Thank you Chicago!

Dear Chicago,

Thank you! For inviting me to interview. To give me that glimmer of hope again that I could be a suitor worthy of a seat in your class.

With loads of love,
the Paw

Dear Chicago,

Show me some love. You left me in the lurch for 3 months after waitlisting me last year. After the long and agonizing wait, you ditched me. To win your affections, I changed my life and my career. I joined professional organizations, got a new job, got a promotion. I got my application reviewed by 5 students and 2 alums and worked late into the nights for 6 months to get everything done perfectly. I visited you twice to get to know you better. And now, with just four days left for interview invitations to end, you have not yet reciprocated my love. So please do.

Waiting anxiously for an interview invit.

The paw.

Wharton Wants to TALK!!!!

Yippeeee......Just got my R1 invitation to interview from Wharton admissions office...god...please god...let me make it this time!!!!!

With no R1 interview invite in sight, I think I need to sit down and take stock of what I need to do next. I have two choices. Sit here and wait for an interview invitation or start cranking out a few more essays. I like the later option. I am thinking of applying to Columbia, Stern, Haas and maybe London. Also, kellogg weekend is a definite on the list for R2 even if I make it somewhere on R1 - because my new job might just take the tab for a weekend MBA in chicago. I loved Stern but do not know if they will let me just submit a photo-copy of my transcript. There is no way I am going to be able to submit an official one.

As for Chi and W, I think they just did not like that I said I want to specialize in turnaround management. I mean whenever I posted questions regarding these fields on their forums I never got a response or got it very late - usually something that said something about picking up general mgmt skills being helpful in turnaround mgmt etc. But I really liked their courses and think their programs would help me achieve my goals. It would be sad if they think otherwise! Or maybe I should just have stuck to the same-old-run-off-the-mill generalist strategy consulting stuff :(. Nevertheless, I think I need to get back to the drawing board and start working on my R2 schools! Phew!

An open letter to ad-com members.

Dear ad-com members,

One of the greatest things that makes this world go round (other than inter-planetary forces) is hope. So it is with B school applicants. We are a unique breed who, come admission season, forget our differences and are united by just 2 things - B- school admission craze and hope. Post submission, we get divided further into 2 groups - the haves and the have-nots. The haves are the ones who have an interview admit and therefore are busy preparing while the have-nots are still sitting here, like me, twiddling their thumbs wondering if the ad-com have actually read their essays and tossed it into a trash can (not a favourable case) or whether their application has not yet been read (please god! let this be the case). It is on behalf of have-nots like these that I write this letter.

Within a week or two of submission, the have-nots usually need to have the F5 key on their keyboards replaced. They are usually seen biting their nails while reading student forums like those of Wharton and Chicago. They are not very different from relatives who wait outside the ICU when a loved one is undergoing a major surgery. It is just the anxiety and tension that keeps them from focusing on what they should rather be doing - moving on and maybe working on their next round applications.

The solution, dear ad-com members, lies with you. Why do you not just write a short mail to that unfortunate guy whose application you just tossed into the trash-can - telling him that he has been denied? Is this a logistics issue? Do you have to wait till the last day to send out declines? Or is it so that on the last day you count the number of interview invits, figure that you have sent a few too less and reach out to your trash can to retrieve a few randomly and call them for interview? If this be the case, then I guess the have-nots are doomed to suffer in the manner they have been traditionally subjected to. If not, I would request you to maybe take a few mins and hit the send button on those whom you have already decided are not good enough for your school.

On behalf of other have-nots,
The paw.

Duke and Darden submitted.

I submitted my Duke and Darden apps last week. With this I believe I end my R1 app season. I might submit Stern and Columbia but have not yet started on them. With the GSB two days into sending interview invits and Wharton over a week into the process - I am losing faith. Especially because last year, I got my Chi invit the first hour of the first day they started sending invits. For some reason, I believe my apps would have been read in the same order - that is one of the first few - by both W and Chi. And now since no invits, must have been tossed into the D-bin. However, for some strange reason, this is not bothering me anymore. Because I know I gave them my best shot. I could not have done better than this. So I am satisfied. Further, I am pre-occupied with too many other things. A new job. A new city. Hopefully a new car. YIPPEEE!

Ross Submitted!
I found the Ross only data sheet to be the most restrictive. I believe that the Ross ad-com believes in REALLY concise communication. But then I liked the freedom they gave with the 2-page resume. Though I hate 2 page resumes, I used a 2 page one to explain my extra-currics better. Hopefully, they like what they see.

BTW, it was essential I submit Ross today because it is one of my top choice schools. I am planning to give my boss the sweet news of my resignation tomorrow and expect fireworks - and mental tension. Since I did not want to submit Ross in a bad mind-frame, I took off from work today, smoothened the edges and submitted it today.

