We have already talked about the differences among rounds 1, 2, and 3, so today we want to talk about the choices you have if you haven’t applied in rounds 1 or 2, and you don’t want to wait another whole year to apply.

It is undeniable that Covid has changed our lives dramatically. We live in a world marked by uncertainty, where planning ahead has become more and more difficult. For those who are thinking about applying to business school abroad the situation may be even trickier. For example, you might be thinking, will I be able to travel? Will schools offer in-person classes? Will I be able to stay long term in the country where I’m doing my MBA? And so on. 

If you have decided that an MBA is the right option for you but you don’t want to wait a whole year to apply, there are some choices you can consider. 

Round 3

Generally speaking, round 3 deadline for US business schools is around March/April. The chances of gaining acceptance decrease as the rounds progress; that is to say, round 3 acceptance rates are generally lower than in round 1 and 2. Similarly, grants and scholarships are harder to come by later in the admissions race. However, as many admissions officers say, round 3 is there for a reason, don’t think that your application will automatically be dismissed!

A common piece of advice in this situation is to use the optional essay to explain why you are applying round 3–make a compelling argument as to why you waited for the later round. If you have a distinctive feature, your chances will be better. This could be unusual work experience, solid community work, or strong leadership examples. 

Ultimately your chances in the third round depend on the program, on the applicant volume, on the application year, and on the current class profile of those already accepted to the program. With that said, if you have an interesting or diverse background, you could get into a program in one of these final rounds despite lower chances. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that applying in round 3 as an international student has an additional hurdle. You will need to quickly obtain a student visa for that country so that you can be on campus before the start of the school year. 

J-Term

The so-called J-term or January intake is an accelerated 1-year MBA program. R1 intake for J-term is usually between January and March/April but it depends on the school. Schools offering MBA programs that start in January include Columbia Business School, INSEAD, HEC Paris, IE, IMD, Canada’s York-Schulich, and Queen’s School of Business.

However, there is a key fact to bear in mind when choosing a J-term. Most accelerated MBAs don’t offer internship periods, therefore if you are looking for a career change, this may not be the best option for you. Academic pace is another factor to consider, since this is an accelerated MBA, you’ll need to keep up. This also applies for leisure time, and possibly networking: you will have access to clubs and student events as any other MBA student, but you’ll probably have less time at your disposal.

Thanks for reading “Admissions Round 3 and J-Term” written by Admissions Associate Ana Negishi.

If you need more help with GMAT Geometry or anything else related to getting into business school we can help.  For more information on our different GMAT products see:

• GMAT private classes – see the stories of Will, Teddy, Jessica and Nico and how they approached their GMAT journey with Merchant.
• Merchant Academy – a GMAT teaching innovation that makes taking the GMAT, like an MBA. Click to find out more about the Merchant Academy format.
• Merchant GMAT Hall of Fame – a gallery of some of our clients over the last eight years.

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