Dear sindib,

Schools vary on their deferral policies. However, schools that do offer deferrals will generally not grant one for you to continue in your current job. Deferrals are granted for things like serious illness or being called to military duty. You should only apply to school when you feel you are at a point in your career where you need to pursue a MBA to continue to advance your career.

Regards,
Lisa

Dear Scott,

While I understand your situation, schools do not generally allow folks to apply in advance to enter at a later date unless it is for a specific program where that is the structure (i.e., HBS 2+2). If you want to enter in fall 2012, then you would apply in fall 2011. It is a tough situation to manage logistically, but it can be done. You could also wait to apply in the second round to allow for timing to match up in terms of making a decision on where to go. Additionally, some schools will allow a deferral on making a deposit for folks in your situation. For example, if you have to pay a deposit by March 1 to secure your seat but your wife finds out where she matches on March 15, there are schools that will give you until March 20 to pay your deposit. These are school-by-school type decisions, so you should not expect it--but you can definitely ask for the extra time. Hope that makes sense.

Good luck,
Lisa