Your Round 1 MBA Timeline: Explained
Updated: 9 minutes ago
Applying to business school is time consuming, and a major commitment. That's why we always tell applicants to start early. If you're a Round 1 applicant, ideally begin the application process 12-18 months before the deadline for your target program. And to help you plan ahead, we're going to show you how.
12-18 months before your deadline
GMAT/GRE
Most schools accept the GMAT and GRE tests for their full-time MBA programs, with some also accepting the Executive Assessment. While test scores aren’t the only factor in admissions, they can help demonstrate your readiness for business school and may balance out a lower GPA, as both are considered together when evaluating your application. These tests are also counted as a factor in schools’ official rankings, so an exceptional GMAT score can significantly boost your application and scholarship chances.
Typically, business schools don’t prefer one test over the other, but in our experience, the GMAT is the stronger indicator of your ability to thrive during the MBA, given that it was designed specifically for business school. Our advice: take the GMAT first. Give yourself enough time to prepare, and consider hiring a GMAT tutor. If you find that you still aren’t getting the results you need, consider switching to the GRE. That’s not to say that the GRE is easier! While it has a different format and adaptive style, it tests the same skills. You may want to start by taking a mock test for both and seeing which exam feels more comfortable and gives you a better score. Check out our in-house GMAT tutor Rowan Hand’s insights on how to choose which test to take.
So, when should you start preparing to take the GMAT/GRE? We recommend completing the GMAT exam as early as possible. Schools accept GMAT scores that are up to five years old.
One of our clients, Suma, who got admitted to Harvard Business School’s Class of 2026, has this advice for MBA applicants:
“If you think you're going to apply for an MBA within five years of graduating from college, take the GMAT. It will make your life easier. For example, I had a lighter course load in my senior year which helped me prep for the GMAT.”
Suma also advises applicants who are "on the fence" about business school during the early years of their career to operate under the assumption that they will go, and make decisions accordingly. She's glad she got the GMAT out of the way when she was at her academic “peak” in college, when analytical concepts and test-taking strategies were fresh in her mind. This strategy allowed her to her focus on other parts of her application when she actually started applying. Of course, you can retake the exam later if you choose, but securing an initial score early will help benchmark yourself and choose realistic schools.
Applicants typically spend 2-4 months weeks preparing for their GMAT and taking the test. At the extremes, some do it in 2 weeks, others do it in 6 months. It's not easy to juggle GMAT prep at the same time as your full-time job, MBA application, recommenders, and resume drafting, so we generally advise applicants to focus on the GMAT/GRE/EA first, and write applications afterwards.
Profile-building
Around the same time (12-18 months before your deadline), consider what you can change in your career and personal life to strengthen your candidacy.
Additional classes: If you feel that your test score (particularly the quantitative section) or undergraduate GPA isn't quite up to par for your dream school, you might want to consider taking some extra courses. Programs like MBA Math, Harvard Business School’s Online CORe, or online business courses offered by top schools could be great options. These courses not only help boost your skills, but they can also strengthen your application, especially if your undergraduate studies didn’t have much of a quant focus.
Extracurriculars: Extracurricular activities are a great way to showcase your personality and leadership skills in your MBA application, especially if you don’t have much management responsibility at work. They allow you to highlight what you’re really passionate about beyond your GMAT scores, grades, and work experience. At the same time, schools want to know how you'll contribute to campus life – how you'll get involved in clubs, student groups, or build meaningful connections with your peers. They don’t want someone whose only time outside of class is their commute to and from campus! A well-rounded application includes extracurriculars that demonstrate your engagement with others and the values you prioritize.
That’s why, at SWC, we always strive to connect your extracurricular activities to the overall narrative of your application. If you don’t have many meaningful extracurriculars in your profile, it’s best to get started early - around 12-18 months before you intend to apply. Here are a few ways you can start building extracurriculars into your profile:
Look for opportunities within your workplace. You could join or start initiatives related to hiring, corporate social responsibility (CSR) like leading charity events or sustainability initiatives, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Consider joining an employee resource group (ERG) and get involved in organizing events like fundraisers or community drives.