I am now planning to work on Darden today and maybe even submit it tonight. That would be great. But before that I need to head out to the DMV to change my car registration. I am thinking of selling it off as I need to move.

So far...

Chicago GSB submitted. After changing my entire PPT yesterday night, I came back from work early..checked everything and hit the submit button. I could not find a way to save a PDF version of the entire app. So I am still worried if I submitted the right version of the essay etc.

Wharton submitted!

Just submitted Wharton! One down...two more to go for R1.

Was just talking to an old friend who started at Stern recently. He loves it there. But NYC is frightfully expensive. Campus Graduate Studio acco for 1700 bucks a month!!! Ouch..

But then Stern has a LOT to offer - NYC, Ashwath Damodaran, IB students, great culture etc. and it is definitely one of my top choices. And it reminds me of Avis' famous ad -"We try harder..". Stern is an up and coming school. So they try harder. Plus their IB placement record is impeccable.

As for my essays, I have spent every bit of creativity and energy I have into Chicago's essays. Ross essays have been ripped apart by my reviewers. SO I will wait for a while till I get back to them. See if I have any fresh ideas.

Next target- Wharton (Gee..I love unca Wharton!)
All I did today was brainstorm about outsider situations for Essay 2. Then called up friends randomly for help. We all concurred that I should try to keep this personal as it might be the only one I can use to show my personality. No matter what I try, I cannot make my goals essay personal. I just cannot!

I am also reading through the HBS essays in 65 Harvard essays and find that most of the guys have taken very small incidents and elaborated on them. This is an eye-opener for me because I always was looking for BIG examples. I have many but then the essence gets lost in the list of things I did and felt. So I have decided to use very small incidents..like instead of focussing on a project that failed, I will probably focus on one difficult conversation with one client in one project that failed. I think the key to cracking these essays is to ZERO down on the essence of the matter and then build around it. Sounds easier said than done though! Let us wait and watch.

I requested the big 4 company for a post in chicago. They said YES!! that is the good part. The bad or may be not so bad part is that I have to interview again and if I goof up, I lose the opportunity to work for them. Yikes! Well, keeping my fingers crossed.

BTW, I am not getting ANYWHERE with my essays. I wrote up first draft of Chi essays and my Essay 1 is so close to my last year's essays. I just cannot seem to give it a new flavor or even take out stuff to accomodate this year's achievements! Yikes.

Ross essays have been in the cold store for too long and I am sure they are dead by now. So when I take them out next time, I will have to start afresh. I know it. Dream of putting together 7 sets for R1 might have to be reduced to 5. Jeez!

The more I read about it, the more sicker I get. Other IT applicants claiming that their IT background sounded the death knell of their applications! I mean, c'mon. I refuse to believe that I will not make it to a top B school because I am an IT guy. I refuse to believe I am not good enough, do not have good experiences,do not have good academic potential or do not have enough to contribute to the class. I refuse to believe that ad-com will say, "ouch, another IT" and toss my app in the bin. I refuse to believe that all my efforts are going to be wasted because of a (according to me- wise) career decision I made 6 years back!

B Schools look for people! Not for jobs! And if you can portray that you are a thinking, wise, mature, leadership-oriented and team skills oriented-person who has thought through his career goals, how he will get there, understands what an MBA can give, understands a B schools program and convey that concisely (and thereby demonstrate that you have good communication skills) - 9 out of 10 chances are that you will be IN. And then of-course, as in EVERY OTHER venture you undertake in this world, chance does play a role. I talked to a Wharton ad-com member and she said, " If you introduce yourselves as an Investment banker from NYC or an Indian IT engineer - NO we do not want you. But if you introduces yourselves as the person you are, we will get interested!" It sounds easy but it is not. And if it sounds too difficult, it is NOT either.

This rant is as much a rant to myself as it is for others! Wish you all luck!

I think I nailed the job interview yesterday. The interviewer said that I did the case fabulously in less than 10% of the time. I also chatted with the partner about aviation history and it turned out we had worked for the same client too. So there was much gossip to be done. However, I am still not sure whether I should take the offer if I get it. So much of travel, adjusting to the new team and environs - it might affect my MBA application process. Strange how we tie everything to the application process.

Yesterday, on the flight back to Seattle, I was reading a few sample apps and got a lot of neat ideas. Things that I did not think were failures were used by other successful applicants and treated expertly to produce winning essays. I think I will dig deeper and see what I produce. Many people I have talked to recommend that I write HBS and Stanford essays first because they are the most demanding. I am wary of doing that because they might eat up so much time that I might not be ready in R1 for the 4 schools I want to apply to. BTW, finally, I have finalized the schools I will apply to in R1.

Ross
Columbia
Wharton
Chicago
Maybe, Darden or Stern!

