MBA Applications: Which Round Is Best?
There are typically three divisions for MBA applications, round one, round two, and round three, although some schools will even have a round four. For each round, there is a separate deadline and an applicant can choose one of the three in any given year. This separates the business school applicants into three distinct groups that compete against each other. Your personal circumstances impact which group you want to be a part of and that decision requires thought and strategy.
Some of the benefits of applying early lie in the fact that your application will be seen with fresher eyes and a more positive attitude. Assuming that your application has been finished by the application date, applying in the first round will make admissions committees think that you are organized and serious. That assumption on their part benefits candidates that don’t otherwise stand out such as investment bankers, consultants, or engineers. Such candidates don’t have eye-catching profiles and early submission of their MBA application can help them to stand out in another way. First impressions can help admissions officers to pay more attention to your profile if they see it at the beginning of the process than they would after seeing a thousand others like it.
Similarly, for applicants with a complicated story or international credentials, admissions committees will be more patient about taking the time to understand your application if you’re the 788th application they’re reading rather than the 5232nd application. Admissions officers try to be as objective, unbiased, and fair throughout the entire admissions process across all rounds, but again, they’re human just like us, they get fatigued. Another benefit of submitting your MBA applications early is that the bar for admissions in Round 1 is lower at some schools because admissions committees feel more pressure to fill a certain percentage of the class going into Round 2 and 3.
Benefits of Later MBA Application One of the main advantages associated with later MBA applications is the extra time for adding credentials to your application. If you’re expecting a big promotion or finishing up a big non-profit project, you may want to wait for it to be on your resume. Also, if you only recently started your job and don’t yet have a strong relationship with your potential recommender it may help your application to have some extra time for that to develop.
Some MBA applicants are able to pad their applications with non-profit experience by launching a new NGO or getting involved as a board member for a non-profit. For others, they may simply need the extra few months to work on their application, which takes a lot of time and effort to create. Those applicants looking at several business schools may find that the MBA application process can become a second job for a good portion of their year.
Adam Abelson is an MBA admissions coach and was formerly an admissions officer at a top 5 business school. For a more comprehensive manual to business school admissions, please visit our site. A free excerpt is available for download.
GMAT Adapts to Cheaters
So looks like the GMAC organization that runs the GMAT exam is cracking down on being unfaithful in China. In other words, some students are violating the rules of the GMAT and finding ways to see test questions before their actual exam. This is happening on the internet.
In 2009 alone, 32 scores were revoked by GMAC and 24 test takers were blocked from retaking the GMAT for 5 years.
Some web sites gave away live GMAT exams for a fee so now there is intending to be increased security steps and sophisticated web crawling software to fish out these sites before they are in a position to distribute sensitive material to the populace.
Increased security processes like finger print reading, and digital photographs, as well as passport scans will be used.
GMAC also has sophisticated web crawling software to find which websites are distributing GMAT queries.
The fact of the matter is cheating will always exist in one form or another. With GRE encroaching on GMAT territory, GMAT guys need to be on their best behavior to prove to business schools that their exam is better than the GRE. Otherwise, the GMAT exam will be losing market share.
I wonder what happens in the future. Will they have sophisticated CIA level security measures that they use in the TV show 24? Who knows. Security will always be a concern. And with the pace of technology progress these days, more and more security measures will be present–everything from hidden cameras to live security analysis. The future will tell. The incentive to cheat because of the competitive nature in MBA admissions and GMAT test preparation will always be there. It is just a matter of controlling it so it doesn’t get out of hand.
Perhaps even another reason why GMAC is increasing security measures for their GMAT measure is to maintain the integrity of their exam value in the eyes of business schools as the GRE exam encroaches onto their territory. Many top business schools are now accepting either the GMAT or the GRE exam for a variety of reasons ranging form attracting a more diverse student body to just expanding their overall applicant pool. Whatever the case may be, you can expect security measures to go up in the future.
This article was guest-written by GMAT teacher and guru, Zeke Lee. Zeke is the founder of The GMAT Pill Study Method and has assisted numerous students ace the GMAT exam in as little time as possible. Although his secret techniques were limited to privileged students who could pay $200/hour a few years ago, Zeke has now opened the door to his unique strategies to the average student. Online GMAT Prep
