Ep 86 | When is the right time to apply to business school?

Timing your MBA application can be just as important as your credentials. Applying too early—or too late—can affect everything from your testing strategy to your chances in a competitive applicant pool. In this episode of the mbaMission podcast,  hosts Harold Simansky and Jeremy Shinewald are joined by mbaMission Senior Consultant Nisha Trivedi to unpack when the right time to apply really is. Together, they discuss how to assess your personal and professional readiness, how Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3 admissions differ, and why application quality should always outweigh speed. They also explore how work experience, career progression, layoffs, test timing, test waivers, and deferred programs factor into the decision. If you’re wondering whether now is the right moment—or if waiting could strengthen your candidacy—this episode will help you make a confident, strategic call. 

00:00 When Is the Right Time to Apply for an MBA?
02:32 MBA Application Rounds Explained (R1 vs R2 vs R3)
10:43 What “MBA Readiness” Really Looks Like
13:33 Deferred MBA Applicants: Timing and Strategy
18:58 What Makes a Great MBA Application
19:49 Work Experience, Impact, and MBA Readiness

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Transcript

When Is the Right Time to Apply for an MBA?

Harold Simansky 0:00

What does the timing then mean in terms of when you need to take your standardized test, when you need to get recommendations, when you need to think about just maybe fixing up your GPA, whatever it might be?

Nisha Trivedi 0:10

Ideally, it's great to have your tests done before you start working on the application materials.

Jeremy Shinewald 0:16

It's a part-time job to apply to school. You've got your job, you've got your social life, you've got some volunteer experience. Add on applying to four or five schools with all their essays and other components, then add on the GMAT at the same time with an uncertain outcome. It's hard. It is very hard.

Nisha Trivedi 0:31

It's hard. Have you made uh progression in your career? You know, no matter how many years it's been. Um, have you made impact in the roles that you've held so far? And can you make a strong case uh for business school and what your uh post-MBA goals are?

Harold Simansky 0:55

One of the biggest questions we get asked more than any other is when is the right time to apply to business school? Should you go straight from your first job, after a few years of experience, or wait until later in your career? Timing can make a big difference in your options, your goals, and how you position yourselves to admissions committees. To help break this down, we're joined by MBA mission senior consultant Nisha, who has guided applicants at all stages of their careers. Nisha knows what schools are looking for, how to evaluate your readiness, and how to craft a plan that aligns your professional trajectory with your MBA ambitions. We'll talk about how to assess your personal and professional timing, the pros and cons of applying early versus later, and strategies to make sure your application hits at just the right moment. If you've been wondering whether now is the right time, or if you should wait a bit longer, this episode will give you the clarity you need. Today we're here with senior consultant Nisha Trevette. Hi Nisha, how are you?

Nisha Trivedi 1:53

Good, good. Thanks for having me, Arold and German.

Jeremy Shinewald 1:55

Senior veteran consultant. This is what, 10 years in counting at least?

Nisha Trivedi 2:00

Good, pretty much, almost.

Jeremy Shinewald 2:03

I'm counting past you. We're very close to a decade. One of an incredibly experienced uh consultant. Um, one of the things I think makes MBA Mission quite different is that you know we have this kind of institutional knowledge, and Nisha is an awesome consultant. And if you I we've had this phenomenon before where people don't realize they can reach out to the people who are on who are on the podcast, you can reach out to Nisha for a free consultation.

MBA Application Rounds Explained (R1 vs R2 vs R3)

Harold Simansky 2:24

That's right. Spend 30 minutes with Nisha just really asking anything you want about the MBA business school application, how it affects you, and what you should be thinking about. Nisha, that brings us to our first question, which is about timing your application for an MBA. Round one, round two, so many different things to think about. So when is the right time for you to apply to business school?

