Admissions Tip: Managing Round 2 MBA Deadlines
Anyone who’s familiar with the MBA application process knows that December moves forward at an accelerated pace, mixing work with holidays and application preparation. Come the New Year, Round 2 application deadlines come swiftly. See just how many deadlines overlap in our handy chart of Round 2 MBA application deadlines.
To help this year’s Round 2 applicants avoid the classic time crunch, we’ve compiled some basic advice on how to approach the MBA deadlines at a reasonable pace.
Plan to be busy in December.
If you are not bogged down by professional obligations in December, this makes for a great opportunity to devote time to working on your MBA applications in the evenings. The last weeks of the year can easily be split between résumé drafting, essay writing, recommendation coaching, GMAT prep, school research, and more.
Think carefully about the timing of the R2 MBA deadlines.
Looking at the deadlines chart, it becomes clear that some deadlines may be easier to make than others. A candidate applying to NYU Stern and MIT Sloan could have a more leisurely December when compared to someone targeting Harvard, Stanford and Wharton. Assuming about three weeks of research and writing for each school’s application, take a look at the deadlines and count backwards to determine a start date for each. It is entirely possible to meet same-day or back-to-back deadlines, but doing so requires a well-planned schedule and consistent progress.
Consider taking some time off from work.
We realize that many MBA applicants work 70 hours/week and haven’t had a day off in months. For such applicants, a day or two away from their work desk can really do wonders for focus and organization. Applying to business school is a serious undertaking, and in the long term you won’t regret having given yourself enough time to prepare strong applications. Many successful candidates take a week off in December to make the final push. It’s not a glamorous way to spend your vacation time, but an offer to attend a leading MBA program can make the sacrifice well worth it.
Get your recommenders on board early.
It’s always a good idea to engage your recommenders early and inform them about the process and your timeline. Sit down with each recommender, perhaps over lunch or coffee or via Zoom. No matter the setting, present them with an outline of the deadlines and the process. It’s then a wise idea to meet again shortly thereafter, as many applicants will then be in a position to share their background materials (a résumé, career goals essays, etc.) to help their recommenders understand—and support—their message.
Happy planning!
MBA Applywire
I am hoping to begin my Transactional practice at an Am200 Law firm and then transition into my MBA to look for PE/VC opportunities
I'm an international MBA applicant from Peru with approximately 7 years of experience in M&A and corporate finance across the energy, consumer goods, and financial advisory sectors.
I hold a B.S. in Economics from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), where I graduated in the top third of my class with a GPA of 14.2/20.
I started my career in Deal Advisory at KPMG, followed by M&A and Corporate Venture Capital at Alicorp. I'm currently an M&A Associate at Luz del Sur, a leading Peruvian electricity utility, where I've worked on renewable energy acquisitions totaling approximately US$780M, including wind and solar assets. My experience spans valuation, financial modeling, due diligence, transaction structuring, and SPA negotiations.
Outside work, I'm involved with NetvalU, a nonprofit helping public university students pursue careers in finance.
**Post-MBA Goals:** My primary goal is to transition into Private Equity, ideally focusing on energy, infrastructure, or energy transition investments in the US or Europe. I'm particularly interested in infrastructure funds and investment platforms focused on acquiring, developing, and managing energy assets. Alternatively, I would consider Investment Banking, particularly within Power & Utilities, Energy, or Infrastructure coverage groups, as a pathway toward a long-term career in investing.
I'd appreciate feedback on my competitiveness for top MBA programs, particularly considering my international background, academic record, and professional experience. I'm especially interested in understanding how realistic a direct transition into PE or infrastructure investing would be, which schools provide the strongest opportunities in this space, and whether my target school list is appropriately balanced.
Thanks in advance for your insights!
Ethical technology transformation within banking
Hi Alex & Graham!
I'm considering applying to UK business schools for next year, with a focus on LBS. Here are some notes on my profile:
I did my undergraduate degree in quantitative economics and political sciences at a global top 50 university, and I supported myself through university with part-time jobs while being active in on-campus clubs and societies, which explains my under-achieving GPA.
I then joined PwC where I did operational management consulting for Australian (and some international) corporate clients, achieving a promotion to Senior Consultant ahead of the typical schedule.
I then moved to a large commercial airline, where I became an internal consultant getting involved in many different projects each with individual accountability and outcomes achieved. This led to four promotions in three years, with my latest promotion taking on multiple direct reports of junior internal consultants.
For extracurriculars, I'm involved in my university impact consulting club which I was a president of, and return often to mentor the new class each year.
I'm doing the MBA to pivot into MBB Consulting in the UK, where I want to develop my strategy and value-creation capability in a global setting with a long-term ambition of becoming a Chief Transformation Officer in the industrials / consumer goods sectors.
I'm relatively confident in my ability to get into the UK schools I mentioned, but the full sticker price of the MBA is still a shock. What would make my profile stand out for scholarships?
A higher GMAT? I feel I have left some points on the table here and intend to re-sit the exam before I submit my Round 2 application.
Do I create competitive tension by applying to more schools? Perhaps INSEAD or an M7 (say, Columbia or Kellogg).