Round 1 MBA Application Countdown: Finalize, Trust, Submit
This week’s not-so-gentle reminder: As you finalize your application in the school’s online portal, trust the process and give your recommenders the space to do their part.
What You Should Be Doing This Week to Prepare for Round 1
1. Review and finalize your application in the school’s online portal.
Go through every section carefully—including personal info, academic history, job details, transcripts, and test scores. Make sure everything is complete, accurate, and uploaded properly. A clean, error-free application avoids last-minute stress and shows your attention to detail.
2. Reconnect with your recommenders.
Share upcoming deadlines, offer helpful context or talking points, and thank your recommenders again for their support. And remember, it’s completely normal if they don’t submit until the last minute, so try not to stress.
Stratus MBA Admissions Counselor Sophie Hilaire often reminds applicants to trust the process. Once you’ve selected your recommenders and equipped them with everything they need, step back and let them take it from there. A polite check-in is fine, but resist the urge to micromanage. Demonstrating trust in your recommenders shows professionalism—and they’ll appreciate it.
Exclusive video for Substack featuring Stratus Senior MBA Admissions Counselor Jennifer Jackson. Discover more actionable advice on the Stratus YouTube channel.
MBA Applicant Profile Review
Each week, a Stratus consultant reviews an anonymous MBA applicant’s profile and shares their expert recommendation, drawing on years of admissions experience.
About
Entered the Army as an aviation officer
Earned high rankings across all military schools, most recently in a training environment as an instructor pilot
Has no leadership experience outside of work since undergrad, given a highly demanding career—but completed many “extra duties” such as safety officer and unofficial mentor to other pilots
Is currently undertaking an investment banking internship as he transitions out of the Army
Post-MBA goals:
Short term: MBB* consulting
Long term: Unsure; doesn’t know enough about life beyond the military to definitely know quite yet
* MBB = the Big Three consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group
Sophie’s Advice
This applicant presents a very strong academic and professional profile, with a 765 GMAT (87Q, 85V, 86DI), a 3.8 GPA in economics with a minor in environmental engineering from a public military university, and nine years of experience as an Army aviation officer. His role as an instructor pilot and his consistent high performance in rigorous military schools demonstrate exceptional discipline, leadership, and communication under pressure. One can also tell that he is distinctive among his peers.
Although he hasn’t had formal leadership roles outside of work since college due to the demands of military service, this candidate’s “extra duties” (e.g., safety officer, unofficial peer mentorship) should be reframed and highlighted on his resume as evidence of leadership, initiative, and trust from superiors. Leadership roles from his undergrad studies should also be emphasized within the education section to help fill out this narrative. Including a new section on the resume titled “Leadership and Additional Responsibilities” could give this important experience the visibility it deserves.
This applicant’s short-term goal of joining an MBB consulting firm is both credible and achievable given his leadership experience, high performance in elite environments, and current investment banking internship. To better align his profile with his passion for sustainability, I recommend that he articulate a long-term goal that builds on his environmental engineering background. Even if he’s unsure of the exact path, it would strengthen the candidate’s application to define a vision where his leadership experience, technical foundation, and post-MBB experience converge. Examples could include leading sustainability initiatives in aviation, infrastructure, or logistics. Highlighting his past research and exploration of environmental issues in the “Hobbies & Interests” section of the resume (e.g., wrote an internal memo proposing greener practices in military aviation training, regular reader of Carbon Brief, volunteer efforts with local trail cleanup initiatives) will also help convey authenticity in this space, given the length of time since his undergrad minor.
This applicant is a strong candidate for top programs such as HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Northwestern Kellogg, and CBS, and I encourage him to tailor each application to the unique strengths of the specific school. Crafting a refined long-term vision and presenting more visible leadership storytelling will be key to maximizing his chances across M7 programs.