After a relatively sleepy February, March is upon us with its extensive list of application deadlines and decision notification dates. Let’s take a look at the long list of Round 3 (or 4 or 5) deadlines spread over the next two months:
March 1: Columbia (int’l applicants), Darden R4, Ross R3, Wharton R3
March 7: HBS R3
March 9: Johnson R4, Kellogg R3
March 12: Haas R4
March 14: Chicago R3, IESE R5, Stanford R3, Yale SOM R3
March 15: Stern R3
March 19: CMU/Tepper R3
March 21: Duke/Fuqua R3
March 28: INSEAD R4
March 31: UT Austin/McCombs (final)
April 5: Tuck April Round
April 18: Columbia (final), IESE R6
April 25: UCLA/Anderson R4
April 27: LBS R4
April 30: CMU/Tepper R4
While it’s always best to apply as early as possible, the difference between applying in round one and applying in round two is, for most applicants, a marginal one. However, the later rounds are a very different game. Because most of the seats in the incoming class will have been given away by the time round two decisions are released, the acceptance rate in the third round is dramatically lower than that for the first two deadlines of the season.
To maximize your chances of a later round acceptance, demonstrating your interest in the school and submitting thoughtful and error-free written materials will be crucial. Just as applying in round one is generally taken as a sign of interest in a given program, applicants submitting their materials in a later round need to work extra hard to convince the adcom that they are genuinely interested in the school and are not simply applying as an afterthought because interview invitations didn’t come through in round two. Demonstrating that you would make a valuable contribution to the community and providing evidence that you have taken steps to engage current students and alumni will work to your advantage.
As always, we’d like to recommend the in-depth Clear Admit School Guides to those applicants who are targeting the later deadlines and just beginning to investigate certain programs, and to encourage those who’ve visited the campus and interviewed to share their experiences in the Clear Admit Wiki. Potential R3 or R4 applicants are also welcome to contact Clear Admit directly to discuss the strength of their later round candidacies and learn more about our one-on-one counseling services.
Comments closed