Take a proactive role in improving your organization's policies, such as advocating for fair hiring practices or labor conditions.
Step-up in leadership roles within any activities you're already involved in. For instance, if you're mentoring or training new colleagues, turn it into an official program under your leadership. Or if you're involved in alumni recruitment, consider taking a leadership role and offering mentorship or interview coaching to students.
Create a website, LinkedIn page, or social media profile to document your activities, formalize your work, and show the impact you've made.
Find a community initiative that resonates with your values, like mutual aid projects or getting involved in local politics, to show your commitment to giving back to the communities you exist in.
Take up a sport you enjoy, and focus on what you learn from the experience. A team sport is a particularly good way to show your teamwork and collaboration skills.
We love this quote from our client Arno, who got admitted to Duke Fuqua MBA with a $40k scholarship:
“I would say that you should get involved in your local community as much as you can. It’s important to display strong leadership skills from an early age, like your early twenties, once you graduate and you're in a new corporate job. And definitely focus on diversity, community, and leadership.
Don't just be doing one thing. Pick multiple things and be good at all of them! Try something different, something that's going to make you unique.”
Career Goals: Spend some time thinking about your career goals, and how you’re working towards them. It's still early in the process, so you don't need to have your career goals finalized at this stage, but it’s good to start thinking about the outcomes of your MBA program. That’s because your career goals will go hand-in-hand with your school research; Naturally, you'll focus your research on programs that have strong recruitment pipelines and recruitment outcomes in your target industry.
January - May 2025
Research
For your Round 1 applications, January to May is typically spent doing school research. When researching schools for your MBA, we advise applicants to consider the following:
Academic curriculum: Does the curriculum match your career aspirations? Some students may prefer flexible concentrations, while others may be looking forward to working with specific faculty members. Some programs have strong international study opportunities, which could be important depending on your goals.
Career goals: You already started thinking about your career goals. Now that your goals are shaping up, examine the post-graduation employment statistics for different schools. Review career services and recruitment data to get a sense of how well the school supports students in finding post-MBA jobs.
School culture: Do you prefer a smaller, close-knit class or a larger cohort? How does the campus diversity factor into your decision? Is it known for being a more social, “party” school, or a relatively quiet school tucked away far from the city? How active is its student community, and does the school offer clubs, events, and activities that align with your personal and professional interests?
Geography and brand: Consider the location and brand of the school; this could affect your MBA experience and cultural exposure, your post-MBA prospects, and your network.
Personal circumstances: Do you want to live closer to family? Do you plan on bringing your partner with you, and how involved are families with the MBA program? Consider any personal factors that may influence your choice.
Where can you find all this information?
First, start with school websites to gather key information about the program, its employment reports, and what they’re looking for in an MBA candidate. You could also follow the institutions on social media for updates and insights. But while online research is a great starting point, it’s not enough. You’ll want to have one-on-one conversations with current students and alumni. Reach out to people in the school’s community, like students, alumni, and staff on online forums like Reddit (we love r/mba so much, we roast profiles there every week!), GMATClub, or Discord, as well as through more formal networking sites like LinkedIn.
First, check if you have any mutual connections to get an introduction. If you don’t, that’s okay! A well-crafted, polite cold reach out works wonders. Ask them about the application process, the school’s culture, and the resources available to students.
Our former client, Pragya, who got admitted to the Cornell Tech MBA, advises:
“Choose your schools wisely… think about whether the school is right for your specific goals. It won’t help you to just go through the website or program brochure. You’ll need to connect with current students or recent alumni. And when you do reach out to alumni on LinkedIn or other social media sites, write a personalized note. No one will accept your request otherwise! Tailor it to their background and present yourself to them the way you would present yourself to the AdCom.”
As a nice bonus, this is also a great way to start building your network in your target industry before the MBA!
Raveena, who got admitted to Wharton with a whopping $160,000 in scholarships, emphasized the importance of being proactive with networking during our interview:
“The network is there for you to use, but it is your prerogative how you use it. They won’t be serving it to you on a platter. You need to be proactive and reach out.”
