Run Forrest, Run

Update

2010-02-17T02:01:00.003-06:00

Hello Reader-

This blog is practically dead for now, unless I resume it at a future point of time. But I still do answer questions (time permitting) so please feel free to email.

Thanks!

Winter break

2009-01-03T13:16:00.003-06:00

To the few readers of this weblog - I wish you all a very happy and fun new year. I wish that terror attacks around the world stop and terrorists put their brains to better use. I wish I would read more books this year, and I get to play more often. I wish Chicago Booth and the talent here shines even more than it is today, and keeps making significant contributions. I wish I connect with more of my classmates in the six months I have here, and make a few more lasting relationships. I hope everyone looking for a job finds one, even if it is not the best one. And I wish winter in Chicago is mild this year.

That's so far as my hopes are for the days, weeks and months to come. But looking at the past month, I feel rather happy at my accomplishment of using the winter break very productively. Since I will be moving out of the US after the bschool education is over, I wanted to see more of the US. Therefore I ventured on a week long roadtrip which took me from Chicago to San Francisco, and I got to see the plains of Kansas, the mountains in Denver, the deserts of Utah and Arizona, and surreal Las Vegas, and the awesome mountainous drive alongside pacific on California-1.

Subsequently, I ventured into Brazil for a 10 day trip to get my first bite of what South American life is. And I was impressed. Spending time in hostels with backpackers from around the world made me realise how less I travel, and how much fun I am missing out on. The people of Brazil made me realize how much more there is to life than just earning lots of money that is sadly the goal of many bschoolers, and even the culture of many of the countries I have lived in. Visiting an island-town where there are no cars or other sophisticated modes of transport helped me understand that simplicity still works, as does walking from one beach to another through thick rain forest like vegetation. And one Caipirinha a day keeps me healthy all the way :) In short, I loved Brazil, and I wish to go back - but not just to that country alone, but a long backpacking trip across the continent.

I hope my fellow bschoolers had fun winter breaks. If you are still scouting for a job, stay strong and luck will strike. If you are an applicant reading this blog, keep faith in the process and put in your best, and leave the rest. A very happy new year to you all again.

Impressions

2008-11-28T00:51:00.005-06:00

I just came back from this awesome Thanksgiving dinner at my friends place, and realised that I met more than one person whom I had not met before. Some of them were classmate, and some were not. So back at home, I started reading this book by Suketu Mehta, the Maximum City. On page 38 of his book, it says

Bombay is built on envy: the married envy the single, the single long to be married, the middle class envy the truly rich, the rich envy those without tax problems.

For some reason these kind of observations in his book make me think about the random incidents that happen to me everyday. Like how I instantly liked a few people I met at the party today, and didn't quite connect with a few others. I question myself, why didnt I connect?

As I try to answer that question, I realize I might well try and break that problem using the consulting case interview methodology - after all, there has to be some use of all those million interviews I took. I realize the basic question can be answered by breaking the situation into 3 parts : a) my own understanding of my own self, likes and dislikes b) the assumptions I make about a person based on the few things are we talk about c) what else is on my mind that might influence my perceptions. Deep diving into (a) I remember that I believe I know myself very well by now. Although every once in a while, I get the opportunity to question that self-assertion. Do I really know myself that well ? I guess the quest's on. Analyzing (b) tells me that I occasionally make a quick opinion on people. I know that's being hasty (and making judgments based on a small sample dataset just isn't the Chicago way of looking into a problem), but I still act the same way. Maybe this is an innate behavioral flaw, I guess I have to work on that. Finally (c). I realize that there were other things on my mind. Moreover, I also feel that I was making a tonne of comparisons, between two different people, between many different people. I was obviously also evaluating the whole environment as a whole, you know the context. Makes me feel that was I even enjoying the party, but I know I was, because all these analytical thoughts were in the subconscious.

Anyways, the whole point is that in "my view", a lot of business school interactions are temporal (maybe a little more at Chicago because of ours being more of a commuter school). People meet at parties, social events, networking events, they chat a bit before they are finally drunk, they talk about some stuff they are interested in, some stuff which might not really interest anyone on the table but everyone thinks plays along for sake of others, and then we go off. We meet again at some other party, social event or networking event, and the case repeats. But this doesnt really help form a connection, at least not a real one. Real connections happen when you connect the first time, and like each other enough to meet more often than the occasional rendezvous ( duh!! ). The question I ask myself is, can I change something to make more connections and have less missed opportunities to know the great people I bump into. What work do I need to do in the (a), (b) or (c) or maybe the unidentified (d), (e) and (f) that can help me the swing the needle the other way ? And it's important to swing the needle - because these arent necessarily connections that will translate into an addition of my LinkedIn contacts list, but these are people whom I can get something from. Not a favor, but some smarts. As I realize now, the cost of missed networking opportunities in business school is very high.

Here's wishing me luck, and if I figure out a solution for myself, I will remember to share.

Being an international student in a US business school

2008-11-15T10:10:00.007-06:00

My classmate MaybeMBA mentioned the challenges international students face in US business schools (even at top business schools like ours). I think it is worth elaborating that a little bit since I have been in those shoes for the last one and half years, and have close friends who also face the same challenge.

What's not a problem: If you want to do management consulting (or strategy consulting), or I-Banking, I dont see any problems being an international. Companies dont really care, and my guess is that they have enough clout in DC to get you a visa when the time comes. Having said that, it's important to realise that we are only talking about the big consulting firms, or the bulge bracket investment banks. Middle market IBs or the smaller niche consulting firms dont quite entertain us.

What is a problem: In my opinion, technology, general management, investment management, marketing (or brand management) are problem areas.

Technology sticks out of the lot because in the last few years, that is one sector which has brought in the most immigrants. But sadly, for whatever reasons, many tech companies dont really want to get into the US visa challenges. Examples include, Cisco, HP, Intel, IBM (not IBM Consulting though), NAVTEQ.

General management is a mixed bag, with some companies being open to internationals, but quite a few being not. If you are coming to business school just to do general management, think again and broaden your horizon. Another interesting phenomenon I noticed that for general management, a lot of companies didnt show up for internships, and quite a few were open to internationals : so the situation is better during full time recruiting.

Investment management: I am not even close to being an amateur in this sector, but seeing what I see, I realise why it might be hard for an international to get an IM gig. The basic problem in my mind is that most IM firms are pretty small, and they dont have the muscle or the interest to fight the visa juggernaut. Having said that, I would defer the final judgment to someone like MaybeMBA - you should ask her because she is surely the resident expert.

Finally, marketing or brand management: I have seen this through the eyes of a classmate who really really wanted to do brand management, but she found the going super hard. First, the list of firms she could apply to was meager, and second, the firms dont tend to hire more than 1 or 2 people (generally). This makes the situation pretty hard.

If all the above makes you feel that you cant get a job being an international, that would be wrong. The fact of the matter is internationals do reasonably well in their recruitment, year after year, and this is probably because we realise our constraints coming in and put in the additional effort to overcome and work around those constraints.

Gravity of the economic downturn - as seen through the recruiting lens

2008-11-11T07:40:00.002-06:00

I was in class yesterday evening (at our Gleacher center), and ran into some heated recruitment discussion. A couple of my colleagues, who I know are the among the smarter ones here, were really disappointed with the results of recruitment. They had done well in their first round interviews, gone on to second rounds, and now got rejects for seemingly not so palatable reasons. Take for example the story of one top 3 consulting firm's (let's leave it unnamed) San Francisco office. My friends I mentioned above had interviewed for that office, but they didnt get an offer. The interviewers had no complaints, but said that they didnt hire anyone out of the 25 people who showed up for second round. 0 out of 25 isnt good at all. As my friend said, "it was a colossal waste of their money and our time". I totally understand what he meant.

Take another big pharma company, seemingly they are hiring just one person across US for their Management Development Program. In another year, I would guess they surely hire many times more. Tech companies arent in the place where I would think they might have been. One of the biggest tech firms is telling people to sign their offers if they cant wait for a few more days for second round stuff to be coordinated (exact words - "sign up your offer given the current market situation"). This kinda talk isnt something tech companies are used to, infact the same firm didnt tell me to sign my offer when I was waiting for my internship second round logistics to work out (at that point they used to say "we are working very hard to get you to our offices as soon as we can for second round")

Finally, I am seeing many people accept their summer offers this week, since most on-campus recruiting is over at GSB (very few still going on). This is both good and bad, bad because they probably wanted something better (or different), and good because they can get back to living a normal life, and not the high stress recruiting life. Bottomline - the reality is grim, but I am sure most of us can fight our way through the process and get something we enjoy (even if it is not the best of best). After all, this year, for every person who gets a job at GSB, there are 5 equally capable people who would have got the same job in another good year.

Hunting for a full-time gig

2008-11-09T04:09:00.005-06:00

My colleague in business school, Iday aptly summed up the challenges many of us are facing when trying to find a job. It is indeed one of the toughest seasons to be out there in the job market. The sad part about the whole mess is that although everyone around me will end up with a job, many of them wont have the job they really wanted when bschool began. My experience interviewing with multiple firms (across multiple industries/functions) shows that more than anything else, it is a numbers game this time. More than one of us are fit for the job only one can get, and companies are giving random absurd reasons to reject people (which is understandable yet depressing).

Coming into this market, I realised that the best bet would be to look for jobs beyond my dream job (which if I havent mentioned before on this blog, is strategy consulting). I had many years of tech experience, and therefore applying to tech companies was obvious. Since I had done lot of leadership/project management work, I looked closely at many leadership, rotational programs. And then obviously there was consulting.

The thing about tech is that many of the exciting companies arent big enough (or willing enough) to sponsor visas for international students. I think it also hurts us a little bit because of the stereotype that exists in the market about GSB (that we are just a finance school). Having said that though, there is an increasing interest in tech, the HiTech group is doing some great work, and more and more companies are realising that not considering GSB talent is a big mistake. That's great news for incoming classes, but I dont know if any school can do anything about the visa problem.

Rotational programs (or leadership programs) are generally great places to be. Depending on how it is structured within the organization, and who's the sponsor of the program (this tells me the buy-in the program has within different business units of the organization), it can be a great place to restart your career. I found out that GSB was very popular for some great leadership or internal consulting programs, and I applied to most of them. I got some interviews with a few very great firms, and I felt diversified enough to be safe.

The final piece of my recruiting jigsaw was the consulting firms. I applied to almost all consulting firms, and had a fair bit of success getting first round interviews (my internship brand definitely helped I think). I did reasonably well to convert a few good ones into second rounds. The great thing about second round interviews is that they are mostly with Partners (or Principals at the very least). This is great because for most firms, partners are the relaxed people (as against consultants/managers), and if you can relax, you should do well (definitely preparation matters). I realised that I did a better job relaxing this time than I did last time when recruiting for internship (which was a horrible experience - but great learning in retrospect). I guess I just figured that I had nothing to loose (which wasnt quite true) and therefore walked in with a smile and a head held high. Another interesting part about Partner cases are not atypical, so you cant just apply frameworks (this is true for many firms, not all firms). For some reason, that worked well for me, because I was never good with knowing everything about every element of business question, or the perfect framework. So much so, that by now, I have started enjoying interviews, specifically the case interviews. I will hopefully be able to write some detailed posts on how I approached consulting interviews.

As the situation stands now, I have 3 second rounds pending (incidentally one each with the three different industries/functions I mentioned about). Thankfully though, I have an offer as well to consider, which is honestly a sweet spot to be in. The coming weeks will help me understand and gauge where I might end up after bschool, and I am hoping that I will be able to write about it here.

It's 4:45 am here in Chicago, I guess I should probably sleep.

this part of my life is called...Internship

2008-06-30T23:11:00.003-05:00

so i started work last tuesday in this company that people rave about, and rightfully so. so i think, at least as of today. although finding this job was by no means easy, transitioning back into the job life hasnt been too hard. all credit for that goes to people i am working with right now, and i realize that it is probably one of the most important aspects of most great companies.

without disclosing the name of the company, it is hard to talk much, lest i give away the name to smart readers;) but i do have some interesting observations on how the company functions.

like for example, consensual decision making. seemingly people dont like to give or take orders. bosses dont order you, and you dont expect to be ordered. two things happen as a result - you are expected to be more independent and proactive, and decision making is potentially long drawn. surprisingly, and thankfully, it seems it isnt long drawn - probably because people are of the smart category. that might speak something good about me, or if you believe the old saying "there are exceptions everywhere" - you would wonder how the smart guys made a hiring mistake. you can take your pick.

people listen. doesnt matter who they are, what rank they hold. if you have something interesting and smart to say, they will listen. often times you will find them engaged, and they will also engage back in conversation. not very many companies can support that culture. you guessed it right - i love it.

access and transparency. there's tonnes of both. of course as interns we arent allowed to snoop in their bedrooms, but the living room is open 24/7. it is true for people as well. they will tell you their stories, they will give you information they think can be valuable, and they will be open to questions. mind you, this can both be enriching and challenging. but it sure isnt bad in any way - at least i cant think of any.

i hope to keep writing about this internship thingie in the coming days. and if you were confused, i am not stating an opinion about the company, yet. i realise that 5 days is a short period to judge anything - so i wont do that. but my hunch is - this experience should turn out to be valuable one, and lots of fun.

ps: i didnt even dare mention the old slogan of "i dont know when i wrote last, and i promise to write more". i have realised that i break that promise without breaking a sweat.

pps: credit for blog post title goes to Mark Yardas (I think?)

Handling Business school waitlists.

2007-12-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

Congratulations is due to all who got the call from Chicago GSB. I remember the feeling, a sweet mix of surreal and joy. For others who couldn't make it, I am sorry for ya because I remember that feeling as well, it wasnt nice at all. Just remember that this is not the end of road.

The third segment of the population, people on the WL. What can I say - you probably dont know if you should be happy or sad, right? Take my word, dont be sad because you still have an opportunity in hand. Yes, it might need some more work, but you still got a chance. Dont give up just yet. Let me share some quick thoughts on what I would do if I were on the WL

1) Read the instructions given by the school. Do as they say. You might here one off stories where people disobeyed the instructions, did what they wanted to do, and still got an admit. Do not take that as a rule, because in high probability you would not be able to imitate that one off case. Be safe, follow the instructions.

2) Be creative. Within the realms of what you are allowed to do - try and be creative. See if you can grab attention by bringing in a new way of approaching the same problem. For example, if the school accepts additional material, do you want to send once every fortnight or just once in three months ?

3) Keep in touch. With members of the adcom. But realise that they are going to be really busy people over the next few months (till R2 decisions) - so appreciate the value of their time. If you had the opportunity to connect to them before this decision, leverage that. If you can visit the school and make some new connection, you can do that too. My hunch says that just sending an email or calling wont quite cut it at this juncture if you havent done something before - so focus your energy elsewhere. Another way to gain visibility is to use the schools admission forums - just make sure your handle(or nick) can tie back to your name, and dont ask straight forward questions, please!

4) The trick about extra essays. Make sure there's as much substance in there as was in your essays, maybe even more. Are there any recent developments (career or outside accomplishments) you want to let the adcom know about. Dont send shallow essays just to show interest, it wont add value and can make the adcom question your judgment. Very important - your new essay shouldnt repeat anything you have mentioned in the essay or the application already. Make sure it adds on to what you have, otherwise your judgment might be questioned again.

5) Make essays personal. And I think this applies to the normal essays as well, not just the WL ones. Did you talk to any alums, any current students, or any staff members? Did they or the opportunities in the school strike a chord in you like never before. If yes, mention that (remember : dont repeat stuff though). The usual essay advice of being terse, showing school love, etc all still applies.

6) The trick with recommendations. If the school allows recommendations, use that opportunity. Send some meaningful recos, some heavyweight recos if you can. Pick a recommender who can highlight some new qualities, something you might have ignored(or not have the space) to show before. The trick is to bring in a new shade of yourself.

7) For GSB, you will have from now till some date in March when you can send additional material. Make sure you space out your material (= essays + recommendations) over these three months so that you are regular touch.

8) That's all for the ideas, but before you do all that, take some time off, just relax. Come back and take a few days to read your applications, ask friends in the respective school to read it as well to find what might not have worked. Then start from point 1 above and plan out a roadmap.

If you have questions on the above, feel free to email me or just leave a comment and I can share my thoughts.

Taming bschool interviews

2007-12-11T20:13:00.000-06:00

My experience of business school interviews is limited, but I believe I have a few ideas which can be helpful to some of you. Here's my list of key points which you should be aware of before you shake hands with your business school interviewer.

1) BE PREPARED

As cliched as might sound, I have known people to falter just because they were not prepared enough. Preparation to me would mean
a) having a list of probable questions and their answers
b) a handful of stories which you know inside-out
c) structure the story enough to have the ability to articulate coherently the challenge you were facing, the actions YOU took, and the impact your actions had.
d) practise with friends/family/anyone else to ensure that what seems coherent and meaningful to you means the same to them.

2) BE READY FOR THE UNEXPECTED

There are two parts to this
a) developing the confidence to handle any unexpected curve ball question
b) having a repertoire of stories which you can use for an unexpected question (and being thorough with those stories)

For me, the confidence comes from practicing and reminding myself that no business school interview (or any other interview/exam for that matter) defines what I am gonna be in life. There will be some interviews I will ace, some I will not - but if I am persistent, I know I will reach my goal.

3) INTERVIEWS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE APPLICATION

Applicants always wonder, how important is an interview to get an admit ? Can I get an admit if I dont do well ? I had similar questions when I was an applicant, but now when I look back, I realise that those are questions best left aside. Because no one knows the answers, and I am sure if there is one right answer it surely would vary by each school. So relax. And look at the interview as another opportunity to present your best foot forward. I remember an admissions director of a top school telling us that the biggest mistake applicants do is to just focus on essays. Essays are very important, but that doesnt mean we neglect other parts of the application. One doesnt loose out if he does well in every department, right ? Bottomline - interviews are important - make sure you practice enough to do well.

4) ADCOM INTERVIEWS vs ALUM INTERVIEWS

Adcom interviews are known to be structured and predictable. Alum interviews are less structured and many times random. The trick to ace either kind of interview is to look back at points 1 and 2 above. Practice, and be prepared for the unexpected.

5) KNOW YOURSELF and KNOW THE SCHOOL

Knowing yourself would boil down to knowing your resume, your essays, and other stories very well. The worst an interviewee can do is to be shaky on points on his or her resume or essays. Knowing yourself would also mean having a clear understanding where you want to be, and what path you are going to take to reach there. Knowing the school would mean how the particular school would help you reach your goals, what facilities it provides, what level of alumni access would you have, what are the courses you would want to take, what are the services the staff and student body provides. But that's not all - you should also know why you would fit with the people at the school, the culture of the school (and I now realize that cultures are different between different school despite some obvious similarities - like we all think in millions :-)), the good and bad of the community and how all that fits with the person that is you. Dont neglect these subtle parts, they are important.

6) BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Relax! Very important. Stressing out generally does not work for most people. Grab a cup of coffee (you need to be awake and alive), a chocolate or protein bar (you need to be enegetic), and dont stop reading your notes just 5 minutes before the interview.

7) IN THE INTERVIEW

Relax. Treat the interview as a conversation, it generally is that way. Treat the interviewer as a person, not someone who holds your future in his or her hands.

Smile. A pleasant demeanor cant hurt you, and mostly ends up helping your case. It also makes the interviewer feel that you arent stressing it, an important quality in any wannabe top corporate exec.

Listen and think. Take the time to assimilate the question and formulate a structure for your response. But dont take too long as if you are dreaming. A coherent story which comes a few seconds late is much better than a rambling that begins instantaneously.

Be energetic and enthusiastic. Not overly so though. Energy and enthusiasm is always infectious in the positive way.

Have questions to ask. Intelligent ones. Unique if possible. Remember, each part of the application is an opportunity to differentiate yourself, so go grab that chance you have.

Do not forget to thank the interviewer, irrespective of whether he has been nasty, cold, or lovable.

That's enough advice I think. Time for you to go put advice to action. Now!

Payback time!

2007-12-11T20:02:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since my last post, and I have missed the fun of writing. I know that through my absence I have disappointed a few of those friends who were connected to me through this blog. And to all my fellow bschool-ers who still have me on their blogroll, I plan to do better going forward.

Given that I havent written for so long, I believe it's payback time, and I will hopefully be able to give a summary(through my next few posts) of what's been happening over the last 2 months. And a quick gist of what I liked about being at Chicago GSB. But I will begin with a quick post on my advice on how to prepare for business school interviews - because I had a few folks approach me with that question over the last few weeks.

So let me get the ball rolling.

Managing Busy-Ness

2007-09-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

The last few days have left me with a feeling of left behind. I haven't been able to manage time well enough! Classes started Thursday the 20th, and ever since then life just got a little busier than it originally was. And more so since I opted to take four courses this quarter instead of 3 (which is what a larger percentage of the class takes). Time has been so short that I am having a difficulty keeping up with friends, I see them here and there, but we are not getting the time to talk at leisure. People are getting busy, and we are being told that the curve is just going to go further north. Business school I guess is about busy-ness.

I have had one class each for each course I am taking, and I find the professors pretty good. My Microecon professor is a really smart young chap and a completely no-hassle guy. Regression Analysis is being taught by an Italian, who proclaims to be a fundamentally nice person. Marketing Strategy and Financial Accounting are subjects I think I will have to work the most on, since the professors clearly mentioned that that is what they expect. In other words, lots of pre-reading, pre homework and group work. This weekend is going busy with me trying to catch up, and hopefully I will.

TNDC, Student Clubs

2007-09-23T07:31:00.000-05:00

A quick wrap-up of the week thus far.

