SHOULD I APPLY FOR ROUND 1 OR ROUND 2 FOR MBA STUDIES ABROAD?

If you are applying for an MBA program in US business schools in Fall season, you will sooner or later have to think about Round 1 or Round 2 applications. Often there is a great debate among students on which round to apply for? Also, the underlying belief that sooner is better may not always be the mantra of success. Let us elucidate.

No doubt, competition is intense in both round. So it makes sense that if your application is almost ready, applying earlier (i.e. In Round 1) is better.

If you can apply in Round 1 there are definitely advantages:
• You have more time to prepare for school.
• You have less uncertainty around winter vacation time.
• You can start to know your classmates and professors early.
• You can focus on your student visa, scholarship and financial aid.
• Applying for Round 1 gives you greater clarity.
• The experience of applying in Round 1 should sharpen the application for the top school, increasing the chances of admission at the top school.

What’s the Logic Behind Round 1 and Round 2?
It’s true that less people are ready to apply in Round 1. At the same time, the most prepared applicants are applying in Round 1. Usually, the ones who go for the Round 1 applications are those who have taken their standardized tests early on. Or, they are probably reapplying to the colleges with changes made in their application form. Many admissions officers state that they don’t favor Round 1 over Round 2 applicants. It’s not a situation of who reaches the finish line first.

That said, on overall, if you are an outstanding candidate, with the green tick on almost all the parameters that make you the ideal candidate for the program you are applying for, you should consider applying for Round 1 of your top choice school abroad. Competition is intense in both rounds, so common sense mandates that if your application is close to ready, applying earlier (i.e. In Round 1) is almost always better.

Think of the numbers. We know for a fact that there are more candidates applying in Round 2 than in Round 1. Also, schools have to complete their admission goals within the stipulated time. Naturally candidates who present an attractive profile are more likely to get selected in Round 1. However, the caveat here is that your application has to be complete and impactful in all respects. There is no point in training for the finish round, when you are ill prepared. The takeaway here is: if your application is fully ready to go, send it out as early as you can.

Which Round Should You Choose to Apply to?

If your application is ready in all respects, and you don’t see any more scope for further refinement, you should send it out as early as you can. If you are lucky enough to catch the Round 1 deadline, that’s a bonus. Applying early on has its own merits:
1. You then have the luxury of time to plan next steps like housing.
2. You can consider fulfilling pre-MBA coursework,
3. You can take that well-deserved break to travel or spend time with friends and family.
4. You also get to alter your application strategy and apply again in Round 2 and 3 in case you are not admitted to schools applied to in Round 1.

How Do You Know If Round 1 Is For You?

1. GMAT Score
The litmus test is your GMAT score. If your GMAT score is promising enough to warrant an early application, there is no need to delay. However, if you have a score that is at the lower end or just lower than the average range of your target schools, wait to apply till you have raised your score and strengthened your competitive advantage.

2. Your Work and Personal Profile
Another good parameter to check if you are gold standard Round 1 applicant, is your profile.
If you are
(a) a re-applicant
(b) belong to a traditional industry like consulting, IT or banking, and/or
(c) from an overrepresented demographic group (like, for instance, an Indian male),

it is better to apply in Round 1 when there are more spots available. By the Round 2 deadline, there will be many more candidates with similar profiles and strong applications who would have already applied and been admitted.

3. Academic Background.
Does your academic profile sing praises of your accolades? Were you a high performer? If you have had consistently high grades throughout college, especially in quantitative subjects, and even better, if you have academic awards, then apply in Round 1.

Apart from a higher chance of getting admitted in Round 1, there aren’t any other significant benefits that a Round 1 applicant enjoys over a Round 2 applicant. Suppose A applies in Round 1 and B applies in Round 2, and they both get admitted to the same school. There is no added advantage A enjoys over B after having accepted the admissions. A does not enjoy a higher status, better resources, or special privileges just because A made it in to Round 1.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

ReachIvy is a premium education and career advisory that helps aspiring students get accepted into top tier educational institutions globally. We have successful admits at MIT, Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, Oxford, University of Chicago amongst others.

Vibha Kagzi, Founder and CEO, ReachIvy, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. She has also pursued courses at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics and the Indian School of Business.

Our global team of counsellors have also acquired their degrees from premier institutes and are passionate about sharing their experiences with students worldwide.