At this stage in the application process, you’ve now researched and spoken with people at multiple business schools and narrowed down your list. This probably includes a mix of “reach” schools, target schools, and shoo-ins. It’s crucial to note the key submission deadlines, so take some time to plan and prioritize schools.
April - May 2025
Hire a Consultant
If it’s your first time applying to MBA programs, or if you’re a reapplicant looking to strengthen your candidacy, you may want to consider hiring an MBA admissions consultant. Your consultant will offer strategic advice throughout the application process, refine your application goals, help you draft and redraft your essays and resumes, host mock interviews, and even negotiate scholarships.
Start looking for an admissions consultant around April or May. This gives you plenty of time to talk to different consultants to find the right fit, work on your applications together, and have them ready for submission by August-September, including any additional schools.
When selecting your consultant, keep in mind that they should be able to work with your schedule (including your time zone and working hours), that they are transparent about their process and their expectations, and that they are someone you'll feel comfortable opening up to. Your MBA application will require you to share personal stories and vulnerabilities, so your consultant should really be someone you can trust and communicate easily with.
At SWC, we offer a variety of options to suit your budget, time zone, and preferences – whether it’s a one-off session for a quick sanity check, hourly packages for added flexibility, or a full package for unlimited support.
Here’s what Mahesh, a healthcare entrepreneur who landed an $80,000 scholarship to the Georgetown McDonough MBA, had to say:
“It’s important to invest in a good consultant. I got a sizable scholarship with Sam’s help, so I don’t see my consulting bill as an expense. A consultant will talk to you and constantly check on you, almost like a therapist. Once you start applying, you develop an imposter syndrome of sorts when you see other people getting into big schools like Harvard with scholarships, and you’re over here not even getting an interview. You know that you have an amazing story and application, but you’re not getting through and that beats you down. You’ll need someone to talk to; someone who has been in your shoes, has worked with multiple people and can help you think productively about next steps like waitlist updates, planning your next applications, or just keeping your vision forward-looking.
Sam checks in regularly and asks for updates. That gives you the nudge you need to continue working on your application. Even when I was waitlisted.”
April - June 2025
From April to June, it's time to build your MBA resume and brainstorm your application narrative.
Resume
Unlike a professional resume, which focuses on your skills and qualifications for a specific job, your MBA resume should showcase your community contribution and leadership potential. Business schools want to know how you’ve made an impact in your professional roles, demonstrated leadership, worked with teams, and contributed to the community. They’re interested in you as a whole person, not just your career achievements.
That’s why it won’t help your application to simply re-submit your job resume. You must show that you have the skills and drive to succeed in an MBA program and beyond. Here are 10 easy steps to adapt your work resume for your MBA applications.
Make sure to follow any specific resume guidelines given by the schools you’re applying to. Schools often have detailed requirements on how to format your resume, so always check the instructions carefully.
Next, develop the content of your resume: think about what top business schools are looking for: strong leadership, the ability to collaborate, and a passion for making an impact. Like we say in this blog about how to sell your work experience for a standout resume, be bold and loud about your impact in every role, using numbers wherever possible.
Brainstorm your application narrative
This is also the time when when you should start brainstorming your career narrative for your essays.
The Brainstorm course on MBAconsultant.com has everything you need to prepare your application narrative and lay the groundwork for your essays.For a strong narrative, you will need to clearly outline your personal story, career goals, motivations for doing an MBA, the personal and professional experiences that have shaped you, and why you have chosen that particular school.
Your personal story is one of the most important elements of your application. Business schools want to understand who you are, what drives you, and how your past experiences have shaped your future goals. Don’t rush this; building a narrative requires identifying the vulnerabilities, failures, and life experiences that have shaped you, not just your achievements and strengths.
All schools want to see that you’ll thrive in their program and contribute to it. That’s why they look for candidates with unique stories and skills. And they test this in their essays and interviews. They may ask you about times when you faced specific challenges, stood up as a leader, your achievements, teamwork, your commitment to diversity, and your failures. The key here is to craft stories that are authentic and impactful, using a clear structure like the SCAR framework to write them.
Situation: Set the context—where did the story take place? Who was involved?
Challenge: Describe the issue or challenge you faced.
Action: Explain what you did to overcome the challenge.
