Hi Alex,

I posted on Veritas as well, but I would also really appreciate your thoughts on my 3rd round application strategy. I am putting together my 3rd round apps right now, and I want to know if I should bother applying to schools that discourage 3rd round apps. Kellogg and Wharton actually tell you to apply by R2, so should I forget those schools?

My profile:

26 at matriculation, Russian-Canadian, female, speak 4 languages. All WE and education in Canada. GMAT 760 (49Q, 47V, 6.0 AWA). B.Commerce, GPA 3.9 (graduated 4 years ago from an okay school)

WE: co-op in university (mostly public sector). Then, marketing stint at a start-up, left to help my mother start small business (now successful), spent a year in a small tech consulting firm as analyst, now working in public sector with solid responsibility and a promotion up a level after a year. I have accomplishments (showing vision/initiative) at each job. Short-term goal is to career change into consulting, with entrepreneurship in the longer term.

ECs: Lots of extracurricular leadership and case competitions in university. Currently, mostly fitness and creative (skiing, photography, etc.)

Any thoughts on 3rd round friendly schools? Where would you apply if you were me? My current list is HBS, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Tuck, Wharton. I am interested in Stanford and Haas as well, but technology is not a major interest for me (even though entrepreneurship is).

Thanks so much!

Canadian citizens don't need a Visa - just a confirmation of admission when you cross the border.

What do you think about the school choices?

I've been doing some research on this as I'm Canadian and will matriculate at a school in the US. Also talked with some current students, as well as some school international offices.

To clarify - one needs a F-1 Student Status to matriculate, and it can be obtained at the border when you enter.

The difference is that Canadians don't need the F-1 Visa, "Visa" meaning "Key" to enter the country. You show up at the border crossing, make sure you have your I-20 and ALL related documentation, just as if you would apply formally for a F-1 visa. You get interviewed on the spot, you get a I-94 with F-1 status written/stamped on it. Think of the visa of a pre-approval/pre-clearance to enter.

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/visa/F-1/index.html

The above website is one of the best resources on the matter I've seen yet. The US Consulate in Canada's website is a bit confusing as they don't explain it well enough, but they do say that Canadian's don't need a Visa http://www.consular.canada.usembassy.gov/canadians.asp.

So yes, in general, schools want internationals to apply earlier due to visa processing, but Canadians are a special situation (citizens of Bermuda also) of the (current as of today) US immigration rules. So a Round 3 application is possible.