Industry immersion was sure a highlight of the week for many of us. It essentially is composed to multiple presentations (or panels) running parallely to give us students a real-life and deeper insight into various different careers and industries. It also gives us an opportunity to mingle with alumni from the school who are working in those industries, and want to share all they know. Presentations generally involve one person sharing a broad overview of the industry, and then explaining the few important details to help you give the necessary direction to dig deeper. Panels had more than one person sharing their thoughts on various questions asked by our career advisors and the student body. Most of the sessions exceeded the expectations of the crowd, but some surely could do with some improvement.

Thursday night brought the first TNDC(loosely translates to Thursday night drinking club), a Thursday night drinking event where the drinks are made cheaper for GSB people, and a large number of both first years and second years turn up. Since this was the first TNDC, first years were surely excited and turned up in big numbers, but there were a large second year population as well. Most of the second years were coming back from a successful internship (by which I mean they already had full time offers), so they sure were in the mood to catch up with old friends and party till the wee hours of the morning.

Thursday was also the first day of class for many of us. I had my first taste of Microeconomics, and considering that GSB and UChicago are the powerhouse of Econ, I was surely not disappointed by our professor. His teaching style is very friendly, and over that, he is just super cool. Very very few hassles with the way he operates.

Thursday led on to Friday, as it usually does, and we got the to meet officials from the various student clubs for the first time(officially). Stalls were set-up in the winter garden (which I think was designed to be big enough to accommodate almost all kinds of events), and we talked to whichever groups we were interested in. Of course there were good snacks outside in the summer garden and a side table were people tried their skills at beer pong. Add to that the special European beer (courtesy the European Club) and samosa and syrupy jalebi (courtesy the SABG group), and you know we all had a treat.

Saturday was shopping day, and Sunday is for us to go back to school, since we have the various student clubs giving presentations all day today. It's optional, and we can choose which ones to go to. Box lunches are provided, so if you are in the vicinity, sneak in.

The Aftermath of Madness

2007-09-17T08:15:00.000-05:00

My fellow blogger GanjaTurtle had done well to describe the madness of the crowds when it came to bidding for courses. As everyone of us had thought, the bidding process was indeed over hyped, and most of us overbid just to get our courses. In the end though, mathematics played its part and we lost a lot of points just trying to outbid each other. Infact, there have been cases where people went out and bid all they have, but still not get the one star professor they wanted. Such is the way free markets operate.

My guess is that people who got courses but spent a lot of points would get wiser in the next quarter, and sanity would come back to town. Till then, our fellow brethren who were denied even one course because they didnt play well with the options the system had, will have to slog it out in our Drop-Add-Swap (DAS) round and find courses they need.

Thankfully, I got all the courses I had bid for. Due to some stroke of good luck, I didnt end up paying as much as the courses were priced, which helped me save some points that will carryover to the next quarter. When classes start on the 20th, I will be studying : Financial Accounting , Microeconomics, Applied Regression (although I dont remember anything about Basic Stats which is a pre-requisite to this course) and Marketing Strategy. I will try and elaborate a little on what this subjects aim to achieve in my next post (but that info will primarily be drawn out of the curriculum guide I think).

The LEAD program is going well, and we head out today to enact a case involving a mobile phone company. The programs so far has taught us something and entertained at the same time. I am confident that this combo will live the life of the LEAD program. It is also admirable to see that our LEAD facilitators (a group of 40 second years) are extremely well prepared to handle the training and the challenges that come along with that. It seems that they went through 400 hours of training just to get to train us.

This morning, we have a Career Service session coming up, so I gotta run now and get ready. Till next time - Sayonara !!

Of tapas, Mckinsey and Leadership!

2007-09-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

Bidding for courses officially ended this morning at 8 am. We all spent a lot of time strategising what courses to take, and how many bid points to allocate. At the end of it though, I think most of us felt incompetent to an extent that we knew our best bids can also get messed up. At the end of it though, I think most of us will get classes we want, and with professors we want since in most cases we have enough supply - let's see if my prediction comes true, just half a day to go before we find out.

Day before yesterday, Ian Davis(Managing Director, McKinsey) came to the deliver a short speech at GSB's Winter Garden. I must say that I liked the content of the speech, and his candid and honest answers the student questions. It was surprising for me how he accepted the problems some countries had and how hopeless their situation was, just like he discussed how certain economies are doing well but still have a long way to go. The shoebox lunch was kinda ok, the Snapple Lemon Ice Tea served alongwith lunch was much better :)

Yesterday we did something for which I can steal the Emirates Airlines punchline "when was the last time you did something for the first time". As part of our legendary LEAD program, 7 of us (from a sub group of our cohort) were given a group assignment which was videotaped. Then we had to watch ourselves on videotape, and analyse our strengths and our faults. It was followed by a short evaluation of our behavior by the LEAD facilitators. It was indeed a revealing and enriching experience, and I am sure this will add a lot to our improvement on how we behave, talk, present and conduct ourselves.

Later in the day, we had 2 more sessions, one which didnt rhyme with me, and another which did. The day finished by we heading to a popular Spanish Tapas bar in downtown Chicago, where our cohort and a sister cohort was ready to mingle. I ate lot of stuff which I still dont know much about, drank a bit, talked a lot, and had good fun. Came back very late in night, put in my bid for courses, and then crashed on my bed. Thankfully, today is our day off, so we are just relaxing. There are some more parties in the night (and it seems that this GSB class has a knack for parties, outings, etc) - so who knows where I will end up today.

The first week at GSB and beyond

2007-09-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

After a long Labor Day weekend, Core began at GSB on September 4th at the Rockfeller Chapel with Dean Snyder's address. His address highlighted the expectations GSB has from its students, and the expectations we can have from GSB. The crux of that was an understanding that although we can expect GSB to provide top notch career support, the onus of where we land after two years is on us. Needless to say, my shoulders felt heavy with responsibility. Asst Dean Stacey Cole followed with a slightly light hearted speech, and then came the introductions from a few other officials, mostly the Directors of the LEAD program.

They briefed us on what lay ahead as far as LEAD was concerned. We also were given a few instructions on how to prepare for our trip to Lake Lawn Resort in Wisconsin. That was all for that day, I think (am a little fuzzy with so many things going around me).

LOE began with we packing our bags and the bus drivers packing us in the Coach USA buses. Once that was done, we headed to a land of "Nice to meet you" people. See, the point of LOE is get to know as many people as you can, in a non classroom setting. There are opportunities to bond during sessions like Breaking Boundaries where you work in teams to play games. Or just chill out with a glass of beer during one of the many social events in the evening. If you are of the meeting-type, you are bound to bump into many many people, some of them you will remember, some you wont. But each time - you say "Nice to meet you", with a smile on your face. After a while, I felt tired, as many others from my class did. We also entered a phase called the Name-Overload-Phase, where we were getting confused with names, or just couldnt remember them. In true MBA style, we had pushed ourselves a little too much. All said and done, there is a very good flip side to this, you really meet some people who will end up working or hanging out with in the next 2 years. Maybe they will give you a big break sometime in your career (as the Dean said). I think that is the greatest take away.

LOE finished on Friday last week, and we were back late in the afternoon. Most of us just hit the bed to compensate for the loss of sleep generated by excessive partying during those two nights in Wisconsin. Saturday was a White Sox Vs Minnesota Twins baseball game which GSB had given free tickets for, so many of us went there. I have trying to remember what we did Sunday, but I have no clue. And it's just Tuesday today. This is probably what MBA is all about.

The current buzz in school is about courses. GSB has what I think an overly complicated bidding process where you bid for a schedule to enroll in the classes you want. The process should get simpler from next year, so that is great news for the incoming class. I have more of less decided which 4 courses I will bid for, but there is still a long way to go. I still need figure out the professors, the timings I want to take my class, the points I will bid for each schedule I make, and worry about what the others in my class are doing.

That apart, Ian Davis, Managing Director of The Firm will be there to give us some lecture and have lunch this afternoon, so that's the bright part. Free food is a luxury and a need these days, and to share that time with Ian Davis is an added bonus.

That's all I have for now. More later (hopefully, if I dont get overwhelmed).

58 days

2007-09-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

yeah, that's long it has been since i last blogged. needless to say, this gap has been due to a mix of initially nothingness, then laziness and now busy-ness. so a short recap of what happened for y'all. here goes.

my days at home with my family and other relatives was awesome. as i mentioned before, it just feels good to hang out with people whom you havent met in years and get to know their stories. some interesting, some not so - but definitely worth an ear. besides those discussions, i also did a lot of shopping, and somewhere down the line i figured that i had shopped more in this one month than in all my years of working combined. luckily though, the shopping didnt amount to excess baggage, and a week back, i was on board the British Airways flight to Chicago.

The flight to Chicago was just about OK. Not so much because of the quality of the airline, but probably because of the long distance i had to traverse. my flight was on time, and i reached my apartment safe. the pre-processing with the apartment people had already been done, and i checked into a apartment very soon. then came the funny part. there were no lights in the bedrooms. it seems one has to buy lamps and put them yourself (i was learning the american way of life). thankfully my room had a closet which opens up into the room, so i managed with the light that came out of that. add to that the fact the room was completely bare - that's how it is, but this is something i knew before checking in.

all this meant that we had lots of stuff to buy, which kept me busy over the next day or two, and i was soon able to bring the furniture i wanted. the bigger part though, is still pending - i.e. the furniture still needs to be assembled. i guess i will get to that after this huge continuous list of parties end. which is what is keeping most of us occupied these days.

these parties and meet-ups have completely shattered the few gsb stereotypes that were lurking in some corner of my brain. over the last few days, our classmates have put in all the effort to get to know one another, and what better way to do that than over a mug of beer. at this point of time, i can surely say that we have a enthusiastic and energetic set of classmates.

another interesting thing is the high percentage of internationals in the class this time. i had complained sometime back about not staying at IHouse and missing out on the international scene at GSB and UChicago. But thankfully, hardly anyone went to live at ihouse (as predicted), and most of them landed at the condo i am staying at (or close by). this meant that we get to meet a new face very often, and that new face is from a different country. till now, i have had the opportunity to talk to people from thailand, singapore, japan, england, poland, latvia, ivory coast, columbia, argentina, brazil, mexico, peru, russia and of course, the indians and the chinese. these interactions, i think will probably be one of the highlights of my gsb experience.

school officially starts tomorrow, the 4th. needless to say, i am very eager to see how it all shapes up. there are undercurrents in the community about bidding for courses, and getting an internship. all that needs to be taken care of, but i will handle all that when it comes and as it comes. for now, i am just soaking in the summer sun, and having fun imagining what's it going to be like in the coming days.

mundane yet interesting.

2007-07-06T01:27:00.000-05:00

after being holed up in one corner of the city, in a guest house which was comfortable, cozy and lonely, i found it refreshing to move back into the city with a friend a few days back. from then on, it has been one helluva ride.

first the tedious part. it amazes me that how often we can make simple things difficult so easily. take for example the money transfer i wanted to do from one bank to another. it took me around 2 hours and good amount of running around to accomplish a task which by end of it, felt like a feat. expectedly, i was very happy yesterday. but going that i am to a management school, to learn porter's five forces and the ubiquitous 4 P's, i am forced to wonder what happened to the dictum that customer is the king. i know i am painful because i compare, to a few places where i have seen things happen faster.

these experiences have a bright side as well. they force me to think if one can improve customer experience, and in turn grab a lot more customers. i know all companies try this, but how many really succeed. they win on the relative count(as in when they are better than another), but i wonder how they would rate on a absolute scale(if at all we can come up with one). bringing this change would be kinda grassroot work, and as i head to school, i wonder if i will have the courage to opt for something like this or will i get defeated by the seducing powers of thee goldman sachs and the kkrs and the mckinseys. i also wonder why i get philosophical at times.

back to reality, the resignation process at work has been relatively simple. i did chase a few people to get it started, but then on, it is just me making calls to a few people begging them for my various clearances, which aint any hard work at all. given that i am writing this post from my office pc, one can understand that there isnt much to be done outside of getting those last minutes sign offs.

the best part of my stay here is the fun i get to have when i am back home in the evening. i usually meet up with many of my old gang members, and it is great to hear so many stories which i missed out on because i was away. the change in my friends is also palpable, we all have moved on from our old days. some have become parents, some still struggling to find the right guy/girl, some braving the challenges at work, some just growing old and happy at being so. it all shows, and it is all very interesting.

the weekend is right by the corner, and i cant wait. there is some work do be done, some fun to be had, and some much needed sleep to be recovered. till next time - you guys be good.

Random email advice

2007-07-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

A email I answered about feedback sessions and choosing what school to apply to.

let me answer your questions:

1) feedback sessions are generally a facewash, meaning they dont tell you much about what the real reason is for rejecting. it is simply because when candidates get too many in number, it is really difficult to tell somebody why they rejected one and picked the others [edit 1 : feedback sessions are probably a facewash in cases like the one i described. i was wrong in the email to generalise that all feedback sessions are a facewash]. for me, this was the case with the Kellogg feedback. Luckily though, my GSB feedback was better, the adcom asked me to apply early. they also asked me illustrate more of my professional experience, which I seemingly hadnt done very well in my essays. i dont remember anything else which was important. the problem with me, as per my own evaluation, was that i belong to an oversubscribed pool of applicants, and i always knew that my challenge would be to differentiate. which is what i concentrated on this year. i would say that i probably didnt do the best job, but i guess i got lucky in the end. thankfully :)

2) my reasons of choosing GSB were simple. first of all, i only applied to schools which give full loans without the need for a cosigner - this is a constraint i have being an international. that left me with a small list of schools to apply to. i evaluated the schools i had in the bag, see which ones i liked (in regards to my future career goals), and where i will get a top notch education. i was primarily interested in consulting, and GSB does very well there. i wanted to apply to a program where i get a top notch education, and GSB has that as well (as did my other schools Kellogg and Wharton). GSB's career services i hear is awesome, and i met a couple of gsb alums who were really helpful to me through the process - which really really sold me to the school. another thing which intrigues me is the "challenge everything" philosophy of the school. i am sure there is good and bad to it - but i guess i will enjoy that kind of culture which throws you off guard and forces you to think. apart from that - i liked chicago as a city when i visited it briefly. i should also admit that i only applied to schools where i thought i had a chance of getting an admit from.

i think the crux here is to choose the school which you like based on your personal traits, and which fit with your career ambitions. dont apply to a place where you think you wont enjoy yourself to the "maximum". after all, you will be spending a good amount of money, so why not get as much fun out of the deal as well.

i may not be very good at explaining "why this school" kind of questions, probably because i was not so stringent myself, and had less to choose from. i would urge you to browse the other blogs (from the clear admit top 10 list) and see what they have written about choosing schools. i remember there were some good posts on this topic.
________________________________________________________

another email i got.

Hello Forrestump - if I may address you like that :)

I am another Indian IT engineer wanting to get into the management stream.
I have a 4 year IT exp, GMAT 710, GPA 3.5, decent extra currs like -

Playing a key role in establishing a startup IT consultancy and a product development firm. My role includes/included strategies for set up, startegies for expansion, recruitment, product delivery.

Networking with a research initiative of a top US University and incorporating the initiative in a rural education development program.

organizing and heading a committe that awards scholarships to students of my alma mater etc.

I am targeting Startegy Management (consulting) in business and have tentatively shortlisted the following schools -
Duke, USC, Emory, McCombs, Krannert, Fisher in US.because

Please let me know your frank thoughts on this -

1. Please advice if my school selection is OK or should I have a go at schools that are better ranked. These schools that I have selected fit my character, aspirations, needs and profile.

However a few schools in the top 15 did suit me as well, but I abstained from choosing them just because I have just 4 years of work exp in the most intensively competitive Indian IT male 24 pool. Also I do not have an exceptional career progression to show apart from my entrepreneurial initiative. I am particularly in love with Chicago GSB for its curriculum, focus, cultural spread etc.. But my dilemma is restraining me from applying.. some advice please

My Answer :

Thanks for your kind words for my blog. I am glad that you found it helpful.

Coming to your question, I would urge you to visit the school websites and check how they place in strategy consulting companies. That way, you would be able to rate your chances if you were to attend that school. From what I know, Duke and McCombs are "ok", but I hardly know anything about the other schools to tell you anything. If you are dead on going to a top consulting firm like Mck/B/B - you should aim to get into a higher ranked school. It helps a bit, since the consulting firms have more slots for top schools than they have for schools slightly lower in rank. Again, validate what I just said, since this is my perception based on whatever research I have done - I may be wrong.

From what I see of your profile (which is very little to be honest) - I think you can aim higher. At this point of time, I would suggest you read the Montauk book(if you already havent), and do the introspection required to write some good essays and articulate your story well. The more clarity you have about your goals, and about yourself, the better you will be able to tell why a certain school works for you (you also need solid school research).

I think I mentioned it in one of my posts that an applicant needs to show different sides of his/her personality. Most of us have the many stories to write about, but the trick lies in picking up the best fit stories and sewing them up together to present a case which tells me most about you, and the best things about you, in a tone which is readable and enjoyable - and makes me feel that I would like to know you more.

I think you should check out all the top 20 schools and see where you can fit and then choose a couple of them to apply to (the general rule, they say, is the 2-2-2 split. 2 stretch schools, 2 probable schools, 2 safe schools). I think Montauk describes the crafting-a-strategy thing better, so go read that.

Regarding your question about age and career progression : I am currently seeing that many of my classmates are in the same work experience bracket as you are in. Also, I have heard that ad com looks for leadership potential, and there is no one way only for showing that. Further, even if you dont have exceptional progression to show, you should be able to identify some stories which will help demonstrate the potential, and some of the qualities which future leaders are supposed to have.

Lastly, if you love a school a lot, make sure you apply - because you wont know what could have happened until you apply.

All the best, I hope I answered some of your questions.

i.love.email

2007-07-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

simply because, these days, i have nothing much to do than wait for emails, and read emails (ok, i browse through some useless websites as well). sitting there in my office, i have resticted access to the internet. no gmail. no yahoomail. no meebo. feels likes no-nothing. thankfully, gmail has the forward-your-email option. now all my emails come to my office id. i.e. all spams, all forwards, all reminders from gsb to complete this and that.

which means, quite some bit of work, when you consider that i am also sitting here in my office, trying to sort out stuff with my managers so that i can run away asap. i did part of that here-and-there-tasks last week, when i signed what i thought was a million times to ensure that the part of the cash the company owes me is delivered. more stuff like that still remains to be dealt with. i am prepared, at least mentally.

that apart, days have been great fun. i have had the opportunity to talk to many of my old friends in this city which was once home. i met up with some cool bloggers as well, it was good to associate faces to mnemonics. dinner parties have been going on, and there are more in the offing. all in all - a worthwhile few days. i will report back with what happens next. till then - sayonara!

[ps : i am getting a feeling that my posts are getting completely random. excuse me for that. hopefully things will be better when i hit the gsb]

Network, Excel, and Be Kind

2007-06-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

A platter of links for you :

Network

The focus of this article is to tell interns to network, and end up with full time offers. This is one thing I need to be better with, because I keep hearing the word networking from all bschool students, irrespective of the bschool. The article is well written for beginners like me, and has some good links to other articles. Go have a look.

Excel

No, I wasnt referring to the verb Excel. Just to this good set of links to learn Excel. I havent gone through them all, but they do seem to be intended to give a good overview, but again for beginners I guess.

Be Kind

Some photos which really make you think, shakes your core, and makes you ask a question - can we all be kinder ?

The last few days.

2007-06-21T01:21:00.000-05:00

I am wrapping up of what has been a wonderfully amazing couple of years in this town I live in. I made many friends, partied, played, socialised. I attended scores of mba fairs, met up with many alums, made some mba friends, networked a little, sent in 7 applications to 4 schools in 2 years, and got lucky to be now heading to one of those schools. I did a couple of firsts as well, one of those being the live Formula 1 race I managed to see - the sound of those cars sure give you a kick. To say that these years have been eventful would be an understatement, as are probably the words "wonderfully amazing" I used earlier on. I know I am getting emotional, but I also know I am allowed that once every few years.

The news that I am taking the bic-ticket-mba route became public at office a few days back. Those who have an inkling that Chicago GSB is big, couldnt contain their surprise, and to an extent, awe. Some of them came up to me and shared their secret plans of applying to bschool, and asked for advice. I gave them whatever maps I had, and the hope that they can take up this journey and reach their destination. I sincerely hope they do.

That was work, but outside, my friends expressed unhappiness that I am leaving town. To be true, it is tough for me to leave as well, more so because I was all very happily settled here. Change, as they say, is tough - and I know what that feels like. The good thing is, this isnt the first time I am moving, and I think I have grown more immune to the pain of moving.

The coming weekend promises to be very busy, with either I inviting people for a last meal together, or I going to their houses to eat till my stomach bursts and to talk till my throat leaks. Add to all that the paperwork required to close the multiple bank accounts, the credit cards etc etc, and you know I am up for an uphill task. But, I have no choice with those, so I have decided I am not going to crib (anymore).

My folks back in my country await my arrival, as I too await to go back to one place I can always call home, throw in my bags, and dive into my bed, and forget about the rest(at least for a month). Wish me luck.

Mammoth Post (advice for bschool applicants)

2007-06-19T00:47:00.000-05:00

Over the past 2 years of me applying to bschools, I have asked multiple questions to multiple people. I was cleaning my inbox at work today, and found a couple of those emails. I felt bad to think that all that great advice would be lost once I move out, so I just compiled the answers in this mammoth post. None of the below is my thought, but I think I agree to most of them. Take your time in reading through this post. You will see that there is lot of repeating themes - that to me means these are things you should take care of. I have tried not to edit the answers, except where they had some personal info about me. I hope this helps someone out there.

I would like to thank all those who advised me during my application period. Some of them are bloggers, some are not. Irrespective of that, I know that their advice helped me one way or another, and I just wanted to pass on the baton through this post. Good Luck to you all who begin your bschool application journey.

