Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your decision to go to b-school. Your focus until September should be on GMAT preparation. Many schools do not even release their 2011 application packages until mid to late summer. Most schools (but not all) accept applications in three rounds, with early round or first round having a deadline somewhere in the fall (October-December). Second round ends usually in January and third round sometime in the Spring (March-April).
Schools fill slots in their class from the very first round and by the end of second round, most spaces are filled. For this reason, you should definitely avoid third round if you want to increase your chances. By third round schools are mostly trying to fill specific niches in the class by rounding out and balancing what they already have (by way of diversity in everything from career background to GMAT, to internationality, to race, etc...). Some say first round is preferrable, and others like waiting until second round, but in my experience, either one will work. If you have some challenges in your application profile, you might consider early decision schools. These schools give preferential treatment to your application if you apply early and commit to going there if admitted. Not all schools have an early decision program, but do your homework and you will find those that offer this very advantageous opportunity.
As for recommenders, they should be a superior, preferably in your current role and someone who can comment very specifically and anecdotally on your performance. Meet with them, give them a copy of your personal statement (which you should prepare soon), and discuss with them your goals and why you want to go to b-school. Here's exactly what they should do as your recommender:
1.Review a copy of your personal statement or application essays so that their letter of recommendation can dovetail with--not conflict with or duplicate--the rest of the application.
2.Ask you to supply them with additional information like a resume.
3.Describe their qualifications for comparing you to other applicants.
I have been teaching for twenty years and have advised approximately 450 students on independent research projects over the last five years.
I have personally supervised ten interns every summer for the last five years plus worked with over two hundred college graduates in my capacity as trainer for Big Bank Corp.
4.Discuss how well they know you.
I was able to get to know Mr. Doe because he made it a point to attend two of my sections every week when only one was required.
Ms. Smith reported directly to me for two years prior to her well-deserved promotion to the position of Senior in our Big Six Accounting Firm. 5.Choose two to three qualities that you observed in the applicant.
Jane has a rare blend of top writing and interpersonal skills.
The combination of tenacity, analytical abilities, and good communications skills found in Mr. Doe is truly unique.
6.In discussing those qualities, support statements with specific instances in which you demonstrated those attributes. Be as concrete and detailed as possible:
He is the only student I ever had who came to all my office hours as part of a relentless, and ultimately successful, drive to master financial theory. He was one of just ten percent in the class to receive an A.
Because of Jane's writing skills, I didn't hesitate to ask her to write a report which was used by our PAC as the basis for a major policy statement. Congressman X eventually used the statement, based on Jane's sophisticated 20-page analysis of Middle East politics, in lobbying for increased funding.
7.Try to quantify your strengths or rank you vis a vis other applicants that they have observed.
He was in the top 10% of his class.
She has the best analytical skills of any person her age that I have ever supervised.
8.Avoid generalities and platitudes.
9.Include some mild criticism, typically the flip-side of a strength.
The only fault I have encountered in him is his retiring nature. His modesty sometimes hides a young man of remarkable strength and broad interests.
Occasionally, her fortitude and persistence can turn into stubbornness, but usually her good nature and level-headedness prevail.
10.Discuss your potential in your chosen field. For example:
I enthusiastically recommend Mr. Doe to your business school/graduate school. This well-rounded student will be a fine businessperson, real estate developer, etc..
With her exceptional leadership, writing, and quantitative skills, Ms. Smith will be an outstanding strategic consultant and a credit to the business school she attends.
Bryant Michaels
MBA Admissions Consultant
Enroll now. Pay later. Take advantage of Veritas Prep's flexible
payment plan options
