{"id":24127,"date":"2014-06-03T08:40:56","date_gmt":"2014-06-03T15:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=24127"},"modified":"2014-06-02T13:00:24","modified_gmt":"2014-06-02T20:00:24","slug":"how-many-b-schools-should-you-apply-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/how-many-b-schools-should-you-apply-to\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many B-Schools Should You Apply To?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"drive\"<\/a>\"How Many B-Schools Should You Apply To\u201d is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, <\/em>Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One<\/a>. To download the entire free special report, <\/i>click here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n

Deciding how many schools to apply to is another often shortchanged step in the pre-application process. It\u2019s something that people seem to think just happens. And it will just happen, but not necessarily in an advantageous way, unless you make it. Your specific situation and needs should drive your decision of how many schools to apply to\u2014in each category: reasonable reach, on-par, and safety<\/a>. Having a clear idea before you start your applications of how many schools you\u2019ll be targeting will help you plan and allocate your resources. Please note: By \u201cnumber\u201d I mean roughly; a short range such as \u201cfive or six\u201d is fine.<\/p>\n

A \u201ctypical\u201d applicant would apply to about five or six programs: two to three reasonable reaches, two to three on-pars, and one to two safeties. The rationale for this scenario is that it yields a decent possibility of acceptance at a reach, likelihood of acceptance at an on-par program, and certainty through the safety.<\/p>\n

This typical case doesn\u2019t apply to a lot of people though. Here are some common exceptions:<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>You\u2019re on the older side<\/a>, so getting in this year is essential\u2014next year you will be solidly in EMBA territory. Consider applying to more programs\u2014as many as you can manage.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>You\u2019re fairly young, have a spectacular career and stats, and don\u2019t think it makes sense to take off two years now if it\u2019s not HBS or Stanford. You should apply to those two only, because you can reapply next year if need be without worrying about age.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>The brands you require are all reaches, some reasonable and some almost out of reach. It wouldn\u2019t be worth it to you to attend other programs. Apply to as many as you can that fit your criteria and offer some realistic hope of acceptance to increase the possibility of a hit.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>You are applying with a handicap\u2014a DUI or honor code infraction<\/a>, were fired for cause, etc.\u2014if you write a frank and compelling essay about growing from the situation (and if it didn\u2019t happen yesterday), you should have a shot. But because it\u2019s such an unpredictable factor and adcoms often react defensively, apply to more schools than you otherwise would need to.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>You\u2019re unsettled about geographic region and want to keep options open. Apply to more programs to keep options open.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/span>You\u2019re pressed for time. Maybe you can\u2019t devote more than two hours a week, or maybe you must have all your apps done by a given deadline. Select a number that will allow you to deliver quality, even if it\u2019s fewer than you would normally do under other circumstances.<\/p>\n

Last but not least, this number isn\u2019t written in stone. The application process<\/a> is dynamic, and you are not closing off opportunities by deciding on a number to target now.<\/p>\n

\"Download<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Cindy<\/a> By Cindy Tokumitsu<\/a>, co-author of The Finance Professional\u2019s Guide to MBA Admissions Success<\/a>, and author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her last fifteen years with Accepted.com.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Accepted.com's experienced admissions consultants<\/a> can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages<\/a>, <\/i><\/b>or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs<\/a> to designing a dazzling resume<\/a>, constructing engaging essays<\/a>, or preparing for intense interview<\/a>s<\/a>\u2026and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 \u2013 we know what works and what doesn't, so contact us<\/a> to get started now!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog<\/a>, the official blog of Accepted.com.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“How Many B-Schools Should You Apply To\u201d is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. To download the entire free special…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,6,1,939,775,113,243],"tags":[1048,1029,227,1900,278,12],"class_list":["post-24127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-current-events","category-uncategorized","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-advice-for-mba-applicants","tag-application-strategy","tag-application-tips","tag-applications","tag-mba-application-tips","tag-the-mba-application-process","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24127"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24136,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24127\/revisions\/24136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}