It is time…the deadline for Round 1 is almost here and you have not thought of a good answer for Essay No.2 and your supervisor is taking a lot of time to write good things about you. Sure, you can put a little pressure and make him hurry up and find a good answer on the Internet, but is it worth it?
Some colleges like Stern, Tepper and UCLA encourage students to apply in the first couple of rounds because scholarship funds eventually get used up. But some other colleges would argue that all students have the same chance of getting scholarships no matter when they apply. So the first thing to do is check with the BSchool you are most interested in about its policies. Sometimes talking directly to the admissions director can help straighten matters out. But just in case you are vying for Round 1 and are not prepared yet, what should you do?
Pressurizing your supervisor may have an adverse effect on your LOR…but at the same time without a deadline in mind, the letter will never get written. It is easy to see in hind sight how you could have made it easier for your supervisor and you by setting a deadline and giving him a summary of your background and achievements (see here). But hind sight management is not going to save you here. You need to realize that some people work best under pressure and at the same time some things are better done thoroughly because you may not get a second chance.
Are you the kind who works best under pressure? Will you churn out the most impressive essay the night of the deadline and submit it just as the clock turns 12? Will you hound your supervisor till he makes your LOR his first priority? If the answer is Yes, go ahead, grab the opportunity and check your application in for Round 1.
Now, what if you are not the above kind? Do not worry if it is so. Do not think that you are not management material. Maybe you are not a type A personality, but there are very many styles of management and working under pressure is not the only yardstick. You must know that getting in a good application is of utmost importance. True, in some cases, you may lose out on the eligibility for scholarship, but it is better to get admission without scholarship than not get admitted at all. So think about how you can be ready for Round 2, prep your supervisor, get your essay in order and apply before the Round 2 deadline so that you do not have to go through the same dilemma again.
So whether it is Round 1 or 2 or the later rounds, be sure your application is the best it can be.
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