Submitting your MBA application in the first admission round demonstrates serious liaisonand planning, experts say.
I field questions every admissions season from clients about when to fork outbusiness school applications. They ask if they preparea let outshot in round two rather than round one, or if it's even worth submitting in the final round.
Schools regularlyaddress this question on admissions blogs, justseldom fork upinsight beyond the standard advice of applying whenever you lavput forwardthe strongest application.
I polled several consultants on my team and while therewhitethornbe no definitive answer, I believe you'll chance upontheir feedback informative.
Applying in round one: First-round applicants tend to be extremely well-prepared candidates who submitknown they want to go to business checkfor awhile. They have spent considerable effort preparing for the GMAT, cultivating extracurricular activities and seeking divulgeleadership opportunities either at work or in volunteer settings.
[Ask yourself four questions before applying to b-school.]
Early applications show serious interest and planning. In this round, you may have the greatest statistical chance, since you're only whenbeing compared to the current candidate pool.
In fact, a occasionChicago stallingSchool of Business admissions commissionmember says the directionaccepted 65 percent of Booth's students during this round.
For applicants to second-tier schools, the top 20 to 40, applying in the first round conveys that the school is a top pickingand could result in a scholarship, says a motivechargemember at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business.
Applying prematurelikewiseallows you to submit applications to other programs in later(prenominal)rounds if you're not admitted in round one. Programs with an early action or early finalityround, such as the Tuck School of Business and Columbia Business School, value the payloadshown by applying ahead of the crowd.
An ex-Tuck admissions committeemember shared reports that showed early action applications were up 30 percent this year. Since Tuck's class size is so small, earlier sincerely yoursis your best shot.
Likewise, a consultant formerly withcapital of South Carolinaadmissions says if you're perpetrateto Columbia Business School, you should absolutely apply in the early decision round, as it's the only school with a dorsumdecision. Columbia will also frequently offer applicants a spot in the January lettuceif September is full.
In the end, there bemore slots available in round geniusand muchopportunities to be placed on the waitlist if that's the route the admissions committee decides to take, says a former Duke Fuqua School of Business admissions committee member.
On the other hand, a lot of solidapplications come in during the first round, says iformer Wharton School admissions staffer. According to an ex-Kellogg admissions committee member, you're more beliketo be wait-listed for this round versus round two.
If you need to demonstrate your commitment to improving your quantitative profile by taking redundantcourse work, or believe you can performimportantlybetter on the GMAT, you probably should wait for a later round.
Applying in round two: Second-round applicants have the advantage of visiting campus in the fall, which can help tremendously when it comes to drafting compelling essays and demonstrating that importantfit with your target schools.
[Check popstrategies to help stand outas an MBA applicant.]
The general population tends to apply in this round, so it may be more favorable for candidates with less-than-perfect backgrounds, says the former Kellogg admissions committee representative. If you're accepted in this round, you'll have plenty of time to start preparing for this next phase of your life, from leaving a job to moving.
This is when well-nighof the seats fill up, explains a former Wharton admissions committee member, so accepted candidates have a chance to participate in a welcome weekend and make a run shortdecision on a school. On the flip side,rejectedapplicants will have time to start strategizing their applications for the next year, notes one ex-Chicago Booth admissions member.
Round two receives the highest number of applications, which makes competition fierce as candidatesargoncompared with the round two pool as healthyas the accepted candidates from first round. Your application maynotstand out as much if you have a common profile, warns a former Wharton admissions committee member.
The increased batchmay also mean longer processing times, and some(prenominal)schools might wait-list applicants they never had a chance to interview. Also, says an ex-Kellogg admissions committee, applicants atomic number 18littlelikely to be wait-listed or get in transferthe waitlist.
Applying in round three: Round three is the trickiest time to apply, as almost all b-school seats have been filled and programs are waiting for stellar candidates who will help round out the class profile. While schools encourage students with a solid application to apply in the final round, they candidly admit it is uber-competitive and a lotcounsel including an optional essay to explain why you've waited.
[See the MBA programs that pay forthe most applications in photos.]
While it's better to submit a strong application in the final round than a fragileone in round two, applying with a generic mountis far less compelling at this point. It was almost unsurmountableto find a consultant to endorse applying during this round.
One former admissions employee explains that flockbest suited for this round have ahighlyunique background that would truly add to the class. A former admissions committee member from the Haas School of Business says there were admission spots available at the end because by that time, the school knew who had already accepted offers elsewhere.
Aside from the potential drawbacks of having no choice but to interview on-campus and miss out on welcome weekends, our ex-Chicago Booth insider reveals that programs say this round is reserved for wait-listed candidates and the "superhuman," such as, for example, the Olympic flamboyantmedalist from Cameroon. Statistically speaking, one's chances are slim.
The bottom line: There are many outside factors that come into play when it comes to making admissions decisions. It can depend on who reads your file, their mood and what other applications they read that day, notes the former Haas representative.
Everything else being equal, I would always advise a knobto apply as early as possible to any(prenominal)program, so long as you aren't sacrificing the quality of your application.
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Materials taken from US News
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