Apply Point Graduate Admissions Consulting

Your Round One MBA Application Timeline: Fall 2025

MBA Round One application deadlines will be released this summer, but It’s never too early to create your business school application strategy. We’ll share Apply Point's ideal schedule in posts throughout this week.

September - October 2025

  • Submit your applications no later than the deadline (confirm the submission time and time zone).  

  • Update your social media accounts to ensure that your profiles reflect you in a positive and appropriate way.

September-December 2025

  • Prepare for and participate in interviews. Your brainstorming document will continue to be useful here. Interviews are a great way for the admissions committee to get to know you as a person (beyond your application) and for you to learn more about a program’s student experience, experiential learning opportunities, and/or alumni network.

Your Round One MBA Application Timeline: Summer 2025

MBA Round One application deadlines will be released this summer, but It’s never too early to create your business school application strategy. We’ll share Apply Point's ideal schedule in posts throughout this week.

June 2025

  • Be all about GMAT / GRE preparation. Take a prep course and/or work with a tutor to prepare for the test. 

  • Reach out to your recommenders. We'd like you to get two letters of recommendation, one from a current supervisor (if possible) and another from a supervisor who can speak to your performance in full-time post-baccalaureate employment.  

  • Visit MBA programs of interest, and gain an understanding of their offerings and how they align with your goals. 

  • Continue keeping a journal. This is repetitive for a reason—never stop doing this. It is so helpful. 

July 2025

  • Take the GMAT or GRE.

  • Finalize your school list. You want a hearty list of "I could go here" schools and you’ll ultimately want to apply to between six and eight schools. 

  • Move all of your journaled experiences into a brainstorming document. 

  • Update your resume to showcase the results you’ve achieved and impact you’ve had. 

August 2025

  • Request your transcripts—and this includes those from schools abroad. 

  • Start drafting your essays. This is going to take a while. If you blast through them all in one week, you haven't done it right. Give yourself time for outlining, writing, revisions, and re-writing. 

  • Fill out the school applications. 

  • Follow up with your recommenders to ensure that they have plans to submit their Letters of Recommendation prior to the deadlines.

Your Round One MBA Application Timeline: Never Too Early

MBA Round One application deadlines will be released this summer, but It’s never too early to create your business school application strategy. We’ll share Apply Point's ideal schedule in posts throughout this week.

Never too early 

  • If you haven't connected with us yet, do it as soon as you can. We can guide you on school selection, provide an initial assessment of your transcripts and work experience, and advise you on ways to bolster your candidacy. 

  • Solidify your plans to take the GMAT or GRE. Taking your standardized test in the spring or early summer before your application deadline gives you some wiggle room if you must retake it. The latest you should retake this test is two weeks prior to the application submission date. We recommend no later than mid-August for Round One applicants and December for Round Two applicants.  

  • Start a journal. You'll raid your journal for details for your School-Specific Essays and, later, for interview preparation. Make notes on your current experiences as they happen and past ones whenever you have a moment to ponder them. You can keep a paper or digital diary or even record audio and text notes on your phone as they come to you, and organize them into a document later. (You will eventually want all of your experiences in one place.) 

  • Gain meaningful professional experiences and seek out leadership opportunities in internship and/or volunteer settings. 

The 2025-2026 Allopathic Medical School Application Overview: Medical School Interviews

If you’re looking to start medical school in the Fall of 2026, now is the time to get started with the application process! Throughout this week, we’ll post blogs that focus on each component of the application and provide suggested timing and resources.

Medical School Interviews: 

Fall 2025 through Spring 2026 (by invitation only)

Many applicants receive invitations to interview following their submission of secondary applications and/or CASPer or Preview Exam scores. Schedule yours as early as possible. And before solidifying your travel plans, you should contact nearby schools to which you’ve applied and let them know you have an interview in the area in case they have availability. This serves the dual purpose of letting the other school know that you are “in demand,” while also showcasing your strong interest in their program.

Review our blog posts on medical school interviews:

The 2025-2026 Allopathic Medical School Application Overview: Secondary Applications

If you’re looking to start medical school in the Fall of 2026, now is the time to get started with the application process! Throughout this week, we’ll post blogs that focus on each component of the application and provide suggested timing and resources.

Secondary Applications:

Submit within two weeks of receipt. 

