Which round to apply mba

What our students say. Toggle navigation. Suheb Hussain. Published Sep 5, Here is the outline of this article: What factors should I consider while deciding which round to apply in? The decision of choosing the most suitable MBA Application round depends on these factors Application Readiness If you are satisfied with your GMAT score, have a polished resume, and, have really good letters of recommendation, then Round 1 is your best shot. Target Business School Ranking If your target Business School is one among the top 15, then applying in Round 1 or 2 is absolutely essential.

International Students As international students have to spend extra time on Visa applications and other related formalities, it is better to apply in either of the first 2 Rounds. Take a free trial and get unlimited access to concept files, live sessions, and practice questions MBA Application Round 1 This round is most suitable for those applicants who are well prepared with their MBA applications.

Who should apply in Round 1 of MBA admissions? Who should apply in Round 2 of MBA admissions? Advantages A lot of applicants get a chance to visit the campus, which helps them to convey their program fit to the admission committees It is more favorable for candidates with less than perfect applications as most of the strong applications are submitted in round 1 If you get an admit in this round, it becomes easier for you to move on to the next phase of your life.

You have enough time for putting in your notice periods at your jobs. Therefore, the competition is fierce. You are compared with round 2 applicants as well as selected applicants from round 1.

The chance of getting wait-listed are low as compared to round 1 MBA Application Round 3 This round is the most competitive one. Who should apply in Round 3? Look at the table on MBA acceptance rates of Business schools by round. Disadvantages You are compared with accepted and wait-listed applicants of Round 1 and 2 If you belong to a generic pool of applicants, then your application might not be compelling at this point It is highly unlikely any admission consultant would be willing to help you with this MBA application round Round 1 vs Round 2 vs Round 3 Acceptance Rate — The below statistics are based on self-reported data from gmatclub.

Takeaways Decide your MBA application round based on your application readiness, Target Business school ranking, and if you are an international applicant. If you have been working on your application for the last few months, have an envious GMAT score, a compelling essay, and an impressive resume, apply in Round 1 If you feel you need to improve some aspects of your application GMAT score, extracurricular activities, leadership positions held, etc. People who read this article also read A Few Related Posts:.

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Our Support team will contact you soon. In the meantime, feel free to watch video lessons in your free trial account. Register for free. Harvard Business School. The Wharton School. Booth School of Business. Stanford Graduate School of Business. Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University. This is because in Round 1, all seats in the class are up for grabs, and none of the scholarship budget has yet been awarded. If you make a convincing case now, an admissions team is more likely to be open to it.

Remember that diversity is a factor in MBA admissions, too. If your profile is likely to be over-represented in the applicant pool, waiting until Rounds 2 or 3 could mean missing out on a spot as the class reaches its capacity for similar candidates.

Also, for international students who need to sort visas and accommodation in a new country, it makes sense to apply to your target MBA programs as early as possible. While a Round 1 application can be advantageous for some, the other MBA application rounds are there for a reason. So, is there ever a reason to apply in Round 3? When it comes to these Early Decision rounds, know that early admission can come with strings attached.

This is ideal if you have a high degree of clarity about your goals and your target programs, but you may prefer to keep your options open. Rolling admissions, on the other hand, is all about flexibility. Columbia Business School uses a rolling admissions process, rather than rounds, accepting all applications up until one final deadline.

Rolling admissions allows you to take your time and apply when you are ready. This week's Applicant Question is answered by David White, founding partner at admissions consultancy, Menlo Coaching.

With a comprehensive list of MBA admissions deadlines in hand, you may be wondering: what are the advantages and disadvantages of applying in different rounds? Often, your time constraints are a factor. Submitting in Round one means working hard to get an application in before that earlier deadline. Submitting in Round two might give you more time to work on the application, but will you come across as a slacker? The truth of the matter is, there is no simple answer when it comes to choosing your application round.

Instead, you should consider the specifics of your profile as an applicant. Here are some of the most important considerations:. If your score needs improvement, it may be a good idea to delay until Round two to give yourself more time to study and retake the test. It is difficult to balance a demanding full-time job, plus GMAT study, plus writing great applications. Ranking of your target programs: Although it varies slightly, top ranked MBA programs will reliably receive large numbers of competitive applications in Round one, but lower ranked ones will not receive as many.

Therefore, there is likely a greater benefit of applying in Round one at highly competitive programs, and smaller benefit of Round one submission at less competitive programs. In fact, MBA programs outside the Top 20 can sometimes become highly motivated to fill their remaining seats in Round two and Round three, occasionally making those rounds less competitive.

Your profile: There will be data available about how people in your industry and region fare in different rounds at different schools. Networking: You might consider delaying your application until Round two if you have not yet had the time to attend info sessions and speak to students and alumni of your target programs.

Taking these actions will give you a leg up on understanding the culture of the school, which can lead to a much stronger application. Work concerns: You are likely employed, full-time, in a competitive industry when applying to MBA programs.

Do you have enough time to create your best applications by Round one? Profile Developments: If you are expecting to receive a promotion sometime soon, it might be worth delaying until you can list it officially on your resume. Once you have figured out your own profile and how that might bolster your chances for getting an acceptance letter, you should also consider the structure of the admissions process and how that can make it easier for some applicants to win admission in Round one.

MBA programs thrive on diversity of all kinds: ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, industry, years of experience, undergraduate major. When diversity is low in a program, there can be unproductive groupthink in the classroom or lower job placement at graduation.