. That invitation is genuine. Schools that ask for updates want them.

During an interview. If you receive an interview invitation, the interview itself is a natural and appropriate moment to share meaningful developments since your application. Your interviewer can note what you share and ensure it's reflected in the committee's full assessment of your candidacy. This is the most natural context for sharing updates – it's a conversation, not a cold outreach, and the development can be integrated into how you present yourself rather than submitted as a standalone document.

When you're deferred to another round or waitlisted. If a school defers you to another round or places you on the waitlist and their policies allow update letters, an update is one of the primary mechanisms available to you for demonstrating continued interest and sharing meaningful developments. For more guidance on this, see my posts on what to do if you're deferred to another MBA round and MBA waitlist strategy.

How to share an update effectively when it's appropriate

When you do have a legitimate context for sharing an update, how you share it matters.

Keep it brief. An update letter or email is not a second application – it's a concise communication of specific new information. A couple of paragraphs is almost always sufficient. A longer document signals that you're trying to relitigate your candidacy rather than simply sharing what's new.

Be specific about what the update actually is. Don't build up to it with lengthy context or preamble. State what happened – the promotion, the milestone, the development – clearly and quickly, then explain briefly why it's meaningful and how it connects to your candidacy.

Express genuine continued interest in the program – not as a negotiating tactic, but because it's true. A brief, specific statement about why this program remains your strong preference – grounded in what you genuinely know about it – is appropriate and welcome.

What to leave out: anything that was already in your application, or lengthy re-explanations of your goals or background. The update should feel additive – something that wasn't there before.

Frequently Asked Questions About Post-Submission Updates

What counts as significant enough to warrant an update? 

If you're in a context where updates are appropriate – during an interview, a deferral to another round, or on a waitlist – the threshold is whether the development genuinely adds something new and meaningful to the picture the committee has of you. A promotion, a significant professional milestone, a major accomplishment in an extracurricular initiative, or a meaningful new development in the direction your career is taking are all legitimate. A minor project completion, a small recognition, or a development that was already implied by your trajectory probably doesn't clear the bar. The honest test: would this development, if it had happened before the deadline, have meaningfully changed what you included in your application? If yes, it's worth sharing in the right context. If no, it probably isn't.

How do I mention an update during an interview naturally? 

Look for a moment where it connects organically to what's being discussed – and introduce it briefly rather than making it the centerpiece of the conversation. If the interviewer asks about your recent professional experience, that's a natural opening. If they ask what's changed since you submitted, even better. Keep it concise: state what happened, explain briefly why it's significant, and connect it to your goals or your story. Then move on – don't dwell on it or repeat it. The interviewer will note it; your job is to deliver it clearly and let the conversation continue naturally.

What if I find out after submitting that something in my application was inaccurate? 

Contact the admissions office directly and promptly. An inaccuracy – particularly one that materially misrepresents your background, your timeline, or your professional history – is different from a new development and needs to be corrected as soon as you're aware of it. Be honest and concise: explain what the error was and what the accurate information is. Don't over-explain or apologize excessively. Admissions Committees understand that applications are complex documents and that errors happen. What they need is the correct information – and a candidate who proactively corrects an error demonstrates exactly the integrity they're looking for.

Is expressing continued interest in a school considered an appropriate update? 

By itself – without a substantive new development to accompany it – a letter expressing continued interest is generally not appropriate between submission and decision unless the school has explicitly invited it. Admissions Committees understand that candidates who applied are interested. Where an expression of continued interest is genuinely appropriate – and genuinely powerful – is as part of a waitlist communication or as a brief component of a substantive update that includes real new information. In those contexts, it belongs.

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Your story is already there. The work is figuring out how to tell it – clearly, honestly, and in a way that only you could.

If you've submitted your applications and want support navigating what comes next – I'd love to connect.

You can also explore my MBA admissions consulting services or read what past clients have said.

About the Author

Shaifali Aggarwal is the Founder/CEO of Ivy Groupe and a Harvard MBA and Princeton alumna. Named a top MBA admissions consultant by Business Insider and Poets & Quants, she has helped hundreds of ambitious professionals earn admission to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, M7, and top global MBA programs. She has been quoted as an expert in Business Insider, Fortune, Forbes, Entrepreneur, MarketWatch, US News, and other media outlets, and holds a perfect 5-star rating across all verified client reviews on Poets & Quants.