Mission Admission is a series of MBA admissions tips one of which is posted each Friday.
Occasionally, a candidate calls us and asks, “Isn’t it better for me to apply in the second round because all of the best and most prepared applicants apply in the first round?” The answer to this question, in short, is “no!” All things being equal, it is better for candidates to apply early – no places have been given away in the class and the admissions committees are “fresh” (and are thus reading applications more attentively). Even if there were to be better candidates in the first round, the schools would not limit themselves to an absolute number of places offered, but would instead accept more great candidates or possibly defer better candidates that they are not entirely certain of until the second round, via the waitlist. So, you should try to apply early, but only apply when you can be at your best. As we have discussed in other posts, quality should be the main determinant in applying in the first or second round, with timing only acting as a tie-breaker.