How Should I Strategize My Round 3 MBA Application?
Here are a few tips to consider before you apply for an MBA in Round 3:
1. Communicate a stellar and distinctive profile. Since Round 3 is the most competitive application round, highlight the nontraditional aspects of your background and profile. The admission committee use CRB Direct to help go through the application. Showcase how you are bringing something different to the program, that is not easily available through the other students in your cohort. It can be any experience across your professional and academic experiences, or your extracurricular activities.
2. You need to explain why you did not apply in the first two rounds. The admission committees might not ask directly why you did not apply in the first two rounds, but they would be quite curious to know why you decided to apply in round 3. You should communicate a clear and compelling reason through your application, as the admissions committee may perceive you as disorganized with your thoughts and actions if you are applying in Round 3 simply because you just decided you were interested in an MBA.
3. Demonstrate that you are strongly and uniquely motivated. Through your application and essays , you need to not only show that you have thoroughly thought about your short and long term career goals, but also how they strategically align with the mission and offerings of the MBA program to which you are applying. Use your application to demonstrate your singular interest in a particular program, such that it is abundantly clear to the admissions committee that if they send you an acceptance offer, you will take it without question.
4. You are firmly within the GMAT/GPA range of your targeted schools. By now, the admissions committee would have already overlooked lower GPAs and GMAT scores, and will be finding a way to make sure that the class average meets or exceeds its usual standard. There is, unfortunately, a lot less room for lower standardized test scores or GPAs in third round applications.
5. Research the schools you are applying well. In order to pack the right punch in your essays and application form, demonstrate that you have reached out to current students, faculty and alumni, and to extensively research the university and its bevy of offerings, from academic, to extra-curricular and professional. You have a firm grasp on how your background, interests and goals clearly align with specific aspects of the MBA program’s philosophy and provisions.
6) Showcase your ability to plan ahead and think forward. By the time you apply, as an international student, the time sensitivity of your visa increases, you are most likely not going to be able to access opportunities like Admitted Student Weekends to meet the rest of your incoming cohort from your particular geography, and most of the best housing options on campus will not be available anymore. Through the additional information space on your application, you want to communicate to the admissions committee that you have anticipated these potential pitfalls, and thought about relevant contingencies, as they apply to your specific application/circumstances.
7) Do not apply to a number of schools, focus on a few and keep the rest for Round 1 in the following year. You are time crunched, and need to focus on making sure that you are clearly communicating your reasons for applying in Round 3, that you are strongly and uniquely motivated, you have thought ahead, and that you have done your homework on the school. Each of these aspects takes a significant amount of time, and rather than spreading yourself thin to try to hedge your bets, pick the 3-4 business schools that matter most.
We wish you the very best with your application!
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