I have to apply to the first 4 or else I better go die. BTW, I had finished the first draft of all my Ross essays. But then, I took another look at them on the flight yesterday and decided to trash the goals essay. So here I am, hiding in a library trying to get Essay 1 done. After that, I will research a few firms I want to join after MBA and then try to collect essay fodder! Wish me luck!

Bought an iPod

OMG . I am 28. And looking to go to school. Need to work my image a little bit. So got what everyone else seems to have. An ipod. Apple has a sale on refurbished ipods

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=FA477LL/A&cid=AOS-US-AFFC-IPOD&aosid=p201&cjid=10488964-1260291-

What not to do..lessons from a re-applicant!

You have read about what to do. You might not know how important it is to do what other tell you to do. I know. Because I got burnt. So here goes a laundry list of what I did wrong last time.

1. Did not do Career planning
I knew I was interested in Consulting. I also knew that only an MBA could get me there. So much I stated. What i did not do is state WHY I am interested in Consulting? What I did till date to explore that interest? And tie my goals to the offerings of the B School.

2. Did not research the school I typically went by the reputation of the school. All I had to say in my essays was - want to go here because it is a great school, great faculty, great infrastructure, great people....Yikes!

3. Did not talk to Students
I did not talk to anybody. Was so afraid of failure that I did not let my friends in other B schools know that I am applying. I did not reach out to current students for information. Now I know how important it is to talk to students.

4. Did not position myself
I attacked each essay question as a single entity instead of look at it as part of a whole. This was a major mistake. I was honest in my essays. But I showed little thought or positioning. Now they look so corny, I have laughed at myself several times. One tip I would give to prospective students is to create a document that lists all essay questions of some major schools and brainstorm for ideas to answer for each. It is surprising how you get ideas for an essay for your preferred school when you are thinking about the essay of a school you might not apply to.

5. Did not get my essays reviewed
Again, I wanted to do it alone! I did not have a single soul read my essays. My take was that - they are my own personal expressions. B schools want honest personal straight from the heart essays. Let them be the way I wrote them. This attitude made me miss the most important point - to convey the info that B schools are looking at. Getting essays reviewed is of utmost importance. To find out who a good reviewer would be, refer to Juggler's post here http://thembasaga.blogspot.com/search/label/Essays

My approach to essay-writing this year is -
1. Create a file containing essay questions of all major schools and the schools I plan to apply to.
2. Brainstorm! Fill this file with points.
3. Research each school and fill the Why XYZ school section in this file?

The above process should give enough material to pick and chose from.
Then, pick your first choice school, create an outline for all the essays.Start working on the first draft of these essays. Look at how each essays interacts with the other to present a holistic picture. Do NOT repeat material across essays. If possible, each essau . Repeat process for School 2 and 3. Then go back to School 1 and revise. Then get them reviewed and so on....

I now have my stories ready for most questions except the Failure question of Wharton and the Culture Shock and Ethical dilemma questions. These have always given my nightmares. But I am sure if I dig deep, I will find answers. What I am worried about most though is about what my Unique qualities are? Now I am a technically strong, academically brilliant, hard-working, ethical, integral, sincere, expert communicator , empathetic, diligent,visionary, brave, risk-taking, determined, innovative leader and all that. But then a normal top B school soup would have oodles of each of these ingredients. So what distinct flavor do I add? I have been talking to a lot of people and found some posts by Marquis especially useful. But then, I still am at a loss!

Ross visit...

I have been intending to post on my visit to Ross for a while but never got around to doing that. After visiting Wharton for the second time, I left Philly for Ross. The flight was delayed and I reached Detroit at 2 in the morning. Now I had heard a lot of stories about how unsafe Detroit is and contemplated staying in the airport till dawn. But then I needed good sleep to be ready for Ross. So I took a cab and reached my hotel without incidence.

The visit to Ross the next day was very pleasant. Ross is a part of the univ of Michigan and Ann Arbor is the typical university town. So Ross has all the advantages of a good university. The School is good, has a great faculty and good facilities. They are also expanding the facilities.What really blew me away was their Trading Lab which has bloomberg software worth over 1.5 M $ for students use! Facility wise I think the only dampner was the Kresge Library which did not look like it had too many books. But then I heard they are going to rely on google for it to bring out digital books.

Again, as everywhere else, the day i visited was the first day of school for new MBA admits. So there was a lot of excitement going on. I talked to a few and found them to be excited about being there. Those kids were great! They loved to help and were willing to talk about their experiences. Of-course, one thing I noticed about Ross and NYU kids was that they were not AS PROUD TO BE THERE like their Wharton or HBS counterparts. I know Ross is not an HBS or Wharton. But nevertheless, it is a great school and has some great faculty like Strategy guru C.K. Prahalad on its rolls.

