Trying to decide if I should apply to B School during Round 3 of this year, or wait until next year and try to get into a stronger program. A big concern of mine is that i'm overestimating the strength of my profile, and will end up waiting a year to attend a school I could've gotten into during Round 3 of this year. Any advice, or considerations about things i'm overlooking/missing would be greatly appreciated! Long story short, my personal situation has changed quite a bit since the start of this application season and I’m no longer concerned about staying close to my current location. Just got accepted to MSU (Broad) after applying in Round 2 (only school I applied to), but now that my options for school are more open I don’t want to commit myself to a program only known for SCM and I don’t think the program is worth attending if I pursue a different field.
Profile: 27 y/o White Male living in the Midwest
GMAT 710 (Q46/V41)
3.6 Undergrad GPA
5 years WE as a Test Engineer working in Product Development at a Fortune 700 company.
Part of my responsibilities includes maintaining/creating relational databases in Access and I have a decent familiarity with VBScript/SQL.
Interested in pursuing a career in data analytics at a tech company (Google/Microsoft/Intel/IBM/etc) after graduation.
Applying Round 3:Considering application deadlines/requirements, as well as schools I would be interested in attending where I think I could get an admit in round 3 – the only B school I would apply to during Round 3 would be Kelley.
Pros: I Like the campus and atmosphere of IU, they also have a fairly strong analytics program and based on the hiring companies from their employment report they attract companies I would be interested in working at after graduation.
Cons: Might be able to attend a stronger program if I wait a year, or receive a much larger scholarship from Kelley if I apply in Round 1 of next year. Would have to apply as a readmit if I don't get in this year.
Round 1 Next Year:Schools I’m interested in applying to next year if I decide to postpone applying until then:
Reach: Berkeley (Haas)
Slight Reach: Michigan (Ross) and UCLA (Anderson)
In Range: Cornell (Johnson) and UNC (Kenan-Flagler)
Safe: IU (Kelley) and Notre Dame (Mendoza)
Pros: Maybe gain admittance to a stronger program next year, and receive better scholarship offers to offset some of the financial burden of a FT MBA. Should be able to move into a senior position at my job around November of this year (hopefully a bit sooner to include in Round 1 applications). More time to round out the rest of my application with more volunteer experience etc.
Cons: Have to wait another ~18 months before starting my MBA, feels like a lot of wasted time as I’m looking to switch industries. Will be 29 when I start the program if I go this route.