Secondary applications are typically sent between June and August, although they can come later depending upon the timing of your AMCAS submission. Many schools will not review your application file until you have submitted your secondary application. And, because most schools review applications on a rolling basis, and invite applicants to interview accordingly, it is important to send in your secondary application materials promptly, which we define as within two weeks of receipt. 

Additionally, because many of the schools will use at least some of the same prompts, you can start preparing responses to the most commonly asked questions as soon as you’ve submitted your AMCAS application. 

Review our blog post on common secondary application questions. 

The 2025-2026 Allopathic Medical School Application Overview: AMCAS Application

If you’re looking to start medical school in the Fall of 2026, now is the time to get started with the application process! Throughout this week, we’ll post blogs that focus on each component of the application and provide suggested timing and resources.

AMCAS Application: 

Submit no later than mid-June.

  • The AMCAS application opens and will be available here on May 1, 2025.

  • The first date to submit the AMCAS application is May 27, 2025.

  • The first date that processed applications will be released to medical schools is June 27, 2025.

We recommend that you submit your application in early to mid-June because your application will go through a verification process prior to the data being released to medical schools. This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks early in the process, to over a month during peak application submission periods. Note, in order to complete verification, your application must contain your official transcript, so request this document as well as your letters of recommendation a month or two before your planned submission date (by early April). You also want to submit your AMCAS application early because this step triggers schools to send out secondary application materials, either automatically, or after a pre-screen of your application. 

Review our blog posts on the AMCAS application:

The 2025-2026 Allopathic Medical School Application: An Overview with Suggested Timing

If you’re looking to start medical school in the Fall of 2026, now is the time to get started with the application process! Applying to medical school is arduous, but proper planning can reduce your stress and help you to maintain a manageable task load. Throughout this week, we’ll post blogs that focus on each component of the application and provide suggested timing and resources.

The four components of the medical school application include:

  • Standardized tests: MCAT and Situational Judgment Exams

  • AMCAS application 

  • Secondary Applications

  • Interviews

Standardized Tests:

MCAT: Your MCAT scores are typically valid for three years prior to matriculation, and you can take the exam up to three times.

  • Register: Select your preferred date, as well as a few alternative dates that would work. You can register for the test here. The ten-day deadline prior to the test is your last opportunity to schedule, reschedule, or cancel.

  • Prep: Start preparing for the MCAT at least six months prior to your planned test date. And sit for the exam no later than May 23, 2025 (scores released June 24th): This will avoid application delays. Keep in mind that we recommend that you take your exam by mid-April so that you can re-direct your attention to preparing the AMCAS application. 

Review our blog posts on the MCAT:

Situational Judgment Exams: There are two exams (CASPer and AAMC’s PREview) that fall under this umbrella. Depending upon the specific application requirements at the schools where you apply, you may need to take one, or possibly both. Currently, CASPer is the most commonly required of the two. 

CASPer: This test gauges your ability to critically evaluate complex scenarios and employ sound judgment and communication skills. Not all medical schools require applicants to take the CASPer, however, a growing number of allopathic and osteopathic programs do, currently over 50. Your CASPer score is generally only valid for one application cycle. 

The CASPer score is often requested alongside your secondary application or prior to an invitation to interview. Opting to take the test earlier in the cycle, rather than later, will allow you to have your scores readily available when requested, meaning that you can dedicate that time to preparing your secondary application materials or for mock interviews. It will also ensure that your application is not delayed as you wait for your scores.

Review our blog post on CASPer.

AAMC’s PREview Exam: Similar to the CASPer, the Preview exam gauges professional readiness by assessing your judgment in nine competency areas identified as critical for medical school success. It is unique in that it was created specifically for use in medical school admissions. Currently, only ten allopathic schools require the Preview exam, while an additional 14 allopathic schools and three DO programs recommend it.

  • Register: Find instructions for registering for the test here. You are able to reschedule your test up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled test time. Be sure to sit for the exam during the spring or summer of 2025.

  • Prep: Familiarize yourself with the test format and content before you take the exam. Once you have registered for the test, you will gain access to an exam tutorial. 

Review our blog post on the AAMC PREview Exam.

Are You a Pre-Med Struggling With a “Should-I” Question? We’re Here to Help.

If you’re planning to apply to medical school, you likely have a few “Should-I” questions on your mind. Stay tuned, as this week we’ll review the three most common pre-med questions and provide guidance and related resources.