One thing I am worried about the the influence of the auto-market on Ross's recruitments. If the auto-majors, running into losses, decide not to recruit, then the competition for traditional jobs like Consulting and IB will be very high at Ross.Otherwise, i loved Ross and it is the first school I am going to tackle!

Again, pictures -

Started...FINALLY

After days of procrastination, writers block and what not, I have finally started working on my Ross essays. I am not sure they are coming out well but I atleast think I have a workable plan. One thing I did for Chicago last year was to look at their recommendation form to see what they look for and then decide on the correct stories to portray those qualities. However this year, they do allow downloading the reco-forms. I am not worried too much though. What I am worried about is a potential job offer from a big 4 consulting company. I have the case interviews this week and have to fly down to their offices for that. Will I crack it? Will it be a good move given my B school apps? I do not know. But then I am planning to give this a good shot as the company is a major B school employer as well. This might slightly hit my essay writing process but then I will still push myself to submit seven SOLID apps! :)

Columbia App issue

I finally got down to taking a look at all questions of all the schools i am interested in - HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Ross, Chicago, Tuck, Insead etc. I have also jotted down some ideas as to what I would like to say. I am having difficulties in Wharton's failure essay and also some culture shock essays. But I will delve deep for instances of those later. BTW, I am trying to access Columbia's online app but am not able to. The page never loads. I have tried using both Firefox and IE. Is anyone else facing a similar issue?

NYC!!

Woo hoo! The last weekend was reserved for fun. After almost a week of B-school hopping and travelling, I was finally free. I fought back urges to sneak in a quick visit to Yale SOM and Cornell in Ithaca and decided to spend the time with friends exploring NYC instead. We wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty but the crowd was huge, the heat ugly and the wait-time a million years. So we opted for the water taxi ride instead. It was pretty neat. Here are some pics!




We then topped the day off with a visit to Times Square (the energy there is AMAZING!) before trudging home to crash!

Ah Ha(rvard)!! Good place to lunch!

After the slightly dampening experience at MIT, I was worried about Harvard. If MIT guys are like this, HBS can be more uptight. right? WRONG as I soon found out.

I took the redline(?) from MIT to Harvard. Just a short hop away. Arrived at Harvard Square. It was teeming with activity. Tourist activity. It looked like a fave tourist destination. I hopped into a souvenir shop and bought myself a couple of HARVARD T-shirts. I imagined it might be my last chance to buy them. I also promised myself I will not wear them out. Just at night. Maybe it will help me work towards my essays better.; )).

I then asked for directions and began the walk towards the B school. On the left over the bridge. The heat was killing. The old red brick buildings at Harvard scared me. I mean this place has been hiding so many intellectuals and that types so much so that "Harvard types" is a phrase in common language. Maybe I will see a professor with long unkempt beard and hair flying out of a building on a cycle with wings, screaming "Eureka!". Maybe I will witness history in the making. Unfortunately nothing of that sort happened and I got lost trying to make out where to go. Now, in Harvard, the admissions office is located in Dillon house which is easy to miss as all the buildings look alike. However, I reached in time for the session. HBS, unlike what I had imagined, really worked hard on selling the school. The ad-com gave a good presentation on what HBS stands for, what it looks for and the merits of HBS. She shared a piece of info not available publicly (HBS is the only B school which has got its own exclusive campus!Now that is public!). After the session, where I did meet some nice and some Alpha-type fellow applicants, I asked the receptionist where the students usually hang around.

Spangler. Unfortunately no second year students. But then the first years had just joined. Like in Wharton, this was their first day at school and most looked lost or extremely busy. Nevertheless, I could get some time from two and they really talked at length about their admission experience and about their experience with HBS. They all talked about how they thought the Case method was the best fit for them as they had experienced it before. I am thinking they must have demonstrated it in their essays too. So, I think all HBS aspirants must take care to show that they do think they learn best using the case method. Now I just had to look around to see why they loved this place. It was a PALACE. I also managed to have lunch at the kingly dining hall. Look at the pics yourself.

The bridge that leads to HBS:


Cambridge Center:


I could not take pictures of classrooms as no tour was offered and I could not figure out how to get to the class rooms. However, I did manage to take some impressive pictures of Spangler and outside bloomberg.






Also, HBS offers a pretty nice video tour that can be downloaded off of their site.

As I now reflect on HBS, I realize that it has some great people - great leaders who have achieved a lot of things. But I also am slightly nervous(and so are the students) that the competition might be cut-throat as 50% grades depend on class participation. Now that is not reason enough to keep anyone who feels he is good enough from applying. After all, it is HBS and the benefits will far outweigh any feelings of discomfort one might have! However, given my self-perceived chances of getting in at HBS, it is just a probable app on my list!

MIT Sloan!