Nisha Trivedi 2:43

Sure. Thanks for that question, Harold. So I think the right time to apply is when you're fully ready with the application process. You have the time to devote to all the application elements. Um, you are done taking the standardized test, and you feel like you can submit your highest quality work. And so with the US schools, generally they have three admissions rounds. Round one, the deadlines are in September or October. Round two, the deadlines are in January, and round three, the deadlines are in March or April. So with round one and round two, what schools say is that they accept a roughly equal proportion of applicants. And in round three, I would say most of the spots generally are full each year. So let's say about 80 to 90 percent.

Jeremy Shinewald 3:32

A funny wrinkle about in that comment is that Harvard Business School did away with its round three a couple of years ago because they were accepting so few people at that point that they just they felt like, why put our team, why put applicants through a process where virtually everyone's gonna be rejected? So round three, or the equivalent of round three, if you're if your school works on a four-round schedule, your round four at that school is is generally speaking, not if you're listening to this, if you're a well-prepared applicant, not the time to be applying. It doesn't mean you can't get in. People get in in in round three. That's why they have a round, that's why they have the round. But it if you're like most applicants, you're probably gonna try and target round one or round two.

Nisha Trivedi 4:12

Exactly. I would call round three more of that shaping round. So as schools are trying to fill the remainder of their class, they're trying to make sure that it's as diverse as possible. So from a number standpoint, it can be a little complicated. Um, sometimes round three makes sense. Like let's say you've um suddenly gotten laid off from work and you want to enter the MBA program as soon as possible. Um, or let's say if you're applying from a very uh unique field, one that the schools don't see often, then round three might work in your favor. But I would say generally speaking, like Jeremy said, uh, you'll want to target round one or round two for the schools that have three rounds.

Harold Simansky 4:45

Obviously, there are different types of applicants: international, domestic, coming out of certain industries, investment banking or consulting. Is it more important for certain types of applicants to apply round one versus round two, or it doesn't really matter for anybody?

Nisha Trivedi 4:59

Yeah, absolutely. So I would say in general, you definitely want to apply when you're fully ready. I would say for applicants who I cover who I consider to be heavily represented in the pool. So I'll give you a few examples. One might be consultants, um, American consultants, uh, invest in bankers, um, schools tend to see very high volumes from India or from China, um, especially from India from the IT sector. So, what I would say to those folks is if you can apply comfortably in round one, it could really be to your benefit. Uh, at that point, the field is wide open, the schools haven't admitted anyone. Um, by round two, you know, as they're trying to diversify the class, they might have to make some even tougher decisions. So if they are able to apply to at least a few of their target programs in round one, um, it might help them out from an admission standpoint.

Harold Simansky 5:49

And I know, listen, quite counterintuitively, some of the people who may need to apply round one or at least a little bit more encouraged are the McKinsey Bay and BCG consultants, because the reality is there's gonna be a lot of them coming through. And who whatever Harvard Business School is only taking so many McKinsey consultants. I mean, that's just the fact. And at the end of the day, you better be the first in line. Is is it the only thing that's gonna really affect things? No. But at the same point, if you want to give yourself the advantages that maybe you need, then round one may just make a lot more sense for you.

Jeremy Shinewald 6:20

If you want to be one of our success stories, sign up for a free consultation with a member of our full-time MBA admissions team. Since we've worked with tens of thousands of applicants over the past two decades, we can give you our honest opinion on your chances and help you put together your very best application. That is not a sales call, but rather your first session with one of us for free. We can give you a profile evaluation, answer specific questions about the process, review your resume, talk about your school choices, and so much more. Sign up at nba mission.com slash consult. We look forward to working with you.

Nisha Trivedi 6:53

Yep, absolutely. It's almost like schools are prying to see those top candidates in round one from those heavily represented fields. Then again, if you are a consultant who, let's say, needs some more points on their GMAT or you know doesn't feel like they can get it together in round one, then you don't want to sacrifice the quality of your application.

Harold Simansky 7:09

Yeah, no, that makes sense. You spoke certainly about American schools. Is it different for European schools? Which now we can all say our clients who are applying to European schools for international schools, there's just been a huge surge as far as that goes. Should they think about things differently now as far as applying around if you're looking to apply to places around the world?

