Should I Punt My MBA Application to Round 2?
Several major deadlines are...tomorrow! This is the time of year when many applicants realize that the crazy project from work, your wedding planning, or whatever else has been a major time commitment has left you with only a few days or weeks left in what is actually a longer process than you thought. As such, this is also the time when many applicants start wondering whether they should push their round one applications to round two. If youre one of them, and are seriously asking yourself that question, then the answer is probably yesbut here are some things to think about.
While theres no conclusive or reliable data to support it (notice all of the heavy caveats on any data you find), many applicants believe that their chances of admissions in R1 are higher than in R2. The logic (which I believe in) is pretty straight forward in R1 you are starting with a blank slate more or less; and by R2, admissions committees have already started to build-out their classes. The reality is that the R1 vs. R2 acceptance rates fluctuate from year to year (we know clearly that R3 is always a very low acceptance rate round for most US schools). I like to be very conservative, so if you have the ability to apply R1, I say go for it, but not if youre going to submit a second rate app.
For your mental health, by this point in the application process, we know theres a strong desire on the part of many applicants to be done with it already. We get it. Like so many applicants, I remember cramming my own applications through to the finish line and breathing a sigh of relief (or was it resignation?) when I hit submit on my last application.
That said, please allow me to talk you off the ledge. Being youre tired or frustrated isnt a great reason to force an application through, even if you believe that there is a slight advantage of R1 over R2. Youve worked so hard to this point dont submit anything but your very best. If youre at the burnt-out, I cant do it anymore stage, take a look at your essays before hitting that submit button. Before you decide to do anything drastic (like applying to business school) ask yourself these questions:
- Are your essays as strong as they can be? In fact, instead of asking yourself this question, ask two friends to look over your essays. Did they both have the same takeaways regarding your story and goals? Did they find your story inspiring? If not, get back to writing.
- Have you addressed any major weaknesses in your application? For example, for those with weak undergrad GPAs, have you completed (and gotten an A in) an extra finance or accounting class?
- Are you comfortable with your GMAT score? If not, do you believe you could meaningfully improve it if given the time to focus on it (and balance writing essays etc)?
- Did your recommenders have enough time to put thought into what they were writing?
If you answered no honestly to any of these questions, dont do it you may want to wait until round two. On the other side of the coin, if you answered yes to all of those questions, dont panic and punt to R2 simply for the comfort of time. Once you can say Ive done everything I possibly could, then go for it. I love the saying "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". Don't get me wrong - your standards should be exceptionally high for this process, but at a certain point, writing v55 of an essay is actually not helping you. So as you are contemplating whether your essays are as good as they can be, please also be realistic with yourself.
If you do decide to wait, give yourself a break. Youre making the right decision to put yourself in the best position for success, but deciding to do so is hard and can feel a bit like defeat. So go ahead and reward yourself with a week or two off. Reconnect with your friends and family. Go to the gym. See a movie. Do whatever you need to do to clear your head, and get ready to come back to your applications with a fresh set of eyes and a renewed focus.