The MBA Application season has officially begun, with Harvard Business School being the first to announce its 2019-2020 MBA application deadline. Several other top business schools have followed suit since HBS announced their 2019 – 2020 MBA application deadlines.
In this article, we have collated and presented the 2019-2020 MBA application deadlines to the top business schools for your handy reference. Bookmark this article for future reference as it will be periodically updated as more business schools announce their application schedules.
Here is a brief outline of this article:
- Which MBA Application round should you apply?
- Why should you apply in Round 1 or Round 2?
- What is the early decision MBA Application deadline and who should you take advantage of it?
- Round 1 2019-2020 MBA Application Deadlines
- Round 2 2019-2020 MBA Application Deadlines
- Round 3 2019-2020 MBA Application Deadlines
In which MBA Application round should you apply?
Your decision to choose which MBA application round to apply to depends on several factors. Following are some of the factors you should consider while deciding which MBA application round you should apply to:
- Application Readiness
- Target Business School Ranking
- International Applicant
1) Application Readiness
If you are done with your GMAT and have finished polishing your other application materials such as Resume, Letters of Recommendations, etc., then it is advisable to apply either during the Early Decision Round or Round 1.
If you are still working on your essays or other aspects of your MBA application, then it is advisable to apply in Round 2. You can use the extra time to make sure you submit the strongest MBA application possible.
Learn more about how you can improve your MBA Applicant profile & boost your MBA Application. Your GMAT score has a 22% weightage in your MBA application, learn more about MBA application factors, in this article.
2) Target Business School Ranking
If you are applying to the Top 15 MBA programs, then applying early is advantageous. Due to a large number of strong applications received by the top business schools for their MBA programs the acceptance rate for the later rounds (i.e. Round 3 & Round 4) is significantly lower.
3) International Applicants
International applicants require more time for visa processing and other formalities and hence business schools encourage international applicants to apply early in Round 1 or Round 2.
Many business schools also do not accept applications for the later rounds from international applicants. Make sure to check your target business schools’ admissions policies to learn more.
Why should you apply to business school in Round 1 or Round 2 and not later?
Since none of the seats are filled in the first round of application it is advantageous for candidates to apply in Round 1. At most business schools, early applicants have an advantage over those who apply in later rounds.
This is because typically the second application round is the largest and most competitive. The third round is even more competitive due to the vast majority of seats being already filled.
Here are some other reasons as to why applying earlier is advantageous:
- Applying earlier allows you to receive information about scholarships/fellowships from the business schools financial aid office prior to the date to which you must respond to your offer of admission
- Allows more time to complete recommended quantitative and/or language coursework before you arrive on campus
- In some cases, applying early provides better access to on-campus housing lottery opportunities at business schools.
- As mentioned earlier, applying early allows ample time to complete the visa application process for international applicants
- Opportunity to attend the business schools admit weekends. Sometimes, round 3 candidates lose out on this opportunity to interact with fellow classmates (an important MBA networking opportunity).
However, it is important to remember that it is best to apply when you believe you’ve prepared the most polished MBA application possible.
What is the Early Decision MBA Application Deadline?
Some business schools besides having the regular admission rounds for their MBA programs also have an Early Decision application deadline. Generally, students who apply in this round receive an answer before the regular decision applicant are reviewed.
Signals your Commitment to attend the Business School
Applying to the Early decision round signals to the business school that they are your first choice and commit to attending if admitted. Those of you who have completed their MBA program research and know for sure that a certain business school is your first choice for an MBA can take advantage of the MBA early decision round. Reapplicants also can take advantage of early decision deadlines.
Non-Refundable Deposit maybe Required
Sometimes a non-refundable deposit is required if you are granted admission into an MBA program after applying through the early decision round. Also, many early action options have a binding component which means that you must withdraw your applications submitted to other business schools and commit to attending that particular business school. Thus, it is imperative to research and decide if applying in the early decision round is suitable for you.
Taking the GMAT 2-3 months before the application deadline is important. If you are planning to take the GMAT, we can help you with a personalized study plan and give you access to quality online content to prepare. Write to us at acethegmat@e-gmat.com. We are the most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub with more than 1830 reviews (as on June 6, 2019). Why don’t you take a free trial and judge it for yourself?