Nisha Trivedi 7:28

Yeah, that's a good question. So I would say, in my experience with the European programs, they admit a little bit more of an even number among rounds. And they don't always have three rounds. Some schools do, like for example, London Business School, which is really popular among applicants, they do have three rounds. Um, but other schools, like in SAIAD, uh, they have four rounds and they have a couple of different intakes. Um, HEC Paris seems to have a deadline every month or two. And so we've seen for uh folks who are applying to those programs, you know, they should really apply in the round where they're uh fully ready. Um, one important point I should mention, because you uh brought up internationals a little while ago, is that, and the schools do note this uh on their website and their other materials. If you are applying from outside of the country, outside of the region, you also have to leave time for visa processing. So in that sense, you know, if you are an international applicant to the school, um generally you don't want to wait till the final round.

Harold Simansky 8:23

No, that makes sense. As well as speaks to a slightly different issue, which is maybe you want to apply round one because you want to find out sooner, because you have a lot more of your life to really. Exactly.

Nisha Trivedi 8:33

In that sense, you know, the advantage of round one is that yes, you'll get the decision sooner, and yes, you'll be able to put the steps in motion, you know, especially if it's an international move where a lot of things will be required.

Harold Simansky 8:43

And you've said about how important it is to make sure that everything is really lined up so that you're ready to create a great application. What does the timing then mean in terms of when you need to take your standardized test, when you need to get recommendations, when you need to think about um just maybe fixing up your GPA, whatever it might be?

Nisha Trivedi 9:00

Yeah, absolutely. So, in terms of the standardized test, you know, ideally it's great to have your tests done before you start working on the application materials. So if you're applying in round one, uh the deadlines are in September and October, like I mentioned, and the applications are generally released starting in, let's say, May. So if you're able to have your test done, your GMAT, GRE, or EA, you know, before May, that's great because then that's behind you and you can focus on the application.

Jeremy Shinewald 9:27

And just to put a fine point on this, I think your your your point, your point is well taken. That doesn't mean you should have you should try to schedule it for May. If you can get it done by January the previous year. Oh, yeah. If you can get it done, uh, you know, your your test score, your test is is good for five years. So try to get it done as early as possible. I think, again, well-made point. You want to, by the time you're applying, like it's a part-time job to apply to school. Yeah. You've got your, you know, you've got your job, you've got your social life, you've got some volunteer experience. Add on applying to four or five schools with all their essays and other components, then add on the GMAT at the same time with an uncertain outcome. It's hard. It is very hard. It's hard. Yeah. So try to get that GMAT, G R E E A done well in advance of your test year at the latest April, May of your application year. I'm sorry, of your application year.

What “MBA Readiness” Really Looks Like

Nisha Trivedi 10:15

Yep, exactly. So for round one, yeah, April, May at the latest, ideally. And then for you know, round two, you really want to start your application, let's say in the fall. So if you're able to get it done by September. Um, now, of course, you know, life doesn't always go according to plan. Right. And so, you know, sometimes applicants do find themselves in the position of having to, you know, retake the exam, take it a little bit later. But this is, you know, if you're in the position to plan ahead, um, having the test done before you even need to focus on the other application elements is the best case scenario.

Jeremy Shinewald 10:43

And we always tell anyone who wants to sign up with us for a package, we always say to them, like, you know, just so you know, if you're if your testing is uncertain, you know, it's important that you have a high degree of confidence in your ability uh before you sign up for a big package with us. Isn't it always like such a huge sigh of relief when someone says, like, yeah, no, I got it, it's fine, or like I'm struggling a little bit, but I'll get there. And then suddenly it's like two weeks before they're applying, they're like, I just nailed it. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Harold Simansky 11:10

It just happened with a client of mine. Yeah. And what I also tell folks is by all means, recognize it's a lot of work, but also sometimes you just need to get lucky. And that's what happened with my client. And it's just fantastic. And now it's fast forward and everything else. Let me just interject another piece of this process that can frequently take time that you want to start early, is getting a test waiver. And there's a lot more we can say about test waivers, but the reality is they're out there, certain schools allow for them, but there's a process around it that will take time.