The subway rides and the heat at NYC really tired me. But I could not sleep. I had to stay up to catch the 1:30 AM amtrak from Newark to Boston Bay. I chose it because I figured I could sleep on the train and reach cambridge to visit MIT and HBS refreshed. While I did get some sleep on the train, I had hoped that Boston bay would be like 30th Street Station in Philly - big. I had hoped that I can easily freshen up and change clothes and get lost in the station and nobody would notice. But Boston bay was a small station, and looked set in the past. Red brick Structure. Coal soot. et al.
Nevertheless, I changed, shaved etc. and was happy I had saved money on a room. I then took the train to MIT Sloan/Kendall station. Sloan is just a few minutes walk from Kendall station.

Sloan seemed to be the COLDEST school ever. It is nicely set in a university like setting and overlooks the Charles river. It has a good facility but the receptionist chose to ignore me for like 10 mins when he was chatting with someone over the phone. He then rudely said that school does not offer any info session or trips around. When I asked him if I could take the trip by myself and if I could leave my bag in his office, he reluctantly agreed.

I liked what I saw in Sloan, facility wise, though. I got a chance to climb up the stairs and I saw what looked like a lot of economics dept rooms there. (I wondered what genius lurked behind those old doors). I then walked over the the Tanger(??) center through a connecting bridge that gives a nice view of the Charles. I walked over and found just 2 part-time/weekend students working there. I approached one of them and was slightly disappointed. Maybe he had an exam or something, but he did not seem happy to talk to me. Even simple questions like who is your favorite prof, which subjects can help me achieve my goals in X, Y etc. were met with "I really cant tell you!". One thing he did share was that you could cross-register for classes at HBS! I am thinking that maybe he must have been stressed out over something or maybe I visited at the wrong time, but Sloan did not seem right from a fit perspective. I will definitely re-look at the school before I decide to apply there! (BTW, I think the name of the cafetaria at Stern, "Refresher Course", is pretty cool. Plus, the view of the Charles is cool too. I hope the people are too:))

Anyway, here go the pictures

Subway to Stern!

I gobbled up a few power bars and caught the Subway to Stern. Stern is located in Greenwich village. Though it is "just a building" and has serious space issues, I really liked the school. I was taken on a tour by a student ambassador who was joining Goldman Sachs and another ambassador who was joining Booz Allen Hamilton. Both guys were very helpful and very nice to talk to.
Everyone praised prof. Damodaran who seems to be a God of Finance around that part of the world. What made me nervous about stern (apart from essay 3) was the fact that group study rooms are filled for the whole semester and you might NOT get a chance to get a room to study unless you book it REALLY EARLY. Now, that being NYC and all, I would expect it to be cramped. After all, I remind myself, Stern places more of its students in IB than most schools place in all of financial services combined together!

Not sure though I will app here. Not because it is not a good school. Just that it might cater more to those who want to get into IB. But it is definitely a probable!

Next stop. Columbia!

I started off from Philadelphia via Amtrak and reached Newark late at night. That night, as I lay down, my mind began to toy with "what if" scenarios. What if I had made it to Wharton? etc. I shook myself up and began looking at the routes of CBS and Stern.

I first visited Columbia. I got off at the wrong subway station and had to climb several steps up and through a park to reach Columbia university. There was construction going on there. The asbestos and cement on college walk looked out of place, and time, amidst the beautiful surroundings. I was reminded of the Greek Parthenon and almost expected Herodotus, Socrates, or Caesar to spring out from behind the trees. The dome of the library overlooking huge flight of steps was majestic. The statue that said Alma Mater was beautiful too. I cursed myself for missing my camera.

I crossed the library and, after getting lost several times (yes even in that small campus), reached the admissions office (which was again undergoing construction). I was sent off to another building across the street where I sat in on a leadership class by prof. Francis.

The class experience was amazing!!! The professor presented several cases dealing with ethical dilemmas and all the students participated in healthy debate. It was very interesting. The bantering and camaraderie I saw at CBS was amazing. I really wanted to be there.

Next was the ad-com info session, following which, I chatted with several students I had established contact with earlier. Now, one thing i have to admit about CBS is that the students there are the most helpful. The Hermes society guys move heaven and earth to answer your questions.

The facilities at CBS are good but being in the midst of NYC, space is slightly an issue. To me but, that is the biggest + because I believe that will foster a sense of community. Plus that place is teeming with consultants and bankers. As consultancy is my goal, CBS is a definitely app in my list!

Wharton needs Sincere, Energetic, engaging, enthusiastic people!

Wharton was a BLAST! I landed in Philly the day the admits of 2007 were signing in. There was much excitement (I admit I did feel a little wistful when I saw the new admits but then they deserved it so much more!). As soon as I entered Huntsman hall, I realized what an Ivy league school meant. I walked up a slope and reached a podium that overlooked a big well lit oak paneled atrium bustling with activity. The new admits were huddled around in groups. I looked around for an unsuspecting loner to talk to. I eventually found a few and all of them were very enthusiastic. They were very willing to share their experiences and very passionate about Wharton. While their experiences were varied, they all shared a common passion for Wharton.

