The process of putting together a strong overall application involves a number of different ‘steps.’ However, many prospective MBA candidates come into the application process with an unrealistic sense of how long it actually takes to put together a ‘winning’ application, so they inevitably miss the Round 1 application deadlines. Some part of the application just isn’t strong enough (for many, it’s the GMAT Score, but sometimes it’s some other feature) and those same applicants are often really ‘upset’ about missing Round 1. However, there are some significant advantages to applying for Round 2.

To start, the applicants who receive their invites during Round 1 often give themselves far more time to prepare their submissions (sometimes upwards of 6-12 months) than the average applicant, so they’ve honed each of the pieces of their applications and nothing appears ‘rushed’ or ‘sloppy.’ The first impression that these applicants establish is fantastic, which is why they receive their invites. Once all of the Round 1 invites are sent, then you have to think about what happens to all of the other Round 1 applicants… If those applicants don’t establish an amazing first impression, then the Business School Admissions Committees would have absolutely NO reason to offer any of them an invite just yet. Many of those applicants get wait-listed.

The Value of a First Impression

1) While it might sound cliché, you really do get just one shot at a first impression. If you look at any part of your application and think “I can make this better…” then your application isn’t ready yet. Getting wait-listed isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if the Admissions Committee didn’t love you upon first review, then they’re probably not going to suddenly start loving you later. You’ll have to wait as hundreds and thousands of other applications are reviewed and the Schools give out those coveted invites to those ‘new’ applicants who have established a great first impression. You could still receive an invite, but you’ll have to wait while everyone else gets reviewed. If the Admissions Committees have somehow lost track of your application, or they just forgot about you, then you’re out of luck.

You CAN establish that same amazing first impression in Round 2 though – and imagine how good you might come across relative to all of those other applicants who rushed to apply for Round 1, didn’t present themselves properly and got wait-listed…

Relatively Easy-to-Improve Areas

2) You can make some BIG improvements to specific (and important) areas of your application in a relatively short amount of time. Business Schools place a certain amount of emphasis on both the GMAT Score and the Essay portion of the application. Both of these areas are fairly standardized (relative to the other aspects of the application) – as such, they’re predictable and can be ‘beaten.’ With the proper resources, Expert advice and overall guidance, you can make definable improvements to these areas (and by extension, your overall application).  The extra 2-3 months between the Round 1 and Round 2 deadlines can be remarkably useful to the enterprising applicant who is willing to do the work to take advantage of that extra time.

More Prep Time = Greater Chance to Succeed

3) Attempting to work on an entire application, while juggling all of the other aspects of your life (work, family, social, etc.) will almost certainly be a challenge. Having more time to work on the application will allow you to focus on one ‘piece’ at a time, hone it, and then move on to the next ‘piece.’ Some of the people that you’re in competition against have been working on their applications for upwards of a year; if, after the Round 1 deadlines pass, you’ve been working on your application for just a couple of months, then working with the Round 2 deadlines will allow you to literally DOUBLE the amount of time that you can spend on your application. For something as meaningful and valuable as an MBA, the extra short-term investment can lead to an amazing payoff over time. 

To that end, we’re here to help.

GMAT assassins aren’t born, they’re made,

Rich