I will probably do another post about WLs, and then stop preaching once for all.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Essays
+ My only suggestion would be to really show yourself in your essays. Everyone’s probably going to tell you there is one way to write the essay’s or to take professional help while crafting the essays. The way I did it was as follows: before even applying to any schools I really did some deep introspection. Why did I make the choices I did, what did I learn from those choices, what did I like about my career (strengths etc), what didn’t I like including weaknesses and where did I see myself truly getting to in 3, 5 and 10 years. Remember this introspection cannot be done based on someone (parents etc) telling you what you should do. You should really take the time to think for yourself since you really don’t want to spend all this money before fully knowing what and why your doing b-school. I would also suggest that you not get hung up about the ‘perfect’ app – there is no such thing. Just look to different life experiences both from work and outside to give a full picture of yourself and your motivations.

+ I don't think this is any secret - Wharton likes bright well rounded leaders etc. I would focus on showing that you have vision (i.e., very concrete and ambitious medium to long term goals and a defined plan to get there) and that you're a good/fun person that people enjoy working with. It's hard to overstate how specific you need to be - keep in mind that you can say whatever you want in your essays; nobody will come back to check if you actually did what you said you wanted to do after you get in. For example, anybody can say they want to work in finance with really bright people. That's a crappy goal because 10,000 people could say it. You need to say "I want to build a company that takes controlling shares in Tahitian resorts and markets them to the exploding emerging markets. To do this I'll need to network with my W classmates to get financing, learn W's finance curriculum to put the deals together, do marketing cases to understand promotion, etc". I think people overstate the importance of extracurriculars; what's important is that you demonstrate that you care about 'giving back' something - it could be that you tutor people at work in some skill you're an expert at; the point is that you're being generous and helping other people succeed beyond what falls into the requirements of your job.

Again, be extremely specific and unique. Don't say generic stuff; everybody wants to "work with smart people" or "be on a steep learning curve". Throw away empty statements like those and get into precise scenarios. "I want to work in structured credit derivatives at a bulge bracket bank to build credentials and contacts in quantitative trading, then start my own hedge fund to trade Asian credit products when they emerge 10 years from now. I need Dr. X's course and the Wharton brand to get it". When your essays are done they should have a very smooth, logical flow from what you've done to what you want to do and how W bridges the gap.

+ I think that first and foremost, you should be clear and concise in how you answer your essays. This will show your ability to communicate (another important quality). I know it will be difficult for you to actually visit the campus, and Kellogg understands that this is the case for many of its international applicants, so they won't hold it against you in any way. So to get around this hurdle of not being able to observe firsthand, I would recommend that you research the website and look at the types of classes/majors/programs offered, clubs you would be interested in joining, etc. Try to incorporate these into your essay. These days, I think there's also a plethora of information from other applicants (e.g., businessweek.com, random blogs, etc.) that I would try to leverage if I were you. You'll have to take some of these things with a grain of salt, but you should be able to figure out the overall themes of what Kellogg is about. Another thing I would try is, get in touch with the Kellogg alumni association in your hometown - see if you can find this info on Kellogg's website; otherwise, try contacting Kellogg directly to see if you can get this info. Maybe you can do an informational interview with an alum in your neighborhood

+ I THINK THE MAIN POINT IS TO TELL THEM THE STORY WHAT MAKES YOURSELF DIFFERENT FROM OTHER APPLICANTS: THIS CAN BE EITHER THROUGH SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES/ FAMILY BACKGROUND; SOME PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OR TRAVEL/INTERNATINOAL EXPERRIENCES OR WHATSOEVER: ITS ALSO IMPORTANT TO SEE THE OVERALL "LOGIC" OF THE STORY: WHY ARE YOU THERE WHERE YOU ARE? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THE WAY THERE (AND HOW DID YOU INCOROPATE THAT LEARNINGS)? WHY THE MBA NOW? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AFTER THE MBA AND HOW DOES WHARTON ESPECIALLY HELP YOU ACHIEVE THESE GOAL: WHAT THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR IS DIVERSITY AND SOMETHING THAT IS SETTING PEOPLE APART- ALL THE PEOPLE WHO APPLY WILL AHVE STRONG GMAT; STRONG GRADES AND A GOOD WORK EXPERIENCE: YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES YOU "SPECIAL" AND HOW YOU CAN FIT THAT INTO THE STORY

+ the essays are the heart of the application, but adding the "extra punch" really depends on the individual experiences and how unique they portray them to be. I for example have authored over 13 publications at world-renown journals and co-authored papers with nobel laureates...that is how I distinguished myself. You have to figure out in your experiences how you can distinguish yourself....you need to do some serious introspection. So only "YOU" can give the answer to this question. They really want to know who you are...I would advise you not to guess on what they are looking for in a candidate because every candidate is different. It is all in how you portray yourself to be...be creative about it...There is no right or wrong way to do this.

+ Be yourself. Being in the Deans Student Admissions committee for 2 years, I've read my share of application essays. You won't believe how many applicants try to be someone they are clearly not. And make sure you spell-check, make sure your essay does not say things like "I would love to be in Kellogg because..."

add a small dose of humor. Remember, GSB gets thousands of applications a year and sometimes the winning application has a good balance of humor, sincerity and honesty.

+ I asked myself this question: if the choice is between me and just one or two other equally qualified candidates with the right profile mix, why should they pick me? You need to have an answer to this question. The masses of people with similar stats are not your concern. Those people just establish the baseline of the competition. It is the 1-3 individuals who you yourself might choose over your own profile if you were AdCom. For me, it was the people who had served longer and had more impressive causes, who had founded community organizations rather than just worked for them. In my mind, my competitors also had better GPA and GMAT scores. You must beat them out with the fury of Thor's hammer while giving it the soft touch--with you fit for the program, your likeability/respectability, your dependable execution, your enthusiasm and potential, your global perspective, and what you are bringing to the table. If you cannot sell yourself on the idea, then you certainly will have trouble selling AdCom. I did my best to paint a picture of myself as a humble, contributing, gracious, productive member of the Kellogg community. I chose the question about what I would bring to the Kellogg community for this reason. Your values, the clarity of your vision for the future, your groundedness and maturity, even your sense of humor at 3 am--all of these things can set you apart, and they have little to do with your stats. One exercise I did was ask my friends what they liked about me, and why they were my friends.

I have read many times that Kellogg is a marketing school. No place is this more true than in the application. You are crafting an overall message as you paint a picture of yourself. They will probably write a few sentences about you on the form that they attach to the application. What do you want those sentences to be?

+ Now is the time to harness your resources and find out as much as you can about what you are getting yourself into. So do that. Find out what you need to be successful in your job immediately after MBA, and, more generally, the rest of your career. And put together the pieces for an effective argument. Who you are now, where you want to be and the impact you plan to make in the long and short term, how Kellogg fits in. Get crystal clear on your short and long term goals, and get people who know you well to evaluate your story. Tell it to them out loud, and let them help you identify any gaps.

+ Do not mess up the goals essay- it's important to your
goals with what you have done before.  If you sound too airy fairy in that
section that merits an instant rejection.  You story sounds very believable, so that's a positive, just make sure you pack a punch there, because that's something
which over 50% of the students write about and end up doing.

Recommendations

+ Recs should be very detailed and specific. Don't have your recommender say that you were a great team player but not explain it further. Provide them with evidence of how you were a great team player and have them incorporate it into your recs.

You should put together a list of the skills/qualities you want them to emphasize in a recommendation and sit down with them to discuss. Provide them with lots of examples that demonstrate your skills/abilties. Talk about what each school you're applying to likes to see in their candidates and have them tailor the recs accordingly.

+ One last note here: your recommendation and the results of your interview carry serious weight, so do what you need to do to make sure that both are top notch. Make sure you are on the same page with your recommender about your goals and reasons for going to business school, what impact you want to make as a result, and your weaknesses. Your sit-down meeting with your recommender is your best chance to align what the reference is saying with what you are saying about yourself and your values. I had a very close working relationship with my recommender, and discussed some of the essays with her before I wrote them. In the process, I was able to communicate my motivations and the nuances of each school. As a result, two things she said about me (that I live a deliberate life; that I treat people at all levels with respect, and am well-respected by my peers) are things I addressed and explained in my essays when I talked about my values. I did not plan it that way, but it happened. This was for another school's application, but the point of this is that the alignment is key.

Fit, School Research

+ I would try to research the website and other resources on the web as much as possible. You should also try to find recent grads of Kellogg and try to hit them up for some information.

To determine what is and isn't a good fit, try to think about your long term goals. Are you interested in a career in finance? Then maybe you should consider a more finance-heavy school such as Chicago/Wharton. Are you interested in entertainment? Then check out UCLA. By thinking about your long term aspirations, that should help you figure out which school can best get you there (by the strength of their programs, professors, etc.).

+ I think if you are outside of US, it can be difficult to visit, meet students etc. But you can contact them via email. Try to network on email if you can. Also, if I were you I would really know their website info. inside out given that you don't have the added advantage...this will at least give you a sense of their culture. I am also wondering that Chicago requires an interview...don't you visit the school for the interview?. After having met with members of the admissions (directors, deans, etc), I was just really impressed with the way they treated me...the responsibility they take for each student, etc. I sat in on one of their classes and I was impressed with the analytical rigor with which the discussions were carried out. I can't comment too much in detail in terms of the culture from my perspective because you have to discover that for yourself. I visited chicago maybe 2-3 times but other than that, all th e info. that I gathered was from networking via email as well as researching their website.

+ Talk to the students. You're off to a good start. Email the admissions committee that you'd want to get in touch with current students as well as alumni based in your home town. They will arrange that for you.

I think any b-school experience is one that is personal. I think it's true universally; you don't have to be in GSB for that to be valid.
You can choose to spend your time networking with recruiters or want a sheer academic experience etc.

Differentiating yourself

+ Hmm... I graduated in 2004, and when I applied, the majority of students were from management consulting or investment banking. I, too, came from a management consulting background, so like you, I had to figure out a way to distinguish myself. I had quite a but of community service experience, both in college and post-college, which I tried to highlight as much as I could in my application. I also graduated from a top 15 U.S. college with a major in pre-med/biology. So I don't know if that was interesting to them (the idea of a former pre-med student now in business school) at all, maybe so because they want to attract a diverse crowd. But I think what really helped me were my recommendations. I was able to read my recs before they were submitted, and they were very very good. If you are currently in the process of writing your applications, you might want to take an hour out of your schedule and sit down with each of your recommenders, and tell them the types of things you would like for them to highlight in your recs.

Specific School Details

Kellogg
_________________
+ Kellogg values candidates who are going to make a strong contribution to the school. As you may know, Kellogg is a very student-driven school (all the clubs/speaker series, etc. are set up by students) so they are looking for candidates who are going to really get in there, roll up their sleeves and get started. Perhaps you can demonstrate this by writing about something you've done in college or at work where you took the initiative to do something new, or by talking about the types of clubs you want to join and what you want to do in these clubs. They also look for students who are passionate about Kellogg (you should have a compelling argument for Why Kellogg?) and understand how Kellogg will fit into their long term goals. Finally, team work plays a huge role at the school. All of our classes requires working in teams, so they will want to see this in your application (this may best be highlighted in your recommendations). Other things they look for: leadership, intelligence (your GPA and GMAT should prove this easily), career progression, etc.

+ As for the Kellogg culture/Kellogg experience, I found it to be very good. I went to a very competitive/cutthroat college, so one of the "big" things for me was to find a school with a very collaborative, team-oriented environment. Kellogg is certainly one of those schools. The people are great - very nice and down to earth. There's also a lot of opportunity to build up your leadership skills, by organizing a speaker series, getting involved as a co-chair in a club, etc. I also particularly liked the core classes. I probably would have never voluntarily exposed myself to things like operations or accounting were it not for the core. So I feel like I got a very well-rounded academic experience. Finally, I felt that the student body was very diverse, in experience and ethnicity.

+ So the baseline here is that it's an excellent school that attracts desirable recruiters, had great teachers, and is a good place to learn. It's steps away from a global city. Its ranking also puts students and alumni in the right circles, generally speaking. I was attracted to the collaborative learning environment at Kellogg; it is also a very collegial environment (read: professors are very accessible). Like a big family. The network is huge, and Kellogg MBA's are everywhere. Kellogg MBA is very functional. This means that Kellogg grads have widely applicable skills, and therefore aren't typecast. Versatility was very important to me. I was attracted by the ability of students to make change at the administrative level. Students can get together with a professor and develop an idea for a new class in Autumn, and it is up and running a term or two later. I liked that new professors do not teach in their first term out; they sit in on classes and learn the ropes under existing profs. Kellogg also offers opportunities for young professors. They do not have to go through much of the B.S. associated with academia. It is a good place for families, and I wanted my husband to be well-supported. I was looking for a school with a very strong nonprofit/public management program, and Kellogg had one. I wanted to travel overseas, and Kellogg had opportunities for study trips abroad. It has an overwhelming array of offerings for a diverse set of interests, so I knew I would meet people interested in all sorts of things I'd never even thought of. One program I saw myself being a part of was the LEAD class. It's talked about in the viewbook.

I am also a big fan of Dean Jain. He is amazing, funny, inspirational, effective, and very loyal to Kellogg. I think he told us he sleeps only 3-4 hours per night! There is a story he tells about when the bottom fell out of the U.S. economy, and new graduates were having their offers rescinded from their companies. Jain made contact with other M7 schools to find out what they were doing about it. They basically told him nothing special except developing coping mechanisms. Then he had a brainstorm, and he wrote a letter and reached out to the Kellogg alumni network to ask if anyone could employ the new MBAs. People thought he was crazy. They thought he would lose his reputation by "begging for jobs." The response was overwhelming, I mean OVERWHELMING, and those new MBAs got jobs that year. While other schools were crying to the moon or sitting on their hands, Jain saw a problem, and he solved it. So I would encourage you to read up on Dean Jain (speeches, books, etc.). He does an excellent job of articulating Kellogg's future and its values. At admit weekend, he was "the closer."

+ Since I had very little interaction with the school (I went for a class visit and tour, met AdCom at various functions, but had no inside connections there), I relied heavily on the website and the viewbook to listen to the values of the school and get a sense of its culture, how it views itself, what it's proud of, and where it's going. Then I was able to craft an application that spoke to these factors. I think there is one of the questions on the application that asks the candidate to write an evaluative report on him/herself from an Admissions Committee perspective. There are two places I found on the website where the school articulates the type of student it is looking for and what indices it uses to evaluate applicants. So I used the criteria as a framework for answering that essay question. In the process, I was able to evaluate my profile critically and address weaknesses. I would encourage you to do the same, even if you choose not to answer that question. See below. I have bolded the keywords that I think are most helpful. If I can make one sweeping generalization about Kellogg MBAs, it is that they have a level of polish and personal presentation that is a distinguishing characteristic. So professionalism, confidence and compentence are associated with the brand. Since so much of the learning is collaborative and there is an emphasis on teamwork, Kellogg grads tend to lead teams well and are good "people people"--they are very personable.

+ Kellogg values students who are well rounded, strong desire to impact their communities and become successful professionals. More importantly, the recruiting process is such that we look for different backgrounds and personalities – there is no one size fits all. Ultimately, the decision boils down to the ‘feel’ from your application that is a combination of your accomplishments, life story and future aspirations. For example, I have any number of bankers and former consultants in my class along with former CPG, non-profit, entrepreneurs etc. So from a background perspective we look for diversity. Having said that my earlier comment of well rounded professionals still stands. Key qualities: a strong professional with a passion to impact the community (this can be student community and non-profit stuff)

+ Kellogg values teamwork with an increasing focus on social enterprise (i.e., focusing on the non-market aspects of business -- more than just the bottom-line). Generally speaking, Kellogg students are extroverts who get involved with every aspect of student life -- the students run the school from setting up conferences to training people for consulting interviews to running the Charity Auction Ball. We put a lot of emphasis on having fun. Everyone is always willing to help one another -- both with school work and with getting jobs.

+ As for Kellogg - It's the best decision I have ever made!  Not to talk
other schools down, but Kellogg's students and community spirit is what
differentiates us in my eyes.  It's something I have heard a lot from
students from other schools during my internship.  Kellogg does some things
intentionally to foster that spirit.  During the course of the year, there
are numerous social opportunities which bring the students together and help
them form tighter bonds.  Developing those friendships is what's most
enriching about the whole experience.  I know it sounds fluffy, but you will
realize if you visit some of the schools.  Aside from that, you get all the
great things that a top notch business school has to offer - great faculty,
diverse student body, cutting edge curriculum and top class recruiting
options.  But to reiterate, what's unique about Kellogg is the team spirit -
make sure you address that point in your essay w/o being as cheesy and
dramatic as I have been in this paragraph :)

Evanston - Just to give you a bit of a flavor - Evanston is about 15-20
min outside of downtown Chicago.  It's an upscale suburb and a college town.
You will bump into your Kellogg buddies no matter where you go in Evanston.
That's a very different experience from going to a commuter school like U
Chicago or Columbia where most students live far away from school making it
harder to hang out together as often as Kellogians do.  At the same time,
driving into Chicago is always an option.  So it's the best of both worlds
in that sense.

GSB
____________

+ I think GSB really values diversity. I can't comment on key qualities of GSB students as I have not started the program yet so I haven't met the other students. But I think they are really looking for academic excellence...it doesn't matter what field but the real question is how you can contribute to their program...how you can contribute to GSB diversity. I know for sure that they look at the entire package-essay, interview, GMAT, academic background-transcripts, etc

+ GSB values students who are inquisitive, creative and analytical. I say that because most things at GSB are taught through the fundamentals of the market - economics and data-driven analytics.

+ The school is very diverse in terms of student population, so there is really no one answer to that question. I can tell you that from my experience (and you'll get different answers from different people) the GSB values people with real intellectual curiosity. Not to say that teamwork, leadership etc are not important, but I think that this is the one unique characteristic of the University of Chicago and its business school. (I should add, being open to hearing other opinions, and know how to communicate and argue your ideas while respecting others)

ROSS
_____________
I believe that Ross values diversity in its student body, basically pulling together a group of students who have all been successful, but have followed different routes. The basic business school criteria is all here, in terms of students being hardworking, smart, capable of leading, etc. But the difference here I believe is that people tend to leave their egos at home, help out their fellow students and basically want to improve the world around them. For me, that’s what distinguishes the school and the students here.

Wharton
________________

Unique things and culture about wharton....I'd say that Wharton is an extremely analytical place relative to other business schools (although very soft compared to most US engineering and physical sciences). There's an expectation that virtually every class will have some math in it wheras some schools spend a lot less time doing math and more time sitting around talking about what everyone's opinion is. Wharton sits in the middle of Philadelphia, 90 minutes from NYC (although don't mention this as a selling point in your essays because it may signal that you have a preference for stern/columbia) but retains a very communal feel - almost all of the students live within a few blocks of each other in center city and students almost exclusively hang out with other students since nobody knows anyone in town prior to moving here. Contrast this with NYC where students usually have a bunch of friends from high school or college living in the city and students live all over manhattan; when class gets out in NYC all the students scatter whereas in Philadelphia there's more of a 24-7 student community. On top of this Huntsman hall is a new and fairly spacious building with a lot of social areas, so students can hang out with each other or do work on campus. Places like Columbia have cramped business school buildings so you have to take your class and get out - if you get together for groupwork it's off in a library somewhere or at somebody's apartment. Wharton students have a sense of community more like Kellog/Tuck or other schools in remote places vs urban schools like Chicago/Columbia. I would address this in the essay - basically talk about the tight community as a selling point of Philly. If you want to work in something that shows you've been talking to students you could mention our incredible statistics faculty (Dr. George, Dr. Stine); they are very technically competent but more importantly they have hilarious lectures and are very lighthearted - great for keeping students interested when the material can get dull. I can give you some specifics on other departments if you tell me what your focus will be.

Continuing on culture, Wharton would probably like to build a stronger alumni network and pull in more people who show potential for grand leadership (starting/buying large ventures instead of just going to work for a Goldman/McKinsey). These are things that HBS has traditionally done better than Wharton and if you can signal somehow that you're committed to these things it's probably a plus.

A cultural oddity: I think Wharton people are often too humble. There are some people here with really incredible accomplishments or family connections and you would never know about it. This is usually a good thing but sometimes I wish people would brag a little more so that I could appreciate what their experiences were. If somebody started and ran a $20mm business I'd like to hear about their experience - as it is everyone is very humble.

Finally, Wharton has a huge amount of student involvement in shaping clubs but also curriculum and policy (I think every b school says this but it's more true here). See if you can google up anything on the Wharton MBA "Co-production" model (may not have a hyphen).

Random Advice

Q : In your professional experience, what do you consider to be the area of your greatest personal growth? (this was one Kellogg essay and I asked fellow bloggers for advice)

Ans : Before you start off with this essay, I'd suggest doing research on The Learning through Experience Action Program (LEAP) at Kellogg (http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/student/leap/Index.htm ) I think you'll get some good pointers on what Kelloogg considers significant areas where individuals grow in a professional environment.

Now to the specifics. The question very clearly asks for your opinion on your own most significant personal growth. I think there are three main ingredients to a typical response. (1) What experiences helped growth of this attribute (2) How did you use this attribute and (3) How do you think this may help you in your future endeavors. For example, it you mention that your greatest personal growth has been in your ability to deal with diversity, you should explain (1) what led you to experience diversity in the first place. What was your initial reaction to this diverse environment and how you consciously, over a period of time, manage to develop the ability to manage diversity in an effective manner. (2) Then you should provide examples, for instance - your ability to appreciate diversity helped you become an effective team contributor in a diverse environment. You managed conflict resolutions because you could empathise with your team members' perspectives and give them their due. So, in effect, you show yourself as an effective team player (and you know how important this is for Kellogg!) (3) Now, you could deal with how this is going to help you in your future professional life - how it is going to be an advantage when you are thrown into a study group at Kellogg with a high amount of diversity and how it ties with your future professiona goals. Somewhere you can also mention how it's going to help you contribute to the community at Kellogg - etc. You get the idea :)

A very important point in answering this question is that at least one of your recommendation letters should highlight the content of this essay. What I mean is that if you state that your greatest learning has been X, your recco letter should provide at least one example where you've demonstrated this learning in a situation.

