Application strategy - Target more or less schools?

Question

What is the best strategy for apply to MBA programs? Would it be better to target 5 highly ranked schools and risk not getting in any where? Or to find more schools further down the list?

I figure the average applicant would have about a 30% chance of getting rejected from ALL programs if they applied to 5 schools from the top 15 or so. If that happens, then they could reapply the following year.

Targeting more schools is safer, but is also more time/money/effort. I'm not sure if it would be as worth it to go to a lower ranked school.

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hey there,

You're asking for a general answer to an incredibly personal question. Every applicant's goals and risk profiles are different. We have some clients who come to us and tell us that if it isn't the top 5, they're not interested in applying because they're happy where they're going. Others want / need a change and have a different conversion goal in mind. They're more risk averse. So the answer to how many schools / what odds you're comfortable with / where to draw that line...well, that's entirely up to you! As for the 30% number you came up with - that varies significantly by applicant too and without knowing much about you other than you work for an analytics firm, it's impossible to say if that number is close to your situation or not.

You should think about what your personal decision tree and risk profile looks like > then go from there!

Bhavik

jz4analytics · Answer

That 30% is what I estimated for the "average" applicant, whatever average happens to be. (That is, assuming an 80% chance of rejection at each of the 5 schools). Do you happen to know what the average applicant would look like? I've seen the stats for the class profiles once  accepted , but I'm not sure how much higher those stats are compared to the rejections.

As for me, I have a 3.3 GPA undergrad in a math major (did better in the major, I think about a 3.6 math GPA) as well as an MS in statistics. I haven't taken the GMAT yet, but before I started studying I took the free online practice test from Vertias and got a 690. I have a lot of time to prepare, am doing a 6 month study plan, and hope to get that up to the mid-700s. I also have some extracurricular leadership experience.

I think the top 5 for me would be a little bit of a reach, but I'd be happy with schools in the 5-15 range. I've been debating if I should also target a school like Georgetown as more of a safety, or if it's better to not go at all next year and reapply if I don't get accepted into the top 15.

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hey there - so there is no "average" applicant. No golden ticket. If you fit the bill in one way, you might not in another. And without a GMAT in hand, it's impossible to tell you your odds. Every little thing factors into your personal chances so those acceptance rates are...pointless. As to whether you should apply to a Georgetown - well, that really depends on if you'd be happy going there. If you wouldn't be, you could be aggressive this year, and then try again the following year but with a bit more of a balanced approach. There are quite a few different approaches!

Application strategy - Target more or less schools?

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