Nisha Trivedi 11:37

Yes, absolutely. So some schools do offer the option of a test waiver. So that means if you can demonstrate your academic readiness for an MBA program in other ways, such as your undergrad or your master's degree, or your professional work experience, um, if you're able to demonstrate especially the analytical and quantitative ability, um, then you can request a test waiver. And there are a couple of different ways to do this depending on the school. Um, with some schools, like for example, NYU Stern comes to mind, you actually apply for the test waiver in advance. So even, you know, well before you submit your application, in fact, as early as possible, you apply for the test waiver, you write an essay explaining how you've demonstrated readiness for the program, you submit the waiver, and then you get the approval. And that gives you the green light to submit your application without a test score. Um, there are other schools, uh, for example, Michigan Ross, where you actually, you know, the test waiver is a part of the application. So in lieu of a test score, you write a similar essay as part of the application, mentioning the ways that you've demonstrated readiness for the program without a test score. You submit without a test score, you know, if all goes well, it goes through. If they decide they need to see a test, they will uh notify you after your the submission of your application.

Harold Simansky 12:56

And you can certainly get a test waiver, still take the test and then have the opportunity to submit that the test score.

Nisha Trivedi 13:01

That's a really good point, Harold. You can definitely do that. And then, you know, if you do well on the exam, as in if you score, let's say, at or preferably above uh the average score for the program, great. You know, that uh that score can you know help you in terms of admission as well as um criteria for scholarships. Um but if you know the exam doesn't go quite as you hope, then you know, don't submit the score and you can submit the the waiver instead.

Deferred MBA Applicants: Timing and Strategy

Jeremy Shinewald 13:24

No, that makes sense. You know, it's one topic that I definitely want to discuss is is is not just when in the cycle should you apply, but also when in your career should you apply. But I but it it raises one other question beforehand, which is the issue of there's an increasing number of deferred applicants. And deferred applicants often have later. So a deferred applicant is someone who gets in in their senior year or deferred a two plus two at Harvard. They get into business school in their senior year of college, and then they can defer their admission for two, three, four, even five years sometimes, yeah, and then matriculate. So you've got this, you've got this acceptance of the bag, you go on and you you you live your life, you live your career, and you decide you want to go to business school later, effectively. But the entire application process occurs during your senior year. So for that, for that individual, like the summer of your junior year will be a great time to get your tests. To take your test or even beforehand, you know, even even in your sophomore year. And and and in terms of applying, you probably most schools tend to have very, very late deadlines, uh, in you know, in April or May, even for their for their deferred applicants. And and so you should be again sort of just adjusting your timeline uh accordingly. So when we talk about like, you know, no round three, well, it's kind of only this round at most schools. Um, and so you have to hit this this deadline, which is often in the spring, and then they evaluate your candidacy. So it's a bit of a different timeline, and and applicants are best served, like thinking well in advance about those deferred um applications, because I get the feeling that there's a bit of a phenomena for deferred applicants where they where some applicants don't even know what it is, and they hear from all their friends, like, oh, I'm applying a Harvard award. And it's absolutely oh boy, I better get on the training. I'm gonna take a standardized test. And it's like, whoa, do you even want to do this? Is this even what you need to be doing? And I'm sure there are some applicants who get wrapped up in this, I mean, waste their time, don't apply, you know, end up not applying or not getting in or whatever. Others obviously get in with intention and very happy, but I think there's another cohort who get swept up in it, um, don't want to miss out on this opportunity, get admitted, and then don't even think critically about whether they should go to business school or not. It's like, well, I'm in Columbia. I guess I'll go do that in a couple of years. And the tail wags the dog. They're like, they don't stop and say to themselves, like, hmm, maybe I don't need to be on a business school track right now. So they have to keep thinking critically about it. That's my quick plug for deferred. I think it's like a it's not beyond the scope of this, but it's beyond the flow of our conversation. Let's go to how many years of work experience do I need to go to business school? When in my career should I be applying?