After talking to a few students, I went up to Level 4 for the admissions session. I met 2 other prospective applicants there. A banker from London and the owner of 2 Quiznos shops. Then came in the Ad-com director. She said she was looking for personal characteristics and how Wharton fits into your personal goal. That was the most important take away! I did shoot myself in the foot asking several extremely suicidal questions that might go against me. But I guess that is OK.

After the session, I talked to a few more admits. One common thing I found amongst all admits was that they were already turning into brand ambassadors for their school. They were passionate about Wharton and for helping get into the school. It was a wonderful experience. And it sure whetted my appetite.

I headed to the nearby Pizza Rustica. They serve good pizza there. I then walked around and bought myself a Wharton T-Shirt at the "Book Store at Penn". One good thing about Wharton is that it has good shops nearby and is only a few minutes walk from the 30th St station. After roaming around the campus, walking up and down locust walk a few times and taking photographs of Benjamin Franklin, I eventually headed back to 30th St station to catch my train back to NYC where Columbia and Stern awaited me:)

Here are a few pictures I managed to click. The majestic cylindrical building you see is Huntsman Hall. You can also see the neat atrium and some class rooms and hallways.

Hope to begin today!

My visit to different schools is finally over. It was a wonderful and yet exhausting experience. I loved most of the schools I visited. I loved the company of the students. But I feel now very jittery and nervous. Apprehensive about the choices I am going to make. I was expecting to get a "moment of inspiration" when I visited the schools. I almost got it when I visited HBS and W. But then, I held myself back. I was thinking if I was desiring what I really deserved. Harvard was what I had read about as a kid as being this big temple of learning where only the super-bright went.Should I even bother applying there? I might love the school and might want to go there badly. But hey, do I deserve to go there? While I am still battling these negative emotions, I have now also decided to steel myself and start on my essays today. I hope to begin by tackling Wharton. W is my first choice and I know, by my last years experience not to do my first choice first. So maybe I will begin with Ross or Columbia. Not sure. I think when I get home, I will clear off my table, write down all essay questions and then attack the one I think I can tackle easily first. Wish me luck~!

Kellogg ---looking for uncut diamonds!

While finding a parking spot near Chicago GSB was a nightmare, the drive to Kellogg was worse. It was around 90 F and the car's AC did not work. However, I did finally make it, wife in tow. I met with a 1 Y student from Germany who was very helpful. He said that Kellogg is more soft-skill oriented than other schools. We then walked around campus a little bit and then went to admissions office for the info session. The admissions director, whom I interviewed with last year, conducted the session. Two key take-aways from the session -
1. The people who attended it. There was a High School student, and there was a girl who had just graduated and was looking to apply in 2-3 years. This was the level of planning that people did. This was the committment. I wonder what I was thinking last year when I applied!
2. The ad-com member said that Kellogg is looking for "uncut" diamonds and for sincerity. She said she did not want the perfectly crafted applications that people seem to write these days.

I was then offered a tour of the facilities by another 1 Y student. Kellogg has amazing facilities. The facilities "look" slightly older than Chicago's Harper center but then that is because they are older.

As I walked out however, I wondered if I will be a good fit at Kellogg. I plan to visit again after sometime to see how well I fit.

I did want to click a lot of pictures of all the facilities inside but felt awkward with people around.

Ah..so we meet again...my Chicago GSB visit!

My first visit to a B school this year was to the ONLY school that showed me a little love last year. And an all-time favorite and top choice!!! The Chicago GSB. I like the GSB because of its great infrastructure and because it is a "good" school if you know what I mean. I have always found the GSB to be a school that gives credit where it is due and does NOT use the admissions process to boost its numbers and yield statistics. The students are awesome, the location great, the facilities fabulous and the professors par excellence. I knew all this. But why did I visit again? I guess I wanted to start this year on a good foot. And I have always felt something special for the GSB. So where better can I start? Also, I wanted to "feel" that connection again - hoping that it will make my essays better.

It was a nightmare finding a parking spot near the GSB campus. I finally tried my best at parallel parking between two cars on a narrow lane two blocks away from the GSB. I then broke into a sprint and reached the info session breathing heavily (now, for the Paw, running has become a way of life :)). Admissions director Kurt Ahlm patiently answered our questions on the essay questions, the admissions process this year and on reapplicants. Here are the main takeaways -
1. Essay 1 is the most important.
2. The "step into a person's shoes" question is asked to further know the applicant's personality and his creative bent.
3. The PPT is designed to make the applicant "stand out". It is used to test how creatively an applicant can present oneself. (I think it is the most difficult but rewarding part of the whole application process. I also think the best way to answer this question would be to first devise an overall strategy - or a bulleted list of what you want to convey. Then use the other questions to convey most of that. The remaining can be conveyed in as creative a manner as possible through the PPT). Mr. Ahlm said he is not sure whether the applications will go up or down because of the PPT question. But he expects one of the two to happen. My guess is that it will go down because it might be a part where people shooting off apps to other schools might not be able to reuse from other essays. This will be a major dissuading factor. However, all the more better for us chicago devotees :).

