This coming MBA admissions cycle is expected to be one of the biggest ever and one of the most competitive. Applications to business schools generally go up when the economy goes down so that’s one reason. But the deep recession caused by the pandemic along with pent up demand from young professionals who found plenty of opportunity in the past from a growing economy will likely cause a big spike for 2020-2021.
Admission consultants are already reporting that they are seeing big increases in both interest and bookings by candidates who intend to apply in the round one application deadlines in September at the most elite business schools. The increase comes at a time when only a handful of prominent schools–Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and Columbia Business School–have even announced their new application deadlines and have yet to open their new application forms. Many business schools that extended their current admission rounds due to the pandemic also have seen what they describe as a “surge” in late applicants.
In fact, some of the flexibility given applicants during the height of the pandemic will be extended into the new year. The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business added a fourth round with a June 1 deadline after receiving what it called a “strong response” to this year’s extension of round 3. Ross also decided to accept LSAT and MCAT score reports in lieu of the GMAT or GRE for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. At the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, admission officials will also accept other test scores, including the Executive Assessment, and will even consider waiving standardized tests if an applicants brings “strong alternate indicators of academic, personal or professional accomplishment” to the game. Candidates are being invited to submit a prior SAT or ACT score as part of their waiver request. In fact, Darden has made admissions test-optional this year, along with MIT Sloan and at least six other prominent business schools.
2020-2021 COULD BECOME THE MOST COMPETITIVE ADMISSIONS SEASON EVER
The case for the most competitive admissions year ever is due to a confluence of unusual events. Besides the historical trend on how recessions benefit business schools, there’s the fact that after five years of an overall decline in apps and three years for the top schools, there is pent-up demand for graduate business education. The depth of the recession, as measured by the more than 40 million people who are now unemployed in the U.S., is another factor. Many young professionals are being laid off at such companies as Airbnb, Uber, and Google as they sharply curtail operations or suspend them altogether.
“Some applicants I have spoken to see the MBA as a safe harbor and imagine that graduating business school three years from now will mean entering a much stronger job market than the one they will be leaving in the fall of 2021,” says Tyler Cormney, a co-founder of MBA Prep School,
The pandemic will also push into the new admissions season an unusually larger number of admitted students who decided to defer their enrollment due to travel restrictions, difficulty in gaining student visas, and the likelihood that at least some of their coursework will be online when campuses open in the fall. And the prospect of a Trump defeat will likely lead to increased interest in U.S. schools from international applicants who have been turned off by all of the anti-immigration rhetoric and uncertainly of work visas.
PREDICTING THAT ‘QUALITY AND QUANTITY ARE ABOUT TO BE RE-DEFINED’
“About two weeks into the coronavirus pandemic, when the paralysis and shock started to fade, the volumes of inquiries for round one MBA deadlines sharply increased,” says Esther Magna, a principal at Stacy Blackman Consulting, one of the largest MBA Admissions consulting firms. “By every measure since then– including numbers of inquiries, visitors on our website, clients who have signed-on for services–we see that interest in the MBA has increased for us by at least 50% relative to last year at this time. There are weeks when I think demand has doubled.”
The increase, she adds, will lead to one of the most competitive admissions seasons ever. “Our prediction is that MBA demand will increase significantly for the top MBA programs,” says Magna. “More than that, the caliber of the applicant pool with respect to diversity, leadership, industry, and career visions will skyrocket in the application season that is upon us. Both quality and quantity are about to be re-defined.”
So how should an MBA applicant play the 2020-2021 market? Apply early. Some candidates will have been distracted by the interruptions in their lives from the pandemic. Getting your application in early could be more essential this year than ever.