Ans : **I think you are correct in your initial assumptions about incidents/learnings from professional life
**don't worry too much about what you believe to be your actual area or areas of greatest personal growth. Instead, choose an area of personal growth that both ties strongly to the main themes/strengths of your candidacy and is tailored towards what Kellogg looks for in students. A couple of 'personal growth' ideas/themes: leadership or teamwork. Then craft the rest of the essay from there, sprinkling in descriptive anecdotes & examples of your growth in this area.

Q : Tell me about yourself ? (answers from fellow bloggers below)

Ans :
I typically break it up into 1 or 2 points for each of the following sections:
(1) Ancient past - typically any interesting things like if you were born/raised in a foreign country or that you were on your country's olympic team etc.
(2) School - interesting stuff only with reasons.
(3) Work - again interesting progression only and your reasons for making choices.
(4) Future - quick mention of what you have done to get from here to there after your MBA.
(5) Community - leadership roles
(6) Fun - don't forget this.

Ans : I basically sum up my CV in 5 minutes, it works pretty well. Don't be too short, really tell them who you are, what you have been doing with your life and why. Similar to the previous poster, I would suggest you talk about your studies, your work experience, the personal (married? etc.) and then hobbies/extracurricular, and then also motivation (just finish with why or that you really want to go to school X).

Ans : I start with a few interesting pesonality traits, childhood if interesting, school if anything special otherwise just mention where you went for undergrad (and grad if applicable) and why that major, work progression and sum up why you are at that interview (why MBA, why particular school). Throw in your hobbies and extra-curricular involvement somewhere!

Ans : This probably goes against conventional wisdom and what everyone is saying, but for me I think the most important thing is to just relax and say whatever comes naturally. Don't expect to cover all points and just try to come across as a reasonably intelligent person. After all, the interview for most schools is just another component and will not make/break your application. And the interviewer will probably not take detailed notes on what you are saying anyway. As long as the story is more or less consistent with your application it's fine. Good luck!

Ans : While I find it difficult to add to what our fellow bloggers have stated, one very important aspect of such questions which seek a macro picture of your resume is to succinctly explain the various decisions you made. This would include the choice of your under-grad institution, your specialization (or major) and the various transitions you've made in your profession (between different employers, positions and/or functions). The reasons explain the real motivation behind the decisions you made and help bring out your personality in a genuine way.

Ans :
1) Too long of an answer may bore the interviewer, and if he's interested he'll ask more q's. So don't feel like you have to say everything about yourself. :-) Just need to get the key points across.
2) Tie it all together, if you can. For example, find how your interests led into your college major led into your job experiences lead right into your post-MBA goals. This is sort of what I say: "I went into college with a strong interest in technology, so I studied Comp Sci. Coming out of college, I wanted to learn how tech products are developed in the real-world, so I took on a position as a software engineer. During my time at [company], I had a great opportunity to go to [country] on a marketing trip and learned A, B, C. [Plug in awards won, how I added "a greater impact" to my company by A, B, C. yadidadi.] Now I'm at a point in my career where I want an MBA to transition into marketing because blah, blah.
3) Conclude by tying it into how you "fit" the program. "I researched several schools and found [your school] to be the best fit for me." (He'll ask you later why K, so don't feel like you have to say everything up front.)

How not to screw up your essays !

2007-05-29T03:22:00.000-05:00

Almost a year back, bouyant about being ranked in the top 3 of the bloggers from around the world, I had written a post called "How not to loose in the BoB race !". At that time, I had no admit in hand, but a huge urge to share my thoughts on what I felt essay writing was all about. This forced me to write that post, camouflaging my essay advice in form of advice regarding the BoB. The camouflaging was so subtle (unintended though), that no one realised that I what I wanted to say. That scares me, after all, I intend to be a management consultant. But anyways...

It's one whole year since then, and I am lucky to have an admit today, and dont need to camouflage stuff this time around. So here goes the same list, with minor tweaks, some edits, and a few more lines here and there. The ordering of the points is random and not based on relevance, importance, appeal, or the links it carries. If an idea gets repeated, it's probably because it's important, and not because I am lazy enough to not proofread this post.

So you ready ? Let's start.

1) Remember, adcom at your i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school are also people, so write stories that touch their heart, or make them laugh. Atleast try. Only then will they choose you over another applicant who has got the same stats and writes more or less the same genre of stories. This, Michael Gladwell will say, is what constitutes The Stickiness Factor. Very important. Take my word.

2) Show your love for the i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school, make it evident for those who will read your stuff and those who will judge it(a.k.a Admissions Committee). Your initial attraction to the i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school was because of a reason, so tell them the reason. Pay them a visit, send them some flowers(not literally please), write a sonnet, do what you can to demonstrate that fuzzy feeling you safely keep inside your heart. Dont be shy. But dont be cheesy as well.

3) Consider each essay as a short tv commercial. You have to make the most of whatever little resources you have under the given constraints. Your essays should tell your story - so tell a story YOU want to tell(not what the world wants to hear), and make sure it is appealing to everyone who will probably read it. Dont try to address every aspect in one essay. It rarely works. Know your audience well, and build a cohesive mesh of stories which gives a complete picture of who you are.

4) Write honestly - people like that. People like people who acknowledge mistakes(even if the errors were intentional), it shows character(weirdly contradictory, hunhh?) and the desire to improve - demonstrate those emotions if the essay asks for it. Whether you actually improve or not in real life is a debatable story for another day.

5) Love what you are writing - believe me, it shows up. OK, even if you dont believe me, just give it a shot, see how it goes. Be passionate about what you write, and be smart enough to ensure that the passion within is easily visible. We all like to read passionate stuff, so this trick would immediately connect you to them.

6) Dont write about all work stuff. Mix up your stories with anecdotes from your personal life, your childhood, your siblings - anything that will spice up the boring cliched work related million-dollar-deal-you-won-accomplishment text. But be careful to tie your thoughts to a central theme and your USP. You are building your brand here - so make sure you get all forces to act in the right direction.

7) Make sure you edit your essays and cheque for speling misstakes. See if your essay has a rhythm, see if it flows like the stream down the hillock. If not, tweak it, modify it, rewrite it(do anything and everything you can) - because if it aint good looking to you, how are you gonna convince the adcom that it is the most beautiful representation of what you are. After all, we arent Milton or Hilton, that whatever we write(or wear, or probably not wear) looks good.
If you start an essay with n number of points in the first para, see if those points are addressed later on. See if the reader can tie them back those points and get the gist out of the essay after a casual reading. Make it easy for the reader to understand. She will like you for that.

8) Open out your stuff for the smart ones (read : reviewers) to read. Some of them will be kind enough to be critical - listen to what they say. You would need time to make improvements, so make sure you are not in a hurry. Sharpen the edges, and fine-tune the settings. You are almost there, but dont be hasty to finish it off just yet.

9) Network with people who have been there before, and have seen the world. Discuss your thoughts with them - see if they believe your essays will be entertaining and believable. Once you have collected the suggestions, consider those during your regular lonely Saturday afternoons with your chin resting on your palms. But in the end, take what you feel right, because its your story, and you got to believe what you wanna say. [this point also serves as a disclaimer to this blog post]

Last but not the least, please be reminded that even Ethan Mathew Hunt cannot plan everything to perfection, so hedge your bets, and keep a back up plan - just in case you dont get that admit. Good Day and Good Luck!

Advice for incoming BSchool Students.

2007-05-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

Someone asked:

very smart post, and probably the best time for me to ask a question which i wanted to ask for a long time. you say, bschool is place where you can grow a little mature, and it's upto you what you make of yourself, and how you use the place. so if you were talking to your younger bro who's headed to a top school, and he asks, how do i make the most out of these two years, what would you say ?

A smart dude replied:

Just make the most of the time you're there by focusing on things you can't do if you're working full-time. Cherish every day that you're not working. Consider it a privilege and blessing that you're basically taking a 2-year sabbatical. You didn't spend upwards of $150K and $150 - 300K in forgone salary to sit alone in your room and read books and do problem sets (if that were the case, you'd just get an online degree). Get fully involved in your b-school community. Learn from people - focus your efforts and time on group projects, stay awake in class discussions, go to as many guest speaker events/student conferences you can go to (you'll learn more from these speakers/alums/industry folk than you'll ever learn in the classroom), get involved in the fun clubs where you'll actually make real relationships (i.e. you'll make far stronger relationships playing basketball with your classmates than doing mock interviews for finance internships). In short, enjoy the journey and process of those 2 years - because the real value isn't the "goal" of finding a job or a post-MBA career, the real value is those actual 2 years itself where you'll grow both professionally and personally in ways that you won't when you are working full-time - simply because you are meeting all kinds of people you'd normally won't meet, having the time and opportunity to do things you'd normally won't do (skydiving, traveling with fellow classmates, playing more sports, getting involved in theater, etc.) and simply having 2 years of life where you're not working. In other words, you're not buying a "career" with your MBA, but you're buying 2 years of life away from an employer who would otherwise own you for those two years if you weren't in b-school. It's 2 years that you're buying to focus on YOU, and nothing else. In fact, it's not even 2 years - it's really only 16 months of actual school (8 months of class, then 4 months internship, then 8 months of class) so time goes by very quickly.

There's nothing real specific to do, since everyone is different, but it's all about having a healthy attitude towards the experience. Spending those 2 years on your own terms the way you want it.

The other thing is to be aware of the herd mentality. It happens at every b-school, and has happened since the dawn of time. Don't let classmates influence your career choices, what electives you should take, where you live, etc. MBAs as a group are by nature a neurotically insecure bunch -- as a group, they will cluster around and lionize what is "hot" more than what is right for them as individuals. If you can spot the hype, that's half the battle. If something sounds too good to be true, it is -- MBAs are easily suckered into believing anything so long as the prospect of money and exclusivity is high (i.e. making lots of money in an area that would be the envy of other MBAs). B-school is kind of like an ant colony actually, except there is no queen ant so all the worker ants are left to following each other. Be your own man (or woman).

Other than that, don't eat yellow snow, drink lots of water before you go to bed if you're drunk, and always know the name of the person you wake up next to.

Alex Chu

Source : http://forums.businessweek.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1056&nav=messages&webtag=bw-bschools&tid=66879 (Yes, I still visit those dreaded boards)

Also read : Jerry Blank's take on 2 years in Yale SOM

Are you unique ?

2007-05-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

Some update first. Lot of things happened last week. Some big screwups at work, a laptop which went bad, some good chats with incoming GSBers, and a unique expression of surprise i saw when i let my team know i that would be leaving sometime soon. That's for the update.

But the intention of this post is different. I was helping this guy with his GSB R2 WL, and I thought I would share a point which I remembered while working with him on his WL letters.

So let's dedicate this post to "Differentiation".

I think for all applicants coming from an over subscribed applicant pool, this is always a problem. So if you are a management consultant, IBanker, Indian IT guy, Chinese tech expert, you probably know what I am talking about. Differentiation is important because it helps you stand out among the many others who have similar stats, and concentrating on differentiation in your application package is vital. Over doing it, might be harmful.

The big question now comes - how does one differentiate oneself ? The first thing is to understand what makes you similar (not-different) to your brethren community - that's the stereotype people talk about. You need to take care not to fall prey to the stereotype. If I try to remember my very first set of essays from way back in 05, I think they were very stereotyped - because that was what came naturally to me. Thankfully, I had some good advisors, and they helped me spot the stereotype.

Then came the more challenging next step - to search for stories in my life which will help me break free of the stereotype, and elucidate the unique me. I think I probably used to stare at the starry sky (not literally ;-) thinking about which incident from my life would be worth writing an essay about, which incident would have the meat to convey my actual personality, which incident will be unique to show the adcom a different face of Forrest Gump. By my attempts to define and capture various different interesting aspects of my own self, I tried to differentiate myself. You might question if this is the right way to do things, so take your pick.

Coming back to the person who asked me for help, things sadly didnt work out for him, but he always knew the importance of articulating how we are unique and what is that which makes us special. This, I think should be the goal of your essays, how you do it is entirely upto you - as they say, there's no one right answer.

H1B visa problems.

2007-05-15T02:22:00.000-05:00

[edit 1/9th of July '07] : fellow blogger Simba sent a email-note to many of us with details of what she experienced in her job hunt, and the potential problems international students can face. thought i would share her post with you all there. here goes :
http://simbarulez.com/riding_h1b_rollercoaster.html

an article about H1B visa issues all internationals should be aware of

In presence of smartness!

2007-05-08T03:09:00.000-05:00

In the movie Good Will Hunting, there's this one scene where Robin Williams is teaching a psychology class, and his classmate from the MIT days walks in and stands by the door. Robin looks at him, and then at his students, and remarks that they are in the presence of greatness, because his friend is a Fields Medal winner - the award for Mathematics synonymous to the Nobel Prize, although it is awarded only once in 4 years.

I got a similar feeling when I found my nick mentioned alongside some very smart people, on the list of people who are judging the Accepted.com Beautiful BSchool Photo Contest. I sure got an upward kick to my ego when I read Linda's post :-) though I have come back to normalcy ever since. But I still continue to feel nice about the whole deal - not sure why. I am guessing I will get similar feelings when I start working with and being around smart classmates this fall. I had an experience of being around some smart folks when I went to undergrad school and I know it is exhilarating, but I am sure this time the experience is going to be much bigger, and more intense. I am both eager and scared(a bit) to commence my journey.

Are you reading ChiBus ?

2007-05-07T01:45:00.000-05:00

This is for all future GSB applicants. If you arent reading ChiBus, you definitely should. Because you can get some great clues/fodder for your essays there.

Like this post by Dean Stacey Cole. She says :

You will hear from Dean Ted Snyder, who will describe Chicago GSB's approach to management education as a combination of challenge, adherence to values, and change. His goal is to "sustain and strengthen the GSB culture of critical thought, and build a more aligned GSB, focused on internal and external relationships that enhance the professional development opportunities for students and alumni." To that end, Chicago GSB has one value system, not one for faculty and another for students. Intellectual rigor, critical thinking, and constant questioning characterize the academic life at the GSB. Faculty members believe that outstanding research enhances the classroom experience and adds to the richness of collaboration that occurs between them and their students. It is this training in how to think that will matter most when you face "moments of truth" in your professional life.

If you have read the GSB brochure and the website thoroughly, you will realise that some of the above is repetitive. Which should tell you how important these key philosophies are for Chicago GSB. You could remember to use this knowledge for the part where you explain why you fit with the GSB.

Then this another note by a graduating student. She talks about the few events where you could socialise with your classmates, seniors etc. For some of you out there, this might be an important thing - after all, we all want to maintain our lifestyle while having a great education ;-)

The point(if you arent getting it yet) of this post is that the web has so much information that you should ideally not feel short of material. One of my friends once asked "How do I research a school?". For me, it has largely been reading the school website, the blogs (of both applicants and students) and browsing the business week boards. Which is what I advised him to do. But there's a catch here.

There is lot of info available on the website(and other web resources). First you will have to filter out the good from the bad, and secondly and more importantly, you need to read between the lines. Like, it is widely known that Chicago GSB fosters a questioning culture - one where you challenge existing facts. This gives me the cue to evaluate myself vis-a-vis Chicago GSB with an eye to look for instances in my life where I questioned something written in stone. If such instances have happened regularly, I get the confidence that I can feel partially comfortable at the GSB - the fit thing, remember! I also take away a bullet point that I can use a few of those experiences to "SHOW" (and not just state) how I fit into the GSB spectrum, how I can easily blend in, and how Chicago GSB's thing is my thing, and because it is so, I will be my own, and be able to contribute back to the community there in the best possible way.

If you read the website with a eye for evaluating what the school has to offer vis-a-vis what you are and what you want to do, you will definitely get great solid information, information which will help be very personal in why you love a certain school, otherwise your Why School part would just be a collection of points drawn from various parts of the website/brochure. Any other applicant could replicate that without much effort.

Of course, there are many other modes of gathering info about the school you want to attend, like visiting the school, talking to alums, attending the school reception etc. All these help you get some facts, learn about others experiences, but again, you will still need to personalise the info you get, to an extent where it reads as your story, and not a cursory attempt to list points(big club names, leadership program names, superlative professor and their classes etc) to impress the adcom.

Common Interview Mistakes (a BWeek article)

2007-05-03T23:17:00.000-05:00

I thought the article in BWeek about common interview mistakes is worth a read. These advices seem very relevant for almost any interview, whether it be a job interview or a bschool interview. You can read the online article here. I have pasted the text below so that I can refer back in case the web-link dies.

__________________________________________________________________
Recruiters' Top 10 Complaints
Looking to blow your next job interview? Here are 10 mistakes you can make—and how to avoid them
by Alison Damast

Caitlin McLaughlin, global head of campus recruiting for Citigroup Markets and Banking (C), will sometimes surprise MBA students by starting off an interview with a question that has little to do with their experience in the business world or as a student at their particular school.

She'll glance at the interests and activities section of their résumés and ask questions on subjects students expect recruiters to gloss over.

"I'll say, 'I noticed on your résumé that you are a Jimmy Buffet fanatic,' and it will be clear that the person forgot it was on there," she said. "You can see the look of panic spread across their face because they forgot."

Little Mistakes, Big Impact
Little slipups like this are the types of things that recruiters say can make the difference between making the right impression or the wrong one during a job interview (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/6/06, "The 'Do Nots' of Networking").

One thing most recruiters agree on is that MBA students are coming to job interviews more prepared and polished than candidates in years past. They are coached by their career services offices, have studied meticulously the employers, and have boiled their work and academic career experiences down to a carefully crafted script.

Even with all this preparation, there are a number of missteps students can make that can quickly shift the tone of the interview in the wrong direction, recruiters from top companies say.

We asked recruiters for specific advice about navigating interviews and sidestepping common mistakes. Here's what they told us:

1. Follow Interview Etiquette
Some of the most embarrassing moments are caused by blunders a student didn't anticipate. A cell phone ringing in the middle of an interview can be an unwelcome interruption. Whatever you do, don't stop to answer it or check the number, says Connie Thanasoulis, director of campus recruiting at Merrill Lynch (MER). Her advice: "Apologize, and immediately move on."

Etiquette requires students to shake the recruiter's hand before the interview starts and again at its conclusion. These are moments that could prove embarrassing if you have sweaty palms, a common byproduct of nerves and adrenaline. A simple way to solve the problem is to first brush your hand against your leg to dry it off, suggests Thanasoulis.

2. Keep Your Answers Short and to the Point
Recruiters will sometimes ask a question about a candidate's résumé and the candidate will ramble on—and on—for several minutes before getting to the main point. This can be trying for the interviewer, who is trying to learn as much as possible about the student in a short time. It can put the interviewer in an uncomfortable position, says Peter Sullivan, director of North American People Services for Booz Allen Hamilton.

"It is very difficult when someone starts diving into detail. It can be perceived as impolite to cut someone off," says Sullivan.

Try to keep your answers under a minute if possible. This gives the interviewer a chance to consider whether they want to ask the candidate to elaborate on the answer. "If the interviewer wants more details, they will ask for it," Sullivan says.

3. It's Okay to Be Clueless
Steve Canale, manager of recruiting and staffing services at General Electric (GE) likes to throw in questions that students might not have anticipated. For example, most students will talk at length with him about the company and why they want to work there, but will be thrown off when he asks them to name GE's current slogan.

Most students don't know this and will frequently stumble their way through the question. "Some people will look at the ceiling like God is going to come down and tell them, and other people will try to fake through it or get terribly embarrassed," he said.

The question can be an interesting test for Canale, who evaluates candidates by the manner in which they answer the question. He says that being honest about not knowing the answer is sometimes the best tactic. "Don't be afraid to say I don't know," says Canale. "I think that would be an area where everybody could improve."

Sometimes a student does know the answer to a particular question, but may have trouble answering it on the spot, says Thanasoulis, of Merrill Lynch. Her suggestion for dealing with nerves: Take a sip of water and ask for a minute to think about the question. "Regroup and say, 'I'm sorry about that,'" Thanasoulis says. "It's okay to say, 'Sometimes I get a little nervous, but I'm very excited to be here.'"

(By the way, GE's slogan used to be "We Bring Good Things to Life," but four years ago the company changed it to "Imagination at Work.")

4. Avoid Clichés.
It can irk a recruiter when students spend their allotted time talking about themselves in broad generalizations or clichés. Avoid common phrases such as "I'm a people person" or "I'm a creative person."

Instead, Booz Allen's Sullivan recommends that you come up with pertinent examples or stories that clearly illustrate your point. One young woman he interviewed convinced him of her leadership skills by telling him about her volunteer efforts at a church in an inner-city neighborhood. She helped several teenagers at the church learn about financial aid and college preparatory exams, and two of the teens she coached went on to become students at Duke University. The story stuck in his mind and helped her stand out among the other students he had interviewed.

"I now have a story I can then attach directly to her. It was compelling and it was going to get her remembered," Sullivan says.

5. Keep Negativity Out of the Conversation
Many MBA students are career switchers and are excited about transitioning to a job in a new field. Often students in this position will talk at length to a recruiter about why they disliked their old career. This can be a slippery slope, especially if you are talking to a recruiter who might be involved with that field. For example, a student who worked in consulting and is now switching to investment banking should be careful not to say anything negative about their old career, said Citigroup's McLaughlin.

"The problem is you don't know if the person sitting across from you may be a consultant," McLaughlin said. "You could be rubbing the person the wrong way. I always tell students stay away from anything that could be perceived as a negative comment."

