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It's the time of year when I start having the "Round 2 conversation" a lot with individual clients, so I thought I'd once again take it out wide.
Many schools push candidates to apply in Round 1, so the prevailing belief is that Round 1 is the best round in which to apply to business school. However, for reasons you might not have considered, Round 2 can offer some advantages. So, let's quickly run this down.
First, why You Hear So Much Hype About Round 1:
Let's start with understanding where the "Round 1" drumbeat comes from. If it's not actually the superior round, why does it seem so (and in such a convincing way)?
1. WELL, FOR STARTERS, BUSINESS SCHOOLS ARE OUT THERE BANGING THAT DRUM.
Nobody who works in admissions is immune to the “top-down” pressures of the numbers game. I don't blame them for this at all, but candidates need to understand that when admissions officers are standing in front of a group of people in May or July or August and talking about applications, they pretty much have one "most important job" at that point - get those people to become applicants.
I've worked in an admissions office, and I've been to the conferences, so I know this world. Every year a mandate slithers down from the Board of the university down to the deans down to the individual offices and it goes like this: "More of the good stuff, less of the bad." For admissions, that often means a higher yield rate (more people saying yes to you), lower acceptance (therefore more selective), higher average GMAT and GPA, and, yes, more applications. Indeed, the applications are the key to a lot of the math, certainly for the acceptance rate. If apps go up and # of admitted stays constant, voila, your acceptance rate is lower, you are more selective, and everyone is happy. So when you hear an admissions officer say, "Round 1 is the best round to apply" ... and it's before Round 1's deadline ... be sure to take it with a grain of salt. Because I would bet my favorite shirt that if you went to that same info session in November, they would say that Round 2 is the best round to apply. Because it's the next one where they can get your application.
Before these admissions officers can build a class and become curators and gatekeepers, they have to sell and they have to get apps in the door. Just remember that, and don't bite too hard on the "yes, yes, Round 1!" talk.
2. MBA APPLICANTS ALSO INCREASE THIS SENSATION.
This is because many of the most Type A, driven, neurotic, passionate, and otherwise on-the-ball people are all out in front, starting early, cranking away, etc. And those are often the same people on message boards, talking at cocktail parties, and otherwise fanning the flames. So this is often a feedback loop of everyone telling each other (and therefore themselves) that something is true.
3. THERE ARE ALSO A HANDFUL OF PLACES WHERE IT IS INDEED BENEFICIAL.
I would include any program with "early decision" rounds or some small programs like Tuck or Haas. Because there are a few places where it can help a bit to apply in the earliest round, the partial, situational truth can sometimes explode into a universal truth.
Why Round 2 Might Offer a Slight Advantage:
For years, I have felt strongly that other than the handful of schools where early application windows do seem to matter, there is no real difference between Round 1 and Round 2. I mostly still feel that way, but it's shifting every so slightly ... in favor of Round 2, believe it or not.
1. FEWER ELITE CANDIDATES COMPETING WITH YOU.
There is no report stating this, but my own anecdotal evidence (from over a decade of admissions consulting experiences) indicates more "elite" applicants swarm Round 1. So, deduction might indicate that you can stand out a bit more in Round 2. And note that at many schools, Round 2 features a higher raw number of apps, so you actually get this nice dynamic (for you, the elite candidate) where readers are sifting through more weak candidates to get to each great one. This creates more of an emotional response to the good ones - an "oh, sweet, finally a great applicant" feel.
2. BETTER ACCESS TO THE ELITE CONSULTANTS.
I know for me personally, my client roster quickly fills up each year for Round 1. This is pretty common across the industry. If you wait until two months to go before Rd. 1 deadlines, most top admissions consultants will be full. Round 2 is different; it doesn't fill up early. Part of this is simple math - there is about an eight-month lead up to Round 1, whereas all of the Round 2 "buying and selling" in the admissions consulting world is jammed into about a month or two. Plus, as indicated above, it is my belief that there are fewer hard-chargers in the Round 2 pool, so therefore fewer people looking to spend top dollar to really increase their chances. All of this can really open up pathways for someone willing to wait a beat, let the crowds swarm past them, and then go have their pick.
