The Application Process

I'm trying to understand the best strategy for organizing your target schools into rounds. It seems that in general, the round 1 reply-by dates are BEFORE the round 2 decision dates. This suggests that your top ranked, or reach schools should really be targeted for round 1 applications. Otherwise you run the risk of being forced to give an enrollment decision on a "safety school", before hearing back from a "reach school".

Is this obvious to everyone? Just thought I'd type out my thoughts and see if others agree on this application strategy.

What you are saying is the paradox of Decision and Reply-by. It is set that way. Good in the utilitarian way to help people in making decisions.

I'm in a somewhat different situation but a similar problem. In my current job I have to decide by mid to late January whether I work for 2 more years (a signed committment that has no clause for me to get out early) or if I leave my job this summer and go to an MBA program. I am applying to my top schools in Round 1 so I will hear back from all of them in time for the deadline and if I get accepted that's perfect. If not though, I won't have time to apply to any safety schools until Round 2 which seems to notify between Feb-Mar depending on the school. But what if I apply well before the round 2 deadline? Take Darden for instance:

Round Application Due Decisions Released
1 Oct. 17, 2011 Dec. 21, 2011
2 Jan. 12, 2012 Mar. 28, 2012

If I submit my application in November instead of January would it be possible I would hear back by January instead of March? Or will they not even start processing the Rd 2 applications that early because they haven't notified Rd 1 until December?

Hi mappleby285,

Even though most schools publish a final decision date, many of them (like NYU) still release decisions on a rolling basis, as they make them. Other schools (like HBS) release all decisions in a batch on a single day. Even for schools that have rolling processes, it's highly unlikely that you would get a Round 2 decision that much earlier, even if you submit several months in advance. This is just as you suspected: the admissions committees are busy with their Round 1 applications through November/December, so in most cases they wouldn't even open up your Round 2 application, no matter how early you submitted it.

This is a tough situation for you. If you don't get an offer in Round 1, and you decide that you absolutely positively want to get your MBA starting Fall of 2012, then there are plenty of great MBA programs that are further down the rankings that would likely be very interested to see an application from you (provided of course that you have a strong profile, decent GMAT score, etc.) Lots of very good MBA programs are overlooked when candidates focus exclusively on rankings, and schools that are further down the list are less competitive, even in later application rounds. The ranking and reputation of the school certainly matters but it's by far the only criteria to consider.

If you have your heart set on a Top 10 program, then it's a different matter entirely, of course. It depends on how much you enjoy your current job and whether you feel an MBA is critical or not for your future career path. Tough decision, for sure!!!

If you have specific questions we can help with from here, feel free to toss them out.

Best of luck,
EssaySnark

ps: Darden is not a 'safety school' for anyone - they are super competitive too! Darden might fit in your Round 2 strategy but it's by no means an easy school to crack.

I've read this thread, and would like to add that I always tell my clients to start working early so they can get a number of Round 1 schools done, particularly their top choices so they don't have to make any decisions they are not fully sold on.

But there is also a lot of confusion out there on chances of getting into Round 1 vs Round 2 as if Round 1 is much better. This is generally not true. Round 2 is real (not like Round 3 for some schools). All things being equal, get your applications in as soon as possible (to avoid somebody else with a similar profile getting a spot) but apply when you are ready. Many of my clients get into great schools in Round 2.

Now I will embed this on every wall.

Forget everything, apply only when you are ready. Rest all is myth.

If you find yourself torn between two or more schools, take an inventory of what mattered most to you when you initially applied.