After a relatively sleepy February, March will soon be upon us with its extensive list of application deadlines and decision notification dates. Let’s take a look at the long list of Round 3 (or 4 or 5) deadlines spread over the next two months:

March 1: Michigan / Ross R3
March 3: London Business School R3
March 4: Columbia (int’l applicants), Darden R3
March 5: Wharton R3
March 9: Kellogg R3
March 11: Chicago Booth R3, Haas R4, HBS R3; INSEAD R1 (Jan. intake)
March 14: NYU R3
March 16: Duke R3
March 18: Yale R3
March 23: Cornell R4
April 1: INSEAD R4 (Sept. intake), Tuck R4
April 2: UCLA R3
April 8: Stanford R3
April 15: Columbia (final)
April 30: London Business School R4

While it’s always best to apply as early as possible, the difference between applying in round one and applying in round two is, for most applicants, a marginal one. However, the later rounds are a very different game. Because most of the seats in the incoming class will have been given away by the time round two decisions are released, the acceptance rate in the third round is dramatically lower than that for the first two deadlines of the season.

To maximize your chances of a later round acceptance, demonstrating your interest in the school and submitting thoughtful and error-free written materials will be crucial. Just as applying in round one is generally taken as a sign of interest in a given program, applicants submitting their materials in a later round need to work extra hard to convince the adcom that they are genuinely interested in the school and are not simply applying as an afterthought because interview invitations didn’t come through in round two. Demonstrating that you would make a valuable contribution to the community and providing evidence that you have taken steps to engage current students and alumni will work to your advantage.