3. DISPLAY OF CONFIDENCE.
Over the last few years, more and more of my HBS clients are getting in during Round 2. Honestly, I think it's in part because it shows a really assured attitude. It's almost "I don't need to scramble around like a maniac for your increasingly insanely early deadline. I'll lay back. I'm good." And I truly believe that confidence gets rewarded. Again, I can't prove it, so I'm not going to tell all of my HBS clients to NOT apply Round 1 ... but there is an argument to be made for waiting.
All told, we're not talking about a radical shift here, but if you really add up all the pros and cons of Round 1 vs. Round 2... I do believe that in some cases, Round 2 comes out ahead.
If you're interested in learning more or want to discuss your MBA candidacy, feel free to reach out using the following link to schedule a free initial MBA admission consultation: https://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact
Drew Hoff
Amerasia Consulting Group
Director of Admissions Consulting
My Bio:
I was one of the first consultants added to the Amerasia Consulting Group roster in 2011, largely on the strength of my diverse and unique admissions experiences. Over the last decade, I have coached hundreds of MBA candidates to build essays and applications that have helped them earn countless admits, and millions in scholarships, at the top MBA programs across the U.S. and Europe.
I hold multiple degrees from Pepperdine University, where I also gained hands-on experience in both undergraduate and business school admissions. In addition to my admissions experience, l ran a multi-national project team for consumer products giant Nike, Inc. This international perspective made me particularly adept at helping MBA candidates both from the U.S. and across the globe find their voice and shape their essays in a way that is both true to themselves, but also 'reader friendly' for admissions officers. My unique consulting strength is honing in on a school's DNA and guiding my clients to become ideal candidates for their desired programs.
Contact me directly at dhoff@amerasiaconsulting.com
Many schools push candidates to apply in Round 1, so the prevailing belief is that Round 1 is the best round in which to apply to business school. However, for reasons you might not have considered, Round 2 can offer some advantages. So, let's quickly run this down.
First, why You Hear So Much Hype About Round 1:
Let's start with understanding where the "Round 1" drumbeat comes from. If it's not actually the superior round, why does it seem so (and in such a convincing way)?
1. WELL, FOR STARTERS, BUSINESS SCHOOLS ARE OUT THERE BANGING THAT DRUM.
Nobody who works in admissions is immune to the “top-down” pressures of the numbers game. I don't blame them for this at all, but candidates need to understand that when admissions officers are standing in front of a group of people in May or July or August and talking about applications, they pretty much have one "most important job" at that point - get those people to become applicants.
I've worked in an admissions office, and I've been to the conferences, so I know this world. Every year a mandate slithers down from the Board of the university down to the deans down to the individual offices and it goes like this: "More of the good stuff, less of the bad." For admissions, that often means a higher yield rate (more people saying yes to you), lower acceptance (therefore more selective), higher average GMAT and GPA, and, yes, more applications. Indeed, the applications are the key to a lot of the math, certainly for the acceptance rate. If apps go up and # of admitted stays constant, voila, your acceptance rate is lower, you are more selective, and everyone is happy. So when you hear an admissions officer say, "Round 1 is the best round to apply" ... and it's before Round 1's deadline ... be sure to take it with a grain of salt. Because I would bet my favorite shirt that if you went to that same info session in November, they would say that Round 2 is the best round to apply. Because it's the next one where they can get your application.
Before these admissions officers can build a class and become curators and gatekeepers, they have to sell and they have to get apps in the door. Just remember that, and don't bite too hard on the "yes, yes, Round 1!" talk.