6. Always Have Questions Prepared
Recruiters expect that students will use the interview as an opportunity to learn more about their company. Most end an interview by giving candidates an opportunity to ask a few questions. Don't take the easy way out, warns Sullivan, of Booz Allen. "When I ask a student, 'What questions can I answer for you?' and they say, 'I'm all set,' they've just failed."

Students should walk into the interview with a list of thoughtful questions that take advantage of the recruiter's knowledge of the company, Sullivan says. He recommends avoiding questions that can easily be answered by looking at the company's Web site, such as whether the company has a Boston office. "You should have three or four really good and insightful questions that show self-awareness that you are in front of someone who is pretty senior," Sullivan says.

It helps if the student uses the question as an opportunity to have a genuine conversation with the recruiter, says Jeff Vijungco, Adobe's recruiting director (ADBE): "At some point, it feels like the conversation evolves organically…. The best interviews I've found are the ones that don't even feel like an interview."

7. Keep Your Ego in Check
The temptation to impress a recruiter can sometimes get the best of students—and come back to haunt them later in the interview. If quantitative math is not your strong suit, don't pretend that it's your best subject. You could be sitting across from a derivatives trader who might want to put you on the spot, says Citigroup's McLaughlin. "Instead of making broad characterizations about your skill set, be more humble about your abilities," she says.

8. Don't Walk in Unprepared
Learn as much as you can about the person who is interviewing you and the company before the interview. Recruiters say they are sometimes surprised when they see a student has done little to no research on the company before the interview. "We've seen students that may not know the company or firm. Some may not have visited the Web site or attended a briefing on campus," said Angela Marchesi, MBA recruiting program manager at Deloitte.

In most cases, students know the name of the recruiter interviewing them in advance. Make every attempt to find out as much as you can about the person before you meet them, says Thanasoulis. Students should conduct Internet searches on the recruiter and try to find out anything they can about them from contacts they have at the recruiter's company. People who work at the company or spent a summer internship there can also prove to be valuable resources, notes Thanasoulis.

"They should exhaust every information source they can get to so they can know who they are interviewing with," Thanasoulis says.

9. Don't Talk in Absolutes
Students should avoid the temptation to tell a recruiter that their firm is the candidate's No.1 choice.

"A recruiter will hear that as 'I will accept your offer,' and it is understood that the company is your No.1 choice,' McLaughlin says. If the company later extends a job offer that the student rejects, the candidate may have damaged his credibility, she said. A safer approach might be to tell the recruiter that the firm is one of their top choices. This allows the student to express interest, but also leaves a little wiggle room, she says. "Saying something like that is a hundred times better than saying you are my No.1 choice and not being prepared to act on that."

10. Never Bring Up Salary
One mistake that can immediately take you out of the running is bringing up salary during an initial meeting with a recruiter. Adobe's Vijungco has seen several students this year who have used this year's strong job market as an excuse to ask him what they can make at the company.

"Sometimes there is a tendency for candidates to overemphasize the compensation piece," he says. "They talk less about 'how can I contribute to the company?' and more about "what can I make here?'" Students should equate an initial meeting with a recruiter with a first date, Vijungco says: "On a first date, you don't want to talk about marriage."

A recruiter can be drained at the end of a long day interviewing MBA students on campus. In most cases, they have been meeting with people from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seeing 13 or more candidates over a nine-hour period.

Citigroup's McLaughlin says that performing at the top of your game is essential in such an intense interviewing environment. "There is guaranteed to be somebody else, maybe several people, who did more than you did to get ready and shine during the interview," she says.

With those odds stacked against you, you'll want to do everything you can to come out on top. Avoiding these mistakes will help you keep in the running.

The GSB Enrollment packet (and rants about GSB housing).

2007-05-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

The enrollment packet finally arrived. With the cute, fat, beautifully printed, laden with info, but completely useless (only for now, before I get to Chicago) Not For Tourists Chicago Guide.

Also came along with are letters, pamphlets of housing information. They looked nice. Honestly. I began wondering why not many GSB students choose to live there. If you are new to GSB housing, let me give you some background.

GSB students, generally end up being divided in three segments. The ones who like to be close to the university, the ones who wanna party and live in downtown, the others who live in beautiful suburbs (up north?).

Now, getting back to why I was wondering. I understand the case where one wants to be in a good suburb or a party zone, but for those who are going to live near the university campus, why only Regents Park (that's a popular condo, seemingly one of the best in the Hyde Park area surrounding campus). Why not the International House, or worst the Graduate Housing options (they seem pretty ok and convenient to me).

International House, at least to me, seemed a very attractive option. Simply because it offers the opportunity to interact with folks from many different countries, and many (or most) of them not studying business. Wouldnt that just be an amazing learning experience, and a chance to make some friends from who knows where. But here I am, chickening out on what I had originally thought would be my home, just because I dont think I would find classmates from GSB living there.

I realise that sitting as far as I am, I am not being correct in judging the choice which many students have made over the years. When I get to Chicago, and have a look for myself, I will try and write an addendum to this post, which will hopefully explain the scenario in detail and rationalize why people make the choice they make.

Either ways, the housing thing in GSB isnt what schools like Kellogg, Wharton or Tuck offer, a place where everyone lives nearby. But I guess this scattered arrangement has its advantages, I would have friends all over the city (the important areas at least), and can crash at their place if I get too drunk to drive back to Regents Park (which is where I will probably end up staying).

Sometime back...

2007-05-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

BoB came. It's gone now. Things happened fast. I noticed a lot of euphoria in people who were nominated. Never got around expressing mine. Then came the results. The euphoria reappeared in those who made it to the top 10 list. I figured that probably Rungee felt the same joy as Dean Snyder must have felt when GSB rose to the pinnacle of Bweek rankings. AA must have felt the same, maybe she will get to share her emotions with the Dean this fall on her exchange. fromCali won too, as did the amazing blog efforts of Iday, Juggler, and many others. Congratulations to you all. And thanks. For surprising me - I never expected to be there as high as I was placed at.

I became a thousand dollar poorer (sent my GSB deposit). They say, that's how it all starts. Before you are poorer by 150 grand. And richer by the skills you carry, the experiences you remember, and the friends you make.

Made a short trip home. A week is never enough - but had to make do with it.

Sent in my resignation, well ahead of my notice period. All in good faith. Hoped for a reply, havent got one. That was expected. I am hoping to leave without any hassles, simply because I have worked with this organisation way too long to destroy everything because I am off to school.

Got an amazing offer to judge (yes, judge. that's right) the Accepted.com's Photo Contest (thanks Linda). No way I could have said no. Did you remember to click a few shots?

Emotions

2007-04-18T04:24:00.000-05:00

a) Sad

About the Virginia Tech shooting. Horrible incident. My prayers go out to those affected.

b) Surprised

Emailed my boss that I will resign soon. No reply from him. And I thought that we had shared a very good work relationship for the last 2 years. I dont think there's a possibility that he didnt read my email.

c) Happy (one of my aunts calls me that)

Emailed my client that I will leave soon. He was very happy for me. Offered me to stay in his house in Chicago if required [temporarily though ;-)]

He then calls me a few days back, and offers me to take up a job offer at his company, i.e. my client company. Also offers to sponsor my education. Caveat : I would have to go part-time. Cant do that, right?

d) Amazed

By the potential opportunities that await at bschool. They seem endless. But it is all on us to make the most of the 2 years, that's what I am being told.

e) Overwhelmed (slightly)

Thinking about what all I need to do before I end in school. And about all things I will not be able to do.

I know, this isnt good news - bschool would be more challenging, and more overwhelming. Note to myself - do something about this. asap.

f) Proud

Of an ex-fellow blogger Mave, one of those best friends whom I know only through the internet medium. The best advisor I had during the time of bschool applications. He is doing a great job with his newly launched venture (if you hear about it, you can just say Wow), and I wish him all the luck. I am just sad that he was unlucky to not crack the GSB WL - it would have been fun to have him in HPC.

g) Angry

At myself. For procrastinating - quite a few things. Like, sending my GSB deposit. Which is why I have only myself to blame for not getting my hands on the "Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago" which Iday already has.

h) Jealous

Of Iday - because he has the guide.

i) Callous

About the fact that I am at work now, and gotta get back to it before someone catches me on blogger.

Another blogger succeeds!!!

2007-04-16T23:28:00.000-05:00

Quick shout out to my old blogger friend Maelstromx for successfully navigating into Kellogg. Great news buddy. Having been in your situation, I know you must be relieved - make sure you enjoy the moment and the news to the fullest.

Chicago, it seems will have a huge blogger population - we should definitely plan something like a big blogger party or its likes, what do you all say ?

Matriculating at GSB ? Hmmmm....most likely :-)

2007-04-06T04:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, for those who care, I dropped the application for the fellowship - attribute it to a mix of repulsiveness I feel thinking of writing an essay, and to another admit telling me that we don't qualify because of one clause. So there goes some big dollars. But who cares ? I guess I should.

Off late, I have been doing some Chicago admit website traveling - and am starting to realise how costly education actually is. I had a ball park figure in mind when I started off this bschool journey years back, but the current estimates are decently higher. Not that it will make me drop this MBA thing, but you do start rationalizing, don't you ? I humored myself by thinking how I would land that golden Goldman Sachs job, and make all this money in just one year. No one stops you from dreaming, right ? Even if it's daytime.

Now to the good part of the post. A nice lady emailed me a couple of days back, inviting to a local get-together of fellow GSB R1 and R2 admits. I was pleasantly surprised to see the email because I didn't realise they can find us through an easy directory scan. Even more surprising was that there is a good number of people from this small town of mine (most likely) heading to the GSB [ the title of the post is inspired by the fact that except the R1 folks, many R2 folks are still considering going to be the GSB, although it's still not written in stone].

So we met up a couple of days back, though not all of us. Although I wont go the length to say that these were the best and smartest folks I have ever met (simply because I cannot judge people in one meeting), one thing is certain, I had a very good time with all of them. There was a good mix of people, although the banker-consultant fraternity dominated the group. We went to an ethnic Turkish place, had hearts-full of wine, and an amazing array of all sort of platters, chips, and many kinds of meat - I am really oblivious of what all I ate.

Discussions happened around pulling the leg of the one person among us who had a scholarship, to what book or movie we had recommended in our essay. We got to know each other, figured out who is going to get married and who will hit the road single, who is going to which Random Walk, and why we should just chuck off our initial order of beer to substitute it with wine ( the happy hours were on, and there was a 1-on-1 offer going).

All in all it was a great couple of hours spent. We will all be meeting up again soon for the Worldwide GSB night, so I am hoping that would be another post for you all.

Au revoir!!

When FedEx knocked....

2007-04-03T08:28:00.000-05:00

I opened the door. The packet had arrived. The size was disappointing, no maroon T I figured. I let that thought go. Ripped the tape apart, found a few letters. Checked if Miss Rose Martinelli had actually signed the letter, or was it printed. She had probably anticipated that there are people like me. Had signed the letter in ink. I was happy. Then read the letter from the adcom who had called. He had mentioned something I had mentioned to him when we talked. Was that a matter of chance, or had he personalized the letter ? I decided I will believe that he indeed had.

Inside, I also found a thick curriculum guide. I checked to see how many of the professors came from my country. I would definitely take their classes. Found one who went to the same undergrad as me. Felt glad. Left the rest of the pages to be devoured later.

One letter had a login. Login to the world of GSB. Login to my GSB email id. Login to an opportunity to meet new people. Login to find out if they are as interesting as the adcom thinks they are. Login to make new friends. Login to a new career. Login to a new beginning. I kicked up the browser. I typed my password, went in.

The infrastructure looked impressive. Admit discussion boards. Details about curriculum, financial aid and healthcare. About pre-MBA classes, about the nightmare that is the US visa. Somebody seemed to be shouting on the right of the screen. It was the "Highlights". The "Upcoming Fellowship Deadlines - April 6" stood out from among the "Highlights" crowd. I went to check it out.

Not being a Israeli, or a marketing guy, or a female helped. There weren't many scholarships/fellowships for me. I took a deep breath, relaxed. Then my eyes fell on one. That was for me, I knew we were a great fit for each other. Probably many other recent admits were thinking so. Who among us will get picked. Competition yet again.

That didn't deter me. I clicked the link, Adobe sprung to life. A big essay was needed. I gave up, instead conjured up this post for you. No need, dont thank me. I am very happy anyways.

Baptised in Maroon - the unabridged story

2007-03-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

I want to begin by thanking all of you who posted a congratulatory comment here. I am frankly very overwhelmed. A special thanks to InBlue, BSchoolDiva, JatWarrior, and Marquis for your support - you guys give me that fuzzy feeling ;)

So how it happened ? After waiting for the admit call all day(and night) on the 26th, the 27th began with very low hope that anything positive would happen. As a result, I left my cell phone lying somewhere, and went to watch television when the call first came. I guess I saw the message from the AdCom after around half n hour, and immediately realised that I had got in. I felt numb, sort of still am. But you gotta confirm first, right. So I called back, didnt get connected, called again without success, but soon got the call back. I just remember the congratulations, anything after that just fell on deaf ears. I was already on cloud nine.

I initially had decided to do this post differently, but with my fingers shaking, and my mouth stuttering, I had no choice but to keep it concise.

The last few days have been very different from my normal days. I have started to thank people who had helped me through the process, and I am yet to get back to all the blogger folks who congratulated, but I will. Some of my friends were surprised and happy, some were just happy. Lot of attention anyways. Can you believe I already have 3 sets of essays of 3 different schools to review - an admit changes things more than I had imagined, but it's nice, because it feels great to help.

Those around me who consider this admit a big deal, are really ecstatic about me making it finally. The others, remind me that the MBA, as great as we might like it to sound, is after all an education which will help us achieve greater goals. It's still on us to do the legwork.

Thanks once again to you all, and baptised that I am now, I will come back with some rants on how I did my stuff over the last two years to get here. Of course, since i watched Match Point, I never discount that I have been very lucky.

There has to be something wrong

2007-01-06T20:49:00.000-06:00

...with me, that is. Or should I say, with my bschool applications.

I got WLed by Kellogg again, second year running. This, after I thought that if my previous application was WL worthy, this one was for sure worthy of an admit plus a scholarship. Ok, little exaggeration :-)

I had been kaput for the last two weeks(visiting my family), with very little access to the internet. So when I got back home today and checked my email, the Kellogg Status check email scared me a little. I had been kind of anticipating not so good news since quite a few admits were informed before Christmas itself, but a check-your-status-email is never very good. But although I had not expected, WL it is for now.

I probably didnt work on my Kellogg WL well enough last year, and I guess I dont know everything I should. So if any of you have any suggestions, please write in the comments box or email me at forrestgump47 at gmail dot com. If you could connect me to someone who moved from a WL to an admit, that would be even better.

For now, I will have a bowl full of cornflakes, and doze off to sleep - the flight journey wasnt comfortable at all !

Happy New Year to one and all !!

PS : for those eager to know, this Kellogg result *almost* ends my 07 application cycle. I am not waiting to hear from any other school, and I have not applied to any school in R2 . Reasons on why I behaved so overconfidently are beyond the scope of this blog, primarily because I believe they are silly excuses.

Quick Update

2006-12-21T01:50:00.000-06:00

Chicago - Waitlisted.
Gotta get back to holiday packing now.

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year !

Reality Strikes Again.

2006-11-16T11:32:00.000-06:00

No interview from Wharton, yet again. It seems that it was not meant to be. But it's good to have closure atleast. The wait wasnt good at all.

The Chicago interview is my hope now. Good Luck to those interviewing with Wharton, Chicago or others.

Paper Art !

2006-11-07T20:33:00.000-06:00

Savor!
http://www.oncotton.co.uk/peter/index.html

Source : Joshspear.com

It was about the pencils

2006-10-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

"It was not about big revolutionary ideas, it was about pencils", remarked Celine in the movie "Before Sunset". She also said,"that people who are most giving, hardworking and capable of making this world better, usually dont have the ambition and ego to be a leader". But this post is about the pencils, right?

As I sat watching the movie on my laptop again, Celine's words struck a chord. I got thinking if the business school (manic) essay writing process aligns to what she says. Two years in the process has given me a good amount of experience (the quality of the experience is questionable till I land the admit), and as I wrote the essays this year, I realised that it's not all about how I want to wipe out poverty from this world, or become a Bono working in Africa. It's a lot simpler. It's *probably* about how the small things I have done improved the lives of people around me. It's *probably* about the motivation I derived from those successes. It's *probably* about how I have used(and could use) that motivation to take my actions to next level, and make a bigger contribution.

Some of us get(or grab) the opportunity to be revolutionary leaders while still very young. But for most of us, we need to climb each step before reaching that pinnacle. It's *probably* those steps that the AdCom is interested to learn about. It's *probably* about those instances in your life that changed you as person, and made you that awesome "friend" or "colleague" you are today. You dont need to be the leader as defined in the Oxford dictionary, but you should be able to show the AdCom that you have the potential. You can stand out through ALL your qualities, and not just your leadership ones.

It's 5 am in Amman, 3 pm in Kamchatka, and 11 pm in Santo Domingo. I dont know where I am. Probably in a state where I want to write an essay and send it over to the Chicago folks ?

PS - If you are wondering about the context of the statements listed in the first para, it's about a mexican charity that was trying to figure out a way to transport pencils to schools in downtrodden areas of mexico.

the ode of the missing e****

2006-10-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

[update as of 10/31 - the application went complete after i sent my essays via email, but even now, the error message "Your application is incomplete. You are missing Essay 1" remains. So, on the suggestion of an erstwhile blogger applicant friend, I called up the Admissions office to see if they need anything else. Looks like the dont, so hopefully they have the right items uploaded in the right places. The wait begins now :-)]

so i slogged. hard. for a couple of days before my deadline, to somehow push my chicago re-application in. i was happy, not because i thought i had a stellar app, but because i had an app. the understandable jubilation continued on the weekend, and through the early half of this week. today, for some good reason, i realised that i should conduct a routine checkup of my apps. i typed http://admissions.chicagogsb.edu/admissions/home in my browser address bar, keyed in my credentials, to find that my app is incomplete. the reason - missing essay 1. as any other normal applicant, i freaked out. a little. it was 10 pm in chicago, so the best i could was send the adcom an email - which i did. eagerly waited for a reply - and thanks to the prompt admissions staff, i got one this morning. but what did it say - check with us after nov 1! bewildered on what i should do next, i wrote a blog post.

dont know what happens next(i.e. after Nov 1st), but dont worry, i will let you know.

Some tidbits from the BWeek rankings 06

2006-10-22T21:50:00.000-05:00

BWeek released their MBA rankings on the 12th of Oct. We all know that. But since I have got access to the print magazine (thanks to CA), I read into the rankings in a little more detail than I otherwise would. Some stuff I found surprising or interesting (primarily drawn out of this chart - http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/06/mba_main.asp)

+ Students rate Wharton's teaching quality at B (after A+ and A) - and Thomas Caleel had made me think that they had one of the best faculty in the world (I actually still believe Thomas)

+ Stanford and Michigan get a B too!

+ Recruiters rate MIT a B in both communication and teamwork.

+ Fuqua gets an A+ in all 5 categories, but check out this description - "Students on "Team Fuqua" enjoy the collaborative learning experience. Good for the hand-holding types but some would like more debate and conflict."

+ Recruiters give Harvard grads a B in teamwork.

+ Among the top 10 schools, Stanford had the lowest acceptance rate and Fuqua the highest.

+ Among the top 10 schools, Stanford had the highest number of internationals (at 43%) while Wharton and Columbia were close second at 42% (I had always thought that this percentage hovers around 30, but I guess I have the incorrect definition of what "Internationals" are)

Krannert Purdue had 45% internationals, and Rochester Simon has 48%!

+ Harvard is the costliest school to study in, followed by Wharton and Stanford. Is that why people consider them the top 3 schools irrespective of what the rankings say?

+ Kellogg ranked 23rd in intellectual capital, while UCLA Anderson was rank 1.

+ The average cost of the Harvard MBA is $345,401 and it takes 14.44 years to break even.

The Inside Scoop on Scoop

2006-10-10T02:43:00.000-05:00

Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, Forrest Gump, and Scarlett Johannson recently spent 2 hours together. Discussing the mystery of the Tarot Card Killer. Ok, there were 25 more people in the theatre, but when I am with Scarlett, who cares about others.

But you want the spicy stuff, dont you. None today, and I am sorry. No, not for you, but the money I spent. Not only for the movie ticket, but for that salted popcorn, the jumbo coke, raisins coated in chocolate, and the $1.65 bus fare.

Somewhere far away, Scarlett is starting to feel bad(re-read para above if your comprehension skills are anywhere like mine). Justifiably so - I cant be so critical. So let me be true. Atleast for her I can. Woody Allen did well in the movie. I thought it was his movie, I really did. Scarlett roamed around in cute looking glasses and occasionally with a hot brunnette friend of hers, but I dont remember she doing anything more. Hugh beat Scarlett in the race. He didnt do anything at all. Or so I thought. I probably was sleeping ?

Back to Woody. I remember his dialogues made me laugh, and the humor was intelligent. Sadly, it didnt have the glue to stick to my mind. That I think was the problem of the whole movie. There was nothing in it which I could take back home, discuss with my friends, and probably want to remember about. Zero impact :-|

I love Scarlett. And you can guess why ;-) [she was one reason I went to see the flick, Woody's Match Pointwas another, which I thought was a brilliant movie]

I admire Hugh, but he made me sad. He was unimpressive roaming around in smartly aristrocratic British attire. He showed Scarlett around their estate, flirted with her by the swimming pool, but that was all. He made a mistake with this movie, but I forgive him.

