Numbers of deferred enrollment MBA programs are on the rise. These programs can now be found across top schools such as:
- Berkeley Haas
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper
- Chicago Booth
- Columbia Business School
- Harvard Business School
- MIT / Sloan
- Northwestern Kellogg
- Stanford GSB
- UCLA Anderson
- UVA / Darden
- The Wharton School
- Yale School of Management
In this article, we’ll explain exactly how these deferred enrollment programs work: what they are, who they are for, and how to get admitted.
What Is a Deferred Enrollment MBA?
Deferred enrollment MBA programs, or deferred admission MBAs, offer students the opportunity to secure their spot on an MBA program before gaining any work experience.
Deferred enrollment candidates apply before graduating. If successful, they spend between one and five years in the workplace before matriculating alongside students admitted through the traditional application process.
Who Is Eligible for a Deferred Enrollment MBA?
Candidates who apply for a deferred enrollment MBA must:
- Be in the final year of their studies (post-grad student eligibility varies by program)
- Have not yet held a full-time job at the time of application
- Be able to demonstrate leadership experience through extracurriculars, internships, and projects
- Possess a compelling reason for seeking MBA deferred admission
In most cases, candidates from all academic backgrounds are welcome to apply to deferred enrollment MBA programs.
As you might imagine, places on these programs are highly coveted and extremely competitive. Fulfilling the above criteria is not enough to secure a spot: candidates must stand out from their peers across their academic performance, leadership experience, and vision for their future careers. Many schools also stipulate that deferred enrollment applicants should be able to demonstrate how they will make an impact through their future careers.
Why Opt for a Deferred Enrollment MBA?
A deferred enrollment MBA offers students a unique opportunity: to embark on the few years of their career knowing that their spot on an MBA program is secured. This means that the choices they make during those early career years are unadulterated by the MBA application process: candidates do not need to select opportunities based on their future MBA admission success.
This leaves candidates free to seek work that truly interests and inspires them. Candidates can opt for riskier roles, immerse themselves in tiny startups rather than establish themselves in big firms, explore the non-profit industry or begin an entrepreneurial venture.
Plus, during this deferred enrolment period, candidates are usually able to leverage school resources – alumni networks, campus events, regional meet-ups, career workshops, and even the prestigious name of their MBA program – to advance their opportunities further.
What Happens During the Deferral Period?
Deferred enrollment offers candidates the chance to explore fields that genuinely interest them; schools generally want to see evidence that candidates are seizing this opportunity. Schools will check in with students during their deferred enrollment period, and expect to see engagement.
In a recent webinar with Clear Admit, top schools such as Berkeley Haas, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, and Yale SOM all emphasized that they would look for evidence that candidates were pursuing meaningful roles, aligned with their ambitions and diving deeply into what they care about.
Applying for a Deferred Admission MBA
Since deferred MBA applicants lack work experience, admissions teams will be working with less data. The detail with which they examine the rest of the application will therefore be even greater than usual.
Admissions teams will expect to see:
- Outstanding GMAT or GRE Scores, matching or exceeding average scores in current MBA classes;
- Academic excellence, demonstrated through high GPAs and rigorous coursework;
- Leadership experience, built through extracurricular engagement, internships, personal projects and entrepreneurial ventures;
- The impact of any projects or internships in which you have engaged;
- A clear description of your goals and how an MBA will help you achieve them. (That said, admissions teams understand that this is an exploratory period of your career and that goals are subject to change. Your ability to reflect, be self-aware, and show curiosity, is more important than perfectly polished plans);
- Excellent letters of recommendation from someone who has taught or mentored you personally.