APPLY AS EARLY AS YOU CAN BUT NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE
No matter what you do, there’s some helpful general advice: If you can, apply in the first round when none of the seats in the class are filled. At most schools, early applicants have an advantage over those that complete their applications in later rounds. Typically, the second application round is the largest, and many schools, including Wharton, advise candidates that round three is the most competitive mostly because the vast majority of the class seats are already filled. There are some other reasons why you want to get your app in early:
- The ability to receive a scholarship award from the school’s Financial Aid Office prior to the date by which you must respond to your offer of admission.
- Ample time to complete recommended quantitative and/or language coursework prior to arrival on campus.
- Access to on-campus housing lottery systems at some schools.
- Sufficient time to complete the visa application process for international candidates.
- Attendance at a school’s Admit Weekends. Sometimes, round three candidates lose out on this opportunity.
All that said, the best time to apply is when you believe you’ve done the best job possible with your application. If you have to rush and cut corners to make round one, don’t. Hold off until another round. At all the highly selective business schools, admissions officials are looking for reasons to cut you from the pool. After all, the odds are substantially against you and as many as 80% of the candidates in any school’s applicant pool are usually fully qualified to attend. So you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward when you do apply.
We’ll update this list continuously as more schools provide info on their new deadlines. If a school has released its essays for the 2020-202` admissions season, you can access them by clicking on the “Yes” in the table below.
Earliest 2020-2021 MBA Application Deadlines
| School | Deadline | Interview Notification | Decision | Essay Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEC Paris | Aug. 14, 2020 (R7-Jan. 2021 Intake) | Early Sept. | Sept. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| Virginia (Darden) | Sept. 2, 2020 (Early Action) | Open Interview | NA | Yes |
| Cambridge (Judge) | Sept. 7, 2020 (R1) | Oct. 18 & 19 | Rolling | Yes |
| Harvard | Sept. 8, 2020 (R1) | Oct. 1, 2020* | Dec. 10, 2020 | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | Sept. 8, 2020 (Early Action-1 Year MBA) | Oct. 13, 2020 | Nov. 20, 2020 | Yes |
| INSEAD | Sept. 11, 2020 (R1- Sept. Intake) | Oct. 16, 2020 | Nov. 20, 2020 | Yes |
| Michigan (Ross) | Sept. 14, 2020 (R1) | NA | Dec. 2, 2020 | Yes |
| HEC Paris | Sept. 14, 2020 (R8-Jan. 2021 Intake) | Early Oct.. | Oct. 16, 2020 | Yes |
| Stanford GSB | Sept. 15, 2020 (R1) | Mid-Oct. to Late-Nov. | Dec. 10, 2020 | Yes |
| Wharton | Sept. 15, 2020 (R1) | Oct. 28, 2020 | Dec. 16, 2020 | Yes |
| NYU Stern (Tech & Fashion MBAs) | Sept. 15, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 1, 2020 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| Yale SOM | Sept. 15, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 8, 2020 | Yes |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | Sept. 15, 2020 (Early Decision) | Rolling | Oct. 30, 2020 | Yes |
| Northwestern (Kellogg) | Sept. 16, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 9, 2020 | Yes |
| Duke (Fuqua) | Sept. 23, 2020 (Early Action) | Oct. 8, 2020 | Oct. 27, 2020 | Yes |
| Emory (Goizueta) | Sept. 23, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 10, 2020 | Yes |
| Chicago (Booth) | Sept. 24, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 3, 2020 | Yes |
| UC-Berkeley (Haas) | Sept. 24, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 17, 2020 | Yes |
| Dartmouth (Tuck) | Sept. 28, 2020 (R1) | Mid-Aug. to Early Dec. | Dec. 10, 2020 | Yes |
| MIT (Sloan) | Oct. 1, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 16, 2020 | Yes |
| Columbia | Oct. 2, 2020 (Early Decision) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| UCLA (Anderson) | Oct. 2, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| Virginia (Darden) | Oct. 5, 2020 (R1) | By Invitation | NA | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | Oct. 8, 2020 (R1-2 & 1 year MBA) | Nov. 18, 2020 | Dec. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | Oct. 8, 2020 (R1-Cornell Tech MBA) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| Vanderbilt (Owen) | Oct. 12, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| Texas-Austin (McCombs) | Oct. 13, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 17, 2020 | Yes |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | Oct. 13, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 4, 2020 | Yes |
