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.
