Why you should consider deferred MBA admissions...

There are multiple advantages to deferred admissions:

Networking Opportunities: Once admitted you will have access to most school-sponsored events: lecture series, conferences, speaker series, webinars etc. This allows prospective students to start learning and building their professional network early on.

Career Services Access: Most schools will give you access to their career services in order to secure a full-time job before enrolling to the program. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of great career coaching/counseling early on.

Longer Exposure: As a deferred enrollment student you will be affiliated with your B-Schools for much longer than the traditional 2 years. If you fully take advantage of the networking opportunities, this program will allow you to build a larger and stronger network for yourself not to mention access top notch research in the field of business.

Highly Selective Program

In terms of selectivity, depending on your school of choice, the admissions criteria might be a little more rigorous than the regular MBA admissions. For example, the average GMAT for the entering 2+2 program at HBS is about 10 points higher than the regular MBA program. The GPA is slightly higher as well. Most school use these early admissions programs to bring more diversity to their class. As a result, schools tend to give priority to applicants from STEM, underrepresented minorities as well as first generation college applicants.

Who should Apply?

These programs are typically open to anyone enrolled in senior year and planning to graduate the year of application, regardless of their field of study. Some schools allow for students enrolled in master’s program to apply as well as long as they have started their graduate program immediately following their graduations (in other word they should not have worked after their bachelor’s degree). The overwhelming majority of the schools offer deferred MBA admissions to all students, some are restricted to their alumni.

We have compiled a list of these programs below as well as their admissions and enrollment requirements.

These programs are mushrooming across the world of graduate management education, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a growing list of similar programs particularly in top schools who are not so much worried about filling their classrooms but bringing students on board that will contribute to the diversity of their program.

Harvard 2+2

Deferral: 2 to 4 years

Eligibility: Current students in their final year of undergraduate or master’s program