For MBA Applicants, Final-Round Blues

Question

For MBA Applicants, Final-Round Blues

The MBA application process is down to the wire. How competitive will the final round be? Should you wait until next year? Experts weigh in

https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/co ... =rss_daily

Skitalets · Answer

I think I've posted this before, but the adcom reps from Harvard and Kellogg who came to the info sessions in Charlotte in the fall explicitly discouraged people from waiting until R3 to apply, because they know they cannot give you as fair a look as they do candidates in R1 and R2.

Obviously for people who want to join the MBA class of 2011, at this point R3 is all you have going for you. But it is a very tough round -- you really have to make yourself stand out to get an admit.

Jerz · Answer

Must be a slow news day over at BW if they ran an article saying that R3 is ultracompetitive. Just about every admissions director I've heard or school website I've read has strongly encouraged people to apply in earlier rounds, because by the time the final round arrives most of the class has been filled already.

Sure, applying in R3 gives you a slightly higher chance of getting in than not applying at all, but I'd think twice about applying in R3 if I'd have to write a reapplicant essay for class of 2012 saying how my candidacy has improved in the past 5 months.

FN · Answer

i am going to be testing this theory..i am applying R3 to W/H/S

i am confused..are the numbers up or down????

i seriously doubt that a lot of applicants are applying to b-school this year..what are they going to do 2 years out from now??

McDargoiowkel · Answer

What are you going to do 2 years from now?

FN · Answer

i already have a job after I graduate, I am going to join my non-profit full time..

nink · Answer

Seriously?

Are they paying for your MBA then? If not, why would you go that route?

FN · Answer

yeah man, you only live once and this non-profit has become my life passion..so i want to give it my best shot..acquire the skills i need, hopefully attract some fellow students to join me..

Skitalets · Answer

That's pretty admirable, dude!

As far as what we'll be doing 2 years out -- the same thing anyone with an MBA does, for the most part. Wall Street jobs are pretty much gone and hiring is down in other traditional post-MBA functions and industries a bit, but I think it's easy to overstate how bad things are. People are getting jobs. HBS just released a post saying 77% of the Class of 2009 have offers. Talking to people at Fuqua, about 2/3 had offers as of two weeks ago. That is down from past years (which were boom years, not average), and for int'ls I suspect it is harder than for domestic students.

So some folks will move from Wall St ambitions to corporate finance, some people will drop from consulting to GM, etc., but there are still jobs to be had. Have to be smart and set realistic expectations, but it's not like half of every class is going to be unemployed.

lsuguy7 · Answer

I agree - I think we are going to see a different set of goals for people obtaining an MBA. Just try to look at the downturn as a lower opportunity cost for leaving work. If only tuition went down based on the economy we'd be in a great condition.

For MBA Applicants, Final-Round Blues

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