How Long Do MBA Applications Take and Am I Behind for Round 2?

Originally published on November 2, 2023. Updated on October 31, 2024.

Preparing a strong MBA application takes more time and effort than most applicants anticipate. With over a decade of experience advising MBA hopefuls, we’ve witnessed firsthand the significant difference between well-prepared applications and those rushed at the last minute.

This isn’t to scare you or suggest hiring an MBA admissions consultant in a panic (although we’re here if needed). The truth is, application quality improves when applicants take the time to do things right. So, how long do MBA applications take? And if you’re aiming for Round 2, are you behind the eight ball?

For those gearing up for Round 2, rest assured you still have time, but the clock is ticking. While January may seem far away, crafting a strong MBA application is a months-long process, not a last-minute sprint. Sticking to a structured timeline helps you avoid the rush, which can compromise the quality of your application.

By now, you ideally have a well-developed application strategy and personal brand in place. This preparation will guide you through one of the most critical, time-intensive parts of the application: the essays. If you’ve done this upfront work and are hitting the ground running right now, bravo!

On the other hand, if you’re just starting and wondering, “How long do MBA applications take?”, the nine-week timeline below will help you stay on track before the first deadlines.

Your 9-Week MBA Application Timeline

The timeline below is meant to guide you through each stage of the MBA application process, outlining what we’d typically expect our clients to complete by the end of each week—give or take. By this point, you should ideally have a GMAT/GRE score or a firm test date, allowing you to focus more on the application itself. If not, you can assume test prep will be concurrent with the items listed here.

A few key notes: we recommend at least five drafts of your resume (this small document is critical to your application) and 6-10 drafts of your first essay set. For each draft, feedback should be gathered from a variety of people—alumni of that school, co-workers, a consultant, and/or friends and family who understand the process. Since you won’t know the background of the person reviewing your application, getting multiple perspectives is best.

Many of our clients end up completing 10+ drafts of each essay set, and we normally go through 5-8 rounds of edits on a resume. The number of drafts doesn’t correlate with English skills, time spent, or overall intelligence. We see drafting as part of the process of getting to success, and iteration makes for a stronger product. For many, putting ideas on paper helps kickstart the creative process. Below, we’ve laid out a minimum timeline for what this might look like, though of course, it varies by person.

To Dos for the week of November 4th (or ideally before this point):

• Identify your application weaknesses (low GPA, light extracurriculars, etc.) and begin actively working to address / mitigate them
• Craft a well-defined personal brand (i.e., your sales pitch for why you want an MBA and what makes you a compelling applicant) that has been vetted by at least three other people for being personal, differentiating, interesting, and visionary
• Research target programs by registering for and/or attending school presentations; these can be webinars but ideally you make time to visit campus in person
• Draft your MBA resume and send it to someone other than family (co-workers, friends, former classmates, consultant, etc.) for review
• Prepare recommender prep packets then schedule meetings to explain the process and get your recommenders energized about your story and goals

To Dos for the Week of November 11th:

• Iterate on your MBA resume
• Draft essays for School 1 and send them to someone else for feedback on content, readability, and how well they address the key dimensions that the adcoms are looking for
• Schedule conversations with current students and alums to learn more detail about their experiences and programs, so you have more context for your essays

To Dos for the Week of November 18^th:

• Finalize your MBA resume
• Complete second and third drafts for School 1’s essays and have them reviewed by friends, family, co-workers and/or a consultant
• Draft essays for School 2 and send them for review

To Dos for the Week of November 25th:

• Continue drafting Schools 1 and 2 (as noted earlier, 6-10+ versions of essay set number 1 is normal; we generally see fewer iterations for subsequent schools)
• Draft essays for School 3 and send them for review

To Dos for the Week of December 2nd:

• Check-in with recommenders to make sure they have a plan of attack
• Continue drafting Schools 1, 2 and 3
• Draft School 4’s essays send them for review

To Dos for the Week of December 9th:

• Complete the application form for School 1 (focusing on the embedded ‘mini questions’, determining how to leverage all of the space to maximize the information you share)
• Finalize School 1’s essays
• Continue drafting on Schools 2, 3 and 4

To Dos for the Week of December 16th:

• Send your completed School 1 application to someone to review in its entirety and provide feedback (optimally someone who knows about the process like an MBA alum, etc.)
• Complete the application forms for Schools 2, 3 and 4
• Finalize School 2’s essays
• Continue iterating on essays for Schools 3 and 4

To Dos for the Week of December 23rd:

• Finalize essays for Schools 3 and 4
• Send your completed applications to alums or other reviewers for final checks and integrate feedback
• Check-in with recommenders

To Dos for the Week of December 30th:

• First Week of Deadlines!

We know this timeline may seem intense—and it is. That’s why our answer to “How long do MBA applications take?” is likely “longer than you’d expect.” But trust us, this isn’t the place to cut corners. The competition is putting in the work, and standing out takes dedication and focus.

We’re still accepting clients for Round 2 and would be happy to discuss how we can support your journey. Please request a consultation here.