Nisha Trivedi 16:00

Yeah, absolutely. So uh the schools, you know, they have different ways of communicating this, but you know, generally they say they want to see at least two years of work experience, those that are specific. Um, I would say that, you know, the what's most important is the you know, quality over quantity, like a lot of things in life. You know, have you made uh progression in your career? You know, no matter how many years it's been. Um, have you made impact in the roles that you've held so far? And can you make a strong case uh for business school and what your uh post-MBA goals are? I would say the average number of years of work experience is probably going to be about, let's say three to seven years, you know, pretty broad range. Um, but that's what we see for a majority of full-time applicants. Um, but again, it's about, you know, what have you achieved uh in that time? Um, and have you made enough career progression? Are you able to articulate why is now the right time for an MBA? And do you have a strong sense of what you want to do post-MBA in the short term as well as uh down the line in your seven years of work experience is only beneficial to you if they've been seven productive years. Yes, exactly.

Jeremy Shinewald 17:03

If you've spent seven years in the same position, have limited promotions, and want to apply to a top school for a career restart, and it's just not gonna happen for in the same way, that like three years, a little light, but if you've absolutely just, you know, kept hitting grand slams and and you've just you're just I mean, maybe that's too much, but you've absolutely outperformed your level and you've got really valuable experience to add to the class, there's there's a place for it.

Nisha Trivedi 17:27

Absolutely. And I can even give you a couple of examples. You know, I worked with somebody who had, you know, two years of experience, and it would have been three entering business school, but she'd already been promoted and was on track to another one, you know, wanted to do a duo degree, so schools would really understand why she wanted to get that started now, and had a very strong sense of the impact she wanted to make in her career, right? Um, and I've also I worked with an applicant who had seven years of uh work experience, and actually quite a few, but one comes to mind were just promotion after promotion, you know, and at the same time was able to articulate very well the career switch that he that he wanted to make at that point, how he was inspired to pursue that path, and why an MBA would help him at this stage of his career.

Harold Simansky 18:06

No, certainly, and I actually started from the other side, which I had an applicant who was about 35 years old. He's at Harvard Business School now. And for him, the really the timing really meant he had been progressing so quickly that and he'd been doing so many more exciting things that he simply had not plateaued to the point that he needed business school.

Jeremy Shinewald 18:24

Right. I remember talking to uh talking to the the former admissions director of Harvard Business School, Dee Leopold, and she said to me, uh, quote, I would run across the street to meet someone who had 10 years of experience in manufacturing. She's like, we just don't have that person in the class. And I was like, wow, that like that that gives that put put that on the, you know, put that on a billboard or something like that, and you'll start to get a lot more applicants. So some industries sort of require, you know, a certain amount of seasoning and experience for you to really give for you, you know, you really become senior and to be to be able to contribute something to the class.

What Makes a Great MBA Application

Harold Simansky 18:58

Well, and that I think really gets to the point about what makes for a great business school application. And I think one thing that makes for a great business school application is is this notion of why you're going, why it makes sense, the skills you want to develop. And you can come to that conclusion, whether you've been in the workforce for two years or 12 years. That's really the key questions that an application has to answer. You have to answer for yourself as far as why this is something you want to do.

Jeremy Shinewald 19:21

Nisha, can you can it be the right time for you if you're unemployed, if you've been laid off? Can it be the right time for you to go to business school?

Work Experience, Impact, and MBA Readiness

Nisha Trivedi 19:28

Yeah, it can. You know, and schools understand that the economy has very been very tumultuous over the last several years, right? So a lot of layoffs are you know out of the candidate's control. Um, they want to see that you know the candidate has spent their time wisely, you know, if uh you know, during the time that they are not employed. So, for example, are they uh making an impact in the community? Um are they you know doing informational interviews so that they uh go, you know, the next move is the right one? You know, are they taking courses to upskill themselves? Um, you know, those are the types of activities. That the school wants to see. And so if they're able to, you know, show that they're using their time wisely and they have a sense of convection in their goals. It's not about running away from something. It's about running towards a constructive situation, then that can work in their favor. One really important thing I need to bring up is that, you know, sometimes candidates do get overwhelmed with having to study for the GMAT, work on applications, be at work at the same time. And they're like, oh, you know, what if I weren't working full time right now?