Enough of what I thought. The story goes like this. Scarlett is a budding college journalist who's visiting London. She meets Woody in a magic show. She also meets a ghost. Ghost says to Scarlett, go investigate Hugh. Why? Because there's a buzz in the ghost world(yes, that's right) that Hugh is the serial killer who flaunts a deck of tarot cards. Off goes Scarlett, and takes Woody along. The rest, I wont tell. You go and see, because Woody was atleast smart enough to put a twist in the plot - and I dont want to spoil it all for you.

CA School Guides and a quick update.

2006-09-23T02:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time, but I dont have a lot of good news to report. But I wanted to drop a quick note, after taking the cue from Dave's recent post.

ClearAdmit recently released school guides for 5 different bschools. I must admit that they did a great job compiling that information, because reading through one of them I found myself with information that I didnt know about (that's bad considering I am thinking of reapplying to that school, but probably it shows the depth of CA's research). The guide is meant to cover all aspects of bschools, from history, to curriculum, to life standards, career opportunities and much more. While doing that, CA definitely provides you with a lot of information, and probably will make you think about things you want to stress.

So you are interested in buying the guide. Go right ahead.

But remember this one advice. Guides are guides. They dont have the magic mantra to secretly push into the school through a back door. They dont have the postal addresses of the adcom members so that you could send flowers. So make very sure you set your expectations right.

That's all I can write at the moment. As for updates, I am trying to survive in this bschool application race. I have to admit that I have had thoughts of bailing out of the race for this year, because I was not sure if I would be able to submit applications worthy of an admit. But I kinda didnt go that route, and am trying to give it whatever I can - albeit at this last moment. Who knows where I will end up, but I will try - as I have always done.

Good luck to all my fellow bloggers who are making significant strides in the application process. I hope you get the admits you want.

.

2006-09-04T03:26:00.000-05:00

"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found."

Feeling a little better.

2006-08-30T06:38:00.000-05:00

I managed spend some quality time today ( just around 45 mins actually ) jotting down how I would write the 2 optional Wharton essays. I think I have the structure in place, and for one of the essays, I also managed to list down the points I want to highlight. Now only if I had a secretary to fill in the words for me, sigh !

Writing reapplication essays is turning out to be tougher. It seems that one needs to make sure that his/her re-app stands out on its own, which isnt as easy because for most of the schools, the number of essays reduce. Further, one needs to improve on essays he wrote just a few months back(when they looked very good :)), add more insight and instrospection. I really dont know how deep I can look into myself, there's only so much I can dive into. But I am trying.

Thanks to inblue, I am now looking deeper into my short term and long term goals, and I hope this research will make my application stronger - but there's some distance to cover before I can consider myself ready. So back to work now. I meant, the work I have pending at office ( I love writing blog posts from work, gives me the feeling that I am closing in on Dilbert ;) )

My own tribute !

2006-08-28T08:24:00.000-05:00

The US Open, which starts today, will be Andre Agassi's last tournament of his professional career. NYTimes published a very well written article about him today. Agassi has been one of my favourite players, for I dont know how long, and I really admire his tennis, his style, and the man himself. I really want him to finish his career on a strong note with a win in this tournament, but I know that it's going to be really tough considering that he is in the toughest draw the tournament can offer.

Slotted into perhaps the toughest quarter of the men’s draw, Agassi and Roddick will have to contend with No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic, former US Open champion and No. 15 seed Lleyton Hewitt and No. 20 Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Despite the odds, I am hoping that Agassi will do well, and give us as many more matches as he can.

What comes to me as a surprise though is the facets of his out-of-tennis-court life(courtesy NYTimes again).

Consider this :

“In his life after tennis he will accomplish more than what he did playing tennis,” said Patrick McEnroe, the United States Davis Cup captain who lost all four of his matches against Agassi as a player. “It sounds outlandish, but I feel comfortable saying that.”

and

While fashioning a Hall of Fame résumé on the court, he has built a rich, full life away from it. The evidence of that, friends say, is everywhere in the house 15 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip where Agassi lives with his wife, Steffi Graf, and their two children, Jaden Gil, 4, and Jaz Elle, 2. There is not a tennis trophy or tournament memento in sight, nothing at all to indicate that a couple with 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them resides there.

Isnt that cool, and probably awesome. As a child I remember displaying my trophies with pride, but I guess for great people, those metal objects dont mean as much. They know that recognition and respect follows them like a halo, and that they dont need trophies to make a point.

And that's not all. Agassi has a business acumen as well, ample proof of which is the fact that

Agassi and Rogers were among five longtime friends who bought the Golden Nugget hotel on the Strip for an initial cash investment of $50 million. They sold it less than two years later, receiving $163 million in cash.

How many companies boast that kind of earnings ?

As if that wasnt enough, Agassi runs a school, and is a benevolent man - regularly contributing to charity.

I dont think I can do enough justice to his tribute, so I will close it with one of Agassi's own statement which says it all:

When you touch a person’s life outside the lines, it has more permanence to it.

You should definitely read the article, so Go Now!
( also read http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2006-08-10/200608101155219679432.html )

Essay Update, Foolish overconfidence(?), and the scary "veteran"

2006-08-23T07:29:00.000-05:00

Just as predicted, I scrapped my long essay which I mentioned in my previous post. I think destiny was calling. I will need to rewrite the essay completely, though I can still borrow on a couple of points from the existing essay.

As I keep working on just one essay, I see the world around me finishing essays for multiple schools, getting them reviewed, and getting ready with an almost final version of the essays way before deadlines. Surprisingly, there is a lot more energy in the blogger community this year. I dont remember seeing so many people last year completing essays so long before the deadlines. I also noticed that most of my fellow bloggers are very excited about writing essays, no one except me finds it a pain ;) I just tell myself, they are of that kind :-))

Despite all this, I am feeling super-confident. Ok, that was a lie! But I am not very scared. I think I will finish all essays atleast on/before the deadline day. But some devil inside me keeps shouting, "you did that last year, see what happened. Are you foolish to repeat the same mistake?". No, no measure of convincing will make me believe that I am foolish, but I am bound by years of bad habit, to keep things for the last. I do that because when I am under pressure, the best in me flourishes - atleast, I like to believe that !

But there is one thing that really drives the bejeesus out of me. That's the word "veteran applicant" attached to my monicker everytime my blog is mentioned on Clear Admit(it's twice already, and I am counting:-)). I really need to get that tag off me, and I thank CA for reminding that I should start working on my apps(real fas) to ensure that I am not in the same ding-shoes next year. Thanks people at CA!

I still havent talked about which schools I plan to apply to. That's because the list isnt *quite* finalised yet. I know that's sad, as am I. I guess I will close that chapter this weekend. I have already talked to 2 recommenders of mine from last year, and they have agreed to write recos again. But I will have to coach them better this year; not sure how good a job they did last year. I am planning to rope in another recommender, who was my boss just a couple of months back, and who's appraisal review comments(they were pretty good) I just happened to recieve yesterday.

So, all in all, the wheel has started to move, but it needs to catch a helluva speed in the next month or so. I wish myself the very best ! :-)

754

2006-08-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

That's the word count of one of the 500 word essays. And I still need to write a 2 line small paragraph, and provide a closing to that essay. That would easily make that essay worth 800+ words ;) Then I would edit it till the time I have no more enthusiasm, after which, probably I will scrap the whole essay just because I dont think it is good enough. How I hate writing essays, they are just too much work! Which is why I am amazed how bloggers like Juggler, Rungee, and MBABlogger(although he isnt talking about it much) churn out so many essays in so small a time window. I am sad that I dont have such writing skills, but I hope I will catch up ;)

As if essay writing wasnt tough enough, take my word that writing essays the second time is tougher. You have to radically improve the ideas, the thoughts, the introspection which looked pretty good just a few months ago. How do you do that, I still have no clue. But I guess I will figure that out as well, because I have made some good friends during my last journey who always have something important to add. That's my biggest take-away of the phenomenon called blogging.

I have a feeling that this post is getting boring(both to write and probably to read) - but this was meant to be an update. In short, I am just getting warmed up, and hopefully, I should get into the groove so that I get through my rollercoaster ride in time.

50 Coolest websites

2006-08-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

Check out http://www.time.com/time/2006/50coolest/index.html

{17th August, '06}

Some other cool websites

1) http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
Dont forget to left click to change colors when you let your drawing skills loose.

2) See what people in NY complain to the mayor about. Some of the slides are really really funny. A great collection from NY Times

Artistic inspiration

2006-08-07T10:07:00.000-05:00

Initially I treaded slowly, reading the signs, the notes, the reactions, but later I cruised through, after all the price of time currently has touched the levels similar to those of gas in the US. But however costly time may be, I always find time for detours, and if you have any interests in photography, you should definitely click on detours to get inspired even more.

Pleasant surprises

2006-08-04T03:04:00.000-05:00

It is really awesome when people I know were waiting on BSchool WLs for like ever and then they get pulled out of it. First it was Sorebrek, and now another of my very good friends just got a call from Insead, where he is supposed to join in the next 24 days. Isnt that absolutely great. I am really happy today, because we are gonna have a big big party ;)[ fyi - I already enjoyed the Sorebrek party last week, with a good deal of controversial but entertaining chit chat]

Zoho

2006-08-03T11:47:00.000-05:00

For those of you who want to risk their jobs and write essays at work, check out a pretty good website at http://www.zohowriter.com

It has a set of pretty good features, and if your PC and internet connection are up to the mark, things should work pretty fast. So check it out.

The other Zoho range of products is available at http://www.zoho.com - but I havent even had a look at them.

The benefits of introspection

2006-07-27T23:14:00.000-05:00

When it comes to writing bschool essays, "introspection" is one thing that you will hear more often than you would have thought. Admissions consultants will talk about you, current students will talk about it, alumni will talk about it, and today - I will talk about it. Let's see if we can answer the basics in a question answer format.

1) What do you mean by introspection ?
Without taking a peek into dictionary.com, introspection to me would mean looking within me, for experiences, moments, events - the good and the bad ones, the happy or sad ones, the successful and failure ones. But our work doesnt quite end there. We will need to delve a little deeper. For each experience, think about why you behaved in a certain way, what you might have been thinking at that point of time, and how that experience has affected your current thinking. What would have been different if things went the other way. Would you be the same you ? Did that failure in your first job interview make you realise that you should put in more effort, and what would have happened if you had got that job because a company exec is a friend of your father. You get the drift, right ?

2)Why do we need it for writing bschool essays?
Simplistic answer - Because adcoms like to read such stuff ;))
The better version - Introspection will tell you a lot about yourself. I am not sure about you, but for me I knew a lot less about myself before I joined the bschool rat-race. My parents knew a lot more about me(and still do). Once you start to get acquainted to the real you hidden deep under, you start to realise what you like, and what you dont. You can make decisions where you want to go from here on, and you can tell me the story of what brought you to where you currently are. This is the stuff which is the real meat about your personality, and this is something which adcoms would like to *probably* read about, because its you they want to learn about(and not just about your accomplishments).

3)Why am I writing about this today ?
I was looking through the Chicago essays for this year, and realised that they ask a lot about you as a person. Tackling questions which ask "What is the one thing that most people do not know about you" is clearly an intent to take an insider tour of your personality, in turn making the question even more difficult to answer. It would really need good amount of thought to pick out that one thing (among many attributes) that you would like the adcom to know about.

4)My final thoughts on this subject.
As important introspection might be, the art of articulating those experiences in the right words is equally important. Also important is to choose the right subset of experiences from the whole big set your life is. We all have many stories to tell, but are each of them worth telling when you are applying to a *business school*? Do those stories chime with the passions of the school? Those are big decisions, and to me - finding answers to those seem to be a lot of work. So I will get back to doing some meaty stuff, and will conclude this didactic blog post here. Wish you all good luck as you go treasure hunting.

The War's about to begin..

2006-07-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

And you should be ready, atleast mentally prepared. Over the past 2 weeks, almost all business schools have released their essays. It's like the enemy is all ready with its infantry, air force and navy units to overwhelm you and then kill you with the onslaught of essays(and other application requirements, not forgetting the hefty application fee). But for those of you who will manage to thwart away the attack, the crown (read bschool admit) is yours.

The best 3 places to keep track of bschool announcements are :
Dave's blog (http://daveformba.blogspot.com)
The ClearAdmit blog (http://www.clearadmit.com/blog.html)
Linda Abraham's website (http://www.accepted.com)

ClearAdmit and Linda also offer essay insights, but I somehow think that Dave's blog is the first one to announce the essays, probably because he has smartly automated the whole process of finding out when and what changes on any bschool website.

As this war begins, I wish all my fellow applicants good luck. I hope we all survive!

[Also, the person I mentioned in my previous blog entry has officially made the announcement, though not quite loud enough. Check out the blog here, and notice the change on the right side bar. And no, I am not stalking him/her :-) ]

SoMeUpDaTeS

2006-07-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

When it comes to software products, I can become a true geek. I sign up at many different websites, try out many different products(and services), and play around on the web a lot. So when a kind person invited me to try Vox, I readily obliged(Vox is a free blogging site, similar to Blogger, which also combines the theory of social networking in true Web 2.0 style). I must say that I have a good first impression of their service, I like the templates they offer, and I am happy that I dont have to type the *a href* HTML tag each time I have to include a link. The feel is good, and you dont feel unprofessional (which can happen for blogger at times). Vox comes from the SixApart company, the makers of Typepad, a very popular paid blogging service. The sad part (for you all) is that Vox is still in its Preview phase, and access is available only by invite. The happy flip-side is, that I can send you an invite, as and when I get hold of one (I just signed up today, so it might take some time). To make it a fair playing field, I will invite people in the order they ask, i.e. the first to ask will be the first to get it. So let me know if you want to try out Vox. And yes, Vox webome is http://run-forrest.vox.com .

Its been some time since I blogged anything bschool-y related. Not that there isnt anything happening, but probably because there isnt much happening. I will most certainly reapply, have almost finalised on my list of schools, and am still trying to find the kinks in my last years application (in an attempt to cover the potholes this time). My feedback sessions with both Kellogg and Chicago went well, in the sense that they werent sad about anything in particular. Which makes me think that they probably were sad about the package as a whole. Or they just didnt want to speak out the truth (which is quite probable, as a few others will attest). Whatever it is, I will work on the few adcom comments, and my analysis that's currently on, to hopefully build a better application for this final attempt.

Before I close, I wanted to let you all know that there is some joyous news in our blogging community. One of our fellow bloggers(I cant name him/her yet, simply because I cant spoil his/her party completely) got off the WL and is now headed to a great top 10 school(if you really really wanna know who it is, take this as a hint: he/she wasnt headed to bschool if this WL hadnt worked out). My congratulations to him/her again.

Book Reviews

2006-06-29T06:57:00.000-05:00

[Note - I have decided to use this post for all future book reviews I write, and I will keep adding stuff onto the top of this post with a date. Also, please feel free to recommend good books you have read and if possible, with a small review. I will append that to this post as well.]

[29th June]

The Kite Runner

My take [short version] - Excellent book, entertaining story, must read
My take [longer version] - Despite what I say above, this book probably isnt for everyone. It's a life story, though officially fiction. If you dont like life stories, you might be disappointed. So take your pick.

That being said, the story begins in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The story is about a Afghani boy, his early life spent in Afghanistan, and his adult life in the US, and the climax taking him back to the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, torn apart by the war and an autocratic government. The story definitely makes you feel what the boy feels, and power of expression is something the author (Khaled Hosseini) is blessed with. Written in simple straight English, this is a book which at 14 point font, and 1.5 spaced line spacing is a quick, yet great reading stuff. Go check it out.

Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg and Other Stories

Succint opinion - Witty, Humorous and Entertaining
Detailed opinion - If you have never read PG Woodhouse books, this is the place to begin. This book is a compilation of short stories, and is a great introduction to the Woodhouse brand of humor. Woodhouse, the acclaimed author has penned many books worth reading, and his short stories dont tend to fall short of expectations you might have. This book is small in stature(about half(or 2/3rd) the dimension of a regular fiction book) i.e. easy to carry, relatively easy to read, and you can take breaks as soon as you finish a story. I dont really remember much about the stories in particular since I read the book a while back, but if you are one of those over-stressed fellas, this paperback is for you to stress some of your cheek muscles.

Email Signature Qoutes, and what people think about it.

2006-06-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

I came across this article in Career Journal about email signatures [ complete article here ]. Its a pretty interesting piece, and gives us a clue of what we should *probably* do when applying for a job via email.

Consider the following excerpts first.

Heather Newcomb, a bank vice president, says :
She just senses that these "soap-box exclamations" affixed to the bottom of emails for years now, are also "a little preachy." And she can't figure out why people often include adages, axioms and morals in their so-called email signatures. "Is it to communicate an opinion or add a Hallmark card personal sentiment?" she wonders.

and consider this

That's not exactly how Susan Credle, creative director at an advertising agency, sees it. She can't identify any upside to some personality-defining quote at the end of an email. "If I know someone, then I don't need a quote to tell me about that person. And if I don't know the person, I'm not sure a quote is a great way to define him or herself," she says.

This probably should give you a clue that the next time you are researhing about a new company or its people, make sure you check out whether the concerned people like email signature qoutes or not. You wouldnt want to loose out by including or not including a qoute when you actually shouldnt ;)

I have myself wondered many a times when I see an interesting qoute in a signature, which probably doesnt make any sense for the person mailing, but its just good to read. That's preachy I would say, and sometimes not best to include. Then there have been times when I thought how very well the signature reflected on one's personality, but frankly, that rarely happens. This article forced me to think about that, and I thought I will share the wisdom with you all.

Assortment of Links

2006-06-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

[17th July, 2006]
A BWeek article on JPMorgan's recruitment efforts

[11th July, 2006]

some b-school related videos
http://www.ft.com/businesseducation/ftbusinessschool

[3rd July,2006]

For the nerdy football fans - a research paper on game theory and penalty shoot-outs.
http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/ChiapporiGrosecloseLevitt2002.pdf

[20th June,2006]

A subway station in Toronto.
http://haha.nu/creative/perspective-art-at-a-subway/

Toilets in Thailand
http://www.2loop.com/unrest.html

[ Links courtesy of reddit.com ]

As if the screw-ups werent enough

2006-06-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

As if the screw-ups during the application season werent enough, I absolutely messed up my Wharton feedback session. I had been very keen to get that feedback, and had signed on early on, but the very fact that I am growing old did me in. Another stroke of memory lapse struck, and for some weird reason I thought my feedback was on a day later than it was originally scheduled. So I missed the session, and I am sad about that. Not sure whether I am more sad about that or about the ding I finally got after waiting on Kellogg WL for nearly 2 months. These things always invariably turn me into a temporary fatalist, who consoles himself by repeating aloud that "it was just not meant to be" and moves on, when actually he should have said, "you just didnt do it right", but still moved on. But then, that's just me ! And shit happens, I get cleaned up, and look forward to cleaner pastures :)

The dismal end to the application season has surprisingly not made a dent on my usual lifestyle, which has become more interesting and fun than it was before. Probably the huge lot of introspection we all do during the application process helps us evolve into a better us. So, with the hope that things will be better next year, I am planning to give this bschool race another shot(and probably the final one). Wish me luck, the rest I had, said the Chicago Adcom in her feedback ;))

Offensive Chivalry !

2006-05-23T03:40:00.000-05:00

I take the bus to work, and back home. Every day of the week. Each week of the month. Each month of the year. If I go to work on national holidays, I take the cab, simply because my company reimburses that expense.

Now there are many features of bus travel. One of them being "offensive chivalry". To most of us, these two words generally wont jive together, but for me, that aint true.

As a kid, I didnt care being chivalrous, because that was cool. All the cool dudes in school behaved that way with the girls(which in turn made them more popular among the girls), and I tried my best to imitate them and be placed in that "cool" category. That actually never happened, but let me not digress.

Adulthood, and so called good-mannered office professionalism was successful in hiding the animal beneath my skin, and I impressed(tried to) the ladies by being chivalrous at times (although the childhood inertia ensured that I faltered from time to time). But as with all other good gestures, my noble-hearted chivalry was misunderstood recently.

It was yesterday. I boarded a bus back home, and considering that it's peak hours, the bus was pretty full. I was travelling with a colleague and we indulged in usual non-sensical, company-cursing trash talk. Somewhere after a few bus-stops, I found a seat, and shamelessly sat down, while my colleague kept standing(he is very forgiving you see). As bad luck would have it, a middle aged (read: 40ish) lady boarded the bus at the very next bus stop, walked a little towards me, and soon enough, was standing in the aisle right next to my seat. The chivalry lightning struck, and I got up and offered her my seat. Surprisingly, she shaked her head as vigorously as JLo shakes her behind, indicating a denial of acceptance (and in turn reminding me of my various bschool dings). Poker faced, I sat down. It was then that my colleague remarked, that I just might have offended her - by indicating that she is old, and she didnt take the seat to prove a point. Remarkable like Jeeves, isnt it.

But as I regurgitate the incident, I am not sure if he(my colleague) was actually correct ? My question goes out to all you ladies who will be 40 one day (undesired as that might be, destiny cant be altered. You can try and postpone it by celebrating your birthday every 3 years, but that's the most you can do. Sorry!) - what will your reaction be to such a gesture? (the question is also open to all men who know that they are the Sigmund Freuds of the female world)

Please be reminded that I somehow cant buy into the following explanations:
1) the lady wasnt tired at all, and I probably looked tired enough to need that seat more. Even if this is true, why would you refuse a free seat, instead standing all the way - kindness or foolishness?
2) the lady just wanted to stand because she was sitting all day. I believe this is a very plausible clause, but given her facial expressions, I dont think she was at all happy at being offered a seat.

As I close this post, I realise the human nature is hugely complex, and there may have been a hundred other factors which could have evoked that response from her, and hence this discussion might be a waste, but I am still curious to know your views. Let me know what you think.