Result: What was the outcome? Quantify your success where possible.
Analysis: What did you learn, and how did it shape you?
Business schools want to know not only what your goals are after completing the MBA, but also why they matter to you. Be clear about your short-term goals, backup plan, and long-term goals. Also consider what actions you will take between now and business school to move toward these goals.
To make your narrative more compelling, connect the lessons you’ve learned in your career to the goals you want to achieve. This creates a natural flow between your past experiences, current work, and future aspirations to show the value you’ll bring to the MBA program.
Our client Matheus, who got admitted to the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, emphasizes the importance of going through the narrative-building process in a thorough and organized way:
“Giving yourself enough time to create a strong narrative also gives you a head start when it comes to interviewing. So when you're asked about your motivations in your MBA interview, you've spent a lot of time with your consultant preparing those stories.”
June - August 2025
Essays
Around this time, you’ll start writing your school essays.
Every business school asks a different set of essay questions, but they all want to understand your values and vision, and to understand what you'll contribute to their MBA cohort. These essay questions may change with every application year, so make sure you log in to the portal and check the prompts, word limits, instructions, and any other information you need to provide.
Here’s how our essay writing process works with Sam Weeks Consulting:
Step 1: We'll use your brainstorm narrative to build a framework
Step 2: Expand the framework into your first draft
Step 3: Iterate, taking input from other consultants in the team
Step 4: Finally, we'll trim your draft into the word limit and do a final review
Our School Guides have essay questions and analysis for 25+ top business schools. And if you want real examples of essays written by previous successful applicants, MBAconsultant.com has you covered.
Letters of Recommendation
It can be tempting to ask for recommendations from someone with a super senior title at your workplace, like the CEO. However, if they haven’t directly worked with you in the trenches, this decision might actually end up hurting your application. Your recommender should be someone who has worked closely with you, like a direct manager or supervisor. That’s because your recommender will need to give the admissions committee valuable insight into your character, work ethic, and potential as a future leader, so it needs to be someone who knows you well.
Be sure that your recommenders understand your application timeline and how much work is involved in writing the letter. You might want to give them a light framework with bullet points as guidance, if needed. Make sure they know exactly how many schools you’re applying to in each round, to ensure that they don’t get fatigued and drop out midway through the process.
Here’s what a good recommendation letter includes:
Establishing the recommender’s credibility and how long they have worked with you.
Focusing on your past achievements and quality of your work, backed up by specific examples. Admissions teams may not be familiar with the specifics of your industry, especially if it’s unconventional, so it’s important to highlight any standout accomplishments. For instance, if you were promoted earlier than usual, your recommender should mention this, as it gives context to your progress and benchmarks you against your peers.
Any constructive feedback that shows that you’re open to feedback and committed to growing as a person, backed up by a strong example from the workplace.
August - October 2025
Hit Submit
When August comes around, you should be ready to finalize and submit your Round 1 MBA applications. Your application forms will include some basic biographical and demographic information, employment information, fields for extracurricular activities and academics, and some short-answer questions. Don’t overlook any part of the form; some questions may be optional, but the more information you provide the school with, the better.
It’s best to submit your applications a few days before the deadlines, if possible. Adcoms can see your submission date, so it's a good look to appear organized. This also minimizes the chances of being impacted by last-minute technical issues in the school application portals (which occurs surprisingly often).
Some applicants plan to apply to their reach schools in Round 1 and save a few safety schools for Round 2, but we don't recommend this. We advise applicants to apply to all of their target schools in the same, round, if possible. The main reason for this is that by receiving all your offers at the same time, you are better positioned to negotiate scholarships.
In our experience, it’s best to apply in earlier rounds, given that they have the most seats and scholarships available. Round 3 is known as the diversity round. If you have a traditional background, belong to an over-represented group, or if you’re an international applicant who has to consider Visa processing timelines, Round 3 may not be the best round to apply in.
Ultimately, you should submit in the Round you feel your application is the strongest in.
October 2025
Rest
Now that you’ve submitted your applications, pat yourself on the back! It’s been a stressful few months. Take some time off to thank your recommenders, catch up with neglected family and friends, and rest. Between application submissions and interview notifications, you’ll have some more time to unwind.
