How do MBA admission committees view Round one applicants?
Once you have figured out your own profile and how that might bolster your chances for getting an acceptance letter, you should also consider the structure of the admissions process and how that can make it easier for some applicants to win admission in Round one.
MBA programs thrive on diversity of all kinds: ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, industry, years of experience, undergraduate major.
When diversity is low in a program, there can be unproductive groupthink in the classroom or lower job placement at graduation. Overall, the MBA experience suffers if the program does not recruit a diverse class.
In turn, this means that there is generally a better chance of acceptance in Round one because the incoming class is wide open across all categories at that point.
By Round two, the AdCom has to look more closely at which types of backgrounds remain unfilled in the incoming class.
That doesn’t mean they literally prefer candidates who apply in Round one, but it does mean that Round one may give you an edge if you come from an over-represented applicant group, such as American men in finance, or Indian men who studied engineering in college.
Read another Applicant Question
When is Round two a better option?
Given the diversity issue, you may think that Round one is always the better choice, but a strong application in Round two will beat a weak application in Round one.
Raising your GMAT score is essential, because MBA programs must maintain their GMAT averages in order to maintain their MBA rankings. If you can raise your GMAT between Round one and later rounds, even by just 20 points, this is a great reason to apply in Round two or three.
Similarly, networking with schools is incredibly important for writing good essays that make the AdCom feel like you are not just a good MBA candidate, you are a good candidate for their school in particular.
If you can’t get your networking or campus visits squared away early enough before the end of the summer, you will likely benefit from deferring your application to Round two or three.
An upcoming work experience or promotion is also an important factor. Applying once you’ve already received a big promotion is much stronger than just having your letter of recommendation mention that a promotion might be coming soon.
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