Indiana Kelley

Bloomington, IN · Public · 2-year full-time (+Flex: optional online second year)

Average GMAT Focus: 618
Average GPA: 3.38
Class size: 57 (Class of 2028)
Median base salary: $127,900 (Class of 2025)
Program tuition: $111,390 (≈ 2 × first-year tuition, nonresident)

Deadlines

Round 1: Oct. 1, 2026
Round 2: Dec. 15, 2026
Round 3: Feb. 15, 2027
Round 4: April 1, 2027

Essays

Essay 1: post-MBA goals (500 words)

Discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider?

Essay 2: short essay (choose one) (300 words)

Please respond to one of the following short essay prompts. My greatest memory is… / I’m most afraid of… / My greatest challenge has been… / I’m most proud of…

Essay 3: a brief fact (25 words)

Share a brief fact about yourself that your classmates would find interesting, surprising, or noteworthy.

Optional essay (300 words)

Is there anything else that you think we should know as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you shouldn’t feel obligated to answer this question.

Editor's notes

Your resume is the first screen. Phase 1 is only a form and a resume, and Kelley decides from those whether to invite you to the full application. Treat it like a finished document: results with numbers, clear progression, no jargon.
Kelley says outright that a strong later application beats a rushed early one, and that seats and aid stay open through every deadline. Take that at face value, with one exception: international applicants should be in by Round 2 (Jan. 5 for Phase 2) because of visa timing.
The interview is run by the admissions committee, not alumni, and the Dean's Fellowship (two years of full tuition) lists the interview among its criteria. Prepare for it the way you'd prepare for a job interview with the people who decide.
If you have Indiana ties, say so. The Back to Bloomington and Hoosier Heritage fellowships can close some or all of the $26,122 gap between resident and nonresident tuition, and even an Indiana high school diploma can qualify you for Hoosier Heritage.