November - December 2025
Interviews
Many business schools release their interview notifications on a rolling basis. That means that as applications come in, the AdCom reviews them and offers an interview, and there is no one interview notification date.
For other schools, Round 1 interview notifications are typically released in mid-October through to December. Some Early Action Round notifications may also be sent out earlier. See the list of interview notification dates below:
School | R1 Interview Decisions |
HBS | September 30 2024 |
Stanford | Late September to Mid-November 2024 |
Wharton | October 24 2024 |
Kellogg | Mid-October 2024 |
Booth | Mid-October 2024 |
Columbia | By 15 November 2024 |
NYU Stern | 1 December 2024 |
MIT Sloan | End-October 2024 |
Yale SOM | Rolling |
Duke Fuqua | By 18 November 2024 |
Berkeley Haas | Mid-October 2024 |
UVA Darden | Rolling |
Oxford SBS | September-October 2024 |
Cambridge Judge | 30 September - 14 October 2024 |
LBS | Mid-October to early-November 2024 |
INSEAD | 11 October 2024 |
IESE | 9 October 2024 |
Michigan Ross | Mid-October 2024 |
Yale SOM | Rolling |
Virginia Darden | Rolling |
UCLA Anderson | Mid-October to December 2024 |
Cornell Johnson | Early October to early November 2024 |
NYU Stern | October to December 2024 |
CMU Tepper | October to December 2024 |
UT McCombs | Optional, Mid-October to December 2024 |
Emory Goizueta | Mid-October to December 2024 |
Georgetown | Mid-October to December 2024 |
USC Marshall | Mid-October to December 2024 |
UNC Kenan Flagler | Mid-October to December 2024 |
UW Foster | Rolling |
Vanderbilt Owen | Mid-October to December 2024 |
Indiana Kelley | Mid-October to December 2024 |
ND Mendoza | October to November 2024 |
Wash U Olin | October to November 2024 |
HEC Paris | Rolling |
Rotman | Rolling |
Just like with the written part of your application, you should start your interview prep early, when the application is still fresh in your mind.
For our client Suma, the narrative-building process early on in the application cycle really helped her manage her interview anxiety.
“The waiting period between submitting your application and waiting for interview invites can be really brutal. Especially if you get waitlisted.”
By starting early in Round 1 and working together with Sam, she had full drafts of all of her school essays by June, when many other applicants start writing their application essays in July-August. She was a full 4-5 months ahead, which made the interview prep more manageable.
The MBA interview can make or break your admissions chances, so make sure you research your interviewer(s) beforehand, practice behavioral and motivational questions, and schedule mock interviews with your consultant/ mentor.
Here are some of our popular interview guides:
Scholarships
Scholarships offered by business schools are huge, ranging from $10,000 to full-ride scholarships with stipends worth over $200,000. So it's crucial to consider which scholarships are available to you. Many external organizations offer merit-based or minority scholarships that partially or fully cover your MBA tuition.
Use this time in your application process to thoroughly research and apply for scholarships you are eligible for, and remember to check deadlines for each; many of them are sooner than you think.
External and minority scholarships include the Forte Foundation Scholarship For Women Candidates, Forté Fellowship, Reaching out MBA LGBTQ+ Fellowships, Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme, Laidlaw Scholars Program.
Decisions
Here are the application deadlines and results dates for MBA applications to top business schools in Europe, the US and Canada in the 2024-2025 application cycle.
Your application decision will be one of 3 outcomes: acceptance, waitlist, or rejection.
If you've been admitted to your target MBA program, congratulations! Now you can begin preparing for your MBA and negotiating your offers.
If you've been waitlisted, all is not lost! The school likes you; your profile may just not meet their diversity targets, the school might have received more competitive applications that round, or you may have underperformed in the interview. Here are 5 things you can do to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist.
If you've been rejected, it's not a death sentence. Sit with your consultant or a mentor to do a ding analysis of what could have gone wrong and prepare to apply to more schools in Round 2.
Gearing up for Round 1 applications? Book a free 20-minute chat with our team of expert consultants to get started.
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