MBA Application Timeline – Your Action Plan!

Some students wait for the last hour till the deadline to fill their applications. In contrast, others know the importance of application and in-depth writing, and therefore, they plan accordingly. Moreover, some students do not even know why they are pursuing an MBA and what plan, of course, they will follow, whereas others know specific answers to questions like why they chose an MBA, what expectations they have from the course and how they are planning to achieve their goal of getting admitted into their aimed Business schools.

This is what defines your destiny! Be one of them who knows THE PLAN! A goal without a plan is just a wish and we are here to help you out by chalking out a month by month MBA plan.

January-February To-do-list:

These are the most crucial months because here you actually decide whether MBA is right for you and if yes, in which specific field you will be pursuing that. Therefore, at this early planning stage, you should focus on the below-mentioned things:

Usually, students at this stage are confused. You first have to decide if an MBA is right for you. There are many factors to consider, including your financial position, your abilities and skills, your future goals, and many more. For this, refer to Mentor Mpact’s guide here. Take your time and evaluate the pros and cons of each situation before making your final decision.
We would suggest you take help from people in your network who are at leading positions in the industry to get clarity on your goals. These interactions will help you decide in which field you have the most interest in. Finance can be a good option if you like to play with numbers, Marketing is the best choice if you are a person of creativity and want to go for brand marketing. Another popular option is consulting which can be a good fit for you if you are a person who enjoys case studies and solving real-life puzzles and problems. Talk to friends, relatives, seniors, and to everyone you can! And sort this out.
Now, when you exactly have decided what field you want to choose, begin with studying for the GRE or GMAT. The most important parameter to judge your academic potential is the GMAT/GRE. Make sure you devote yourself entirely in these months to GMAT/GRE preparation because you do not want to miss the chance to get admitted to your favorite B school!

March-April to-do-list:

Now that you have formed a good base and collected quite a lot of information, it is time to organize that information and use it in your favor. Use it as a base in deciding which school and the MBA programs you want to aim for. The action plan for these months are:

The most crucial step according to us is to begin drafting your post-MBA goals in terms of field, industry, and resources.
Now is the time to give the GMAT/GRE. You can do some research on the average scores of your target schools and then accordingly decide if you want to go ahead with the current score or if you want to prepare and give the exam again. In both cases, you can go for an extra class for Quantitative analytics if that is not a strong point of yours. This will really help in increasing your potential as a standout candidate because quant is a significant parameter that the admission panel looks for
Start your research regarding the school’s career services, co-curricular activities, curriculum, fee structure, and accommodation options. Attend online events and sessions to know more about your favorite business school.
Now, the application time is on our way. We need to keep ourselves prepared beforehand for in-depth writing. For this, start your research regarding the essay tips, your background stories, what your employers’ say about you, and many more. Jot down all these ideas for essays and make sure you don’t miss any significant milestones or achievements.
Also, start working on and updating your resume. Make sure you have included relevant work experiences, and do not forget to follow a proper structure for the resume. Keep your research on!

May-August to-do-list:

You have covered more than half of your journey. Applaud yourself for coming this far successfully. The primary task for these months is working on resume & application essays. You need to ace them to prove your candidacy!

It may seem early to start with applications, but believe us, it is not! You need to get started now to create your best write-ups for the application. In previous months, you jotted down the pointers that you would like to include in the essays, now is the time to structure them properly! Decide the sequence and also make sure you have only relevant points and not unnecessary stuff that isn’t even related to the question!
Draft, revise, write, revise, edit, and proofread essays at least 2-3 times. These application essays plan an essential part of your selection, make sure you give them an ample amount of time.
You should start approaching your prior employers by June to request them the letters of recommendation. And by July start giving recommenders the necessary info they need. Ask your employer to state how honest you were with your work, your team spirit, your dedication, your leadership quality, your ability to handle pressure, and much more. Try to mention specific skills or experiences that are particularly pertinent to your MBA application.

All year long to-do-list:

Now that we have come to the end of this article, we still have some extra tips for you. Apart from the above-mentioned tasks, you can follow the given list throughout the year for better preparation:

Be ready for networking and researching every year. Because only two people can help you through this, the one has experienced this and the second is “Google”.
Focus on making more and more responsibilities and leadership roles at work as well as volunteer projects. Prove the admission panel that you have led people previously and you are really a deserving candidate for the course.
Do not forget to make enough time for community service and your hobbies! MBA programs do not actually just want scores, they want all-rounders!

If you are planning to pursue your MBA from abroad, MentorMpact can provide the best guidance! MentorMpact works with the students and for the students. We value the trust you put in us and we creatively partner with you to accomplish your dream school admission. Our approach resonates with proper mentorship. And we ensure the best for our clients. For more information, visit MentorMpact.