Should I Take a Gap Year?

Maybe. In 2019, 43.9% of matriculating medical students had taken a gap year or two before medical school, according to the AAMC. You might even take a longer pause. Fun fact: The average age of a 2021 Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania matriculant was 24—ranging between 21 and 30. 

So, why might you want to take some time between undergrad and med school? You can use a gap year to beef up your transcript with a post-bacc or master's degree. Or you might take a break from academics to immerse yourself in a clinical or research experience. 

If you're light on clinical or research experience, we highly recommend a gap year. Longer-term clinical and research roles will teach you things a short stint cannot. And, if you work full-time in a clinical or research environment, that will further enhance your candidacy. 

Maybe you want to put away more money before attending medical school. Never a bad idea. Whatever work you do—it doesn’t have to be medical, you could be a bond trader or consultant—should challenge you in the areas of leadership, critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving. This is a transferable skill set to medical school and residency. What a gap year cannot be: A year of nothing but MCAT prep and vacation. Schools need to know you can handle multiple priorities and that you value learning and helping others.

Related:

Blog Series: Earning Another Degree or Certification Before Med School

Clinical Experiences that Medical Schools Love

How to Find Clinical Experiences for Your Gap Year(s)

Are You a Pre-Med Struggling With a “Should-I” Question? We’re Here to Help.

If you’re planning to apply to medical school, you likely have a few “Should-I” questions on your mind. Stay tuned, as this week we’ll review the three most common pre-med questions and provide guidance and related resources.

Should I Apply Early Decision? 

We rarely advise clients to apply early decision. Not only do you have to be 100% ready to commit to the school where you apply early if admitted, but you must be an absolute all-star. If you’re an average applicant, you will not improve your chances of admission. If you want to apply for early decision, August 1st is the Early Decision Program (EDP) deadline for all medical schools that use the AMCAS submission system. (And most do.) The EDP will tell you if you were accepted or not by October 1st, so you will still have time to apply to other medical schools if you’re rejected.

Are You a Pre-Med Struggling With a “Should-I” Question? We’re Here to Help.

If you’re planning to apply to medical school, you likely have a few “Should-I” questions on your mind. Stay tuned, as this week we’ll review the three most common pre-med questions and provide guidance and related resources.

Should I Take the MCAT again? 

We recommend taking the MCAT a maximum of three times—really, you should aim for two. (Medical schools prefer it.) "Since this exam’s introduction in 2015, the vast majority of examinees (just under 95%) have tested at most once or twice," reported the AAMC. "About 5% have tested three times.”

Data from the AAMC suggests that the longer the time between your first and second exam, the bigger the point gain. Many factors likely play into this, one of them is as simple as completing helpful college courses. 

You can take the MCAT seven times in your lifetime. The cap is three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. There is no uniform way that schools handle multiple MCAT scores. Some will take your highest, others your most recent, others an average of your scores. So, if you scored really well on test one, you might do better to leave that score alone. But generally, we do recommend taking the test twice because it’s very likely that you’ll be able to improve your score by at least a couple of points.

Related: 

Key Considerations Before Retaking the MCAT 

Preparing for the MCAT: Tips and Advice from an Expert

Keys to a Great Relationship with Your Pre-Health Advisor: Be Strategic

A pre-med/pre-health advisor can be an invaluable resource. But, to make the most of your advisor relationship—you must invest in it. This week, we’re sharing our top tips for making the most of your relationship with your pre-health advisor. 

Make the most of your time together. Create an agenda for each meeting so that you can address all of your open items and use your time efficiently. In advance of the meeting, update your application timeline and resume, share any key goals or questions that you’d like to discuss during the meeting, and follow-up after meetings with any outstanding actions or questions. 

Keys to a Great Relationship with Your Pre-Health Advisor: Avail Yourself of All the Resources

A pre-med/pre-health advisor can be an invaluable resource. But, to make the most of your advisor relationship—you must invest in it. This week, we’re sharing our top tips for making the most of your relationship with your pre-health advisor. 

Avail yourself of all the possible resources. Take advantage of other resources that your school provides to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the medical school application process. Sign up for pre-health newsletters, digital resources, and/or clubs. You can then use your meetings with your advisor for more personalized guidance.

