As MBA programs look for top talent, the rise of deferred admissions applicants continues to grow, but there is still a lack of clarity on what this is, and how college students can take advantage of these opportunities. Devon Gethers realized this when he was an undergraduate student navigating the deferred MBA admissions process, and after getting into HBS, Columbia and Wharton, decided to start Early Admit, an admissions consulting firm that specializes in providing affordable deferred MBA admissions advice to college students.
In our interview, Devon spoke about his journey through the deferred MBA admissions process, the value of deferred admissions, and why he started Early Admit.
MBASchooled: Tell us about your background. What were you studying in undergrad, and why did you decide to apply for a Deferred Admission to MBA Programs?
I am originally from Tacoma, Washington and I now reside in Salt Lake City, Utah. I studied Behavioral Science at Utah Valley University where I received my Associates degree. After UVU, I transferred to the University of Utah where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Finance. I was admitted to HBS 2+2, Wharton Moelis Advance Access, and Columbia Business School and I accepted HBS with the plan to defer for two years. During my two year deferral period, I will be working on the investment team at Mercato Partners, which is a mid-stage Private Equity firm.
I decided to apply to the deferred MBA programs for several reasons. First, I knew that I wanted to pursue an MBA at some point in my career, so I thought, why not now? A deferred MBA program was the perfect opportunity for me to gain admission into my dream school from an early start. I recognized that a deferred admission would allow me the ability to access the school’s network for an additional 2-4 years, allow me to demonstrate to my employer that I am a high potential leader, and allow me the opportunity to explore new roles and industries that I otherwise might not have explored if I had pursued a traditional path to MBA school.
MBASchooled: When you were trying to figure out if you wanted to apply, where did you go for information? What did you find?
I originally discovered what a deferred MBA was after spending time on the Harvard Business School website. I began researching online to see what other programs offered this type of program. I found that the process of searching for these programs was very difficult to locate content and information related to deferred MBA programs. You essentially had to search each specific school and search the entire website of that school in order to understand if that institution offered a deferred MBA. EarlyAdmit wanted to simplify this search process for potential applicants. We created a landing page on our website of all the programs that currently offer deferred MBA programs and the specifics of each program. More details here:
MBASchooled: What are some of the benefits of deferred MBA admission?
- The cost of applying to a deferred MBA is much lower than the cost of applying via regular admission with respect to the application fee and deposits.
- A deferred MBA presents a zero-risk opportunity for admits to enter the workforce and explore new roles and industries. In fact, these programs highly encourage deferred applicants to go out and take risks! Go travel to Africa and pursue that non-profit, or go start that venture that you’ve always had a passion for! Win or lose, you know you have a risk-free back up plan.
- Many employers recognize the value of an MBA and quite often, many executives at top firms have obtained MBA degrees as well, so this presents the opportunity for deferred applicants to use their acceptance as leverage to accelerate their career positions and/or get their employers to sponsor their education.
- When discussing the value of an MBA, the network always enters the conversation. You are provided access to a network of a highly engaged and highly successful group of individuals right out of undergrad. This is a huge benefit and has served me well!
MBASchooled: Talk about Early Admit. What is it, and why did you start it?
EarlyAdmit is an admissions consulting services company. We provide affordable and highly effective strategies to help prospective applicants gain admission to the most prestigious deferred MBA programs in the world. We help all sorts of clients with different backgrounds and experiences, but we have a primary focus on guiding applicants from underrepresented minority backgrounds. EarlyAdmit also provides mentorship to first and second-year students across the globe.
I founded EarlyAdmit for several reasons:
- Accessibility and Cost – As I was going through the application process, I was spending money that I did not have on services that would help me be most competitive in the MBA process. I began networking with current students and alumni at the top MBA schools in the U.S. and each of them recommended that I use an admissions consultant when applying. So, I went out and started looking for effective consultants. To my surprise, I discovered that traditional admission consultants were charging applicants over $10,000 for package deals. Coming from a low-income household, I just could not afford this. I decided not to use an admissions consultant in my process. However, at that moment, I committed that if I were to be admitted into these top schools that I would create a product full of highly effective strategies and provide it to applicants across the world at affordable and reasonable rates. I desired to create access to opportunities for a wide array of individuals so that I could increase URM representation at these prestigious business schools.
- Resources – while I was going through the application process, there were next to zero external resources available for deferred MBA applicants. It was very difficult for me to get in touch with currently admitted deferred MBA candidates. I saw the need to create a team of deferred MBA admits who were not only committed to giving back and helping others through the application process but who were also diverse in race, gender, geography, experience, and in the school’s they were admitted to. Additionally, I saw the need to start EarlyAdmit because traditional consultants saw the deferred MBA market as too small of a market for them to engage in, but I viewed the deferred MBA market from a growth perspective. I knew that institutions were going to increase their offerings and a deferred MBA would be one of those offerings.
- Transparency – Lastly, I saw an opportunity to create transparency in deferred MBA admissions. EarlyAdmit publishes and releases content on important insights surrounding deferred MBA admissions. We help others understand the value of an education and inspire others to apply regardless of blemishes on their application.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for undergraduate students who are thinking about business school in their future. What should they do, or at least be thinking about?
I advise individuals to start preparing as soon as possible. I am positive you will encounter many unanticipated challenges during your application cycle, so in essence, time is your greatest asset. My second piece of advice is to begin networking. Network with current deferred MBA candidates, current students in the full-time MBA program, alumni, and admission committee representatives. Try to understand why others have pursued an MBA and why they have chosen to attend their respective institution. This will help you prepare a more customized and authentic application.
If you are passionate about gaining admission to a top deferred MBA program, you should heavily consider applying for our “Deferred MBA Bootcamp” This Bootcamp will be co-hosted by the founders of EarlyAdmit and Deferred MBA Consulting, and is a great opportunity to obtain expert guidance at an affordable price.
MBASchooled: Where can people go for more information?
People can start by going to our webpage at www.earlyadmit.com and signing up for our newsletter or visiting our LinkedIn company page. We continually release content on a weekly basis!
If you have a financial need please email deferredapplicationbootcamp@gmail.com. We have committed to giving out over $10,000 in scholarships to applicants who need financial assistance.
You can check out Early Admit’s Boot Camp here
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