Q) Should I apply for the Round 3 MBA Application. I am a US citizen.

Round 3 deadlines for the 2023 Entering class are unique. After noticing the unprecedented layoffs in the Technology industry, schools decided to introduce an extended Round 2 deadline only for those affected by the layoffs.  

This year, you are competing against Round 2 waitlisted applicants and the laid-off applicants, many of whose performance had nothing to do with the layoff. It could be a budget cut in a department or a strategic direction in which the company decided to pivot, which led to the downsizing.

The admissions team discourages international applicants from applying to Round 3 due to the time required to collect relevant documents for visas, arrange funds, and find accommodation.

So if you are a native applicant, you should know that you are competing against a monolithic demographic, even if there is diversity within that demographic based on ethnicity or gender.

There are 5 factors that you must account for before applying to Round 3:

1) Bias Against Reapplication

Schools don’t openly share their biases against applicants who reapply after a rejection in Round 3. A big data point to evaluate is whether the school asks you to apply as a fresh applicant with the opportunity to answer all the essays or is it just one question for reapplicants. If it is the latter, you should avoid applying during Round 3, build leadership experiences and commit 100% to the current project to demonstrate IMPACT in your team and the organization.

2) Unusual Background

If you are a typical Finance, Management Consulting, or Technology applicant, it is extremely challenging to stand out from the Round 3 application pool. What I have noticed over the past decade is that entrepreneurial applicants, applicants with 6-7 years of experience from non-profit or the military, or even applicants from the government can stand out. They have a lot of valid reasons – many have challenges in arranging funds, getting recused from a critical project, or the formality of transition from the military to civilian life. If you belong to any of these three groups – military, government, or non-profit, apply during Round 3.

3) Promotions

March/April, where Round 3 deadlines also coincide with promotions. In the current economic climate, especially if you are in the Technology industry, a promotion can bring extra ‘credibility’ to your pitch. Even if the promotion was announced but not officially communicated, I recommend applying in Round 3 if you have crossed the 2.5 years of experience mark. The promotion title should include some seniority0related clue or convey that you are in a managerial or team leadership position. If the title doesn’t do that, it becomes a huge challenge to stand out in Round 3.

4) Risk of Alienating the Team

If you are not planning to switch to another company, applying during Round 3 could be risky. By applying to a top MBA program, you are announcing that your involvement in the team is temporary. This is fine if you get a Round 3 admission, but if the outcome is not in your favor and you plan to apply in Round 1, you are looking at close to 9 months before favorable results come your way. That is a risk you should understand. Most schools allow applicants to skip getting recommendation letters from their current supervisor. I recommend the same for Round 3 applicants targeting highly competitive M7 or top 10 global MBA programs.

Peers you can manage, but if you alienate your supervisor, it will impact your promotions. So, tread carefully.

5) Interesting Projects

Many projects assigned to consultants and technologists specializing in the service industry happen in a haphazard manner. If you were lucky to work on an interesting project in the last 3 months coinciding with the Round 2 deadline, you have a very good reason for delaying your application and including an interesting narrative around it.

Even extra-curricular or volunteering experience around a high-impact project would also work in your favor if you can translate those experiences into an interesting narrative for the essay.

If you need help just with the essays, Subscribe to F1GMAT’s Essay Editing Service

If you need help only with one essay, Subscribe to F1GMAT’s One Essay Editing Service

If you need help end to end with resume, essays, and recommendation letters, Subscribe to F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service

There are many who need guidance in communicating and helping supervisors capture relevant experience and personality traits. For such applicants, you can subscribe to F1GMAT’s Recommendation Letter Editing Service. I am Atul Jose. See you in the next #askAtulJose Series.