Keys to a Great Relationship with Your Pre-Health Advisor: Put In the Time

A pre-med/pre-health advisor can be an invaluable resource. But, to make the most of your advisor relationship—you must invest in it. This week, we’re sharing our top tips for making the most of your relationship with your pre-health advisor. 

Put in the time. Early in your undergraduate career, you should plan to meet with your advisor at least one or two times per semester. In your junior and senior years, particularly before and during the time you are actively working on your application, you will want to meet more frequently. We recommend setting up time to meet at least once a month. Many advisors work with a large number of students so, instead of trying to squeeze into their calendars last minute, plan ahead. 

Keys to a Great Relationship with Your Pre-Health Advisor: Find a Good Fit

A pre-med/pre-health advisor can be an invaluable resource. In addition to providing academic support, they can tell you about the school’s internal processes (such as requesting letters of evaluation), as well as available shadowing, clinical, and/or research opportunities. But, to make the most of your advisor relationship—you must invest in it. This week, we’re sharing our top tips for making the most of your relationship with your pre-health advisor. 

Find a good fit. Meet with your assigned advisor early, and determine if you have a good rapport. Ensure they have extensive experience guiding students into medical school, and that they are accessible and responsive. You may have the option to find an alternative advisor if it isn’t a good fit, so that’s why starting early is key.  

Building Your List of Law Schools: Tuition

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Tuition. Depending on your goals and financial situation, including any undergraduate debt you carry, it may make sense to opt for a lower cost in-state program over an elite institution. Either way, calculate the expected cost-benefit of different categories of schools: private versus public as well as in-state versus out-of-state. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Geography

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Geography. Where you are located plays an important role in your ability to network. If you know where you want to live post-graduation, consider applying to programs that are within that city or state. Similarly, if your goal is to specialize in a particular field (finance, tech, government) or a specific type of law (public service), consider applying to programs that are located near one of the industry’s hubs. This will likely allow you more opportunities to intern, volunteer, or network during the school year. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Career Placement

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Career Placement. If you know what type of career you would like to pursue after law school, dig into the employment placement reports of each school you are considering. Where are graduates getting internships and jobs? Which organizations regularly come to campus for on-campus recruiting? Data is also available for easy comparison on the Law School Transparency website. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Rankings & Prestige

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. We can’t tell you that rankings don’t matter (spoiler alert: sometimes, they really do!), but we can tell you that there is more to consider than just published rankings. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind.  

Rankings and Prestige. There’s been a lot of buzz over the past year about the efficacy of rankings. While rankings should not be your only metric, they are relevant. For students who know that they want to pursue a federal judicial clerkship or a position in a big law firm post-graduation (most 2023 graduates entering large law firms went to a school in the US News Top 20), attending a top-ranked law school can provide significant benefit. 

According to ABA data analyzed by Reuters this year, over 20 percent of the 2023 law graduates at University of Chicago, Yale, and Stanford (top schools in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Schools ranking) obtained federal clerkships upon graduation. But this does not mean that securing such a role would be impossible without having attended a “top” school. Several law schools outside of the top 20, including University of Kentucky, Brigham Young University, and George Mason University, have also placed students in federal clerkships. 

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the rankings, paying particular attention to the metrics and outcomes that mean the most to you. They are a productive starting point for further investigation. And be sure to take a look at Princeton Review’s Category-Based Rankings, which can provide helpful insight into the various components of the law school experience (Best Classroom Experience, Best Career Prospects, Best Quality of Life, etc.). 

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Overcoming Loneliness

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In our next Emotional Intelligence (EI) Friday blog series, we will examine loneliness by considering research on social isolation in the workplace. We will discuss who is affected, the psychological effects of prolonged loneliness, and how you can support yourself or others who may need your help. We hope you enjoy this three-part series.

Click here to read Part 1 of this series. 

Click here to read Part 2 of this series.

So, what should you do if you are experiencing loneliness? Being aware of the dangers of prolonged loneliness is a starter. Below, we have also compiled suggestions for keeping loneliness at bay, for yourself or within your workplace or network.

  1. Take cues from your loneliness. If you feel lonely at work or in your personal life, act on the emotional prompt! Do not ignore the feeling or focus on work to the detriment of your own professional, social, and physical well-being. Consider how you can find more consistent person-to-person interaction. If you work remotely or travel frequently, think about facilitating work discussions over video conference or the phone rather than relying on email or instant messaging.