Amnesia, The Jackal, and Fried Bugs

2006-05-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

Jolted during my amnesiatic state by a good friend, I remembered that I do have a blog, and there are some good folks who read my stuff. And as everyone is prone to promise in such situations, I too thought I will say "BloggerFolks - I will try to blog more often", but then, couldnt that be more cliched? So, I wont make any promises. But I will reason out my absense. The whole departure from blogging was propelled primarily due to lack of enthusiasm, and probably slightly due to lack of stuff related to the BSchool process. And although I had a couple of things happening around my life, it was really difficult for me to give those mundane stories a spin-worth-reading. Now, you might argue, why I do care if my posts need to be readable. Because, I am no ordinary man, I am First Among Equals (ok, almost). And I have to live up to my reputation, and am never allowed to let my fellow countrymen down. Nevertheless, I have been jolted twice in the recent past, so I thought I would atleast give you guys an update.

The last couple of weeks have not been very exciting on the BSchool front. Kellogg isnt showing any love, so I dont know what's in store there. I have almost stopped thinking about it, but it aint so easy to let go.. So I am hanging in there, as optimistically and smilingly as I possibly could[one cant do much about the contorted face I was born with ;) ]

The above para might give you the feeling that I am complaining, but dont worry, the rest of my post will be all happy-happy nice-nice, so read on.

In my search for heavenly bliss, I have recently found good entertainment in books [Truth be told, I have never been of the reader type. As a child, I didnt understand what my classmates found so interesting in the Hardy Boy's and the Nancy Drew's (I know no other names), while I was just used to read many comic series we had in our country. I was intelligent enough to realise that I was different from the crowd, but not so intelligent to understand that I was not on the right end of the spectrum(2+2 isnt 4 always). Thinking about it now, I am most surprised why my parents never said anything. I guess parents can be true only to an extent, after all, it doesnt help for you to tell your child that he/she is dumb/or ugly ;) So this "I-am-the-stud" phase continued till I landed in under-graduate school, where by some stroke of good luck I finally realised that all those people trying to conquer the 10 point Arial, single spaced, 500 page Ayn Rands or the Mario Puzos werent fools after all. It was then I gave book reading a serious shot, and have enjoyed my ride since then. But it took me a long time to shrug off many years of inertia, and probably, some of it is still there. I still cant read a book in one sitting(and fantasise that one day I will), but I am trying]. So where was I, ahh, books and entertainment. I recently realised that the $20 annual library subscription I pay gives me access to 4 books for 3 weeks each, which isnt bad at all. Hence, I ventured to atone for past sins, and I have recently read 1) Bringing Down the House and 2) a PGWoodhouse short story collection(both very readable books). I am currently reading both Monkey Business and The Day of The Jackal. Both hugely interesting books, but the not-in-a-hurry reader that I am, I am just 2/3rd through Monkey Business and 1/3rd thru the other one in about 10 days. I will leave the book reviews for another post, because this one is already getting long enough and your attention must be fleeting away.

Lastly, the fried bugs. This last weekend, I made a quick trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. There's a lot to write(and not write) about those two places, but one of the most interesting features of my trip was a sight I hadn't seen before. I was on one of the beaches in Pattaya, when I see a lady carrying a cane-basket full of fried bugs. Although I knew that this was part of the local cuisine, seeing it for the first time gave me all sorts of feelings(some humorous, some sombre, some surprising). Someday, if I get to be part of the Amazing Race, I might have the motivation to try this Thai snack, and who knows, I might like that stuff.
[Photos and detailed trip review coming, hopefully :)]

[edit 1] - based on the first comment to this post, I realised that I might have given an impression that I tried eating fried bugs(hopefully, I understood the comment correctly). For sake of clarity, I didnt taste anything freakishly close....I would need to be re-born in Thai-land to muster the courage for something like that.

How not to loose in the BoB race !

2006-05-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

Taking(probably stealing would be more appropriate here, but I will stick to my first choice) the baton from the winner, I thought of giving a shot at documenting the steps needed to run a flying lap in quest for the gold in next year's event.

Before I go into the nitty-gritties, I should tell you very honestly that I never planned this post. Forget planning, I had not even imagined I would be writing something like on these lines. But you guys have made me to - by voting for me. I know some of you changed sides at the last moment(and that's why I still have to crave for that iPod), but I forgive your sins. But make sure this is your last mistake, because even He can tolerate uptil a point, I am after all just bio-degradable flesh. Irrespective of whether you voted or not, thanks to you all of just dropping by my webome.

Ok, now back to more important matters. Let's begin the list of steps:

1) Remember, people at the institution are also people, so write stories that touch their heart, or make them laugh. Atleast try. Only then will they choose you over another blogger who has got the same number of votes and writes as elegantly(or pathetically) as you do.

2) Show your love for the people who will read your stuff and those who will judge it. Your initial attraction to the institution was because of a reason, so tell them the reason. Pay them a visit, send them some flowers, write a sonnet, do what you can to demonstrate that fuzzy feeling you safely keep inside your heart.

3) Consider each blog post as a one-minute commercial. You have to make the most of it under the given constraints. And as much as you would think that people read blogs casually, believe me you are wrong. Many in our community have way too much time(I would wisely leave out the details of HOW), and your stuff gets read more than once. They refer your blog to other friends, and they discuss your blog over beer(ok, not always, but sometimes). Your blog posts tell your story - so tell a story you want to tell, and make sure it is appealing to everyone who will probably read it. In short, know your audience well.

4) Write honestly - people like that. If you have to lie, lie - but remember to be honest about that lie somewhere in your next blog post. People like people who acknowledge mistakes(even if the errors were intentional), it shows character(weirdly contradictory, hunhh?) and the desire to improve. Whether you actually improve or not is a debatable story for another day.

5) Love what you are writing - believe me, it shows up. Fine - even if you dont believe me, just give it a shot. It wont hurt, the next BoB is a year away. Be passionate about what you write, and be smart enough to ensure that the passion within is visible in your blog posts. Our community likes to think that they are a passionate lot, so this trick would immediately connect you to them.

6) Dont write about all MBA stuff. If you for some reason have to, mix up your stories with anecdotes from your personal life, your childhood, your siblings - anything that will spice up the boring cliched material. But be careful to tie your thoughts to a central theme and your USP. You are building a brand here - so make sure you get all forces to act in the right direction.

7) Make sure you edit your posts and cheque for speling misstakes. See if your post has a rhythm, see if it flows like the stream on the hillock. If not, tweak it, modify it, rewrite it(do anything and everything you can) - because if it aint good looking to you, how are you gonna convince the world that's its the most beautiful thing they can ever see. After all, we arent Milton or Hilton, that whatever we write(or wear, or probably not wear) looks good.

8) Open out your stuff for the smart ones to read. Some of them will be kind enough to be critical - listen to what they say. You would need time to make improvements, so make sure you are not in a hurry. Sharpen the edges, and fine-tune the settings. You are almost there, but dont be hasty to finish it off just yet.

9) Network with people who have been there before, and have seen the world. Discuss your thoughts with them - see if they believe your posts will be entertaining yet believable to the celebrities and hoi-polloi alike. Once you have collected the suggestions, consider those during your regular lonely Saturday afternoons. But in the end, take your call, because its your story, and you got to believe what you wanna say.

Last but not the least, please be reminded that even Ethan Mathew Hunt cannot plan everything to perfection, so hedge your bets, and keep a back up plan - just in case you dont get that iPod. I bought a Samsung Yh-J50 !

[ edit 1 ] - I stumbled upon this link on "How to tell a great story" and thought it will go well with this post.

The War has begun – please cast your vote

2006-04-12T22:30:00.000-05:00

ClearAdmit recently announced a list of contestants for this years BoB (for the uninitiated, it is Best of Blogging Awards). It included many of the very popular names, and some wild card entries. Around the time this list was announced (and more so after the announcement), a sudden surge in blog posts can be observed. Now we all have a Mr Hyde in us who wants to win all those awards, but you absolutely should see the innovative methods in use to win that mere ClearAdmit logo for their blog.
[edit : as i progressed writing this post, i came to know that the stakes were much higher]

Let’s start with the old timers.

I have admired Mave almost everytime he wrote something. He was pretty regular in his postings last year, but probably got distracted towards things more important. He even went on to acknowledge that he doesn’t find enough motivation these days. But was that acknowledgement fake? I strongly believe so, and you tell me if I was a wrong judge. After slowly slipping in his subtle apology to his voters, he goes to pull a Crash worthy of the big golden knight in the very same post. I completely understand the sensitivity of the post (and the situation), but I wonder why he doesnt revenge the injustice by drinking the Germans' share of lager? Man, I knew that the iPod can do things to you, and bring out the best in you.

Now Mave’s not alone. The champion of the reapplicant community, His Honor the Redwolf is doing all he can to get his hands on that Business Week subscription, since he wants to show off to his mom that he is going to School No 1 . Now if you have read all his posts dating back to Friday, December 17, 2004, you will know that those dings in 2005 did bring out the best in him. So he sat down on the weekend of March 25th, and thought what he could do take his first stab at the BWeek Subscription [now, please don’t misunderstand me here, I know he is worthy of the iPod as well, but you see, he wants that BWeek real bad], and conjures up a post where he tries to be innovative, and as Simon would say, he manages to successfully pull off that stunt. But he didn’t just want to be a one-time wonder, so intentionally, he discontinues his post only to continue it later. As if that wasn’t enough, he then accumulates all energy he can to write the longest post of his career, just to make sure you don’t forget him when you cast your vote.

The nice and lovable Pupstar is not far behind. He had already laid the ground for people to like him by showing us Dr Jekyll side of his character, and then won many hearts at the bay area drunkards meet. When all had fallen in love with this guy, he decides to vanish for a while (citing some weird reasons), and comes back with demonstration of more character – just in time before people decide whom to vote for. Now we all know that he had his iPod stolen sometime back and he cant go to the gym without one, so I urge you to revisit your list of favourite bloggers and see if you have can fit in a vote for him.
[edit 1 – pupstar has put his vote for sale, note the words – I accept cash, check and barter. He probably wants two votes in return for his one vote ?]

The holy man was there when BoB happened last year, and I guess he is still sad about missing out the fun last time. So since then, he has churned out one interesting post after another. He also let the female community know that he has mastered the holy hug - the attraction of which inevitably captures the female vote bank for him. After doing all this strong ground work, he has done the Houdini act – probably giving us a hint that unless he gets that iPod, he ain’t coming back.

Do you guys remember Axechick? You most certainly do. Do you remember that the she was the first person to get an admit for the class of 2008 ? Probably you do. Do you remember her admissions strategy? The answer again, is Yes. So what was her strategy - Start early, do your research very very thoroughly, and strike one hard blow. So you see, since she always knew that BoB was coming, and true to what she is so well-known for, she made a compendium of Axechick mantras for all future applicants. We had already admired her for her 100% bschool strike-rate (so what she applied to only one school), and now this compendium was like a bag full of chocolates. And you all know how much Forrest loves chocolates – so Forrest urges you to vote for her.

As much as I would like, I cant quite ignore that Jackass; oops - mbaJackass. He began his campaign early, by telling us how much he loves blogging, and how he blogs only for himself. He then started a Kellogg Consulting Services – where he demonstrated extensive knowledge about the school. This invariably lured the future applicants, and even some WLers liked reading those insightful posts. To top it all of – he made anonymous comments on his own blog, then started off this debate that how least bothered he is about those comments – as a result grabbing a lot of media attention. Now do you realize or are you still wondering, this my friends, is a perfect example of something I call 'complete mastery of the win-the-vote-bank-game-rule-book' – looks to me that Kellogg hired a future senator in their ranks. Way to go, bud!

While mbajackass was playing the popularity game, Miss K tried another technique. She decided to concentrate on the right side. She had already put in enormous amount of effort writing her essays, so she finally realised that she should take it easy, and found solace in just updating the information on the right bar of her blog, and made sure she maintained homegeneity there by a range of decisions. Surprisingly, even after this lazy effort, she still managed to attract the crowd. I knew that she had a handle on the essays, but I guess she has a handle on a lot of other stuff.

The lovely Miss Marina has long graduated from the smiley face, to the dancing jpeg, finally to a real face(set amongst the amazing Costa Rican background). And before I forget, please be reminded that this is not one of her best photographs (in her own words). Whenever she finds time between her Beer Challenges, she makes it a point to write a post, and if I am not wrong, is one of the most prolific writers of our time. She has extensive access to the internet, so her replies to your emails, or comments are almost instantaneous – a demonstration for her passion for blogging. She surely deserves a prize for this, but I have often observed that such passionate souls least care about materialistic stuff, so why waste a vote, and the iPod – hunhh ?

On the other side of the globe, Resolute is all pumped with pride about the HBS grad visiting his to be new home. Since you all were so sympathetic and supporting for the HBS grad, wont you take care of people who have found a new association with him? Think hard, please!

I recently met the bschool champion of the east – Sghama. We also had the company of Dei. As much I tried to accomplish my primary objective of maintaining the serious and boring mood, these guys completely changed the atmosphere by their sheer presence and energy. We discussed all things we had on our Microsoft Outlook Meeting agenda, didn’t indulge in any crap-talk, didn’t discuss spicy stuff, and didn't gulp down more than one glass of beer – so I was kinda successful in my original objective – but not completely. SgHama gave us a dosage of Tuck Tales, and Dei enlightened us about his future plans – and both parts of the conversation were pretty interesting. I got a feeling that SgHama’s pretty much keen on Tuck, and coming from his current geographical location – he would rather avoid the iPod in the freezing temperatures of Hanover, due to a risk of blocked eustacian tube. So think before you vote for him – it’s better to vote for individuals who would atleast use the BoB award and not fall ill. I after all am sincerely concerned about Mr SgHama's health.

(…… might be continued)
(if i find some more dope)

[Footer Note 1 a.k.a DISCLAIMER: Please be reminded that it is entirely your (and your family’s) responsibility if you get worked up by any statements made above. But in a spirit of good competition, and more evidence of whom you should vote for – the author provides psychiatric counseling services, free of charge – just feel free to email him at forrestgump47@gmail.com ]

[Footer Note 2: As is made customary, the author would like to thank the ClearAdmit team for responding to all the occasional efforts of promoting their brand by showering him a place in the list of 25 elite people.]

Macs to run Windows...

2006-04-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Mac machines, both your iMac and iBooks will be able to run the Windows OS. Check out the details at http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/. This seems to me as the best of both worlds

Some important notes -

EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.

Word to the Wise
Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.

That thing called hope !

2006-04-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

Failures hurt - and that is a known fact. But they also give you a new perspective, and (if you take it with a right mindset) a desire to try even harder.

The last 2 weeks have been hard - first, to come in terms with the fact that this application season has ended, and I have no admit. With help from mbaformein08 - I still might be able to convert my Kellogg waitlist into an admit [ because she has said that she will convince all Kellogg admits to go to other schools :) ]. But with the fever of hope that Mave spreads, you cant but look up to brighter things in life. Thanks mate ! So it is up and ahead from here on.
As I contemplate anything from an career change attempt, to looking out for business schools I would probably reapply to, I came across this very interesting post by Brad Feld today - some excerpts below :

Business school certainly has value and serves a useful purpose in this world. However, the essence of the question points at one of the fundamental problems (and possibly misconceptions) about business school. I’m 40. I don’t believe that the degree I have has ever had any material impact on my “career” during the last 20 years. I can’t think of a single situation where it came up in a conversation about anything that I was considering doing.

If you want a two year break from life, go to business school. If you want to meet a bunch of new, generally smart, and always interesting people, go to business school. If you are a techie but like the business side of things, want to get an intellectual (and functional grounding) in business stuff, want a two year break from life, and want to meet interesting people, go to business school.

The complete post is available here : Dear MS. An MBA is BS

Chicago - dinged !

2006-03-22T09:46:00.000-06:00

Here I am....

2006-03-22T01:25:00.000-06:00

...planning my next move. The 2 dings, one WL, and one impending ominous looking decision [ Chicago started releasing decisions yesterday, and it seems they made a good many calls, but not one to me ] has made me think. I am aware how competitive this app season has been, but I somehow am not able to accept it as a reason for such a dismal performance.

Yes, I will still pursue the Kellogg WL, but if you check the Kellogg waitlist thread, you will know how tough it is this time. While waiting out for that WL, I realised that almost everybody waiting till the 20th either got a ding or a waitlist, so I was little more lucky than a few others. But that in no way makes this ride easy - but we will see how it goes.

I was really hopeful on Chicago(despite the not-so-super interview), but it looks like things werent upto the mark. I still need to get an official decision, but from what I currently feel, it aint looking good. We will have to wait a few more hours to see how it goes.

With all this in mind, I have almost made up my mind to chalk out a reapp strategy. I am not 25 anymore, so I dont have the leisure to try some revolutionary job , and then come back after 2 years. I will most probably do it for 2007. Hence I checked out the Insead website a little while ago. It is a great school - one year less of study, and places a good number of people in my-post-MBA-career-interest. I will definitely look to apply to LBS as well ( I should have done this year itself), and probably throw in a couple of the good US schools ( except HBS and Stanford)....I am undecided if I will put in reapps to the schools I applied this year, primarily because I dont think I will change the world in the next few months....but we will see.

The Midnight Sun asked me that aint Forrest tired of running...the answer, my friend is - HELL YA ! I am very tired, but I guess I should have realised that I had chosen to participate in a marathon run, and not a 100 m sprint. When I began the app season, I was aware of the fact that I am not a stellar candidate, but I still thought that I would be lucky enough to get atleast one admit. Since that hasnt happened, yet, the run has to continue - till this Forrest finds his bschool, where Jenny is waiting for him :)

Lord I'm doing all I can !

2006-03-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I'm getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I'm doing all I can
To be a better man

Go easy on my conscience
'Cause it's not my fault
I know I've been told
To take the blame

Rest assured my angels
Will catch my tears
Walk me out of here
I'm in pain

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I'm doing all I can
To be a better man

Once you've found that lover
You're homeward bound
Love is all around
Love is all around

I know some have fallen
On stony ground
But Love is all around

Send someone to love me
I need to rest in arms
Keep me safe from harm
In pouring rain

Give me endless summer
Lord I fear the cold
Feel I'm getting old
Before my time

As my soul heals the shame
I will grow through this pain
Lord I'm doin' all I can
To be a better man

Waitlisted at Kellogg :-|

Strike Two !

2006-03-14T23:40:00.000-06:00

Reject from Ross
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Forrest Gump

Thank you for considering the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. The Admissions Committee has thoroughly reviewed your application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a place in the Fall 2006 entering MBA class.

Admission to the program is extremely competitive. The Committee looks at a variety of criteria in evaluating candidates. Academic strengths are assessed through educational background, previous academic work, and standardized test results. Professional accomplishments, as demonstrated through career progress, recommendations, and personal essays, are equally important. Additionally, we seek students who have strong records of leadership in both personal and professional pursuits, as well as individuals whose outstanding communication and interpersonal skills will add to the Business School community. Our decision was further based on an overall comparison of your qualifications with those of other candidates.

Should you wish to reapply to the program, please visit our web site for information on reapplication.

Again, thank you for your interest in the Ross School of Business. The Admissions Committee extends its sincere wishes for your future success.

Sincerely,

Michele Thompson
Associate Director

Manic week

2006-03-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

The past week has been one that I dont want to remember. More so, because of self inflicted pain. Regular checking of emails, visiting the bweek boards [yes, I finally succumbed :( ] , checking the status page, and all the other associated illogical actions - meant that i have no peace, loose my sleep, and get unnecessarily worked up. How do I just let it go ? Sudoku ?

As if that wasnt enough, I got a call (which very much seemed to come from the US, so I was all excited) from the Hult Business School in Boston. Not the first time they are calling, but then, their timing wasnt quite good this time. I take the call with high expectations, only to hear a voice I have heard before, and I am so disappointed ( and a little angry - dont know why) that I ask the lady to call later on Monday. Although actually, I was in a big hall checking out the shopping fest, and I could hardly hear what she was saying.

Work has also been very tough this last week. Although that in a sense is a good thing because I dont have the time to check bweek or other stuff while at work, but sadly, that doesnt help me relax :o|

Ross has begun calling people with admits, a week before the official result date. I didnt know Ross does this, so I was a tad surprised.
Kellogg has been issuing lots of dings and a few acceptances (if bweek boards are anything to go by). Are they saving one for me ? I hope so :) [you guys should go there on bweek to check that thread. It has statements like "there are so many dings, that I think that all admits have already been given out" or "no one will get a admit during the last 10 days, because that wont leave them enough time to plan their trip to DAK" or (the most amazing) "the adcom gave an R1 waitlist an admit, that definitely means that the remainder of the R2 guys are gonna get dinged"] --- i hope you will agree, these statements do make you think all sorts of things :)
Chicago is the best because I am not expecting anything from them until the 22nd. I thank them for making decisions a one day affair.

I have no words.....

2006-03-03T09:52:00.000-06:00

I just finished my Kellogg interview around 40 mins back. And I really dont know what I should take away from it. The phone call came in 20 mins late, and then we spoke for not more than 20 mins (maybe even less), and that's it - adcom said "Sayonara", I said "Good bye" and it ended right there.

As I picked up the phone, the adcom apologised for being late. She cited that since I had given my cell phone number, it was difficult to get through. Infact, the first time I picked up the phone, niether of us could hear each other.

The interview was blind. Interviewer said that she had not read my file.

She began by asking me where you grew up and all - but I think the lack of visual feedback meant that I didnt quite understand that she wanted to know about my childhood etc, so I just ended up saying that I was born in such and such place, grew up there, and that's it. As soon as I finished saying that, I realised that most probably, this was not what she was expecting.

Neeways, over to the next question - the phone line went a little cranky, and I just heard the words career progression ( this - after she repeated the question on my request, and I didnt have the heart to ask her repeat the question again ). So I recited my career progression history. I think I did ok, but as is the case with me always, I am quite sure I could have done a better job.

