bschoolprofile,

1. Am I a strong enough candidate to go ahead and apply to Anderson and Haas in the unpredictable last round, or do I wait until next year? Is the difference between the rounds really that great?

The difference between the last round and earlier rounds is significant, but should not discourage applicants who have strong profiles relative to their target schools and/or have unusual profiles. You appear to fit both these categories. Moreover, assuming that you are about 29 years old, you are moving out of the prime MBA age zone, which weakens your odds going forward. So you may want to jump now.

2. If I apply, is it at all helpful to submit way before the deadline (i.e., the deadline is April but I could submit within a week)?

No, there would be no benefit to that since applicants are not reviewed until the deadline passes and applications are not reviewed based on the order in which they were submitted. So take your time and do it right.

3. If I get rejected this year are my re-application chances next year significantly diminished? Other than an extra essay, what would I need to do to impress the adcom?

Most schools are either neutral about reapplicants or mildly welcoming of them. However, you would be giving yourself less time to show an improved profile if you are dinged in the spring and reapply in the fall. You may want to wait until the second round next year so you can give yourself more time to improve your profile. In terms of what you would need to do to impress the adcoms, it would depend on their reasons for dinging you this year. If it's because of your age there's nothing you can do. If it's because of your career pace or leadership, you could show them a promotion. That is, the reasons why applicants are dinged vary a great deal, and thus what 'impresses' a school about a reapplicant will vary as well.

Feel free to send me your resume.

Hope this helps,