Jeremy Shinewald 20:29

Don't do it.

Nisha Trivedi 20:29

Don't quit your job to apply to business school. No, no, no.

Jeremy Shinewald 20:34

Yeah, because and I remember an admissions officer saying to me, you know, the GMAT is designed to be taken by a busy person. Like if you are, if you can't take the test while being a busy person, we're kind of concerned about your ability to be a busy person in the professional sphere. Um, so I think that that's that's really important. I think yeah, one other thing I would do want to say about if you're if you're unemployed, like if you've been laid off, being laid off is not the same as being fired. And and there are some applicants who have been fired along the way, who've been able to recover from it harder. But like being laid off means you've been laid off. And and so if AI is ravaging your industry and and uh and your your firm had to lay you off, well, then they understand that that's not specifically your fault. They understand that you can't. That's right. So that's right.

Harold Simansky 21:24

And you can use that. And you can use that time wisely by by all means. For example, I mean, a great if you have time, one way that you can certainly use it. If there's potholes in your resume, maybe take an online course. If you feel like you haven't done all that you need to do or want to do in terms of community service, this is an opportunity to do that as well.

Jeremy Shinewald 21:42

And and it also depends when it happens in your career. It's like if you've been laid off and you're a year and a half in, you've been laid off and you've been out at work for a year, maybe not the right time for you to apply. If you've been in your in your job for uh you know, for for four years, you did really well. You were laid off because something happened to your firm, obviously. It's October, and and you you're like, well, I don't want to start a new job just to quit it in a couple months. So I'm gonna apply, I'm gonna apply to business schools, always been on my that's a very different scenario.

Harold Simansky 22:09

That is not an unusual scenario, actually. I feel like we as consultants deal with that not irregularly, and actually it's it can be quite a nice application to write in the sense that it also has given some people the opportunity to think deeply about what they want to do and really put themselves on a path to do that thing. And I think you can write a great application about that.

Nisha Trivedi 22:29

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

Jeremy Shinewald 22:31

I think sort of related to the to the um layoff is I mean, related, maybe the the the cousin of the layoff is what what if you what if you've been jumping around in your career? You've you've you've you know had a couple different jobs. How do you how do you how do you know it's the right time if you've been if you've had a lot of job movement?

Nisha Trivedi 22:48

Yeah, and you know, work work histories definitely vary, right? If you had, you know, maybe one or two jobs that are of short duration, I think it matters, you know, have you made an impact? Do you have you made your mark in that um you know period of time? And do you have a track record of progression and of you know some duration, um, let's say at your latest job, right? So let's say you've held you know two or three jobs after graduation. One of them is, you know, let's say like a year, give or take, the other ones are longer. You know, that that might be okay, right? Sometimes it's you know, finding the right fit is challenging. Um, but if you've had, let's say, you know, short job after short job after short job, then you might think, you know, maybe I should, you know, stick with my uh current employment and see how much progression impact it can make to set up a good track record for business.

Harold Simansky 23:30

Yeah. I mean, listen, my feeling is always, and I tell this client's all the time, you can't go to business school to figure things out after you have not figured them out beforehand. You know what I mean? It's just like that is really something that that is off-putting to business schools because it's one of those things, God, you should go out and work for a couple of years, you should do other things and really nail things down, and then go to business school as a way of accelerating that career, not figuring out that career.

Nisha Trivedi 23:56

Exactly. Because once you get to business school, things move really quickly. Like within a month or so, it seems like recruiters are coming to campus, their um, you know, information sessions, resume drops are there before you know it. So, of course, to an extent, you know, you gain exposure to new things during business school and it might end up shifting your career path, but you don't have a lot of time for exploration, which is why schools do want you to go in with a solid uh short-term plan in terms of your industry, your function. Even a couple of target companies that recruit at the school, I always push candidates to um highlight a couple of those to you know show that they've done their homework. Um, they know, you know, can that plan change while you're in school? Yeah, absolutely. But they want you to go in with a solid idea of what you're going to pursue.

