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I think reapplying puts you at a disadvantage, if for no other reason than you need to show demonstrable change in your application from the previous year, which is tough. I know at CBS they don't event want a whole new app from you, just one updated essay on how you are different from last year, and one new recommendation. The attitude seems to be: We decided on you last year. Our decision will be the same unless significant changes can be shown.
That said, I know people do it. I guess you just have to critically assess your application and see what you think might have been lacking or need improvement, and then make an honest and big effort to address them in ways that get you noticed.
If your situation has materially improved since last time, I think you definitely get a fresh look and maybe even a boost from the trend.
I would read a WL as a good sign if you are thinking of reapplying. Obviously the admissions committee liked you, but did not have room for you on campus and chose to let other people in for any number of reasons.
You need to think about reasons a school might reject you and come up with an application that addresses those deficiencies. IIRC, for MBAs, Columbia is one of the few programs that will dig up their notes and give you a rough idea of why they turned you down. So if you applied at Columbia, they might be a good place to call and get some insight.
If you have a 720 GMAT, decent undergraduate grades, a golf membership, and an F500 or banking job on your resume, there may not be a clear reason for a reject. You may have met all of the obvious cuts, but there's nothing that sets you apart from the other people applying. Meanwhile, they're taking the NFL football quarterback, the congressional campaign manager, the 25-year-old quant at Citadel, the Navy attack sub captain, the Antarctic explorer, and the cave diver. When you get to the level of top ten B-schools or even the top 10-15 econ/finance PhD programs, they start looking not just for a solid professional background and test scores, but it starts turning into a bit of a dinner party. They want to bring in interesting people with interesting stories to tell.
Send me a PM, tell me more about your situation, I'll be happy to give you a ding report. I've been dinged before; I've gotten into grad school, too. No, I'm not an admissions consultant, though I'm pretty sure a two-year-old PM that Patrick snooped on gave him the idea for his mock interviews/career consulting service.
True to an extent, though I think a WL rather than flat reject sends a different message. The message is "You're a decent candidate, but sorry, we don't have room for you this year."Even for a reject, a material change in your application merits a fresh look, IMHO.
Another option is to spend the next two years in industry, enjoy yourself, live life, but devote some time to giving yourself a more interesting application and background. There are easier ways to stand out on B-school apps than climbing Mt. Everest. Think dinner party again. What's just as interesting as Mt. Everest? An expedition to Antarctica? Doing ecological surveys for a summer on the lesser (leeward) Hawaiian islands? Winning a kitesurfing competition? There are a lot of stories which are just as neat that you can bring to Northwestern or Wharton. And as much as I hate to recommend anything that makes Tim Ferris money, Four Hour Workweek has a few ideas, too.
As the others said, I think you're unlikely to pull it off without:
If you "just" reapply with an additional year of work ex, you're probably not going to get in.
Unfortunately, the dinner party comment above is correct. If you're the guy who free dives and wrestles great white sharks for a living (and can verify that during the background check), you'll probably get in as long as your GMAT / GPA is high enough and your essays are sound.
Agree with the WL comment as well. If you get WL at any of the m7 and specifically at H / S / W, it means you were pretty damn close but were probably short on one obvious area. That would be a reasonable place to focus on and then apply again the following year (up your GMAT quant or whatever it is that is your weakness).
A lot of the top schools are re-applicant friendly and their acceptances rates for re-applicants are higher than the normal acceptance rates. I'd say being a previous WL candidate surely helps as you were close but not close enough.
As long as you make some improvements to address weaknesses, gmat, classes, promotions etc. you stand a pretty decent shot. Also, apply R1 vs R2 could help or in CBS' case ED.
By no means are you at a disadvantage. I have friends that have been accepted as re-applicants to M7 schools.
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