Do I stand a chance in Rd. 3?

Question

Linda, I have realized that getting in another good application in before the round 2 deadline is not possible. Especially since the holidays are right around the corner. I would like your opinion on whether applying in the 3rd round is worthwhile. Would I be throwing my money away? Schools I would still like to apply to are Stanford and/or Duke. I know these are highly selective schools-even more so in the 3rd round. Your honest opinion would be greatly appreciated. So far I have got apps in at Dartmouth, Kellogg and Harvard. 
My profile is below. 


 My profile:  
Age: 29 - Married with 1 child on the way 
Undergrad GPA: 3.82 - B.S. Economics (Weber State University) 
GMAT: 710 (Q: 45 V: 41) 
Areas of Focus: Mgmt. and Finance 
 Professional Work Exp.:  
-2 years management for non-profit organization in southwest U.K. 
-3 years financial manager 10th Air Base Wing (USAF) - budget >$100 million 
 Part-Time Work Experience  
-Teaching Assistant - WSU MBA Quantitative Methods Class 
-Research Analyst - U.K. Parliament 
 Academic/Professional Accomplishments:  
-FBLA national economics competition - 1st place out of more than 100 contestants 
-Golden Key, Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society 
-Hansard Scholar (national award), Wall Street Fellowship Scholar (WSU award) 
-Employee of the Quarter - selected from more than 400 other employees 
-Summer abroad at London School of Economics (3.78 GPA) 

I know this is limited information to base your judgment on, but I am interested in your opinion because your insight so far in my application process has been invaluable. 

Thanks
_________________
Chet

Accepted.com · Answer

I'm assuming that you are a domestic applicant with no visa issues. There is no doubt in my mind that it is harder to get accepted after the January deadlines than before them, but it isn't impossible. Every year applicants are accepted during the third or fourth rounds. EVen if not accepted, a late round application can help your reapplication efforts. In some cases, and I think Duke is among them, the school will give you feedback. In other cases, the school views reapplication as a sign of more serious interest. So if you apply and are rejected, it may still not be money thrown out.

Please see  "Should You Apply Late?" 

Good luck!

chet719 · Answer

Linda, 

I am about to submit my round 2 applications, but I have a question regarding the online portion of the application. When I am describing my responsibilities at my current and past jobs what is a proper format for describing those responsibilities. You can't use bullets points, no carriage returns etc. (doing so causes formatting problems). Would using a semi-colon to separate duties be appropriate? For example,  performed blah blah blah; managed blah blah; lead blah blah.   Or would you suggest writing a paragraph of complete sentences?

I hope this question is clear. Any suggestions on how to appropriately do this would be much appreciated.

Accepted.com · Answer

If this is not the essay portion of the application but the job history boxes, I would use the semi-colon approach.

Good luck!

chet719 · Answer

Linda, thanks for the support while I finished up my round 2 applications. One additional question that has been worrying me a little is my resume format. I submitted my applications already and its a bit too late to stress over this; I put my education first rather than work experience on my resume. Will this be a strike against me?

Accepted.com · Answer

It is a mistake probably, but no school is going to reject you solely because you put education before experience in your resume.

Good luck!

chet719 · Answer

Linda, regarding the resume and the on-line application, what is your opinion on describing job responsibilities for the on-line portion of full-time employment and the resume? Do you think that there should be overlap between your resume and the on-line portion, or do you think that the comments made on your resume should be completely different from the online sections?

To be honest, I don't understand why schools like HBS and Tuck have you describe your job responsiblities and accomplishments in the on-line portion and then have you submit a resume as well. What is the purpose?

Thanks

Accepted.com · Answer

Frankly, I am not sure why schools ask for a resume and an online job history. I would expect overlap, however.

Good luck!

chet719 · Answer

Linda, I noticed that Tuck has begun to call the "admits" for round 2 today. The decision deadline is the 1st of Feb. I have read posts on the BW forum that make it sound as if I don't recieve a call today then I may as well give up hope on being admitted. What are your thoughts on how long I should keep my fingers crossed...realistically.

Accepted.com · Answer

Feb. 1.

Do I stand a chance in Rd. 3?

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