Dear arinm209,

The timing of your application will not affect your decision as much as the quality of the application itself. However, there is a disadvantage to R3 in that those candidates are not reviewed until the R2 decisions have been made. Consequently, the number of seats available for R3 applicants is quite small. If I were you, I would have my applications ready to submit prior to the GMAT test date so I could submit them shortly after taking the exam and be included in R2.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear arinm209,

Most schools require you to submit your application with a GMAT score, so you will need to take the test first. You can contact the office to see what the last possible date for your test can be to be included in a round, but often this information is on the school's website. Likewise, the school's required TOEFL or IELTS minimum score should be on the website. With these tests, there is usually a minimum required score to meet international student requirements. Your TOEFL/IELTS score should be over this minimum whereas your GMAT score should ideally be at or above the school's average GMAT. However, you are still in a competitive range if your GMAT score is within the school's mid-50% range for the GMAT.

Your work experience, while solid, is quite common in the MBA applicant pool. It will be important for you to distinguish yourself from the large number of other applicants with similar education and experience. There are many great options in the UK as well as in the EU that might be a good fit for you. I encourage you to do some research and identify schools that offer what you seek in terms of curriculum, culture and connections.

Good luck,
Lisa