Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus, several top MBA programs have extended their final application deadlines for the MBA programs that start in September 2020 to help Round 3 applicants. We, at ARINGO MBA Admissions, have noticed a rise in the R3 applications. Our analysis is suggesting that now, might be the right time to apply to a top MBA program vs. waiting for next year’s deadlines from the following reasons:

  • The admissions for MBA programs starting in 2021 might get harder and more selective due to a large number of admitted candidates who will be deferring their studies (= fewer places)
  • Additionally, many candidates are losing their jobs / rethinking their future and will want to pursue a top MBA program (=more candidates). In any case, past recessions tended to increase enrollment

Round 3 (or the “new round 4”) might be a unique opportunity for many candidates to apply and make it into the September 2020 studies. historically, we have seen low round 3 acceptance rates, but this will change this round due to a high amount of international applicants who will be deferring their studies to next year due to the coronavirus implications and the difficulty of issuing visas in time.

Here are the new top MBA deadlines for round 3:

School Original Final Deadline New Extended Deadline
Chicago Booth April 2 May 31
Columbia April 10 June 1
Kellogg April 8 June 1 (Anyone who applies after April 8 is being considered on a rolling basis)
Berkeley Haas April 2 June 1
Dartmouth Tuck March 30 June 1
Duke Fuqua March 11 May 19
Michigan Ross March 30 May 29
MIT Sloan April 9 June 15
Northwestern Kellogg April 8 June 1
NYU Stern March 15 May 1
UCLA Anderson April 16 June 1 for applications, July 1 for GMAT
Cornell Tech April 24
CMU Tepper Rolling admission: June 1 – July 31
Emory Goizueta March 20 July 1
Indiana Kelley April 15 June 1
LBS June 4
Oxford May 29
Vanderbilt Owen April 6 June 1
Virginia Darden April 6 July 15
UNC Kenan Flagler April 6 July 13
Washington Foster March 17 May 19
Yale SOM April 14 May 27
USC Marshall April 15 May 1; added round 5 – June 5