Business schools process applications for MBA in several rounds, usually with three separate deadlines. It would thus be useful for the candidates to know exactly in which round they should put in their applications. At some point, every MBA candidate pauses to think about when is the best time to submit his/her business school application. In terms of application strategy, one of the biggest questions prospective MBA applicants wrestle with is whether to apply in Round 1 or Round 2 to the school they most want to attend.
Round one with September and October deadlines are best suited for those with GMAT scores above 600. While the number of applicants in this round is comparatively smaller, the candidates mostly are those with good grades and work experience.
The later rounds tend to be more competitive as most of the schools try to take in bulk of their students in the early rounds.
If you need to demonstrate your commitment to improving your quantitative profile by taking additional course work, or believe you can perform significantly better on the GMAT, you probably should wait for a later round.
Round Two receives the highest number of applications, which makes competition fierce as candidates are compared with the round two pool as well as the accepted candidates from first round.. The candidates are those who do well, but have some weaknesses. It may vary from school to school and year to year.
Your application may not stand out as much if you have a common profile, warns a former Wharton admissions committee member.
Those with GMAT scores of less than 600 and considering taking it up again, could file their applications in this round. Applicants who fail to secure admission in the first and second rounds and the wait-listed would not generally be reconsidered in later rounds of the same application year.
They are left with the only option of applying again next year. This is to prevent applicants in later rounds having to compete with rejected candidates.
Gaining admission is the toughest in Round three with March to May deadlines with only limited number of vacant seats at virtually any of the top schools. This is the time Admission Officers closely scrutinize applications and even minor slips could get noticed and challenged. So those applying in this round need to be extra careful. The application has to be carefully planned out and meticulously prepared.
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 often counsel including an optional essay to explain why you’ve waited.
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Regardless of the timing, candidates should not allow any factor to compromise the strength of their application. It is better to wait and work on perfecting it rather than be in a hurry to be an early bird.
Overall, if you are an outstanding candidate and have had adequate time to prepare your candidacy, then you should apply as part of the first round to your top choice school. If you are a strong candidate, but perhaps are not in the top echelon or would benefit from a little more time and experience in the application process, consider delaying your application to your top choice school until Round 2. In the meantime, apply to a couple of other schools (that you would attend if not admitted to your top choice) in Round 1.
There is a learning curve involved in the application process, and your first application is rarely your best application. (Image Source: Linkedin)