| HEC Paris | Oct. 14, 2020 (R9-Jan. 2021 Intake) | Early Nov. | Nov. 20, 2020 | Yes |
| NYU (Stern) | Oct. 15, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Jan. 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| Indiana (Kelley) | Oct. 15, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | Dec. 20, 2020 | Yes |
| Rice (Jones) | Oct. 16, 2020 (R1) | Rolling | TBD | Yes |
| Cambridge (Judge) | Oct. 19, 2020 (R2) | Nov. 29 & 30 | Rolling | Yes |
| Duke (Fuqua) | Oct. 20, 2020 (R1) | Nov. 10, 2020 | Dec. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| NYU (Stern) | Nov. 15, 2020 (R2) | Rolling | Feb. 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| NYU Stern (Tech & Fashion MBAs) | Nov. 15, 2020 (R2) | Rolling | Feb. 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| HEC Paris | Nov. 16, 2020 (R10-Jan. 2021 Intake) | Early Dec. | Dec. 18, 2020 | Yes |
| Columbia | April 9, 2021 (Regular Decision) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
An asterisk indicates an estimate based on last year’s dates because the school has not formally announced a date for when it will notify applicants of interview invites.
Round Two 2020-2021 MBA Application Deadlines
| School | Deadline | Interview Notification | Decision | Essay Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan (Ross) | Jan. 4, 2021 (R2) | NA | March 7, 2021 | Yes |
| Virginia (Darden) | Jan. 4, 2021 (R2) | By Invitation | NA | Yes |
| Dartmouth (Tuck) | Jan. 4, 2021 (R2) | Early Dec. to Mid-March | March 18, 2021 | Yes |
| Harvard | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2) | Feb. 4, 2021* | March 30, 2021 | Yes |
| Wharton | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2) | Feb. 11, 2021 | March 25, 2021 | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2-2 & 1 year MBA) | March 19, 2021 | April 9, 2021 | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2-Cornell Tech MBA) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| Texas-Austin (McCombs) | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 25, 2021 | Yes |
| Rice (Jones) | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | TBD | Yes |
| Indiana (Kelley) | Jan. 5, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 15, 2021 | Yes |
| Stanford GSB | Jan. 6, 2021 (R2) | Early-February to Mid-March | April 1, 2021 | Yes |
| Northwestern (Kellogg) | Jan. 6, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 24, 2021 | Yes |
| Yale SOM | Jan. 7, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 26, 2021 | Yes |
| Duke (Fuqua) | Jan. 7, 2021 (R2) | Feb. 2, 2021 | March 20, 2021 | Yes |
| UCLA (Anderson) | Jan. 8, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 26, 2021 | Yes |
| Vanderbilt (Owen) | Jan. 11, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 26, 2021 | Yes |
| Cambridge (Judge) | Jan. 11, 2021 (R3) | Feb. 21-22, Feb. 28-March 1 | Rolling | Yes |
| Chicago (Booth) | Jan. 12, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 18, 2021 | Yes |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | Jan. 12, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 12, 2021 | Yes |
| Emory (Goizueta) | Jan. 13, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 25, 2021 | Yes |
| UC-Berkeley (Haas) | Jan. 14, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | March 25, 2021 | Yes |
| NYU (Stern) | Jan. 15, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | April 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| NYU Stern (Tech & Fashion MBAs) | Jan. 15, 2020 (R3) | Rolling | April 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| MIT (Sloan) | Jan. 19, 2021 (R2) | Rolling | April 2, 2021 | Yes |
| NYU Stern (Tech & Fashion MBA) | Feb. 15, 2020 (R4) | Rolling | April 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| Columbia | April 9, 2021 (Regular Decision) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| INSEAD | May 20, 2021 (R2- Sept. Intake) | June 26, 2021 | July 24, 2021 | Yes |
An asterisk indicates an estimate based on last year’s dates because the school has not formally announced a date for when it will notify applicants of interview invites.