2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines (Round 1)
Following are the Round 1, 2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines to various Business Schools:
| Business School | Round 1 Application Deadline | Decision Deadline |
| Harvard Business School | 4th September 2019 | 10th December 2019 |
| Wharton | 17th September 2019 | 18th December 2019 |
| Columbia Business School | 4 October 2019 (Early Decision) | Rolling Admissions process |
| Kellogg School of Management | 18th September 2019 | 11th December 2019 |
| Chicago Booth School of Business | 26th September 2019 | 5th December 2019 |
| Dartmouth Tuck School of Business | 7th October 2019 | 12th December 2019 |
| Duke Fuqua School of Business | 14th October 2019 | 18th December 2019 |
| Michigan Ross School of Business | 30th September 2019 | 18th December 2019 |
| Virginia Darden | 4th October 2019 | 11th December 2019 |
| Emory Goizueta | 4th October 2019 | 29th November 2019 |
| Vanderbilt Owen | 14th October 2019 | 13th December 2019 |
| Stanford GSB | 12th September 2019 | 12th December 2019 |
| NYU Stern | 15th October 2019 | 1st January 2019 |
| INSEAD | 18th September 2019 | 22nd November 2019 |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | 15th October 2019 | 13th December 2019 |
| Yale SoM | 10th September 2019 | 4th December 2019 |
| Cambridge (Judge) | 9th September 2019 | 4th November 2019 |
| UCLA (Anderson) | 2nd October 2019 | 18th December 2019 |
| UC Berkeley (Haas) | 26th September 2019 | 12th December 2019 |
| MIT Sloan | 1st October 2019 | 18th December 2019 |
| Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 6th October 2019 | 11th December 2019 |
| UT Austin (McCombs) | 8th October 2019 | 17th December 2019 |
| Rice(Jones) | 11th October 2019 | 6th December 2019 |
| Georgia Tech (Scheller) | 2nd December 2019 | 31st January 2020 |
2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines (Round 2)
Following are the Round 2, 2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines to various Business Schools:
| Business Schools | Round 2 Application Deadlines | Decision Deadlines |
| Harvard Business School | 6th, January 2020 | 31st March 2020 |
| Wharton | 7th January 2020 | 26th March 2020 |
| Columbia Business School | 3rd January 2020 (Merit Fellowship deadline) | Rolling Admissions process |
| Kellogg School of Management | 8th, January 2020 | 25th March 2020 |
| Chicago Booth School of Business | 7th January 2020 | 19th, March 2020 |
| Dartmouth Tuck School of Business | 6th January 2020 | 12th March 2020 |
| Duke Fuqua School of Business | 6th January 2020 | 18th March 2020 |
| Michigan Ross School of Business | 6th January 2020 | 18th March 2020 |
| Virginia Darden | 6th January 2020 | 18th March 2020 |
| Emory Goizueta | 15th November 2019 | 24th January 2020 |
| Vanderbilt Owen | 6th January 2020 | 27th March 2020 |
| Stanford GSB | 9th January 2020 | 2nd April 2020 |
| NYU Stern | 15th November 2019 | 1st February 2020 |
| INSEAD | 15th January 2020 (R3 – 2020 Sept Intake) 11th March 2020 (R1 – 2021 Jan Intake) |
20th March 2020 15th May 2020 |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | 7th January 2020 | 13th March 2020 |
| Yale SoM | 7th January 2020 | 24th March 2020 |
| Cambridge (Judge) | 28th October 2019 | 23rd December 2019 |
| UCLA (Anderson) | 8th January 2020 | 26th March 2020 |
| UC Berkeley (Haas) | 9th January 2020 | 26th March 2020 |
| MIT Sloan | 21st January 2020 | 31st March 2020 |
| Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 19th December 2019 | 4th March 2020 |
| UT Austin (McCombs) | 7th January 2020 | 26th March 2020 |
| Rice (Jones) | 3rd January 2020 | 13th March 2020 |
| Georgia Tech (Scheller) | 3rd February 2020 | 20th March 2020 |
2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines (Round 3)
Following are the Round, 3 2019 – 2020 MBA Application Deadlines to various Business Schools:
| Business Schools | Round 3 Application Deadlines | Decision Deadlines |
| Wharton | 1st April 2020 | 8th May 2020 |
| Columbia Business School | 10th April 2020 (Final Deadline) | Rolling Admissions Process |
| Kellogg School of Management | 8th April 2020 | 13th May 2020 |
| Chicago Booth School of Business | 2nd April 2020 | 21st May 2020 |
| Dartmouth Tuck School of Business | 30th March 2020 | 7th May 2020 |
| Duke Fuqua School of Business | 11th March 2020 | 20th April 2020 |
| Michigan Ross School of Business | 30th March 2020 | 8th May 2020 |
| Virginia Darden | 6th April 2020 | 6th May 2020 |
| Emory Goizueta | 10th January 2020 | 13th March 2020 (Domestic) 20th March 2020 (International) |
| Vanderbilt Owen | 6th April 2020 | 22nd May 2020 |
| Stanford GSB | 8th April 2020 | 21 May 2020 |
| NYU Stern | 15th January 2020 | 1st April 2020 |
| INSEAD | 26th Feb 2020 (Round 4 – 2020 Sept Intake) 6th May 2020 (Round 2 – 2021 Jan Intake) |
30th April 2020 10th July 2020 |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | 17th March 2020 | 1st May 2020 |
| Yale SoM | 14th April 2020 | 19th May 2020 |
| Cambridge (Judge) | 13th January 2020 | 16th March 2020 |
| UCLA (Anderson) | 16th April 2020 | 21st May 2020 |
| UC Berkeley (Haas) | 2nd April 2020 | 7th May 2020 |
| MIT Sloan | 9th April 2020 | 7th May 2020 |
| Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | 2nd March 2020 | 4th May 2020 |
| UT Austin (McCombs) | 31st March 2020 | 7th May 2020 |
| Rice(Jones) | 3rd April 2020 | 8th May 2020 |
| Georgia Tech (Scheller) | 1st June 2020 | Rolling Admissions Process |
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