MBA Application Timeline: September

If you haven't gotten a chance to visit your target schools, September is the time to do it if you are planning submit your applications in time for the Round 1 deadline. To avoid scrambling to get your application in at the last minute, you need to start filling out online MBA applications and follow up with your MBA recommenders. For tips and advice on how to tackle all these MBA application tasks, check out our MBA application timeline for September.

Fill Out Your Online MBA Application Forms

Online MBA application forms can take a while to fill out, which is why you should start working on them now. Pace yourself, so you can proofread your applications before submitting them to business schools. Make sure you answer the question being asked in a clear and concise manner.

For advice on how to handle the short answer portion of the online MBA application, check out our MBA application timeline article for August.

Go on an MBA Campus Visit

Business school is back in session this month, so it's a good time to make MBA campus visits. If you do get a chance to make an MBA campus visit this month, make sure you talk to students and other members of the campus community. This will help you with your essays and interviews.

If you have already visited the campuses of your target schools, see if you can make time to visit them again. A second visit will give you a better sense of how the courses and programs at that school will help you meet your career goals. Speaking to students and observing student life first-hand will give you a better idea of how you will contribute to campus life.

If you can't make it to campus, you can still meet MBA admissions officers, students and alumni by attending MBA events such as QS Connect 1-2-1 and the World MBA Tour.

Follow Up with Your MBA Recommenders

Now that Round 1 deadlines are nearing, you should be following up with your MBA recommenders at least every other week, if not weekly. Most recommenders do not prioritize writing an MBA letter of recommendation and usually wait until the last minute. Thus, many MBA applicants are left worrying about what will happen if their recommenders don't finish their letters in time for the admissions deadline.

According to Manhattan GMAT, the best solution to this problem is to present your MBA recommenders with your own deadline -- one that is earlier than the business school deadline. For example, if the application is due on October 15, give your recommender an October 5 deadline. This adds some pressure to your recommender and increases your chances that the application will arrive on time. For tips on what to look for before you send in your letter, check out our article on the