Game Time | dMBA Weekly Check-In: February 17, 2025
Enough fun and games. It’s time to plan the last two months of your deferred MBA application.
We’ve had some fun the past few weeks, haven’t we?
We’ve covered a lot of topics so far! We registered for program email lists, built our ideal deferred MBA shortlist, and even took some time to reflect.
But enough dilly-dallying. Some deferred MBA application deadlines are less than two months away. It’s now or never, and you’ve come so far! Let’s figure out how to get to the finish line.
In today’s email…
On Your Radar: This week’s deferred MBA admissions events
Tip of the Week: Build your game plan
Join the MBAxcel Club on Discord and LinkedIn!
Join fellow deferred MBA applicants on Discord and LinkedIn to discuss admissions tips, share feedback, and navigate the world of dMBA programs together.
In our Discord, you’ll find…
School-specific forums
Channels for specific application requirements (GMAT, GRE, essays, interviews, etc.)
Voice channels/study lounges
Live webinars
And more!
On Your Radar
Harvard (HBS): 2+2 Program Application Q&A
When: Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: If you’re a final-year undergraduate student (or master’s student) contemplating or gearing up to apply for the 2+2 program, this virtual session is for you.
Darden (UVA): Future Year Scholars Program Virtual Coffee Chat
When:
Friday, February 21, 2025, 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM EST
Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Chats are small group events for prospective students who are interested in learning more about Darden.
Columbia (CBS): Virtual Deferred Enrollment Program Information Session
When: Monday, February 24, 2025, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Interested in the Deferred Enrollment Program? Register for this webinar to hear from CBS admissions about the program and our application process.
Yale SOM: Silver Scholars Q&A
When: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 8:00 PM to 8:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Join us for a live online Q&A session hosted by a Yale SOM Silver Scholars Admissions Committee member. These are small, interactive sessions where all participants are encouraged to share their audio and video, replicating the group conversation you would experience during an in-person campus visit.
Darden (UVA): Future Year Scholar Program Information Session
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Interested in learning more about the MBA degree and the deferred enrollment pathway? Join Katherine Alford and Merav Frazier from Darden Admissions to learn more about this opportunity.
Haas (Berkeley): Accelerated Access Info Session
When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM PST
Where: Virtual
Details: Curious about Accelerated Access, the deferred admission application pathway to Berkeley Haas's top rated full-time MBA program? In this session, you'll learn about the value of an MBA, what makes Berkeley Haas special, and what we look for in outstanding candidates to the program.
Harvard (HBS): 2+2 Program Information Session
When: Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM EST
Where: Virtual
Details: Calling all college students! Join this virtual info session hosted by a member of the HBS MBA Admissions Team to learn about the MBA program, the admissions process and financial aid, and the 2+2 deferred admissions pathway.
Stanford GSB: Ask the Admissions Office - Deferred Enrollment
When: Thursday, March 13, 2025, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM PST
Where: Virtual
Details: Sometimes you just have a question. Join us for this Q&A session with members of the MBA Admissions team dedicated solely to addressing what's on your mind.
Editor’s Note
Many dMBA schools offer on-campus events regularly, which I do not always include in these posts. I’ll usually highlight them here if they are deferred MBA-specific.
Looking for a full list of dMBA admissions sites?
Check out our FREE updated 2025 dMBA admissions guide here!
MBAxcel Tip of the Week: Build your game plan.
At this point in the application process is going to be at a different spot. Some of you may be on your eighth draft of your Harvard personal statements, while many of you may have writer’s block with two words on the entire document (and maybe, those two words are your first and last name).
Doesn’t matter. Regardless of where you’re at, we’ve all got the same amount of time on our hands. In fact, it’s totally fine to feel behind! Sometimes, that’s the gas you need in your tank to get motivated and finish strong. I’ll let you in on a secret – I didn’t have a first draft of my essays done until the third week of March when I was applying. I turned out just fine. You will too.
So let’s do it. Deep breath! You got this.
Get out a pen and paper.
Or whatever you use. Maybe even Excel. Just something that you can organize your thoughts on. This is going to be your playbook for the next several weeks.
Start by writing down the schools you are applying to.
Spread them out into columns. Even if you know the programs in the back of your head, write them down. Next to them, write the date that is 3 days before the deadline.
Why? Gaslighting, of course. Gaslight yourself into thinking the deadline is a few days before the actual deadline. That way, you’ll be done with time to spare. Hopefully.
Next, under each school name, write a to-do checklist of every requirement you have left to complete.
Get as detailed as possible! Also, feel free to add stuff to the list you’ve already completed. Research shows that marking off tasks on a to-do list can give you a boost in dopamine and further motivate you. Maybe it’s a placebo effect, but it certainly helps me.
Tasks could include:
Fill out demographic information
Check-in with Professor Brown on rec letter
Write first draft of personal essay #1
Write first draft of activities section
Get resume reviewed at career center
Mock interview with Grace
There’s a lot of moving parts to each deferred MBA application, but laying them out on a single sheet of paper can help declutter your brain a lot.
Now, it’s time to prioritize.
Ah, the fun part. Of course, in order to submit your application, you’ve got to have completed everything. Now, the only thing left up for debate is how to budget your time.
Focus only on aspects that are in your control.
I’ve said this before, but it’s one of the mottos that I live by. Now is not the time to dwell on the past.
If you’re not thrilled about your GMAT/GRE score, you’ve got a decision to make. Spend more time on the test score? Or focus on your essays and resume?
In this case, personally, as long as you’re in the median 50% range of your target schools’ applicant profiles, it’s time to call it quits on standardized exams. I know that’s not the easiest thing to hear. Of course, we all want to hit a higher score. But I guarantee you that if you’re in the range, it’s impossible that your exam score will make or break your application’s acceptance.
Remember, deferred MBA schools are looking for your potential as a future candidate, and as a result, they use a holistic judgment approach. If anything, the standardized exam is the part of your application that gives the LEAST insight into who you are as a person and how successful you’d be as an MBA candidate, in my opinion. It’s just a number.
On the other hand, your resume is a great place to start. While you may not have much control over the actual experiences and metrics behind the bullet points on your resume, the means as to which you phrase your accomplishments is something you have complete control over. If you are an up-and-coming business, your resume is your elevator pitch. Your rap sheet. Treat it as such.
Draft a week-based calendar.
Last step of the process. After scribbling down some ideas about your prioritization stance, write down the weeks you’ve got left (Week 1, Week 2, etc…).
Then, split up your work however you find most fitting. I personally don’t like pressuring myself into completing a specific task on a specific day – perhaps you’ve got writer’s block one day but not the next. That’s why splitting up work by the week is much more attainable.
Finally, fill up your plan and stick to it.
What’s the point of a plan if you don’t use it?
I’m not saying you need to give up if you slip up here and there. It’s natural. That happens. You’re in college, after all. Go have fun with your friends even if you haven’t finished that last task of the week.
But it’s time to stop making excuses.
Go out there and take what’s yours. You’re not going to regret it!
Postscript.
How are you feeling? Stressed? Tired? Burnt out?
I get it. I’ve been there.
Hit me up if you need an extra push! Send me an email or leave a comment.
See you in a week!