Deadlines

Most business schools have three rounds of application deadlines:

• Round 1 deadlines are typically in September.
• Round 2 deadlines are typically in January.
• Round 3 deadlines are typically in March or April.

Some MBA programs also offer Early Action or Early Decision rounds, while a few extend to Round 4 and even Round 5. Variations can occur from school to school, but deadlines tend to remain fairly consistent for programs that use a three-round process.

The “right” round in which to submit your application is the one in which you can submit your strongest possible application, but beyond that, we highly recommend submitting in Round 1 or Round 2 to have your best chance of gaining acceptance. This is consistent with what admissions officers advise. Round 3 tends to be a “shaping round,” when most of the spots in a school’s class have been offered or filled, and the programs are focusing on ensuring that the makeup of the next incoming class is sufficiently diverse – professionally, nationally, and with respect to candidates’ personal experience – to guarantee a rich learning environment for all students.

Applying early within a round – before that round’s official deadline – does not offer an advantage, because admissions committees wait until the deadline has passed before beginning to review applications. However, submitting earlier in the admissions season, meaning in Round 1 or Round 2, can improve your chances, because more spots are available. With each round, fewer and fewer spots remain.