-
Target Test Prep 20% Off Flash Sale is on! Code: FLASH20
Redeem
MBA Timeline: Key Target Dates for MBA Applicants
- Spring and summer of your application season is for research, test-taking, and application strategy and development
- September and October—Round 1 deadlines
- Early January—Round 2 deadlines
- Late March/early April—Round 3 deadlines. Spring deadlines are ideal for deferred MBA admissions for college seniors, part-time and EMBA programs.
Are you planning to apply to business school in the fall? Once you’ve decided to pursue an MBA, you’ve got your work cut out for you. MBA applicants need to fit studying for the GMAT or GRE and developing essays in with other personal and professional commitments. That's where an MBA timeline comes into play.
Having a game plan for completing the admissions components within a schedule means you won't deal with undue stress and sleepless nights. The best way to do this is to put together your MBA application timeline months before your target deadlines.
MBA Timeline: Getting Started
Early spring of your MBA application season is when we recommend starting the research on schools, finding the right fit, estimating admit odds, checking application requirements, and learning what each program has to offer.
“Attend as many admissions sessions and events as you can to get to know the program better and hear from the MBA admissions team, who may provide updates on their requirements given current times," advises Sherry Holland, who has been with SBC for over ten years after a tenure at Duke Fuqua Admissions.
"Talk to current students and/or recent alumni to become more familiar with the program. Hear their stories, and discuss your short and long-term goals to determine if they are realistic based on their knowledge of the program,” she adds.
Spring is also the time to check the average reported statistics online to calibrate and bolster your academic record. But know there’s always a range with respect to test scores and GPA for every MBA program.
How Much Time for Test Prep?
MBA hopefuls often ask how far in advance before applying should they take the GRE or GMAT. Also, how much time should they spend on test prep? Our clients usually need 3-4 months for test preparation, depending on how much time they have to study if they're still working.
Test scores are one variable that allows us to rank potential MBA programs into reach versus reasonable categories. So, we prefer to have several diagnostic test scores or even the actual test score—ideally not later than two months before the application deadlines. Get the test done early to optimize your efforts and to decide whether to engage an MBA admissions consultant.
“In an ideal world, separating your test prep from your essays/applications work allows you to fully focus on each and helps to minimize the stress of trying to do everything all at once as deadlines loom," says Sara Archer, SBC's lead test prep tutor.
Test scores are good for up to five years. When thinking about your MBA timeline, the earlier you start studying and secure a satisfactory score, the better. Keep in mind, there often is some overlap between studying and working on applications.
"Depending upon your goals, I usually advise taking 3-4 months to prepare for the GMAT or the GRE (EA preparation can often be done in less time). Studying a bit each night throughout the week will help you to retain your learnings," Archer notes.
The weekends are a great time for practice tests or more intensive studying. Candidates shooting for top scores usually study around 100-150 hours.
"But remember, quality is better than quantity. Work to understand each problem and why you got it right or wrong," she adds. "The goal is to study productively—not just to do a lot of practice problems!”
What to Know About the Different Application Rounds
By now, you know business schools have two or more application deadlines, or rounds, by which candidates need to submit their application materials. So, does that mean there's an optimal time to apply?
Round 1 takes place in the fall, either September or October, whereas round 2 takes place in early January. Round 3, meanwhile, hits in March or April. Some schools have slight differences such as Early Action deadlines. For top US, full-time MBA programs, we almost always encourage candidates to apply in rounds 1 or 2. That’s because there are simply fewer spots open in round 3.
That said, round 3 is perfectly acceptable for some MBA program types. This includes part-time and EMBA programs, EU-based programs, as well as some lower-ranked full-time, two-year US MBA programs. College seniors applying for deferred MBA admissions programs are almost always aiming for spring deadlines (late March and early April).
How to Submit a Quality Application On Time
To achieve this goal, frontloading tasks is a key tool of a successful MBA timeline. Our best admit outcomes are from clients who have plenty of lead time before MBA deadlines to assemble thoughtful and high-quality application materials.
We need a minimum of 4 weeks prior to deadlines. But it’s ideal to have 2-6 months of lead time before application deadlines. Most of our clients begin work with us on average of 4-5 months prior to the deadlines.
One of our HBS admit clients emphasized that the application process is a journey. “One thing that helped give me an extra boost of confidence to apply was telling myself that even just the application process itself was a tremendous growth opportunity—a chance to reflect and figure out my future goals," she said.
"And it truly was a fantastic experience. I feel like a more self-aware person now than before I applied.”
***
Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.
Recent Articles
Archive
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009