Scott Edinburgh
October 12, 2023

Personal MBA Coach’s 12-Week MBA Application Plan

It is hard to believe that it is mid-October! This means that the first Round 2 deadlines are just 12 weeks away.

Regardless of where you are in the process, Personal MBA Coach recommends that you shift your MBA application efforts into high gear.

To help you make the most of your time and avoid last-minute cramming (which is never ideal for anyone, but especially during the holidays!), Personal MBA Coach has put together a 12-week MBA application timeline. If you are reading this with less than 12 weeks to go, do not despair – you can easily combine weeks to meet your personal timeline. This is something we help all of clients with through our comprehensive packages.

Week 1

  • Develop a plan to network with school representative and Alumni and Attend Campus Events

Begin connecting with current students and alumni in your network to learn more about their MBA programs. Doing so not only will help you confirm your interest but also will give you strong material for your applications. Some schools specifically ask whom you talked to, so do not forget this key step.

Whether in person or virtual, campus visits are a great way to get a sense of life on campus. Nearly all schools are open to schedule campus visits. Here are just a few options to visit campuses over the next months:

The MBA Tour Spotlight on Black, Hispanic, and Native MBAs and The Master’s Tour Study in Europe!

  • The MBA Tour India, South Asia & Central Asia (virtual) – October 25
  • The Master’s Tour Study in North America (virtual) – November 7
  • The MBA & Master’s Tour London (in-person) – November 11
  • The MBA Tour Spotlight on Black, Hispanic, and Native MBAs (virtual) – November 15
  • The Master’s Tour Study in Europe (virtual) – November 28
  • Develop or solidify your GMAT, GRE or EA study plan

You may be hard at work studying, or you have already taken one or two exams. If not, now is a great time to sign up with one of Personal MBA Coach’s tutors. We often have a wait list for tutoring so do not wait to reach out and find out more about our tutoring services. Even if you have a strong score, you want to ensure that you are maximizing your potential!

Wondering if you can waive the test requirement? Watch this quick tips video with Personal MBA Coach Founder Scott Edinburgh to decide:

Week 2

  • Customize your MBA resume

Your MBA resume should differ from your professional one. While you may need to tweak your resume later, we advise our clients to get most of their resume development work out of the way as soon as possible.

  • Fine-tune your career goals

Reflecting upon and articulating your career goals now will save time when you start to develop your essays. In fact, developing a compelling short-term and long-term goal statement is one of the first things Personal MBA Coach works on with our comprehensive clients.

Need some help getting started? Check out Personal MBA Coach’s quick tips video with advice on how to think about your career goals.

  • Narrow your target schools list

Though you may still have some campus visits to complete and plan to tweak your list based on your final GMAT/GRE/EA score, you should narrow your target school list this week. Personal MBA Coach recommends that all clients develop a well-rounded schools list that includes some “reach” schools and some safer schools, particularly if this coming cycle is a make-or-break year for you. Our average client applies to 5-6 schools.

  • Identify and Prepare recommenders

Think about who can write the most effective letters of recommendation (not just who is the most impressive on paper). Start putting out feelers now to see who is willing to take the time to write a great MBA letter of recommendation. For more context, watch our Letter of Recommendation Tips video:

Once you have nailed down your recommenders, schedule time to adequately prepare them to ensure your letters of recommendation shine.

Week 3

Developing a compelling personal story is a crucial part of the MBA application process. To do this, think through the choices you have made in your life, what drove those choices and what makes you unique. You will then leverage this story in many (or all) of your application essays. Need help thinking through your personal story? Check out this blog or reach out today to learn more about our comprehensive package.

Weeks 4-8

You will spend the bulk of the next few weeks writing your essays (and studying for the GMAT/GRE/EA)!

  • Draft your essays

By week 4 (if not before) you should be hard at work writing your MBA essays. Our clients will go through multiple rounds of editing, and we really cannot stress enough how important it is not to leave this to the last minute. Check out our MBA Essay Guiding Principles blog for more writing tips.

  • Edit, edit, edit

Aim to finish each MBA essays at least 2 to 3 weeks before the deadline. Last-minute changes are rarely for the better, and you will need time to proofread and focus on other application elements.

Week 9

  • Ensure LORs are ready to go

Follow up with your recommenders and make sure they are on track and know your deadlines. Ask your recommenders if they need any additional information from you.

Week 10

  • Work on short answer questions and video essays

Allocate enough time for short answer questions and other application extras. These sections require a lot of detail and often take longer than you might think. They are crucial components of your application.

Week 11

  • Proofread, proofread, proofread

ALWAYS get someone unfamiliar with your applications to do a thorough review.

Week 12

Relax and take pride in the fact that you submitted your MBA applications early!

Keep in mind that while it is optimal to use the full twelve weeks (or more) to prepare, we regularly work with clients who start later in the year and craft custom timelines accordingly.

Looking for comprehensive MBA application assistance? Personal MBA Coach is here to help with all aspects of the MBA application process, including developing your own personal application timeline, early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, application strategy, school selection, essay editing, mock interviews and more. Schedule a consultation today and find out why Personal MBA Coach is consistently top ranked by multiple leading sources.

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