The holiday season is upon us! As many of you may know, our last application deadline for our 2012 class is coming up on January 9, 2012. Believe it or not, this means that we’re already starting to think about recruiting activities for our 2013 class!
For those of you out there who are still completing your MBA research and thinking about timelines for 2013, let me assure you that it’s never too early to start preparing. We may still be reviewing applications for 2012, but our application for the 2013 class will be opening in March – just three and a half months away – with an Early Bird Deadline of May 7, 2012. With that in mind, there’s plenty of things you can do to make sure you’re on track to submit your application in our Early Bird Round. Your ‘to-do’ list should include:
1. Study for and schedule your GMAT
As one of the more overwhelming parts of the application for most MBA candidates, it’s best to prepare as early as possible for GMAT and give yourself plenty of time to study. According to this great article from Accepted.com (Top 5 GMAT Study Tips) it takes approximately 100+ hours of studying in 8+ weeks to achieve an ‘average’ score. Additionally, the process of writing the GMAT exam can be an intimidating one, and it’s not uncommon for applicants to write more than once to achieve the score they’re capable of. Writing as early as possible gives you plenty of time to re-test if you need it. All the information you need on GMAT can be found at www.mba.com
2. Prep your references
It’s important to prep your references ahead of the application deadline, and give them plenty of time to put together their recommendation for you. Additionally, we suggest that you take the time to talk with your referees about your MBA goals, the school(s) you’re applying to and why, and update them on any projects or experiences that you’ve had since working with/for them. The more information (and time!) that you give your referees, the more specific, thoughtful and thorough your recommenders can be. Again, it’s never too early to start prepping them so think about setting up some meetings early in the New Year. Fore more advice on letters of recommendation, see this great post from EssaySnark.com.
3. Visit the school
If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you’ve probably heard this piece of advice a million times over! But, we believe this is one of, if not THE, most critical piece of the MBA research process. Before you submit your applications, you want to make sure that everything you’ve heard and read about your choice programs aligns with what takes place on campus. Visiting the campus and witnessing ‘a-day-in-the-life’ is the only way to get a feel for whether or not the program is a good fit for you. It’s also a great opportunity to speak with current students and hear first-hand about their experience. Take advantage of the Class Visit events offered by many schools (including Ivey), and ask yourself: can I visualize myself in this environment? Do I like the people? Is the learning style right for me? Can I see myself living here? Do the students seem to be enjoying their experience? The earlier you make your visit, the sooner you’ll know whether or not this is the school for you. (Ivey’s next upcoming Class Visit is January 18, 2012 - at our new building!)
4. Think about financing
For the Spring class of 2012, Ivey will offer approximately $1.8 million dollars in scholarships and awards to incoming students. However, almost all students will still need to explore personal financing options to secure their MBA investment. We encourage all applicants to begin looking at external scholarship opportunities, bank loan programs, government funding and personal financing options. Also remember that scholarships and awards are allotted on a rolling basis along with admissions decisions, so the earlier you apply, the more scholarship dollars that are available for distribution. And of course – the more in advance you plan, the more time you have to secure personal savings as well.
5. Build your resume
As you prepare to submit your application, remember that at Ivey we are looking for applicants with a well-rounded profile; candidates who are involved in extra-curricular activities, community volunteerism, and/or who demonstrate leadership in a professional or personal capacity. We encourage you to start looking critically at the type and quality of work that you are doing, and to also think about getting involved in other areas either inside, or outside of your organization. Look for opportunities to take initiative, contribute or make an impact – whether it be in a professional or personal capacity.
Bonus Tip: Create a timeline, and work backwards.
The best way to plan your application strategically, is to determine the application deadline that you will be targeting and work backwards – taking into account all of the components that you will need to provide. Set your own deadlines for completing references, GMAT and don’t forget those essays; time to write, edit and review (probably more than once!) Also start looking at those Class Visit schedules and be sure to incorporate a visit to campus into your timeline.
Bottom line: it’s never too early to start preparing. As 2012 approaches, we look forward to being in touch with all of our 2013 applicants!