Should I wait to Apply?

[ballersonly]

The old dean of students is a former grad from Harvard Business School and recommended that I apply. I'm currently a senior and didn't even consider directly entering a MBA Program. I planned on doing a job search instead. Should I scramble to study for the GMAT and make the 2nd deadline, or wait a little longer and apply in the 3rd round? If at all possible, I would like to avoid applying in October 2009, but if that's the best route, I guess that's what I have to do.

Thanks very much!

[Linda Abraham]

The old dean of students is a former grad from Harvard Business School and recommended that I apply. I'm currently a senior and didn't even consider directly entering a MBA Program. I planned on doing a job search instead. Should I scramble to study for the GMAT and make the 2nd deadline, or wait a little longer and apply in the 3rd round? If at all possible, I would like to avoid applying in October 2009, but if that's the best route, I guess that's what I have to do.

Thanks very much!

Ballersonly,

I personally think most people will get much more out of business school if they have a year or two of full-time work experience. However, there are exceptions. Have you had internships? Have you had other extensive leadership or community service experience? Do you have a clear goal and know why you want to go b-school?

Please see MBA Admissions: Application Advice for Younger Applicants. I also think that if you can submit a quality application R2, you are better off doing so than applying R3. But submitting a rushed, mediocre application R2 isn't better than submitting a quality application R3.

Best,
Linda

[ballersonly]

Thanks for the quick response!

I think my only concern about finishing my application before round 2 is the time frame for recommendations and GMAT score. I have had internship experience and work experience involving leadership (including being a Resident Assistant), but not any extensive work experience. Why I would really like to enter the MBA program this early is to be better equipped for my work overseas. I will essentially be planting a new program for a non-profit organization overseas that provides a MBA or masters for a discounted price (about $12,000) in conjunction with accredited online universities in America. I really believe in this program and would like to do this effectively. Initially, the president of the organization asked me to be a part of this and the plan was for me to go through the program first, but I think I would be better qualified to plant a program with the best education possible. My job will also include coaching/teaching during the students' process to help them with the material.

I have a very engaged social life and have many extracurricular activities, but am willing to cut back to focus more time and energy on getting a high GMAT score so that I can be more effective overseas.

Also, if I could possibly ask another question, do you have any other recommended reading to be better prepared for the application? Those articles were great!

[Linda Abraham]

Thanks for the quick response!

I think my only concern about finishing my application before round 2 is the time frame for recommendations and GMAT score. I have had internship experience and work experience involving leadership (including being a Resident Assistant), but not any extensive work experience. Why I would really like to enter the MBA program this early is to be better equipped for my work overseas. I will essentially be planting a new program for a non-profit organization overseas that provides a MBA or masters for a discounted price (about $12,000) in conjunction with accredited online universities in America. I really believe in this program and would like to do this effectively. Initially, the president of the organization asked me to be a part of this and the plan was for me to go through the program first, but I think I would be better qualified to plant a program with the best education possible. My job will also include coaching/teaching during the students' process to help them with the material.

I have a very engaged social life and have many extracurricular activities, but am willing to cut back to focus more time and energy on getting a high GMAT score so that I can be more effective overseas.

Also, if I could possibly ask another question, do you have any other recommended reading to be better prepared for the application? Those articles were great!

You're welcome.

You may want to consider the London Business School Masters in Management Program, which is geared for recent college grads.

GMAT prep, application writing, and LOR shepherding all take time. It would be difficult to over-estimate the time required to submit quality applications.

In terms of reading I recommend the MBA admissions and application essay writing articles on the Accepted blog. I also recommend our MBA admissions ebooks and if you are specifically interested in a terrific book on writing the application essays, I recommend Paul Bodine's Great Application Essays for Business School.

Best,
Linda

[ballersonly]

Thank you again for your great apply. I had no idea this program existed. The 11 month length is absolutely amazing! Especially because I want to head overseas as soon as I can. I am going to try my best to make the February date. Also, my last question is: do you think it's worth hiring a mid-range admissions consultant? I can't really afford to get a high-end one, but the LBS Masters in Management program looks amazing and would like to up my chances however possible!

[Linda Abraham]

Thank you again for your great apply. I had no idea this program existed. The 11 month length is absolutely amazing! Especially because I want to head overseas as soon as I can. I am going to try my best to make the February date. Also, my last question is: do you think it's worth hiring a mid-range admissions consultant? I can't really afford to get a high-end one, but the LBS Masters in Management program looks amazing and would like to up my chances however possible!

You're most welcome. I also listened this morning to a [urlhttps://www.london.edu/podcast.html]podcast [/url]about the LBS masters in management. You should listen to it if you are considering the program.

Regarding your second questions, I'm not sure what a mid-range consultant is. I can highly recommend Accepted's editors and our MBA application essay editing. But I can't claim objectivity.

Here are a couple of articles on choosing a consultant:
* Admissions consulting and educational advising: How do you choose
* Choosing an Admissions Editor

Best,
Linda[/list]

[ballersonly]

By mid-range I meant mid-price range. I will look into it more. I also really enjoyed the podcast. Thanks again for all this helpful information!

[Linda Abraham]

By mid-range I meant mid-price range. I will look into it more. I also really enjoyed the podcast. Thanks again for all this helpful information!

You're most welcome.

Accepted is a high-end service, but we try to work, when possible, within clients' budgets. Please feel free to review your MBA admissions services and prices. If you believe we are in range, we offer a free estimate and you can obtain that estimate and speak to an editor before you buy.

Regards,
Linda