How Much Time Should I Budget For My MBA/MS Applications
Every applicant we have worked with has been shocked by the amount of time it takes to create three to four high-quality MBA applications.
If you are applying for an MBA, then we can safely assume that you have previously applied to college and for jobs. Consequently, you may have a sense of how much time you will need to spend on your MBA applications. I’m fairly sure you’re wrong.
We have worked with many clients who are no strangers to working fast and furious. What we can tell you is that every applicant we have worked with has been shocked by the amount of time it takes to create three to four high-quality MBA applications.
We are not talking about the time it takes to study for the GMAT and earn a top score. In this article, We will discuss how much time you should budget for the other critical elements of the written application, namely your essays, resume, recommendation letters, and application forms.
Let’s assume you plan to apply to three schools in a single application round and that once you start the application process you will work consecutive weeks between now and the deadline to complete your applications.
Do you have an estimate in mind for the amount of time you should budget for applying to three schools?
4 weeks? 5 weeks? 10 weeks? 40 hours? 50 hours? 100 hours?
Our recommendation is that you should budget an average of 15–18 hours per week for ~12 weeks to build your written applications.
200 hours of work to complete three MBA applications. Really?
Really.
At Leap Quest, we have broken the process of applying for an MBA into 5 steps that we call the Leap Quest Launch Pad
Now, we know what you’re thinking…
“I work best under pressure!”
“I’m a great test taker.”
“I’ve always been faster than average.”
Prospective MBA applicants are full of reasons why they are quicker, better, and smarter than the average bear. We hate to break it to you but most of those applying to business school are just as on top of their game. Also, you probably missed that we said *a minimum* of 12 weeks. Ideally you would get started as early as possible. This will allow ample time for each stage of the application process and leave room for revisions.
Here’s the breakdown of the stages of the MBA application and a general timeline of how long to can expect to spend in each stage.
To give you an idea of the scope and scale of the project of applying to business school, below we will summarize each step and provide an estimate of how much time you may need to devote to each activity based on our experience working with successful applicants to top schools.
Before we continue, let us acknowledge that everyone works at their own pace, but these estimates are in line with the experience of our clients who were deeply engaged in the process and produced successful applications of exceptional quality.
We are sharing details of Leap Quest’s Intensive Program for Fall 2024 Intake (Round 1 Deadline)
Please refer to the below table for details regarding the amount of input in terms of time that would be required from your end which again is subjected to vary depending on the candidates’ responsiveness.
| Average Input Hours/week | Mar – April | 3 – 4 hrs |
| May – June | 5.5 – 6 hrs | |
| July – August | 3.5 – 4 hrs |
Also, Click here To have a look at the Leap Quest Process Flow
Step 1 – Get to Know Yourself & Get to Know the Schools : 2 Weeks
Now’s the time for some soul searching, internet sleuthing, and school visiting. If you want to be accepted to your perfect MBA program, you’ll need to know two things: Exactly who you are and exactly what each school is about.
5 things you’ll need to understand about yourself:
Your personal strengths and weaknesses
Your future goals
Your learning style
Your experience
Your applicant profile
5 things you’ll need to understand about each school:
Campus culture
Teaching methods
Extracurricular opportunities
Career placement assistance and stats
Acceptance statistics
These ten things just scratch the surface on all there is to know about your compatibility with different schools. To make sure you fully understand all of your options, go on campus visits. This may seem like a no-brainer but make sure to time your visits for while class is in session. Your time on campus won’t be nearly as valuable if you drop in over holiday break or during the summer. It’s important you allow ample time to do this research so you can make an educated list of where you plan to apply. All MBA applicants should apply to about 5-8 schools: 2-3 reach schools, 2-3 on-par schools, and 1-2 safety schools. Choosing these programs wisely is the only way to ensure your success in business school.
Step 2 – Craft Your Resume: 2 weeks.
If you were planning to make minor tweaks to your professional resume and submit it with your MBA application, you’re about to be disappointed. It’s essential that you create a brand spankin’ new resume for your b-school applications. Why? Because getting into business school is all about your soft skills. Sure, you’ll need to share your work experience and extracurriculars but the admissions committee is also looking at your resume for skills like leadership, communication, and teamwork. Remember: this is your chance to make an outstanding first impression. Your resume should paint a clear picture of who you are, demonstrate your career progression, highlight your strengths, and give a peek into your personality… all within the constraints of a single page. This can take some time to master so be sure to plan ahead and give your resume the attention it deserves.
Step 3 – Write Your Essays: 6 weeks.
Ah, the most dreaded part of the MBA application: essays. Here’s some good news… If you spend some time in preparation and give yourself the proper amount of time to complete this portion of your b-school app, you have nothing to worry about. Writing your essays doesn’t have to require late nights fueled by caffeine. In fact, it’s best to dedicate a few hours at a time to wring out your business school application essays. Pulling a writing marathon will actually make you less productive and negatively impact your writing. Throughout your essays it’s vital that you show a strong sense of self-awareness. Confidently share the reasons you need an MBA, tell thoughtful and relevant stories about your experience, and don’t be afraid to discuss your mistakes and give examples to show how you’ve grown. As you do this, be careful not to come across as pompous. There’s a fine line between aware and arrogant. Make sure you don’t cross it.