I could not manage to meet current students as it was summer break. However, I am in touch with a few of them I met during my last visit. So that is OK.

Also managed to click a few pictures of the GSB (for those applicants who have not had a chance to visit).



The above shows the main entrance to the Hyde park..oops Harper center. Below is a picture of a conference room I shot. I know this room is in the admissions office. So I GUESS this is the place where our fates are going to be decided :)



I am now gonna look at this picture everyday and imagine the ad-com sitting around in circle around the table going "ooh" and "aah" over my reapplication essays. Suddenly they will all jump up in joy. Ah! the perfect application! A Jonathan livingston seagull amongst the applicants. And they will unanimously vote for my admission. I believe such vivid imagery will help me "manifest" my destiny :)).

Philly....

After visiting Chicago and Kellogg yesterday, I took a breather and arrived in Philly today. Tomorrow I am visiting Wharton. I almost feel like a new bride all set to impress a prince who spurned her once. I was dinged by every school I applied to last year. Do I have a chance? Will the school visits provide me insight that I can capture in words in my essay which will in-turn take me that much closer to an admit? As I ponder over these questions, I look out the window into the Philadelphia night. A few blocks yonder, one of the best business schools in the world lies. Will I be back in Philly? Will tomorrow be better? Yes. All will be well! It always is.

LBS in Seattle

Till now, only LBS is going to conduct its informational event in Seattle. None of the other biggies are. Wonder why they are so averse to seattle!

"If you personal goal is sports, that's fine, but remember that the question ends with "the role an MBA from the University of Chicago GSB plays in your plans to reach these goals."" -

Best of luck!

Joanne (jleglergsb)

http://forums.chicagogsb.edu/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=1634&nav=messages&webtag=gsbadmissions

I found profound wisdom in the words above I gleaned from the Chicago GSB boards. Joanne has summarised everything in a nutshell. I believe all we have to do it lay out our STG,LTG (both personal and professional) and tie it to how the GSB (or any school) can help us get there. The other side of the coin - lay out our "significant" STE(Short term experiences), WEx, College ex etc. and tie it to how we will enrich the community.

I think all essays are about this. But then the difficulty is to pick the right experiences. And then say them the right way!

I am leaving on my B-school pilgrimage the day after tomorrow. I am very excited about the various schools I am going to visit. Nervous at the same time. I should not shoot off my mouth and say something stupid to an ad-com member. Have made a mental map -

Shoes shined . Check!
Clothes pressed . Check!
Firm Handshake.
Colgate Smile.
Look in the eye.
Sound Excited.
Look Excited.
Ask intelligent questions.
Meet max. # of people.
Get Business cards.

Now I almost feel like I am attending an interview. But then I have hardly any reason to take chances. I am also feeling a bit nervous. Whether to rent a car? Take a train? etc. Whether to visit Harvard or MIT first? etc.etc.

BTW, the more I read about London and Stern, the more I am getting excited about them. Stern's location near my favorite street in the world (Wall Street) is its main advantage. Now come on, I have always been inspired by people and places around me. Who wouldn't see a Armani-clad young, powerful, wealthy and successful investment banker and want to step into his shoes? If that is not enough motivation to do well in studies and work hard for that plum job, then what is? I am also having doubts about ISB. I still have not decided whether to apply or not. I mean, if I apply I will have to do it in the first round. And there is not much time left for the same. Also, I am not sure if ISB can help me in my McKinsey/Bain/BCG or IB dreams. (I feel I will have to help myself a LOT if I am at ISB to get into these :)). But the good part about ISB is that it is closer home and a lot cheaper. If my parents need me, I will be there for them if I am at ISB. And this is what is keeping me up all night. What is more important? My duties or my dreams?

On the application front, I have been hardly moving. I am postponing my personal goal of beginning to write essays to another week later. I also have a move coming up. My current apartment is getting expensive and what with all the app expenses, I am planning to move to a cheaper pad. I also have an interview with Deloitte coming up and if I get the job and decide to take it up, I will have to move to another city. Now with so many things up in the air, I am hardly getting anything done. But then that is what I guess takes time management. I have however decided which essays I will tackle first. It has to be London.


It is good to have a wife. My wife took out the directions to all the schools I am going to visit and planned everything out to the minute details. She created a neat little word document, printed out two copies and handed it over to me. I am ever so grateful!

