If you’re looking to submit MBA applications in the second round, then you’re likely in the midst of figuring out how to best spend your time. To help you on this journey, here’s our quick rundown of a R2 application timeline:
OCTOBER
There are a few things to get out of the way in the spookiest month of the year. Firstly, if you haven’t showed any interest in the programs you’re going to be applying to, join some webinars, and network with school officials and students. As schools keep track of applicants’ levels of engagement, you certainly won’t want to come across as disinterested. At the same time, start researching and discovering what really appeals to you about each of your target universities—learn about everything from coursework to school culture. Ideally, by the end of the month, you’ll have a strong grasp of what makes every MBA unique and how your profile fits. Finally, pop open the applications and familiarize yourself with the requirements; it’s a great time to think about what the ‘big picture’ of your pitch should be.
NOVEMBER
Now is when you’ll want to shape everything you’ve learned in the previous month into a cohesive whole. Don’t worry if you haven’t completed all of your research just yet—you still have time to further familiarize yourself with the programs. However, do make sure to start writing out your applications, beginning with the resume and essays. While you don’t have to aim to finish all the work, you will want to start running through successive versions of the content in November. Beyond crafting your drafts, you should also reach out to potential recommenders. Carefully prep them to work alongside you in this process, as you want them to feel like partners rather than reviewers.
DECEMBER
With deadlines rapidly approaching, you should endeavor to complete your application this month. Focus on sharpening and finalizing your texts rather than rebuilding large swathes of content. You also want to take the time to guide your recommenders to finish up their letters: the holiday season can complicate submissions and cause delays. Moreover, be sure to go through all the necessary additional content in the application form—there can be some time-consuming sections that you don’t want to leave as a last-minute surprise to yourself.
JANUARY
If everything has moved smoothly along, you should have already submitted your applications. However, if you haven’t finished your apps, it’s really the time to set aside any major changes and concentrate instead on wrapping up your submissions. Making sure that your work is sensible, accurate and grammatically correct would likely be a better use of your limited time than rebuilding entire parts of your application.
This post should give you a sense of the common approach applicants take timeline-wise for Round 2. Naturally, you’ll want to make adjustments to this advice to fit your needs.
And, if you’re serious about maxing out your entry chances for Round 2, be sure to connect with our Experts.
