Submitting MBA Applications in Twelve Months

Check out any blogs or articles these days and everything is focused on those candidates that just hit the submit button on their applications with hopes of starting business school in the fall. But are you a year away, planning to apply to business school next fall/ winter? It’s time to turn up the dial on the “MBA channel” if you want to start school the following year in 2014. While it seems far off, eighteen months is going to fly by. You have less than twelve months until your applications are due (if you are applying in the second application round).

Here are the four phases to the application process (the phases may overlap, particularly the first two):

Phase 1: Understand the application process and components (2 months)

The first thing you want to do is understand how the MBA application process works and learn about each components of the application, such as GMAT, transcripts, essays, recommendations and interview. You also want to assess where you stand – what will be your strengths in the application process? Where will you struggle?

Top Priority: Preparing for the GMAT (while the GMAT is not the most important component of the application is it the most time consuming and impacts your school selection, so start as early as possible)

Phase 2: Strengthen your profile and story (5 months)

After you understand the application process, it’s time to start strengthening your profile and developing your MBA story. Basically you want to have the strong professional and leadership examples and you want to have evidence that you can handle the academic and quantitative rigor of an MBA program.

Top Priority: Doing well at work (you want really strong recommendations)

Other Priorities: GMAT, defining your career goals and how an MBA supports achieve them, school research

Phase 3: Build your network and brand (3-4 months)

Throughout the process, you should network with as many people as possible who have their MBA degrees and professionals who work in the industries that you are interested in pursuing after business school. But phase three is where your main relationship management occurs, largely because business schools tend to hold most of their networking events between August and November. You want to use these events to learn more about your target schools and how to strengthen your application.

Top Priority: Relationship Management

Other Priorities: GMAT (if you aren’t finished yet), school research

Phase 4: Draft your application (2-3 months)

Finally, you have to put your application together. You have already spent time strengthening your story and profile and on relationship management, so in this phase focus on presenting cohesive, high-quality, and error-free applications.

Top Priority: Essays

Other Priorities: Every other component of the application