MBA admissions

Should I apply Round 3?

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I want to say 90% of the people who ask me about applying Round 3 want to do it because they can’t stand the idea of staying another year/minute at their job. And the applications I often read for Round 3 looked like they were slapped together after your boss said you had to work the weekend.

Many Round 3 candidates gave little thought to their post-MBA goals (though it seemed clear they didn’t want to return to their current employer!), their terrible GMAT was either taken for the first time the week of the deadline or will be submitted the day after the deadline. The letters of recommendation read like text messages. He’s really g8!

Now, a lot of people think, well there is nothing wrong with applying in a rush in Round 3 and if I don’t get in I will apply Round 1 the following fall. But here is the thing, the admissions office will read that terrible R3 application before they read your shiny new R1 application. So your introduction is the worst version of you. Also, you might be inconveniencing/annoying your recommenders by asking them for last minute recs. Re-applicants do get in all the time, but they usually present their best selves each time

I know you want to quit your job, but unless you are in the top 10% at work AND were summa cum laude in college, wait till Round 1 and quit the day after you are admitted.

Part 3: MBA Admissions Interview

rashraf

Part 3 How To Crush It

  • Wear a suit. I mean it. You have to wear a suit. I have argued endlessly with my clients about the need to look professional for this interview. And maybe you can wear a tie dyed t-shirt, cut offs and your uncombed hair to your job, but you can’t to that in an MBA interview. So put on a suit that you buy, rent or borrow. Why? Because the admission office needs to know that you are capable of presenting yourself to recruiters and that you are not going to make your school and/or self look bad. And that you understand formal business etiquette even if you are going to run your own business MBA where the dress code is flannel.
  • Bring a copy of your resume. Bring 2. Even if it has not changed from when you submitted your application– just do it. I know a lot of people who were caught off guard when their interviewer asked for a copy.
  • Make a normal amount of eye contact. Wondering if the amount of eye contact you make is abnormal? Ask your coworkers.
  • Be nice to everyone. EVERYONE you meet the day of your interview can give feedback about you to the adcom. Receptionist, mail guy, students. And when the feedback was about how nice/funny/polite you were that goes a long way in your favor. And if it is about how rude you were–you are basically guaranteeing you will not be admitted. There was someone who didn’t realize that the person they were being incredibly condescending to was a member of the adcom team who was covering for the receptionist for 5 minutes. Well done.
  • Be self-aware. If your interviewer is asking the same question over and over it means you aren’t being specific on what happened or what your role was in the story you are telling. If they are cutting you off- it is because you are being long winded and not letting them get to all their questions. So be self -aware and adjust. But don’t freak out. I had a lot of interviewees who started out shaky but got it together mid-way through for an overall good interview.

Don’t forget that the interview means they are looking for more reasons to admit you. Go in knowing that the adcom liked what they learned about you in your application. If you ramble a little bit, or struggle with a question about your greatest failure don’t let that unravel you. Be the best version of yourself and good luck!