War tactics...

I have started early this year (but still not early enough I guess). The strategy this year is to research the schools completely, pick the ones where I have the best chance, get essays reviewed by current students and apply to atleast 7 schools in R1 and 5 in R2 (I know thats a lot of money).

I hope to approach my app in phases -
1. Start researching schools. - Deadline - July 25 07
2. Visit schools as possible. - Deadline - Aug 06 07
3. Pare down the list to 7 top choices based on research and visit - Aug 07 07
4. Start essays Sept 07
5. Get Reviews done - Oct 07 (OMG.....will still run short of time).
6. Send.
7. Start preps for R2!

The old tome containing the distilled wisdom of the ancients by Mr. Montauk has been dusted off. The paw begins his run.........

LBS

LBS chat on July 25 at 12 noon EDT. Gotta be there!

The courtship dance begins!

"Fluff fluff, Put on your brightest colors". It is all planned. I am setting out of Seattle on July 28th for a Whirlwind tour of top US B Schools. The Plan -
Seattle -> Chicago -> Philadelphia (NYC, Boston, Philly) -> Detroit -> Seattle.

Visit Schedule
=========================
July 30 - Chicago GSB
July 31 - Kellogg
Aug 1 - Wharton
Aug 2 - Columbia, Stern (people say I must visit MIT instead of stern and must squeeze in Tuck!).
Aug 3 - Harvard
Aug 6 - Ross

Have to convince manager sometime later to get me a few more days off to visit Stanford and Haas!

I have stopped thinking about the dough involved. Phew! ( It is an all consuming passion - this B school thing. Often go back and wonder why the Paw cannot be happy with his hamlet in the forest. But then the Spirits have possessed him and he can do nothing. )

The Saga a few moons ago

The Paw applied to several schools in last year. But the omens were not right ( nor was the preparation!). After several heart wrenching rejections, misses by a hair's breadth etc. last year, I have finally realized the effort and planning required to successfully get in through a good B School. Here is what my stats for the last year looked like

Round 1
---------
IIM A - Denied After interview
Wharton - Denied Without interview
Kellogg - Denied

Round 2
-------------
ISB - Denied after interview.
Chicago GSB - Waitlisted and then denied.

A look at the above stats shows how naive I have been about it all. And so much wiser I am now. Plans for this year are afoot. A post-mortem of last year reveals
1. No proper planning.
2. Applied to top choices in R1 (without experience).
3. No back up plan.
4. Did not get essays reviewed.
5. Did not visit schools (The first question my GSB interviewer asked me was whether I have visited the school).
6. Started too late.

As for the interview, the things I have learnt is this -
1. If you are applying to Indian Schools and Say your goal is consulting, then better prepare for case type interviews. Else change the pitch. I got killed in my IIM A and ISB interviews cos they gave me case questions to solve unexpectedly.
2. Be prepared for the IIM A vs. ISB questions.


The US B school experiences were pleasant. (Though I think I went a wee little bit overboard animating to show my excitement with the Kellogg interviewer :)).
2. My US B School interview experiences have been very pleasant. My Chicago interviewer was THE BEST!!! She was ultra sweet and very helpful!!!

Looming deadlines.

I have decided to give this as many shots at this as possible. Another application season. I am more mature and will give it my best shot again. Last season we not good but an eye opener. My selection of schools this time covers a wider range and hence greater chances of success. BTW, the schools have published their deadlines. Here's a list of deadlines sorted by ascending order (R1).
I could not find the deadlines on some schools. So they are blank.

		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4
1	ISB	15-Sep-2007	15-Nov-2007
2	Harvard	2-Oct-2007	3-Jan-2008	12-Mar-2008
3	INSEAD (Sep 2008)	3-Oct-2007	5-Dec-2007	6-Feb-2008	3-Apr-2008
4	Darden	10-Oct-2007	14-Nov-2007	9-Jan-2008	2-Apr-2008
5	Colombia	10-Oct-2007	3-Mar-2008	16-Apr-2008
6	Haas	17-Oct-2007	9-Jan-2008	12-Mar-2008
7	Stanford	22-Oct-2007	7-Jan-2008	21-Mar-2008
8	Tuck	1-Nov-2007	3-Jan-2008	28-Feb-2008
9	Ross	1-Nov-2007	3-Jan-2008	1-Mar-2008
10	Purdue	1-Nov-2007	1-Jan-2007	1-Mar-2007	1-May-2007
11	Chicago GSB	5-Nov-2007	10-Dec-2007	30-Jan-2008	12-Mar-2008
12	Stern	15-Nov-2007	15-Jan-2008	15-Mar-2008
13	INSEAD (Jan 2009)	5-Mar-2008	21-May-2008	16-Jul-2008
14	IIM -A
15	London
16	Wharton
17	Kellogg
18	NCSU