Application season for the full-time MBA classes of 2025 is very much underway. On Dec. 8, Harvard Business School, which Fortune ranks as having the No. 1 full-time MBA programs in the U.S., released its round 1 application decisions.
“For those thinking of applying to HBS in Round 2, we hope you will. Round 2 is the final opportunity to apply to the MBA Class of 2025 (entering fall 2023) and the deadline is a little less than a month away on Jan. 4, 2023,” a message from the admissions office posted on Dec. 7 reads. “There’s still plenty of time to put together your application and submit it.”
While HBS probably isn’t the only school you’re applying to, many other top business schools have round 2 and round 3 admissions deadlines looming. These applications take time, dedication—and often an investment—to complete. You’ll likely need to have top GMAT or GRE scores, stellar recommendation letters, polished essays, and a stacked resume to get admitted to one of the top business schools in the U.S.
There’s no real “secret sauce” into gaining admission to a top business school, but it’s critical to showcase your best work.
“I always tell people, ultimately, when you hit that submit button, you want to hit it and not have any regrets,” Shaifali Aggarwal, an HBS graduate, previously told Fortune. “You want to truly make sure you have put your best foot forward throughout the process so that whatever happens, [there are] no regrets.” Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Ivy Groupe, an MBA admissions consulting firm.
Since there are still plenty of opportunities to apply to a full-time MBA program starting in fall 2023, Fortune has compiled a list of the deadlines for the top 20 ranked full-time MBA programs. Salary information listed are post-graduation figures.
Harvard Business School
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 1
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 4, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 29, 2023
Average GMAT: 730
Acceptance rate: 13%
Median starting base salary: $175,000
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 2
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 23, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 22, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 25, 2023
Average GMAT: 732
Acceptance rate: 22.63%
Median starting base salary: $175,000
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 3
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 10, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 28, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 5, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 10, 2023
Average GMAT: 727
Acceptance rate: 26%
Median starting base salary: $165,000
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 4
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 4, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 23, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 29, 2023
Round 3 decision by: June 29, 2023
Average GMAT: 733
Acceptance rate: 18%
Median starting base salary: $175,000
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 5
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 30, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 11, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 25, 20223
Average GMAT: 738
Acceptance rate: 6.2%
Median starting base salary: $158,400
Columbia Business School
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 6
Merit fellowship deadline: Jan. 11, 2023
Regular decision deadline: April 5, 2023
Average GMAT: 729
Acceptance rate: 19%
Median starting base salary: $150,000
New York University Stern School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 7
Round 3 deadline: Jan. 15, 2023
Round 3 decision by: April 1, 2023
Round 4 deadline: March 15, 2023
Round 4 decision by: June 1, 2023
Average GMAT: 729
Acceptance rate: 19%
Median starting base salary: $170,000
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 8
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 10, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 28, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 2, 2023
Average GMAT: 713
Acceptance rate: 19%
Median starting base salary: $160,055
MIT Sloan School of Management
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 9
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 18, 2023
Round 2 decision by: April 3, 2023
Extended Round 2 deadline for applicants affected by tech layoffs: Feb. 23, 2023; notified in April
Round 3 deadline: April 11, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 18, 2023
Average GMAT: 728
Acceptance rate: 12%
Median starting base salary: $150,000
University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 10
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 15, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 5, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 3, 2023
Average GMAT: 715
Acceptance rate: 30%
Average starting base salary: $144,933
Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 11
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 4, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 16, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 27, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 4, 2023
Average GMAT: 724
Acceptance rate: Does not report
Median starting base salary: $175,000
Yale School of Management
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 12
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 24, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 11, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 18, 2023
Average GMAT: 726
Acceptance rate: 23.57%
Median starting base salary: $160,000
University of California—Berkeley’s Haas School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 13
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 23, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 6, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 11, 2023
Average GMAT: 726
Acceptance rate: 17.6%
Median starting base salary: $155,000
Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 14
January round deadline: Jan. 10, 2023
January round decision by: April 6, 2023
April round deadline: April 11, 2023
April round decision by: June 1, 2023
Average GMAT: 704
Acceptance rate: 29.45%
Average starting base salary: $155,048
University of California—Los Angeles (Anderson)
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 15
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 4, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 22, 2023
Round 3 deadline: April 12, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 17, 2023
Average GMAT: 713
Acceptance rate: 29.8%
Average starting base salary: $130,000
University of Texas–Austin McCombs School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 16
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 23, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 28, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 4, 2023
Average GMAT: 708
Acceptance rate: 34%
Average starting base salary: $144,564
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 17
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 9, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 13, 2023
Round 3 deadline: Feb. 27, 2023
Round 3 decision by: April 24, 2023
Round 4 deadline: April 17, 2023
Round 4 decision by: May 22, 2023
Average GMAT: 696
Acceptance rate: 44%
Average starting base salary: $133,517
Indiana University—Bloomington (Kelley)
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 18
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 5, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 15, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 1, 2023
Round 3 decision by: April 30, 2023
Final deadline: April 15, 2023
Round 4 decision by: May 31, 2023
Average GMAT: 679
Acceptance rate: 32%
Median starting base salary: $130,000
Rice University (Jones)
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 19
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 6, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 15, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 31, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 10, 2023
Average GMAT: 705
Acceptance rate: 42%
Median starting base salary: $135,000
University of Washington Foster School of Business
Fortune full-time MBA ranking: No. 20
Round 2 deadline: Jan. 3, 2023
Round 2 decision by: March 31, 2023
Round 3 deadline: March 14, 2023
Round 3 decision by: May 19, 2023
Average GMAT: 704
Acceptance rate: 35%
Average starting base salary: $147,340
Check out all of Fortune’s rankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.
