{"id":16577,"date":"2019-10-27T06:02:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T11:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=16577"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:40:31","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:40:31","slug":"mba-application-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/gmat\/mba-application-process\/","title":{"rendered":"MBA Application Process"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Future MBAs have a lot to keep track of when\u00a0applying to business school, so we\u2019re here to provide some straight talk on the issue of admissions rounds for business school\u2014namely, whether applying in round one, round two, or round three is best for your particular strengths.<\/p>\n

Many MBA admissions officers will tell candidates that if they can submit their applications in round one\u2014or at least avoid round three\u2014they should do so, the logic being that most of the spots in the class will be filled by strong applicants by the time round three comes along.<\/p>\n

But there are no absolute rules for when to apply; it is dependent upon the strength of the business school candidate. Before applying, every candidate should think about\u00a0which round is best\u00a0for him or her as an individual. Inevitably, there are two common questions that crop up during the MBA admissions process.<\/p>\n

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MBA Application Rounds\u2014Which is Right for You?<\/h3>
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Did you know that most business schools process MBA applications in rounds? What does that mean for you? Well, for most schools, it means that there are three separate application deadlines\u2014or rounds\u2014of processing. How does this play into your business school admissions strategy?<\/p>\n

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Round One: Deadlines in September\u2014October<\/h4>
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\nRound one sees some of the best MBA applications. Those who apply in the fall are often candidates with good grades, solid work experience, and high levels of organization in their activities. If you are a strong MBA candidate, it is probably a good idea to apply in round one. Submit in the earliest round possible provided you\u00a0don\u2019t compromise the quality of your application.<\/p>\n

Not to suggest you should postpone the process unnecessarily, even if you are not the most well-rounded candidate. If your\u00a0GMAT scores are above 600<\/a>, the early deadline is the one for you. In this first round, the numbers of applications received by business school admissions offices are comparatively small.\u00a0Admissions directors almost universally say\u00a0that later rounds are more competitive than earlier rounds. Most schools try to fill the bulk of their slots with early-round candidates, filling out the class and making sure the incoming group will be as impressive and diverse as possible in later rounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are the main benefits of applying in round one of MBA admissions?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

All things being equal, a candidate would have a slight edge in the first round.\u00a0You should submit your application when it presents you at your best\u2014whichever round that happens to be. At the same time, if certain factors apply to you, it\u2019s advisable to do everything you can to make sure both you and your application will be\u00a0ready for round one.<\/p>\n

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  1. If you are part of an overrepresented group, submitting your application before your constituency is well represented in the class can be a wise move.<\/li>\n
  2. If you are a unique candidate with a low\u00a0GMAT score, shoot for a round one submission, because fewer spots are available for such candidates later on. If several low-GMAT candidates are accepted in the first round, your school of choice may be constrained by its need to drive its\u00a0GMAT average higher\u00a0and may not be able to send out another offer to a candidate with a low score.<\/li>\n
  3. If the admissions committee blatantly confers an advantage on candidates who apply early and you are certain that you want to attend this school, then applying early is probably worth the effort.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Round Two: Deadlines in January<\/h3>
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    The second business school application deadline sees the largest group of applicants, and that means there are more candidates to compete with. Some MBA programs receive over 2,000 applications during this round. The applications seen here are usually from students who generally do well, but could present more weaknesses, although this does vary from school to school and from year to year. If you have a GMAT score that\u2019s less than 600 and you feel strongly that you will do well in taking it again, opting for the second round in MBA application might work the best for you.<\/p>\n

    When an applicant is rejected in an early round, in most cases they cannot have their application reconsidered in later rounds\u2014their only option is to reapply the following year. So, applicants who apply in later rounds do not compete against rejected applicants from earlier rounds. The one exception is waitlisted applicants. Because they were real contenders in the earlier rounds, they make the later rounds more competitive.<\/p>\n

    In short, determining which round is best for you as a candidate can influence your acceptance. You should never let timing compromise the strength of your application, however. In other words, if applying earlier means sending out an application package that reflects anything less than your best self, you\u2019re better off postponing your submission to a later round.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIf I wait for round two, will I be too late?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Overall, don\u2019t worry if you can\u2019t submit in round one. The majority of spots are awarded in round two. Rest assured, the schools will always find room for a strong applicant.<\/p>\n

    Unfortunately, when you are being compared to a group of unknown competitors, being concerned about every perceived difference or deficiency your business school application might reflect is unavoidable.<\/p>\n

    Some candidates worry if they are a year older than the\u00a0average incoming student\u00a0at their target school; others fret if they are a year younger. Some applicants fear having a GMAT score that is ten points below a school\u2019s average, and many worry about sending their applications after round one. However, the overall strength of your candidacy, which is a\u00a0measure of many factors, is far more important than where you fit in relation to any single statistic\u2014not to mention whether you apply in round one or two.<\/p>\n

    So, although the general advice encourages candidates to apply early if ready, no one should put off their MBA admissions dreams for a year if applying in round one is just not practical. You may be surprised to discover that admissions committees encourage early applications but also concede that the difference in selectivity between the first and the second rounds is very small.<\/p>\n

    Round Three: Deadlines in March\u2014 April\/May<\/h4>
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    It is generally true that round three admissions are more difficult than rounds one and two. There are only a limited number of vacant class seats left by this point, the others having been allotted to admits from earlier rounds.\u00a0Admissions officers are very much aware\u00a0that they have only so many seats left to fill, so they become even more careful about which candidates those seats go to.<\/p>\n

    While it\u2019s not quite accurate to say that round three applicants are held to a higher standard than earlier candidates, their applications are usually read with especially close scrutiny. As a general rule, round three applicants have less of a margin for error. Admissions committees do look at these later applications very carefully.\u00a0Minor slips\u00a0that earlier candidates might have gotten away with are likely to be caught and challenged. So take extra care to make sure your round three application is carefully planned out and meticulously prepared.<\/p>\n

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    How to Make Your MBA Application Checklist<\/h3>
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    Everybody\u2019s business school application timeline is different and dependent upon his or her own schedule, but the application checklist is pretty consistent across the board.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s never too early to start putting together your MBA application. While you\u2019re gathering your materials, it\u2019s a good time to take stock of your progress and determine your next steps. Where are you in the process now? Where would you like to be next week, next month? We\u2019ve put together some tips to get you going!<\/p>\n

    Before you apply to business school<\/h4>
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    Start at the beginning with the bigger questions before focusing on specifics like taking the GMAT and writing your personal essay.<\/p>\n

    Have you\u2026<\/p>\n