In case you didn't read the comments to my last blog post, a reader ("Ross Hopeful") decried our interview process because of the 3-week wait between invitations going out. S/he commented that this wait "take(s) a toll not only on our psyche, but also on our work and to some extent our family."
I completely understand that feeling. I've been through many an application process myself, and that was back in the day when applicants were given no clue as to when an interview invitation would come, if at all. And the only other communication applicants received from the school was either a thick envelope or a thin envelope, depending on the admissions decision. So for months (not just 3 weeks), I lived in limbo until I got the interview invitations. It was tough, but I did my best to focus on the present and try to manage my anxiety. It's a useful skill to develop as you'll need to leverage it for so many other things in life.
As I explained in my response, one of the main goals for our interview process (which is in its second year running), was to minimize the anxiety by targeting two dates on which to release invitations. Previously, our process was similar that of some other schools whereby we released invitations on a rolling basis starting a couple weeks after the app deadline right up until the decision notification date in mid-January. So applicants had an extended period of stress and waiting - over two months, in some cases. We thought that this new process would be less stressful, and, allow us to make better decisions on whom to invite. We received very positive feedback from applicants on this process last year. They were glad to know that they didn't have to check their emails every day to see if an invitation would come through.
As I've mentioned in previous posts, when you submitted your application has no bearing on when you might get an interview invite. Similarly, your GMAT score is not a driver of when you might get an invite, nor is your location.
Waiting is never easy, whether it's for admission to b-school, a job offer, funding for a new venture, or the results of a health exam. Many things take time, so the people on the other end make well-informed decisions. It is very important to us not to rush through your applications. We know that you've poured a lot of your heart and soul into them and we want to handle them with care.