How many mba programs should i apply to

While different admissions directors have different views on how many applications an MBA candidate should submit, they do agree on one thing: There is no magic number. Those priorities could vary dramatically from one candidate to another. A candidate interested in full-time MBA programs, for instance, will have different considerations than a part-time candidate—like location, says Arman Davtyan, the assistant dean of enrollment management at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

Do you want those people to be competitive or collaborative? While all of those considerations may seem overwhelming, Weber says that by doing that research you can narrow down the list of schools and better address your needs.

Bouffides estimates that candidates send out four to six applications on average, while Davtyan estimates seven to 10, and Waldhier estimates four to five. What factors are important to you in an MBA program? You should take some time to prioritize and determine the factors that are important to you in an MBA program. In this case, only applying to a few schools may the right number for you.

Through my experience, I have found that schools is typically what most candidates are able to handle in one round in order to craft quality applications. What is your risk tolerance? Conducting detailed research on your target MBA programs see Effective Networking for MBA Applications is an important part of convincing a business school to admit you. Figuring out your career goals, fit with different schools, and which parts of your personal story might be interesting to admissions committees are creative tasks that take time.

The data may or may not apply to your particular situation:. If you want an individual assessment, contact us. It can be tempting to spread the work of your applications over a longer period by targeting some schools usually your reach schools in Round 1 and filing the other applications in Round 2.

In most cases, you should submit everything in the same application round:. We hope this helps you to make a good decision about when to apply for your MBA.

If you want our help in maximizing your chances of admission, whether in Round 1, 2, 3, or even in a future year, contact us! Apply to Work With Us. Round 1 vs.