review.deMBAStrategyWhen to Apply

MBA – Strategy – When to Apply & Re-applying

As a rule, apply as early as possible. At most schools this will increase your chances of admittance. Many schools have very few spots available for the third round of admissions.

Some schools make available the numbers of applicants they accept per round. You may want to inquire into such statistics to help you determine when is the best time to complete your applications.

If you have already submitted applications to MBA programs and were not accepted at the schools you wanted to attend, you should consider applying again. In fact, re-applicants tend to have a better chance of admittance to B-School than first time applicants. But in order to reapply successfully, you will have to reconsider how you want to present yourself to the admissions committee.

The best way to increase your chances of success is to improve your application. This could mean diversifying your work experience or preparing for and retaking the GMAT, a very important factor in MBA admissions, or it could mean choosing different individuals to write recommendations for you. If you applied late the first time, applying again and early significantly increases your likelihood of admittance.

Manhattan Review's Admission Consulting team is made up exclusively of graduates from top Ivy League schools. Our team is ready to carefully guide you through the admissions process.