I agree that April or May would be a good time to take the GMAT. The time for you to finish submitting your applications will be primarily between October and January, although this year Harvard's round 1 deadline was at the end of September. Round 3 is a last resort, since most of the incoming class will have been selected by that point, leaving few seats available for late applicants.
Much of your preparation will concern the GMAT, but you should also take steps to show leadership at work and win the favor of your supervisor(s). You will likely need a recommendation from him/her/them. You should also take time to reflect on challenges and victories you've had. These experiences will serve as the bases for your essays. If you have not had significant challenges or victories, you should spend the next few months seeking them out! Finally, you have enough time to address any imbalances in your profile. If you are not involved with an activity outside of work, get involved! It doesn't have to be community service-related, although volunteering tends to look good. It can be an activity that is a personal passion of yours, such as playing cricket. Perhaps you could organize a cricket tournament. Even better, you could organize a kids' cricket tournament for charity.
In short, look for opportunities to make yourself more amazing over the coming year. It can be done!
And, of course, make sure to read all about the career opportunities available to MBA graduates and identify which of these appeal to you. It will be important that you have clearly defined, achievable goals. You will need to describe these succinctly in essays and interviews. Identify which schools will help you achieve those goals.
Oh, and you can get GMAT Prep software at mba.com for free just by registering. You can get the old version of the software (for double the prep material) using
this torrent.
Good luck!
NonYankee
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