When do you prefer to freak out? (aka, What type are you?)

Everybody’s got their strengths and weaknesses, and there’s no one “right” way to go about your MBA applications. However, after years (and years and years) of working in this biz, we’ve come to know two specific “types” of Brave Supplicant — though actually these types exist in everyday life and you’ll encounter them as common.

Some BSers are Go-Go-Goers! You are the organized type, always pushing ahead with your eye on the prize. Some might call you a Type A. Your most predominant trait is you’re a planner: You like to start your freak-out nice and early. (Hint: You might even be called a stressmonster at times!) You are already checking on deadlines and scheduling dates in your calendar and mapping out the amount of time you have to get XYZ done for these coming Round 1 MBA applications.

Some BSers are Chillers. You’re more laid back, you know you got this, you’ve been totally successful with life so far. You know you’re applying this year but so far you’re taking it easy. (Hint: Another word for you might be “procrastinator” if we’re being totally honest!) You may not realize that you’re a Chiller until the week before the deadlines hit (which, BTW, is when all chill will be going out the window). Or, you might believe that the adrenaline of a last-minute rush is what helps you get to your best effort (this would be false but it’s a fun little illusion to have).

So, which are you?

Oh hey. This post is going up in early May. If you’re reading this now…. you’re probably a Go-Go-Goer!

Or you’re a well-meaning Chiller who’s doing your research and really into thinking about your plans for your apps…. and will stay in that mode all the way till September. 😉

(Pro Tip: Waiting till September to start your Round 1 applications is waiting too long!)

Today we’re offering an invitation: Be honest with yourself. What type are you?

The American culture definitely puts a premium on the Type A do-er personality; some social circles even have this weird competition about how little sleep did you get last night, as if sleep deprivation were some proof of productivity, and productivity were proof of human value. But just because you’re more relaxed about things — or for some people, that you have a habit of self-sabotage which is often due to a fear of success just as much as it is a fear of failure — does not mean you’re a loser, despite the labels this world likes to apply.

So please don’t be ashamed if you’re a Chiller! The world needs all types, and chillers are awesome with the amount of chill they contribute. If you get it done, you get it done, and that’s all that matters in the end!

That being said…. If you’re a Chiller, you may have an intensively stressful Round 1 ahead of you, if you offload all of your well-laid plans for writing essays to really late in the summer. Although, some may feel that’s efficient: Get all your stress boxed into a tight little timeline! Instead of what many Go-Go-Goers do, where they experience a low-level stress for ages upon end, and it intensifies over time as that deadline approaches.

Whichever way you do it, knowing how you’re wired and your typical reaction to dealing with Big Important Things can be the most critical insight to have as you begin the process of applying to bschool.

If you’re a Go-Go-Goer aka a Planner aka a Stressbiscuit aka a Do-er, you’ve been doing your research. You probably created a GMAT Club account like three years ago or something. Maybe you even took the GMAT before you finished college.

The thing about you Chillers is, you are probably very eager and enthusiastic about bschool, and you’re here reading the blahg at this early part of the cycle, and you have the best of intentions… and yet, come September 1st, which is only days before the initial Round 1 deadlines will be hitting, you will be in full-on panic mode. Things will have totally snuck up on you. You’ll be like, whirling around looking over your shoulder saying “Hey what happened?!?? Where did the summer go? Oh noz!”

Most Chillers are totally innocent (you might even say naive) about this aspect of their personality. You might be in a wee bit o’ denial about it. Procrastination is a Bad Word in this culture; it’s like you’ve got a character defect if you are late to stuff, so it’s really easy to put your head in the sand if this is a pattern of yours.

There are two tricks we can offer to objectively identify if you’re a Go-er or a Chiller:

1. How many all-nighters did you do in college for those end-of-term assignments? Did you ever hand in an assignment late? Did you ever skip class when an assignment was due because you weren’t ready?
• If the answer is OMG Never! give yourself 0 points
• If the answer is I think once or twice give yourself 10 points
• If the answer is Maybe five times total over my four years of college give yourself 100 points
• If the answer is At least once every semester give yourself 1,000 points
• If the answer is You mean there’s another way to do it? give yourself infinity points
2. If you’re American, how close to April 15th do you file your taxes?
• If the answer is On February 1st give yourself 0 points
• If the answer is Sometime in February give yourself 10 points
• If the answer is By March 31st give yourself 100 points
• If the answer is From April 1 to April 14 give yourself 750 points
• If the answer is On April 15th give yourself 1,000 points
• If the answer is I always get an extension until October give yourself infinity points

If your score is under 200, you’re definitely a Do-er!

If your score is 500 to infinity… Hey Chiller!

So what does this mean?

Are we suggesting you need to change from a Chiller to a Do-er in order to get into bschool?

No, not at all. Every year we work with an impressive number of Chillers who scramble it all at the last minute and still make it into the best of the best.

BUT! If you’re interested in getting EssaySnark’s help, do note that it’s way cheaper to sign up now!

If you’re a Chiller who’s also a Cheapskate then there may be some conflict for you to work out! 😀 OR NOT! Because here’s how we can help.

One way that we nudge our BSers towards productivity with their MBA apps is our use of SUBSCRIPTION TERMS. All of our MBA consulting services are sold with a ticking clock attached to them. You can understand the rationale for doing it this way in our FAQ. This is built-in motivation to get you to get busy!

We also have a specific package that is ideal for those who are motivated to start right away — even if the school you’re applying to has not released its essay questions yet. This is called the Foundations package and you can understand how it works here.

**ALL** of EssaySnark’s services are at their lowest price of the season right now. If you know you’re a Chiller and knows that the incentive of saving money will drive you to do what’s in your own best interest anyway, then sign up now!

And if you’re a Go-Go-Goer, then the advice is the same: SIGN UP NOW! If you start with Foundations, you can add the Essay Decimator to get your essays reviewed at a discounted price as long as you do so before the Foundations package expires.

We have a lot of tasks for you to get busy with, even before those essay questions have been announced. If you just want to dip your toe in the EssaySnark waters, then the Comprehensive Profile Review is ideal — you can get started without even doing any real work! (bonus!)

Finally, for both Go-ers and Chillers, the Round 1 Countdown is starting at the end of the month! It’s a perfect way to help you go-go-go! — or, if you’re more the laid back type, to start-start-start!

The crazy thing about Round 1 is that it will be here before you know it. We’ll have plenty of support for you happening every step of the way.

But while you’re in this lazy May timeframe with nothing breathing down your neck and no reason yet to feel guilty… You may want to identify for yourself what type you are. Knowing how you operate and what you’re likely to set yourself up for, based on how you’re wired and your own particular patterns, can be valuable information as you head into this crazy adventure!!