abansal1805 wrote:
I recently graduated (May 2017) from Boston University Questrom School of Business where I pursued a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. I concentrated in Accounting and Finance and also got a minor in Economics. I am looking forward to applying for the Post Graduate Program (PGP) with the Early Entry Option (EEP) at ISB.
I have been prepping for GMAT for the last 40-45 days and my score currently ranges from 600-640 based on Princeton Review's CAT. The deadline for Stage 1 for the EEP is October 15th, 2017. This gives me a month at best to prepare for my GMAT. I am hence undecided if I should pursue my GMAT before this deadline and apply during the 1st Stage or if I should wait till the 2nd Stage, with the deadline on 15th January, and strengthen my GMAT foundations.
What do you suggest my strategy regarding this should be? Does it make a significant difference in application success between Stage 1 and Stage 2?
Thank you for your response.
Hello,
Although it is usually recommended that you apply in Round 1, it is always better to defer to Round 2 if your application isn't complete.
You are an EEO candidate, a 700+ GMAT score is highly recommended, since you don't have any substantial work experience to make up for a lower GMAT score.
Round 2 does see more applicants than Round 1, but that is not a significant enough reason to apply earlier. You should not rush into applying in Round 1, unless you have a strong GMAT score to back you up.
In my personal opinion, Round 2 is probably better for you because -
1. Enough time to get a better GMAT score
2. Get a couple of months of more work experience, to have more matter for your essays
3. Enough time to work on the essays without the GMAT sword hanging over your head
However, if you are confident that you can get a strong GMAT score AND do a great job with the essays before the R1 deadline, then by all means, please go for it.