Northwestern / Kellogg MBA Deadlines 2026-2027
The Kellogg School of Management has released the 2026-2027 deadlines for its two-year full-time MBA program.
Applicants should note that all materials must be submitted by 5:00 PM Central Time on the date of each deadline.
| Round | Application Deadline | Admissions Decision Released |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | September 9, 2026 | December 9, 2026 |
| Round 2 | January 6, 2027 | March 24, 2027 |
| Round 3 | March 31, 2027 | May 12, 2027 |
Required Materials
A complete application must include transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, a resume, GMAT or GRE scores, responses to essay questions, letters of recommendation, and video essays. The video essay is accessible once the application and fee have been submitted. The $250 application fee must be submitted with the application via credit card. Fee waivers are granted to applicants who are active duty US military or US military veterans who have been on active duty within three years of applying, and candidates employed by Teach For America, AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps within the last three years. Forte MBA Launch, JumpStart Network, Posse Scholar, Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) and Riordan Program members, fellows and alumni may also request consideration for a fee waiver.
How are Interviews Scheduled?
Admissions interviews at Kellogg are typically conducted virtually.
All applicants must indicate their time zone in their application. Interview invitations are sent on a rolling basis throughout the evaluation period up until decision release. Then, the adcom will reach out via email with scheduling instructions.
Interview slots are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Interviews typically last 30-45 minutes and are conducted Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and select Saturdays.
The first 2025-2026 Round 1 interview invite from Kellogg was reported on LiveWire on September 10, 2025, with more rolling out in October. Kellogg rolls out interview invitations up to the decision release date for a given round. The first 2025-2026 Round 2 interview invite from Kellogg was reported on LiveWire on January 9, 2026.
MBA Applywire
- ~5 Years in Air Force Special Warfare Officer, 1x combat deployment to middle east
- ~2 Years as a SWE for small defense tech company (AI/ML stuff, drone stuff)
- 3 publications (not peer-reviewed) on AI and warfare
- Former volunteer EMT
I’m entertaining the thought of pivoting my career by earning an MBA, but can’t tell if I’m being delusional or not. I’d appreciate if you could give me a reality check on if I should even continue researching how to pursue this path.
Profile:
34M, Chinese American, US citizen, based on the west coast.
Also gay and a 1st generation college student if that matters
Education and Scores:
BA in Biology (3.61 GPA) from an Ivy League School
MS in Entomology (4.0 GPA) from a Big 10 School
GRE score equivalent to 161V and 161Q when I took it in 2013 without preparation
Probably irrelevant, but I also have one first author scientific publication in a peer reviewed journal that has been citied over 50 times from my master’s research.
Work Experience:
8 years working as a biologist for an Agriculture Department primarily doing regulatory inspections (e.g. pesticides, quarantines, organic farms, etc). Currently earning 155k/year, but my salary is mostly capped now and promotion opportunities are almost non-existent (the last open position for a promotion in my department was in 2020).
My work experience involves some supervisory experience but it is not a management role. It centers around knowing state regulations/laws and applying them when doing various types of agricultural inspections.
This is my first job out of graduate school.
Extracurriculars:
Unfortunately I’m lacking in this area, but can look for volunteer opportunities.
Recently had a certification to teach high school biology if that counts.
I was the department wellness coordinator and I am also part of the department equity committee at work. I am also the graphic designer for my department.
Background:
I know my profile is completely unrelated to business when compared to other MBA applicants. My initial education and career path was driven by my desire to study what I found interesting and then working in a related field afterwards. I have no regrets about my former path but now I’m wondering if I want more out of my career rather than remain in government. I was thinking an MBA from a top school can facilitate a complete career pivot from where I currently am.
Why I want to pivot:
I currently work 4 days a week in an stress-free environment with phenomenal work-life balance but my opportunities for professional growth is limited and my skill development is stagnating in this role. I’m also feeling bored in my career. I no longer feel driven to stay working in my field of study like I did in the past. I mostly just want the potential to earn more money as my husband and I are expecting to grow our family in the next few years.
So what’s the verdict, am I being ridiculous by even thinking I can get into an upper MBA program and pivoting careers? I appreciate any insights you have.