  2. Form personal relationships. While you’re at work, speak to people and don’t allow yourself to rely solely on emails or other technology to communicate. Ask people about their lives outside work and tell them about yours. Leave your desk to have lunch and invite someone to walk and/or eat with you. Take the occasional coffee break with peers. Join office committees or participate in community service activities. In the Work Connectivity survey, almost three-fourths of Gen Z and just under 70 percent of Millennials say that they would be more inclined to stay with their company if they had more friends. As a manager working to staunch loneliness on your team, Barsade and Ozcelik warn against falling into inauthentic means of relationship-building such as holiday parties or company picnics. Relationships are built in small groups by people sharing about their lives. Large parties often result in people feeling more isolated as they witness the socially connected enjoying the event.

  3. Find shared meaning. According to a Harvard Business Review study, finding shared meaning with colleagues—understanding the meaning that they derive from the work and connecting it with the meaning that you find in the work—creates meaningful “social cohesion” and insulates team members from feeling isolated. This also addresses Barsade and Ozcelik’s point about the meaning and identity that younger generations are looking for in their careers. Younger generations are seeking to be part of something bigger, not just to receive a paycheck. This may also provide a way to connect with others when there are not obvious shared interests or a foundation for a relationship.

  4. Work for companies and managers who take their emotional culture seriously. Some companies have cultures that are more prone to driving isolation than others. Consider this as you look for jobs. Do the employees seem connected beyond meeting corporate goals? Do they seem to know and care for each other on a more personal level? “Mandy O’Neill (management professor, George Mason University) and I have done some work in emotional culture—the norms around what emotions you’re allowed to express at work and what you’re better off suppressing. We found that in emotional cultures of companionate love [that include] care, compassion, and tenderness, even lonely employees were more likely to be perceived as approachable and committed to the organization… Anything that a manager can do in terms of creating a culture that sends out cues that are supportive is helpful,” Barsade said. When interviewing, look for signs that your manager and co-workers will be interested in forming real relationships with you that extend beyond your work together.

Top Qualities Business School Admissions Committees are Looking for in Your MBA Application

At Apply Point, we often remind our applicants that MBA programs are looking for individuals, not just resumes. Admissions committees want to understand the full spectrum of experiences that have led you to this point of your life and career, and have informed your future goals. But while you brainstorm, in addition to poignant personal experiences, be sure to keep in mind the key tenets of the business school application: leadership, teamwork, innovation, and integrity. 

Leadership. Throughout your application, you will want to showcase your ability to influence a team in order to accomplish a common goal. And keep in mind that there are many ways to demonstrate effective leadership. You don’t need to be the captain of a sports team or a club president to be an inspirational and persuasive leader. 

In what meaningful experiences did you show your leadership abilities? Did leadership come naturally to you, or did you work to get to this place? (Both things are great!) How did you support your team? Did you encourage collaboration or independence? Did you feel supported by your team? Did you experience any pushback, and how did you handle that if you did? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? What did you learn that you will incorporate into your leadership style in the future?

Teamwork. Conducting business is a team endeavor. Accordingly, business school is a highly collaborative place where you will spend a lot of your team working together with your classmates. Highlight instances where you have shown humility and elevated the voices of others. 

During what meaningful experiences did you work with a team or collaborate with others successfully? Were you working with people unlike yourself? Was there a struggle for balance in the beginning? Any confusion? What did you appreciate about your team members? How did they influence and impact you and your actions? Did one or two team members step up in a way you admired? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? Have you had experiences with teams that were unsuccessful? What did you learn (remember: failures can provide great insight too!)?

Innovation. The pace of change in business continues to speed up and business schools are looking for students who demonstrate skills in both critical and creative thinking and problem solving. 

In what meaningful experiences did you utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills? How did you determine the best course of action? Did you approach something one way at first and then correct yourself? What did you think about these things at the time? What did you learn? How did you feel?

Integrity and a sense of community. Many leading business schools have missions that include educating principled leaders who will make a positive difference in the world. Business schools are, now more than ever, highly-attuned to applicants’ integrity and sense of civic responsibility. 

In what meaningful experiences did you elevate a community that you were a part of? What effect did you have on others? What effect did they have on you? What have you learned about finding common ground with those who are different from you?  What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? 

Your story set apart.