Step 4 – Choose and Prepare Your Recommenders: 6 weeks.
If you thought that your letters of recommendation would require little work, think again. The key to getting excellent recommendations is to carefully select your recommenders, provide them with valuable information, and remain available every step of the way.
Your recommenders will need to know the following:
Why you want an MBA and what you plan to do with it.
Why do you ask them for the recommendation?
What the school is looking for in a candidate + which of your skills, experiences, and capabilities you would like the recommender to emphasize.
The qualities you have demonstrated + specific examples the recommender can cite to support them.
Along with all the information above, provide your recommenders with a copy of your resume and clear deadlines. While this will require extra time, it will ensure that your recommendations complement your application and reinforce your personal brand.
Step 5 – Complete and Revise: 2 weeks.
Once you’ve completed all of the tasks above, it’s time to fill out the corners of your application and perfect it. Here are a couple more things you must do before you submit:
→ Short Answer Questions
Unfortunately, short answer questions are one of the most overlooked parts of the MBA application. Even though essays are significantly longer and require more time, short answer questions are just as important. The key to providing effective answers is to first understand exactly what each question is asking. Write a thoughtful, lengthy answer and then pare it down so only the most pertinent information remains.
→ Other Application Requirements
No two MBA applications are identical. Each school will require different forms and tasks. Some schools may have additional questionnaires while some may require video essays. Be sure to leave ample time to wrap up these final loose ends.
→ Revise.
Newsflash: Reading your application over once for typos doesn’t qualify as a revision. When looking over your application, make sure you’ve embraced a holistic vision throughout, followed all the guidelines, and demonstrated distinct reasons for why you are applying to that school.
Final Thoughts
As you’ve probably already gathered, some of these steps can be done in tandem, depending on the applicant’s ability to multitask and the amount of time they can dedicate to their applications each week. Because of this, it’s difficult to provide a definitive length of time one should dedicate to their MBA applications. We recommend you begin the MBA application process as soon as possible and are honest with yourself about how many of these tasks you are able to tackle at once. Trying to complete too much too quickly will result in a rushed, sloppy application. (And yes, admissions officers can tell the difference.) We understand that this process can be taxing so be sure to pace yourself and stay positive.
Our Leap Quest Launch Pad program was developed by our experienced MBA admissions consultants to provide applicants like you with a powerful, step-by-step approach for building an outstanding application.
Get Help from Leap Quest for your MBA Applications!
An early start gives us enough time to approach the process in a more meaningful manner which has constantly fetched us results which is why we’re writing to you. We would be more than happy to help you through this process. You can select the package from the list below and revert back at the earliest for us to proceed with the next steps.
We’re placing our special interests on candidates who are planning to apply for the 2024 intake (Jan and September) because in our experience an early start has always fetched us better results.
We’ve also rolled out particular fee waivers on our Admission Consulting services to encourage you all to start early in this process.
Additional Benefits:
- The Interview package will also be included for all the B-Schools.
- The Total Cost is Inclusive of GST. Applicable for MBA, MS, MEM, MISM, MIM , MSBA and PhD programs
- Validity of the services will be till the completion of application documents of all the schools signed up.
As this can accommodate only limited students, Kindly get in touch with us at the earliest possible to proceed with enrollments by Filling up this form
| Package | Fee Waiver | Price | Price after Fee Waiver |
| 1 School | Rs 5,000 | Rs 45,000 | Rs 40,000 |
| 2 Schools | Rs 15,000 | Rs 65,000 | Rs 45,000 |
| 3 Schools | Rs 25,000 | Rs 85,000 | Rs 60,000 |
| 4 Schools | Rs 25,000 | Rs 90,000 | Rs 65,000 |
| 5 Schools | Rs 30,000 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 70,000 |
Leap Quest MBA/MS Admission service includes all elements of applications that consist of:
- Shortlisting the list of target B-Schools
- Guidance in building MBA/MS application essay/SOP’s write-ups (how to draft essays for MBA application)
- MBA/MS essay editing and guidance in organizing any other aspect of MBA/MS application.
- Guidance in preparing CV/Resume
- MBA/MS Interview preparation service in the event an MBA/MS applicant gets an interview call from a shortlisted B-School
- Any other related part that is inside the scope of B-School application process
- Social Media Consulting
- LinkedIn Assistance
- Drafting Scholarship letters
- Application Form Guidance
First come, first serve policy will be adopted and to avail this fee waiver, you can either drop in a message on our number (9353256447) or revert back to the same mail with a “YES”.
We’re determined to get you the admit you deserve. Our question is, will it be yours?
Enrollment Details:
P.S., Get started early on your applications! Start working now with your consultant on your career goals, school research/selection, professional and community involvement, and everything else you’ll need to put your best application forward this year! Click on the link below to contact us.
All the Best
Leap Quest
Mobile No – 9353256447
