Anyone who is familiar with the MBA application process knows that August moves forward at an accelerated pace, and that in September entire weeks seem to disappear. To help this year’s Round One applicants avoid the classic time crunch, today’s blog post offers some basic advice on how to approach the Round One deadlines at a reasonable pace.

Let’s start by taking a quick look at the published Round One deadlines for the top MBA programs:

October 1: INSEAD
October 3: Northwestern/Kellogg (Part II by Oct. 17)
October 6: Cornell/Johnson
October 8: Columbia J-Term and ED
October 9: UCLA/Anderson; Wharton
October 10: Michigan/Ross
October 15: Chicago GSB; Dartmouth/Tuck EA; Duke/Fuqua EA; HBS
October 22: Yale SOM
October 24: UNC Kenan-Flagler
October 28: UVA/Darden; MIT/Sloan
October 29: Stanford GSB
November 4: Berkeley/Haas
November 15: NYU/Stern

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your personal timeline:

1) Plan to be busy in August and September. Sure, it’s tempting to work on your tan instead of your essays. However, many MBA applicants squander the month of August only to wake up in September and realize that they cannot make their target deadlines. If not bogged down by professional obligations in August, this makes for a great opportunity to devote time to working on your MBA applications in the evenings. The last weeks of summer can easily be split between resume drafting, essay writing, recommendation coaching, GMAT prep, school research, visits and more…

2) Think carefully about the timing of the R1 deadlines. Looking at the deadlines above, it becomes clear that some deadlines may be easier to make than others. A candidate applying to, say, Stanford and NYU could have a leisurely September as compared to someone targeting Kellogg, Columbia and UCLA. Look at the deadlines, assume about three weeks of research and writing for each school’s application and count backwards to determine a start date for each. It is entirely possible to meet back-to-back deadlines, such as Columbia’s and Wharton’s, but doing so requires a well-planned schedule and consistent progress.

3) Consider taking some time off from work. We realize that many MBA applicants work 70 hours/week and haven’t had a day off in months. For such applicants, a day or two out of the office can really do wonders for focus and organization. Applying to business school is a serious undertaking, and in the long-term you won’t regret having given yourself enough time to prepare strong applications. Many successful candidates take a week off in late September to make the final push. It’s not a glamorous way to spend your vacation time, but an offer to attend a leading MBA program can make the sacrifice well worth it.

4) Get your recommenders on board early. While many of the schools have not yet made their online applications and recommendation forms available, it’s a good idea to engage your recommenders early and inform them about the process and your timeline. Sit down with each recommender in August, perhaps over lunch or coffee. Present them with a rough sketch of the deadlines and the process. It’s then a wise to meet again once the forms are available, and by that time many applicants are in a position to share their background materials (a resume, career goals essay, etc.) to help their recommenders understand - and support - their message.

5) Do not leave the online application forms for last. Again, while many schools’ are just beginning to open their online application systems for the 2008-09 season, we want to make sure that our readers are aware that this is a key component of the application. Some applicants pour weeks of work into their essays, only to scramble to complete lengthy online data forms at the last minute. Your data forms are often the first thing the adcom will read when reviewing your file, so it’s important to make a strong first impression by following instructions, avoiding typos, and using this opportunity to present information about your candidacy to your best advantage.