2. MBA APPLICANTS ALSO INCREASE THIS SENSATION.
This is because many of the most Type A, driven, neurotic, passionate, and otherwise on-the-ball people are all out in front, starting early, cranking away, etc. And those are often the same people on message boards, talking at cocktail parties, and otherwise fanning the flames. So this is often a feedback loop of everyone telling each other (and therefore themselves) that something is true.
3. THERE ARE ALSO A HANDFUL OF PLACES WHERE IT IS INDEED BENEFICIAL.
I would include any program with "early decision" rounds or some small programs like Tuck or Haas. Because there are a few places where it can help a bit to apply in the earliest round, the partial, situational truth can sometimes explode into a universal truth.
Why Round 2 Might Offer a Slight Advantage:
For years, I have felt strongly that other than the handful of schools where early application windows do seem to matter, there is no real difference between Round 1 and Round 2. I mostly still feel that way, but it's shifting every so slightly ... in favor of Round 2, believe it or not.
1. FEWER ELITE CANDIDATES COMPETING WITH YOU.
There is no report stating this, but my own anecdotal evidence (from over a decade of admissions consulting experiences) indicates more "elite" applicants swarm Round 1. So, deduction might indicate that you can stand out a bit more in Round 2. And note that at many schools, Round 2 features a higher raw number of apps, so you actually get this nice dynamic (for you, the elite candidate) where readers are sifting through more weak candidates to get to each great one. This creates more of an emotional response to the good ones - an "oh, sweet, finally a great applicant" feel.
2. BETTER ACCESS TO THE ELITE CONSULTANTS.
I know for me personally, my client roster quickly fills up each year for Round 1. This is pretty common across the industry. If you wait until two months to go before Rd. 1 deadlines, most top admissions consultants will be full. Round 2 is different; it doesn't fill up early. Part of this is simple math - there is about an eight-month lead up to Round 1, whereas all of the Round 2 "buying and selling" in the admissions consulting world is jammed into about a month or two. Plus, as indicated above, it is my belief that there are fewer hard-chargers in the Round 2 pool, so therefore fewer people looking to spend top dollar to really increase their chances. All of this can really open up pathways for someone willing to wait a beat, let the crowds swarm past them, and then go have their pick.
3. DISPLAY OF CONFIDENCE.
Over the last few years, more and more of my HBS clients are getting in during Round 2. Honestly, I think it's in part because it shows a really assured attitude. It's almost "I don't need to scramble around like a maniac for your increasingly insanely early deadline. I'll lay back. I'm good." And I truly believe that confidence gets rewarded. Again, I can't prove it, so I'm not going to tell all of my HBS clients to NOT apply Round 1 ... but there is an argument to be made for waiting.
All told, we're not talking about a radical shift here, but if you really add up all the pros and cons of Round 1 vs. Round 2... I do believe that in some cases, Round 2 comes out ahead.
If you're interested in learning more or want to discuss your MBA candidacy, feel free to reach out using the following link to schedule a free initial MBA admission consultation: https://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact
Drew Hoff
Amerasia Consulting Group
Director of Admissions Consulting
My Bio:
I was one of the first consultants added to the Amerasia Consulting Group roster in 2011, largely on the strength of my diverse and unique admissions experiences. Over the last decade, I have coached hundreds of MBA candidates to build essays and applications that have helped them earn countless admits, and millions in scholarships, at the top MBA programs across the U.S. and Europe.
I hold multiple degrees from Pepperdine University, where I also gained hands-on experience in both undergraduate and business school admissions. In addition to my admissions experience, l ran a multi-national project team for consumer products giant Nike, Inc. This international perspective made me particularly adept at helping MBA candidates both from the U.S. and across the globe find their voice and shape their essays in a way that is both true to themselves, but also 'reader friendly' for admissions officers. My unique consulting strength is honing in on a school's DNA and guiding my clients to become ideal candidates for their desired programs.
Contact me directly at dhoff@amerasiaconsulting.com