R3 & Later 2020-2021 MBA Application Deadlines
| School | Deadline | Interview Notification | Decision | Essay Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | Feb. 23, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | April 16, 2021 | Yes |
| Indiana (Kelley) | March 1, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | April 30, 2021 | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | March 5, 2021 (R3-Cornell Tech MBA) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| Cambridge (Judge) | March 8, 2021 (R4) | April 18-19, 2021 | Rolling | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | March 8, 2021 (R3-1 year MBA) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| NYU (Stern) | March 15, 2021 (R4) | Rolling | June 1, 2021 (Initial Notification) | Yes |
| Emory (Goizueta) | March 17, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | April 29, 2021 | Yes |
| Duke (Fuqua) | March 25, 2021 (R3) | April 8, 2021 | April 30, 2021 | Yes |
| Dartmouth (Tuck) | March 29, 2021 (R2) | Mid-March to Late April | May 6, 2021 | Yes |
| Michigan (Ross) | March 29, 2021 (R3) | NA | May 5, 2021 | Yes |
| Vanderbilt (Owen) | March 29, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 7, 2021 | Yes |
| Texas-Austin (McCombs) | March 30, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 6, 2021 | Yes |
| Wharton | March 31, 2021 (R3) | April 15, 2021 | May 11, 2021 | Yes |
| Chicago (Booth) | April 1, 2021 (R3 & Booth Scholars) | Rolling | May 20, 2021 | Yes |
| Rice (Jones) | April 1, 2021 (R3) U.S. applicants April 15 | Rolling | TBD | Yes |
| Cornell (Johnson) | April 4, 2021 (R3-April) | May 12, 2021 | June 1, 2021 | Yes |
| UC-Berkeley (Haas) | April 5, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 13, 2021 | Yes |
| Stanford GSB | April 6, 2021 (R3) | Mid-April to Early-May | May 20, 2021 | Yes |
| Notre Dame (Mendoza) | April 6, 2021 (R4) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| Northwestern (Kellogg) | April 7, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 12, 2021 | Yes |
| Virginia (Darden) | April 7, 2021 (R3) | By Invitation | NA | Yes |
| Columbia | April 9, 2021 (Regular Decision) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| MIT (Sloan) | April 12, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 20, 2021 | Yes |
| Indiana (Kelley) | April 15, 2021 (R4) | Rolling | May 31, 2021 | Yes |
| UCLA (Anderson) | April 16, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 21, 2021 | Yes |
| Yale SOM | April 13, 2021 (R3) | Rolling | May 18, 2021 | Yes |
| Cambridge (Judge) | April 26, 2021 (R5) | June 6-7, 2021 | Rolling | Yes |
| Texas-Austin (McCombs) | May 11, 2021 (R4) (U.S. & Canada applicants only) | Rolling | June 17, 2021 | Yes |
| Vanderbilt (Owen) | May 15, 2021 (R4) | Rolling | Rolling | Yes |
| Michigan (Ross) | June 1, 2021 (R4) | NA | June 25, 2021 | Yes |
| Dartmouth (Tuck) | June 1, 2021 (R4) | Late April to Late June | Rolling | Yes |
| INSEAD | July 1, 2021 (R3- Sept. Intake) | July 31, 2021 | Sept. 4, 2021 | Yes |
| INSEAD | Aug. 5, 2021 (R4- Sept. Intake) | Aug. 28, 2021 | Sept. 25, 2021 | Yes |
An asterisk indicates an estimate based on last year’s dates because the school has not formally announced a date for when it will notify applicants of interview invites.
