MBA Admissions Deadlines are Approaching!
Are you applying to MBA programs for entry in 2011? If so, you should know that first round admissions deadlines are approaching fast!
Many business schools, including the world’s leading schools, have MBA admissions deadlines coming up. Don’t miss the boat by leaving your applications until the last minute – get to know the deadlines you will be working towards and plan, plan, plan for your applications.
Is it best to apply in the first round?
It can be, but only if you are ready. Obviously, if you are well prepared in advance and have time to submit the best application you can, then the first round should be the deadline to aim for. First round applicant pools tend to be smaller than in the later rounds, plus all of the spaces are still available, so first round applicants get the benefit of slightly less competition. However, that competition is stiff: on the whole, the people who apply early are the ones who have thought it through the most, planned the most, and prepared the most, and so they tend to submit very strong applications.
On the other hand, if you don’t think that you have enough time left to complete the applications to the best of your ability before the first deadline, then it is definitely advisable to wait until the second round. Don't worry about missing that first deadline - it is always better to submit your very best and most polished application than to rush to meet a deadline and compromise on quality in the process.
What are the deadlines?
Business schools publish their current deadlines on their websites. The table below shows upcoming admissions deadlines at some of the world’s leading business schools:
| Business School (alphabetical) | Country | Admissions Deadlines |
| Cambridge Judge Business School | UK | Round 1: 04 October 2010
Round 2: 06 December 2010 Round 3: 10 January 2011 Round 4: 14 March 2011 Round 5: 16 May 2011 |
| CEIBS | China | Round 1: 15 November 2010
Round 2: 12 February 2011 Round 3: 06 April 2011 |
| Columbia Business School | USA | Round 1: 06 October 2010
Round 2: 05 January 2011 Round 3: 13 April 2011 |
| ESADE Business School | Spain | Round 1: 15 October 2010
Round 2: 10 December 2010 Round 3: 11 February 2011 Round 4: 18 March 2011 Round 5: 15 April 2011 Round 6: 20 May 2011 |
| Harvard Business School | USA | Round 1: 01 October 2010
Round 2: 11 January 2011 Round 3: 31 March 2011 |
| HEC Paris | France |
Rolling admissions with deadlines of: 02 September 2010
|
| Hong Kong UST Business School | China | Phase 1: 16 November 2010
Phase 2: 14 December 2010 Phase 3: 15 March 2011 |
| IE Business School | Spain | Rolling admissions |
| IESE Business School | Spain | Round 1: 25 October 2010
Round 2: 07 December 2010 Round 3: 17 January 2011 Round 4: 28 February 2011 Round 5: 11 April 2011 Round 6: 06 June 2011 |
| IMD | Switzerland |
Rolling admissions with 5 deadlines per year: February 1
|
| Indian School of Business | India | 15 January 2011 |
| INSEAD | France/
Singapore |
Round 1: 29 September 2010
Round 2: 01 December 2010 Round 3: 09 March 2011 |
| Kellogg School of Management | USA | Round 1: 14 October 2010
Round 2: 11 January 2011 Round 3: 07 April 2011 |
| London Business School | UK | Round 1: 06 October 2010
Round 2: 05 January 2011 Round 3: 02 March 2011 Round 4: 20 April 2011 |
| Manchester Business School | UK | Stage 1: 19 October 2010
Stage 2: 16 November 2010 Stage 3: 11 January 2011 Stage 4: 08 February 2011 Stage 5: 08 March 2011 Stage 6: 05 April 2011 Stage 7: 10 May 2011 Stage 8: 01 June 2011 Stage 9: 05 July 2011 |
| MIT Sloan School of Management | USA | Round 1: 06 October 2010
Round 2: 04 January 2011 |
| Oxford Saïd Business School | UK | Stage 1: 08 October 2010
Stage 2: 14 January 2011 Stage 3: 01 April 2011 |
| SDA Bocconi School of Management | Italy | July 2011
Application review begins 01 November 2010 |
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | USA | Round 1: 06 October 2010
Round 2: 06 January 2011 Round 3: 06 April 2011 |
| Wharton | USA | Round 1: October 4, 2010
Round 2: January 4, 2011 Round 3: March 3, 2011 |
This information is correct at time of publication – always double-check with the individual schools!
