MBA Admissions Starting the Round 1 Countdown

Which to-dos should soon be checked if you are planning to submit at least some of your applications for this years round 1 deadlines in October and November? You should have completed or be close to completing the following in the next few weeks, lets say by August 15: Earning a GMAT score that you are willing to submit to your target schools. Lining up MBA recommenders. Researching schools so you know where you will apply, why you want to attend, and why they should admit you. Clarifying your post-MBA goals. Mapping out a schedule of essay writing and application submission. Starting your first set of application essays. Currently the following programs have released their essay questions: Chicago GSB 2008 Dartmouth Tuck 2008 Harvard Business School 2008 INSEAD 2008 Kellogg 2008 Stanford GSB 2008 Wharton 2008 (If you look in the right-hand column of this blog under MBA Application Tips and Deadlines, you can see the additional programs that have released questions since I drafted this post.) Starting on one of the available applications ASAP increases the number of applications you will have ready and in outstanding shape when the first deadlines arrive. To further motivate an early start, Accepted is offering an Early-Bird Special through July 31: 10% off all MBA essay editing, essay packages, and MBA program packages. You may also be interested in the following MBA application ebook: MBA Blastoff: 45 Terrific Tips to Launch Your MBA Application to Acceptance, an ebook by Maxx Duffy and myself.