What Order to Prepare Apps In?

Question

Hi all,

I have a question about what order you should do your application, essays, and recommendations in. I understand that you shouldn't do your dream school first, but do you do it last?!?

Say you are applying to the following six schools (chosen arbitrarily to cover various ranges):

1. Wharton
2. Booth
3. Tuck
4. Fuqua
5. UT Austin
6. Georgetown

Now say that Wharton is your dream school, and Booth/Tuck/Fuqua are all target schools that you would LOVE to go to as well. UT and G-town are schools that you are fine with going too, but wold prefer the others.

Stats and backgrounds aside, talking strictly order of preparing essays and such, what do you say?

Do you do Wharton Last? Or do you do it towards the middle?

Do you focus on schools that make your write the most first?

Looking for some guidance! Starting my essay journey and needing some help.

Jamon · Answer

I haven't looked up the deadlines for all of those schools, but I would suggest doing them in the order in which they are due. Wouldn't you feel pretty silly if you turned in an app that isn't due until mid October only to realize you didn't have enough time to finish Booth? Just my two centz

smp5000 · Answer

All of them are in October, with the majority within the first week of October.

With due dates that close together, you won't be starting a new application after submitting one. For example, you won't do Wharton which is due 10/1, then wait until submitting it to start Booth on 10/3. It would serve you better to do the applications and build off of each of them. When you find a new revelation, see if you can apply it to the other apps, etc...

There is enough time to start doing apps, get through one of them and get some feedback, and then start the next app, etc...

That's why I was asking what order to do them in. Obviously I am keeping the deadlines in mind.

But, yes, I wouldn't deserve to get into a top school if I let that happen haha

hamm0 · Answer

Good question.

Start with the schools that are A) not your top choice(s), and B) have a normal set of essays. By normal, I mean schools that ask standard questions like "What career do you want to do and why" or "describe a failure and what you learned from it".

After you finish said essays, save them, and work on other schools. Once you feel your story is airtight, go back and revise anything you've done prior.

Good luck!

Admissionado · Answer

Actually two thoughts.
1. It's a very good idea to start with schools that have more writing first - that way you have done a majority of the essays that you retool.
2. You will find that your second and third applications will be smoother and more well-written than your first - so maybe also think about doing your choice schools a bit later in the process

Of course meeting deadlines trumps all other considerations.

What Order to Prepare Apps In?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards