It is hard to believe that December is here and the first round 2 application deadline is just under three weeks away (see deadline summary below). The holiday season is hectic for everyone, but for those of you working on your MBA applications, this can be a particularly challenging time of year.
You may be doubting whether you can get everything done on time. Personal MBA Coach prides itself on offering honest feedback, so here is the good, the bad and the ugly!
The Good News:
Many of you can still meet early January deadlines! Wondering if you can really work your magic and finish in time? Ask yourself these three questions:
1) Have you already narrowed down your school list?
2) Have you taken (or are prepared to take) the GMAT/GRE?*
*You may skip this question if your target school offers test waivers: more on that here.
3) Do you have a large portion of your holiday vacation set aside to work on your applications?
If you answered “yes” to most or all of these questions, do not despair! Plus, even if you do not reach your ideal score come submission date, candidates for whom a low score is the admissions committee’s only concern are often waitlisted and given the opportunity to submit a higher score at that time.
So if you have not put pencil to paper (so to speak) for your essays, resume and short answer questions, you can still finish on time with the proper dedication.
We have successfully guided candidates with a shortened timeline for a limited number of schools (and adding additional schools in future rounds or years as needed). But do not wait much longer! Check out our Comprehensive Packages and schedule a consultation today.
The Bad News:
If you answered “no” to a few of these questions (most importantly question #3), you have your work cut out for you; honestly, you may not be ready this year. In this case, particularly if you have not finished your testing and do not have recommenders nailed down or schools identified, ask yourself how crucial it is that you apply THIS year.
If now is really your time (perhaps you have 4+ years of experience and have plateaued at work or 2024 is an ideal year, personally, for you to start school), you may be able to meet the challenge.
However, if you do not feel this level of urgency, we generally advise candidates to apply when they can submit the strongest applications, which might not be now. While you can successfully reapply, each application will remain on record; therefore, we do not advise submitting applications to which you have not given at least 100%.
The Ugly News:
If you have answered “no” to all of the questions above, January 3 may not be realistic for you (though some schools offer mid/late January deadlines that could still be feasible). This is particularly true if holiday obligations will prevent you from dedicating the majority of your time to your applications.
Regardless of which boat you are in this year, there is still plenty that you can do now. Even if you do not end up hitting submit in January, early planning can always work in your favor.
Not sure which category you are in? Personal MBA Coach also offers One-Time Gut Check services to help you understand where you stand, reach out today to schedule a consultation!
