Round 1 deadlines for a lot of MBA schools are just around the bend. Ok, maybe a slight exagerration, but the time flies by. You'd be surprised at how much time MBA apps take. Compared to the fairly breezy law and med school apps I've seen my friends go through, it's really no comparison.
Most of the tier 1 schools have 1st round deadlines in early-mid October, so if you haven't been moving on it yet, now's the time to start.
1. Take your GMAT if you haven't already (obviously)
Honestly, it's a little late in the game, but if you haven't taken the GMAT yet, you should still be able to squeeze it in in time for round 1. But if you haven't even begun preparing, you're probably better off waiting for round 2 or 3.
2. Figure our your list of schools, if you haven't already
Figuring out the right list can be sort of a crapshoot. You're probably going to balance a lot of 2nd-hand and 3rd-party information to create that initial list. I would suggest keeping your list of schools manageable. One, because each app takes a lot of time. Two, because each app is costly. Most apps cost $200-250. I personally limited my list to 5 schools.
As far as visiting the school, I've known people who've visited schools before to decide whether they wanted to apply. And others who've decided to visit after being accepted to help them decide whether they wanted to attend. There's no wrong answer. Honestly, a lot of times it comes down to logistics. Obviously it's easy to visit a school if it's in your neighborhood, harder if it's across the country.
One thing to keep in mind though is that if you want to do an "official" visit, a lot of schools don't start them until mid-September, so if you want to visit before applying, you're probably going to have to wait for either the round 2 or 3 deadline.
3. Start your essays
This is the most time consuming part of the app process. Most schools require 3-4 essays, and they're usually unique enough where you're not going to be able to verbatim copypasta essays from school to school. You'll be able to carry concepts and bigger ideas over from essay to essay, school to school, but there's a lot of additional editing and writing that goes on.
Also, start thinking about people to review your essays. Ideally, at least two people would look at it. Partly for proofreading, partly for content. One reviewer should have some experience with the MBA app process, as they'll be able to read your essay with an understanding of what schools look for. And the other reviewer should have some creative background. Why? Because your essay isn't like your resume, where you're dryly listing things that happened. Rather, it's also a creative, storytelling opportunity. And people with a creative background (e.g., copywriters, creative directors, speechwriters, etc) will give you a different perspective and ideas.
4. Identify your recommenders, and ask them... NOW!
The people who should recommend you are the people who've worked with you most. Ideally, your supervisors and mentors. And they obviously should be people you have a good relationship with.
Once you decide who you want recommending you, you should ask them ASAP. You're begging for a crappy, rushed reco if you ask them a week or two before the deadline.
I gave my recommenders 2-3 months notice. I knew they wouldn't start early, but at the least, I wanted to plant the seed in their head. Personally, I think people's best thinking just happens subconsciously (are my soft skill preferences peeking through yet? :-P).
Once you've got your recommenders on board, don't leave them in the dark, give them some information about yourself and your application. Put together a one-pager that let's them know things like:
- How you're planning to position yourself in your essays/application
- What work experiences and qualities you want them to highlight
- What studies and interests you're planning to focus on at school
The more you can help frame their thinking, the more cohesive and consistent your recos will be.
Good luck!
-Brian Sim