Harold Simansky 24:37

Nisha, are there any sort of rules of thumb as far as how long you should really be working at that job right before you go to business school? For example, I've heard, listen, you have to be in a job long enough to get a great recommendation. So from that perspective, how does it impact your overall timing? And what are business schools looking in for in that situation?

Nisha Trivedi 24:58

Yeah, I would say, you know, when you're thinking about, you know, how long to stay in a job before applying, think about, you know, if I were to, let's say, stay here for another year instead, is there going to mean more learning? Is there going to be additional growth opportunities? Have I built up enough of a relationship with my potential recommender or recommenders in order for them to, you know, to submit a really strong endorsement? Um, and if you still feel like there's room to grow and you know, build those relationships that you need, then you know, then you can stay. If you feel like, well, you know, actually this is a good pivotal moment to apply now. I'll still obviously have some experience at this job before actually matriculating at business school, you know, then you can think about um your transition at that point.

Harold Simansky 25:39

So, Nisha, what I'm hearing then, it's time to go to business school when you're ready to go to business school, but yes, you know, both in terms of what you want to do, what we're talking about in terms of skill development, as far as what you see your future being, and obviously can be very variable. And when you can put together your best application. That's right, right. Absolutely. Round one, round two doesn't matter that much, but putting together, you apply, if I understand correctly, you apply when you can do the best possible application. Then the question is round one and round two.

Nisha Trivedi 26:05

Yep, exactly. So, you know, something I've heard actually heard an admissions officer say myself is when you're ready, you're ready, right? So that means you're at that right point in your career and you have the time to devote to an excellent application.

Jeremy Shinewald 26:16

You know, it's a funny thing. Like, I we all do these consults where round one has just passed and someone calls us and they're like, I'm I'm ready to apply. It's round two. Like, should I even bother? And and you're like, Yeah, you're you're fine. Like, yeah, well, ideally, if we if we had our drrothers, yeah, it would be great if you could apply, you could apply it in round one. You know, we we like to maximize our opportunity, and just from a game theory perspective, if no seats have been given away, you're probably in a slightly better position. But like, there are lots of spots left in round two. Like you're this is not like people get in round two, they do, otherwise they wouldn't have two. Yeah, the majority of the spots are are given away, or plurality of the spots are given away in most schools in in in round two. And so I think uh what I often say to someone is, you know, I'm just gonna look at your file like very objectively. Like, just look at it like there's no round, like you're just a good applicant, yes, or you're not, and and you should go for it or you shouldn't. Again, with the exception of maybe the rare instance where you're that extremely overrepresented individual. But I even then I wouldn't say to you, like, don't apply. I would just say, you know, apply and understand your risks and understand the risk reward trade-off. Exactly. Maybe it'd be a little more conservative than you'd like to be as an as an overrepresented applicant that might not even have a gyms. Yeah, exactly.

Harold Simansky 27:27

Yeah, yeah, generally.

Nisha Trivedi 27:28

Exactly. What I have those applicants ask themselves is, you know, how eager am I to start the MBA next fall, potentially? You know, can I wait or do I just really want to shoot my shot now?

Harold Simansky 27:37

Yeah. No, that makes sense. Awesome. Okay, terrific then. Nisha, thank you very much for being with us. Thank you.

Jeremy Shinewald 27:43

Thank you so much for being here. Remember, you're gonna do a free consultation with Nisha. Or with Harold or with Jeremy. But with Nisha or Harold, because I want them to talk to the experts. You know, I'm just a podcast host. Yeah, yeah. You guys know what you're doing.

Harold Simansky 27:55

Uh no disagreement here. Now, please give us a call, sign up for one of our free 30-minute consultations.

Jeremy Shinewald 28:03

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