MBA consulting

Should I apply Round 3?

rashraf

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 1: MBA Admissions Interview

rashraf

Bancroft_weblogo_FA-05  So, you have hit the submit button and had one peaceful night of sleep knowing you don’t have to cram all your hopes and dreams into another 250 word essay. Now what you get to look forward to is that sweat inducing anxiety of whether you will get an interview or not.

Now, most schools that have an ounce of compassion will say you can expect to be contacted b/w X and Y date. And every round of admissions, we extended invites up till the last minute on that LAST day. This doesn’t happen because you aren’t an awesome candidate. It happens because no one got to your application till that last day. You have no control over when an admission officer reads your application and pushes you to interview. Read that last sentence again. And believe it. What this means is that the person who got an interview 8 seconds before the deadline is no less compelling to adcom than the first person who got invited. So relax and DO NOT contact the admissions office to repeatedly ask when you can expect to be invited. That is really annoying and a great way to ensure that their response to you is “Never. Never is when you can expect an invite”.

So what can you do while you wait?

  • Make sure you have checked your spam filter so school interview invites will come through.
  • Let the admissions office know if you have any travel coming up that will mean you won’t be able to have an interview where you listed you live. This doesn’t mean you can’t travel it just means you have to let them know ASAP of your travel.
  • Email the admissions office with any noteworthy updates to your application- e.g. a promotion, raise, award. But don’t email them ALL the time. And remember just continuing to do your job and not getting fired is not something you need to update them on.