With the Round 3 deadline next Monday, March 4th we are receiving lots of questions from prospective Rotman students trying to understand the strategy and impact of a Round 3 submission. I wanted to write an update to clarify that there really is no negative consequence associated with a R3 application! We were deliberate in establishing 5 deadlines and we expect to receive a high volume of applications at each of the remaining deadline dates.

Round 3 is still early in the process. At this point in the cycle neither Program capacity nor scholarship dollars have reached their limit, so applying for Round 3 certainly doesn’t imply a sacrifice from either perspective. We expect to be making lots of offers to R3 candidates (who will hear back from us no later than May 10th.)

The Two Biggest Questions We Get

We typically get two main types of question around deadline time:

Q. My supporting documents may not arrive by March 4th – does this mean my application won’t meet the requirements to be considered with R3 candidates?

A. Absolutely not! Typically the supporting documents reach our office within a few days and as soon as your file is complete it is moved to an Assistant Director for review. If you are planning to take the GMAT after the deadline and want to submit for March 4th you can certainly do this and we will create an application file and await your GMAT score before issuing a decision.

Q. I’m not going to be ready to hit “submit” on March 4th – can I apply between deadlines? What happens to the timeline of my application?

A. Your application is processed as soon as it is received. If this is within reasonable proximity to a Round deadline (a few days) it will be considered within that Round and you will be guaranteed a decision no later than the corresponding decision date. If you apply some time after the deadline (a month) we will move forward with your application review, and typically a decision will be issued within 4-6 weeks. Your file does NOT sit on a desk until the next deadline.

International Students – Round 3 Is Key

We do strongly encourage international candidates to submit applications by Round 3 as it can take weeks, and in some cases months, for study permits and loans to be processed. Submitting early will help ensure you have adequate time to prepare to join the Rotman community this fall.

Best of luck to all of our R3 applicants – we look forward to reviewing your applications!

As a presenter on the Admissions Panel at the Toronto MBA Fair this weekend, I was asked what my one piece of advice would be for candidates approaching the MBA admissions process. Rather than provide an operational tip about essays or résumé formatting, I highlighted something that is near and dear to my personal leadership philosophy. Many candidates said my advice resonated with them, which is why I want to share these thoughts with you!

Don’t Lose Sight of Who You Are

My tip? When approaching the admissions process be confident in the unique value you will bring to the Program and be sure to convey your authentic self throughout the process.

There are many, many reasons why this overarching comment is relevant for candidates. I absolutely appreciate that you will employ every possible strategy to increase your chances of being admitted to your top choice School. However, that same desire/pressure also causes many candidates to develop a belief that there is somehow a perfect “candidate persona” that the School wants to see, and this false belief then drives the way they approach the admissions process. Unfortunately, many candidates try to present the image they think the School wants and, in doing so, lose sight of the authentic and unique value they actually bring to the table. It’s one thing to put up this “show” to get admitted, but it would be nearly impossible to maintain this act for two years as a student in the Program – it would be exhausting!

Why It Pays to Be Your Authentic Self

I hope that you will be confident in your unique value and own that position both in the admissions process and throughout the MBA experience. We have NO marking guides to screen for ‘perfect’ candidates, so there is NO penalty for truly being yourself – but there is tremendous upside.

One of the things I love most about Rotman’s culture is how seamlessly everyone at the School embraces diversity, or in MBA-language, “non-traditional candidate profiles.” So, my advice for aspiring Rotman candidates is to embrace the things that make you distinctive and highlight them throughout the process.

The Rotman community takes great pride in celebrating individuality. Now that you know how much this is valued  – not only be the Admissions Committee, but by everyone you will encounter at Rotman  – we sincerely hope you will be your authentic self while applying to the Full-Time MBA program.

An exciting announcement from Rotman today! We have joined forces with the other top Canadian business schools to form the Canadian MBA Alliance. The newly established group – which includes Desautels, Ivey, Queen’s, Rotman, Sauder, and Schulich – aims to increase worldwide awareness of the high quality of MBA programs in Canada; thus helping attract international talent to Canada; and retaining top Canadian talent in the country.

Canadian MBA Alliance Events: Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary 

Later this month, the MBA Alliance member schools will host a series of combined, two-hour information events to promote the merits of an MBA education to prospective students in Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary. In the coming months you’ll hear about upcoming Canadian MBA Alliance events in additional Canadian cities. The Alliance also plans to expand into key international markets this fall (stay tuned for the dates/locations!).

What will our events be like?

Our vision for the initiative is to establish a unique event format where top candidates will hear from Admissions Directors from the best B-Schools in Canada. We’ll discuss our Programs, provide insights about submitting a compelling application, and give you the inside scoop on how admissions decisions are made. We’ll leave plenty of time for a Q&A period so you can get answers to the business school questions that are most important to you. The evening will typically end with an opportunity to network and chat one-on-one with the Admissions Directors and alumni from each of the six schools.

How This Got Started

In the past, this same group of schools has co-hosted panel events at MBA Fairs, where we promoted the advantages of Canada as a destination for your MBA education. We met this fall to discuss expanding our collaborative initiatives to better showcase the Canadian MBA brand.

We were already highlighting similar themes in our individual interactions with prospective students:

• Global rankings place all our programs among the top 100 in the world
• Our tuition fees are competitive
• Canada has a stable economy and generous job opportunities for MBA grads
• Canada’s immigration policies are uniquely progressive and, as a nation, we welcome diversity and newcomers.

Working together to promote the natural advantages of studying in Canada – in a targeted and focused format where candidates get exclusive access to the top business schools in the country – seemed like a perfect approach and we hope it provides real value to prospective candidates as you explore our programs in more depth.

The Canadian MBA Tipping Point

I am really excited about what we can achieve working together. Canadian Schools seem to be on the verge of a ‘tipping point,’ with interest in studying here rising rapidly over the last several years. According to the latest data from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) there has been a 28% increase in GMAT scores sent to Canadian Programs relative to test taking volume five years ago. Overall GMAT test taking volume during the same period grew by 7.5% worldwide, so we are truly seeing a major shift in demand for opportunities at Canadian business schools. We firmly believe that the Canadian MBA Alliance initiative is going to result in Canadian schools winning more top talent from around the globe, ultimately boosting the collective worldwide market share for Canada’s education brand – a benefit not only for all of our Schools, but for the country!

Learn more about the Canadian MBA Alliance and register for our upcoming events in Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver at: www.canadianmbaalliance.ca