Next came a tough question. She asked me to sell the services of my company to her(as if she was from a client company). This was a tough one, because although I work for a good company, I really dont know how to sell its services. I said what I could, but I think I got a tad repititive somewhere in the middle. So far, not so good.

Then, she asked me to tell me about my career goals, long term, short term ? I guess I answered this ok.
Next - why Kellogg, the big one. I tried to be as enthusiastic as possible, and managed to cover a good deal of information about what I knew about Kellogg. I had a prepared answer, and I think I managed to speak out 80% of that, I forgot the rest 20% :) I also used one sample line Miss K mailed me. Thanks K !

For my next question, she asked me about what I do outside of work, which I again had kind of a prepared answer - so quick and swift, I delivered my rant.

And that's all - when she said , do you have any questions for me ? I was surprised. No "tell me about a conflict situation", no "what is your leadership style", no "how do you work in teams"....nothing of that sort. Dispelling thoughts that "does this mean a ding?", I asked my set of 2 questions, and then we thanked each other, bid good byes, and the line dropped off.

I have no words to judge what this short conversation means, and I am no mood to analyse this any further. I have done my part(good or bad), and I will leave the rest to Him to decide. With this interview, I officially finish my bschool application process. Thanks to all of you who have helped me through the process with suggestions, constructive advice, critical information, and lots of support through the good and bad times. I dont know if I could have done it without this amazing blogger community.

Results will start trickling soon, and good or bad, you guys will get to know.
Have a great weekend.

[ I have wikied this post here]

Still thinking ...

2006-02-27T00:12:00.000-06:00

First, a big thanks to all of you who responded to my previous posts. Your suggestions were really helpful !

I had my Chicago interview today morning at 9. It was at a Coffee Bean outlet. Just as Mr Montauk had prescribed, I wore a starched white shirt, a dark blue suit, socks upto calf length, a conservatively striped blue tie, and shiny black shoes.

The interview started with he buying me a cup of coffee ( you see, I reached the destination half an hour early and had already drank a cup before, so I knew where the sugar was kept). As he chewed over this snack ( he said he had no breakfast today morning ) - he talked a little about my job in a pretty relaxed tone. Then his snack got over, and he said, "let's start" - and I thought, he is gonna slowly butcher me up now.

He began by asking me why GSB ? I think I said what I had to say, but I really dont think he agreed to everything. He said that although GSB is strong in many ways, another school is better at some things I was interested in. I nodded along. He then asked me about a challenging situation at work, and here too, he grilled me a little. He said that he didnt believe in having easy run-of-the-mill interviews, because then you dont know what stuff the interviewee is made of. I thought, "oh shit --- I am dead".

He kept questioning me on this and that, career goals, why mba etc - although nothing in the specific format. He wanted to know what specifically I would do in the long term - specific as in absolutely specific. I said i wanted to work in X industry and do A, B, C, D....then he said, "List A, B, C, D in order of preference..". I said , " B and D", and he remarked," you know , B and D are jobs for completely two different kinds of people - how do you see yourself doing those two things". Now, to be true, the question was absolutely random, and my answer was as random as it could be. It was then that I realised that he had already shot the first round of bullets, and it had started to hurt. I managed to say something to salvage lost ground, but I am not sure how much of it I finally recovered.

He had warmed up by now, and he fired another round of gunpowder-pellets, by asking me to sell myself. I repeated the answer I had prepared. He then threw a cannon ball and says," Ok, you did this and that. Let's say Mr Joe did this and that, worked in the same industry as you did, worked in similar international locations, led many different teams, has great extracurriculars - so why should we take you over him ??? " ---- needless to say, this cannon ball made a big dent....I wanted to say," I know you would take him over me, but ....hmmmm.....ahhh....i think you should also take me ....(smiles)" . But I couldnt say that, could I ? I took him back to my past, related something about my childhood - talked about how I grew up...blah blah blah. I think by this time he had thought its enough - so he threw the floor open for questions.

I asked him some, and suddenly - he asks me back - which other schools have you applied. I say, K, W, Ross- and he says, why ? - so I explain. Then he says - you know, I think you will be better off at K....I wish I could say that yes, I know that, but you see, I dont have an admit from K yet - and I am not sure if I will ever get one. I said GSB is a great school, and started my usual rant. I think he loves K a lot, because he asked me finally, "if you have to choose between K and GSB, where will you go"...., and I felt, come on - first give me the admits, and then I will make the most logically sound decision ever made in the history of mankind. I couldnt say GSB directly, but I did say that I love GSB for a, b and c, and my rant started again....

The interview lasted for approximately 40 mins(probably a tad more). Walking out of the coffee outlet, I felt nice about the fact that I didnt stammer, or have hiccups(I generally dont, but nervousness can make you do anything you know). But I am absolutely clueless about the quality of answers. I am sure that I didnt spellbound him, but I think I didnt screw it up either. As I write this post, I remember what all I could have done better at, and I kinda get a sinking feeling thinking about it. This race is tough, and I really hope that Lady Luck shines on me for the month of March :)

Good luck to all of you who are interviewing for various schools. And before Alex or Graham come knocking, I gotta go and wiki this post.

Kellogg's next in queue, it is a phone interview, and generally tougher than GSB. I dont know what I will do, but first, I will go watch a movie now - anyone seen "Suspect Zero" ?

Need some interview related advice.

2006-02-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

I was looking around the questions commonly asked during interviews, and I found that "Tell me about yourself" question occurs frequently. To be honest, I at this point have no clue how to answer this best. I have given very few interviews in my life, and i have never been asked this question in any of my interviews, so I have no prior experience. And I cant think which would be the best direction to take.

I am sure that some of you out there know how to carve out a decent mouthful of words to satisfy the interview when asked such a question. If you can share, I would love to know what advice you would have for me.

( if for some reason, you cannot leave a comment, you can always email me at forrestgump47@gmail.com )

Thx !

2006-02-22T04:17:00.000-06:00

Thanks for all your comments. It makes me feel pretty good. But honestly, yesterday's post was a result of real time excitement, and after sleeping over it - and taking my dosage of *The Theory of Inflated Expectations* potion, I am (probably) back to my normal state of taking these events in the right perspective.K is a great school, and I would love to get in, but there's an equal probability of things going the other way.

But thanks for your comments anyways - I love reading them, so keep them coming :)

this race aint easy.....but i am still in the race...

2006-02-21T08:52:00.000-06:00

kellogg thinks i am worth a second look, some reassurance, hunhh ?
got my phone interview invite today [ for those who dont know, the interview was initially waived off ].

i am slightly concerned though - my Ross phone interview experience wasnt good at all - and I am wary of phone interviews(perhaps interviews in general)....gotta go back and think how i will handle the Kellogg thingy.

this race ain't easy

2006-02-20T20:03:00.000-06:00

Kellogg Status Check

Round 2: Application Update
Due to the high volume of applications in Round 2 at the Kellogg School of Management, we are still processing applications. We anticipate completing all Round 2 files by the first week in March. When this process is complete, we will post an update to this page. At that time, if your status has not changed, we ask that you contact our office so that we can personally assist you. Please be assured that your candidacy will not be negatively impacted if your application is still being processed

One of my recent acquaintances was visiting our town after successfully pocketing 5 R1 admits ( one of them being Wharton, others being Tuck, Darden, MIT and Cornell). And he still applied to S, H and K in R2. I do understand S and H - but I blame him for applying to K(since he told me that he wont go to K over W), and causing this increase in volumes :)

capturing post-ding thoughts....[random collection]

2006-02-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

there you go....just what i had thought would happen.
would i get any bschool admit this year
i wrote good essays....then what happened?
probably my recommendations werent good enough
probably wharton already has admitted many [professionals] like me
am i sad ?
should i be sad ?
does Wharton deserve me ;) I should apply to Stanford in R3 :)
only 2 days left for Chicago to release it decisions, will I dinged there too ??? ---- thank God, that didnt happen, I got my Chicago interview invite today.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited. I sincerely liked Chicago when I visited the city(I didnt visit the school then), and I wont mind living there at all. But wait - I still have a long way to go. It seems Chicago is being kind (so they say) in releasing invites - so I got to take things in the right perspective (just as fellow blogger Pupstar has taken his Wharton invite).

Good luck to all of you out there who are waiting for interview invites, calls from Beth Flye or Derrick Bolton :)

Ding From Wharton

2006-02-13T19:03:00.000-06:00

I was treated to my official ding from Wharton just a little while ago. I somehow had felt that this was coming - but I still need to figure out why it came.

Congratulations to Pupstar on his interview call from Wharton. Good Luck to other fellow bloggers who await the good news from W.

you have to see this !

2006-02-08T22:17:00.000-06:00

yes, click here

[T]his [A]musing [G]ame

2006-02-08T20:19:00.000-06:00

Couldnt resist tempation any more - so here you go :

Four jobs I've had in my life
- Stage Manager, College Event
- Software Developer
- Part time boy friend
- Sermoniser about all things unimportant

Four movies I have watched (or can watch) the most number of times
- Forrest Gump
- Life is Beautiful
- Golden Eye
- The Charlie Chaplin series

Four places I have lived
- Abu Dhabi
- Chicago
- Singapore
- home

Four TV shows I love to watch
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- Friends
- Globe Trekker
- Tom and Jerry

Four of my favourite dishes
- Leg of Lamb, cooked the Egyptian way
- Almost anything made of chicken
- Anything my mom cooks
- Everything my mom cooks

Four websites I visit daily
- Bloglines
- Google News
- Fast Company
- Gmail [ you know why ;) ]

Four places I would rather be right now
- Andes, Chile
- Phuket, Thailand
- Anywhere in New Zealand
- home

Four untagged bloggers I am tagging [ in no particular order ]
- MGalBlue
- Snax
- Dinesh
- Resolute

It's Official

2006-02-08T06:20:00.000-06:00

Forums freak me out. I just spent some time on bweek, and I got a tad panicky. With no interview invites and an interview waiver in my bag, I got restless to see how my colleagues of the applicant world are fairing. And that's why I landed at bweek. Needless to say, it wasnt a comforting feeling.

I realise that we still have a week to recieve the good news(or the ultimate ding) and hence I am still optimistic. It is really interesting to note how this process creeps all over you, and all around you. I have tried hard to remain aloof as much as I can, but I have realised that I just cant let go completely - and I keep coming back, to my gmail accnt, to the blogs, and occasionally to the forums.

Good luck to my fellow bloggers who are also waiting for the interview calls.

[ Apologies if the title of this post made you think that I had some definitive bschool result related news to share :) ]

Good or Bad ?

2006-02-07T20:20:00.000-06:00

Dear Forrest,

Thank you for your request for an alumni interview. There has been a significant increase in the number of interview requests this year. As a result, there have been more requests than we can meet without making excessive demands of our alumni interviewers in your location. Due to these circumstances, we are waiving your interview requirement so as not to delay the submission or processing of your application.

Please be assured that this waiver will in no way negatively impact your candidacy. The Admissions Committee understands and expects these conditions and will certainly take them into consideration when reviewing your application. The interview is a single factor in your evaluation and is by no means the most important criterion for admission. The committee will contact you personally if they feel they need further clarification on any aspect of your file.

We appreciate your interest in the Kellogg School of Management. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at (847) 491-3308 or send an email to {email id removed}.

Life after Jan 7th

2006-02-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

During the month of Dec, I knew I was working hard to give respectable shape to my applications (not very sure if that happened or not), and push them through the door before the deadline. But only after I finished my apps, have I come to realise that I was actually more busy than I thought. Life after the deadlines has been filled with minimal interaction with the bschool world (yes, i have successfully avoided bweek, s2s and other forums, and i dont check my app status everyday). As a result, I have a lot of time to do what I missed during the hectic app season.

This past weekend was pretty leisurely - I enjoyed 2 different parties, picked up a novel from the local library, flinged the racquet on the tennis court, and saw Johnny Cash's biopic "Walk the Line".

"Walk the Line" - did not disappoint me. I had gone into the movie theatre with no expectations, and zero awareness - and I guess that helped. Both Reese and Joaquin impressed me, and I believe that both of them should give good competition to the other contenders in the Oscar race. Most of all, I like Johnny Cash's songs in the movie, but I am still undecided if I would get beaten up by my friends for playing aloud 60s music in this new millenium (i know - headphones are always there to save my bones ).

Here I am

2006-02-01T05:23:00.000-06:00

I knew I would come back and post one day. How could I abstain ? Frankly, soon after I finished my application process on the 7th of January, I headed for a long vacation, returning today. Completing the applications has been an enriching experience, and I hope I can capture the moments into a blog post ( not today ). For now, here's where I stand.
I managed to push in my apps to Michigan Ross, Kellogg, Wharton and GSB Chicago.
Even though interview calls and admits have been the talk of all discussions boards and forums, I still dont have any positive news to share. Kellogg is being very slow in processing my Part 1 of the application(which was submitted on the 22nd of Dec). I need to send them a reminder. Michgan Ross just sent me a mail today that my application looks complete, and will be forwarded to the adcom. Similar is the state of both my Chicago and Wharton apps.

When I began the bschool process, I had dreamt of (and sometimes still do) acing all my applications, and ensuring that I get a perfect score. I knew it wasnt a realistic dream for me, but no one stops us from dreaming. By the end of the process, I really have come to understand that my dreams were pretty unrealistic :)
But despite no news (I hear from ClearAdmit that both Wharton and Chicago have been sending a flurry of interview invites), I am still optimistic that something will happen in the next 2 weeks. You anyway will come to know.

Till then, Sayonara !

:)

2006-01-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

http://www.fedex.com/us/about/unitedstates/advertising/tvads/mbawm.html

My first lottery ticket -

2005-12-23T09:17:00.000-06:00

- the one I bought today. As an international applicant, today was the last day to submit Kellogg Part 1. As with all other things, procrastination ruled, and I clicked on the Submit button a few hours ago. Was not very comfortable with how the Preview pdf looked, but I did not have much choice. The bets on this lottery are high, as are the stakes, but probabilistically, chances of winning look bleak.

Note : All international Kellogg applicants must finish Part 1 by today. I know you guys are better at managing time, but just in case !

In some interesting news. I was in office yesterday, and found some time to work on the essays. So I dug out my Michigan essays, and re-read them. Quite some crap was out there. So I cleaned up 2 of them, and fired a printout(to recheck on my bus ride home), and coolly forgot to collect the printout. When I remembered, and was about to get up from my seat, I saw a close friend walking up the printer. I was scared. Expectedly enough, he picked my printouts with his, then realised that he had a couple of extra pages, and was about to keep it back when he must have noticed what's in there. As an MBA himself, and the smart chap he is, I saw him have a good look at the paper (quite a common phenomenon, isnt it?). If he has spotted a few key words, he by now has easily joined the dots to pin me down. But he said nothing, so I dont know how aware is he. He is first person in my office(except my manager) to actually even have a clue about me(?) applying to MBA schools(atleast I believe I have ensured enough secrecy around this topic). I am hoping that the news doesnt spread, atleast not before I get an admit [oh, is that even a possibility ? ;) ]

Happy Christmas and happy Holidays ! [ I have my holiday plan chalked out - it will be essays, revisions, essays, revisions ..... round and round, till I drop dead - perhaps the deadlines will come before that happens ;) ]

For now, over and out !

for soccer fans !

2005-12-18T00:49:00.000-06:00

click right here

fyi !

2005-12-14T23:25:00.000-06:00

for those who missed the BW MBA Express email

************************************************************************
Two years ago, an unexpectedly high number of acceptances at the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business prompted officials to defer about 60 admits from the Class of 2006 into the Class of 2007. On Nov. 16, a posting on the BusinessWeek Online forum thread "Ask ClearAdmit", which predicted fierce competition in the later rounds of the application cycle, hinted at a similar scenario this year.

To further worry applicants, there were simultaneous forum discussions citing an increase in the school's early action application volume. Tuck Admissions Director Dawna Clarke, who says the uproar was based on incomplete information, eventually confirmed an increase in first-round applications in a written statement on the "Tuck Tuck Tuck!" thread on Nov. 22, but denied that the number of deferrals was larger than usual.
*************************************************************************

yes, i do have time to post....

2005-12-12T04:51:00.000-06:00

you would wonder why? because this day, Monday the 12th, I am out of office, at home - sick ! I officially am sick of office, and hence I decided to take a break. I ideally wanted to do this on a Wednesday, but the story behind why i didnt do so is rather convoluted, so I will spare the few souls who read my blog the boring story.

as you would have figured out by now, i took this break to work on my essays. the work front is really relaxed as we step into the "Christmas zone" , so no harm done while I am away ;) I managed to make some progress on my Chicago essays(believe me, they are the toughest i have encountered), but still quite a bit left there. i also need to sharpen my goals essay, because based on some interactions with people, i have come to realise that they arent as specific and distinctively drawn out as they should be. this ofcourse is my biggest cause of worry, as i had figured that my present goals essay is in good shape.

amidst all this essay writing, i managed to fit in 4 episodes of Smallville (havent followed it much on television yet). still a few more hours to go before I wind up the day, and hopefully i will get some more work done by then. i have been a procrastinator all my life, but i so wish i would have changed before this bschool process started. essay writing is no mean job, and i hope my fellow bloggers are doing much better than I am.

till i write again, adios & todo el la mejor!

i am alive

2005-12-09T09:03:00.000-06:00

First I was afraid
And I continue to be petrified
Kept thinking how I could live
with essays by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking what I am writing wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
but you are still around
I just walked in to find you here
with that menacing look upon your face
I should have formatted my stupid laptop
I should have dropped you from "my recent documents"
If I had known for just one second
you'd always be there to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
I have had enough of you
weren't you the one who tried to teach me how to write
you think I'd write
you think I'd lay down and write
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as i know how to break free
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
and I'll survive
I will survive

In other news - I recently gave my Ross interview - via phone. I didnt do quite as well as I should have , but there's nothing to do now. Here goes the questions :

Why MBA ?[ ok answer ]
Why Now ? [ ok answer ]
Why Ross ? [ ok answer ]
Interests outside work ? [ok answer]
Describe a situation where you translated theory into action. [ bad answer here ]
Describe a situation where you met with resistance from your team member, and what did you do about it [ answer could have been better ]
What will you bring to the Ross community , and what will you take back from the community (besides the good education) ? [ moderately ok answer ]
some questions to clarify career goals, which means, my long term goals need to be more specific than they are now [ clarification was hopefully ok ]
then i asked 2 questions, and let the interview speak and speak till the time got over.

Preparation : I just wrote answers to a few questions I had compiled out of Accepted.com [ great work there by Linda ], but I did not [ very foolishly ] go through any mock interviews - I should have, considering that I havent given an interview in more than 3 years now.

Advice : Take it or trash it. If you are giving these standard type of interviews, you can absolutely crack it by thorough preparation. So prepare, revise, and practise.

My present status : Essays are just about to kill me. It is so God damn hard to write essays. It is nightmarish to write good essays. And it is freaking impossible to write top notch worthy-of-admission essays. I am trying to stay afloat, but with the high tide waves approaching (=deadlines), it looks like I will probably drown. And yes, I dont think I will do all 5 schools I initially planned to, atleast one of them will have to be axed out.

Have a great weekend you guys !

2005-11-23T20:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving People !

just 3 laughs - that's all i offer !

2005-11-13T06:18:00.000-06:00

http://www.funnyfox.org/

Writer's Block

2005-11-09T22:13:00.000-06:00

[ had to post this - original article at http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2005/11/writers_block.html ]

Writer's Block
By Scott_Adams on General Nonsense
One of the most common questions I get is “Do you ever get writer’s block?”
The thing I love about that question is that it reveals a wonderful optimism in the person who is asking. I suspect that the people who ask this question believe they possess deep wells of creativity and talent that are inexplicably blocked. All they need is the secret unblocking spell from a cartoonist and then a geyser of bestselling books will spray forth.
I wish I had that kind of attitude. I imagine myself asking an NBA player how he deals with Jumper’s Block, under the theory that if I can learn how to unblock my jumping skills, I will no longer need a car. I’ll just jump wherever I want to go, like the Hulk, but less angry.
Unfortunately I’m too literal to answer the writer’s block question in some useful way. I can’t get past the common sense that I always have writer’s block up until the moment I have an idea. It’s sort of a binary situation.
The better question would be how I get past writer’s block. The quick answer – and maybe the only legitimate one – is that I’m just wired that way. There’s a fine line between creative and goofy, and believe me, you wouldn’t want to spend time in my head. Let me give you some real time examples, except not real time. I’m on a plane as I write this. Allow me to write down my thoughts as they happen, just so you get a sense of it. I haven’t planned this:
I wonder if you could make gigantic noise-cancellation headphones to put on the outside of the plane so all the passengers don’t need them on the inside?
Damn, this was a stupid idea to write down my thoughts. Now I don’t have any, except for my thoughts about not having any thoughts. Oh, God, I’m stuck in some sort of loop.
Wait, now I have a thought about the drunken lady’s glass of wine on the seat divider next to me. It’s rocking wildly from the turbulence. It’s going to land on my keyboard. Oh, God, I know it is. Uh-oh, I think she looked over here and read that I called her a drunken lady. My hands hurt from typing. I have to pee again but the seatbelt sign is on. If she dozes off, I might have to top off her chardonnay.
Okay, that’s enough of that. Just be glad you’re not me.

weblog stats !

2005-11-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

check out http://www.measuremap.com/

{update 1} :- The M left a comment saying that one needs to wait for an email before using the service, which can be frustrating. My sincere apologies for not posting about this earlier, but just as i replied to The M, I was not able to test out measuremap before posting. i will remember to do so for future posts, or will atleast leave a disclaimer.

it couldn't have been better ?

2005-10-31T08:35:00.000-06:00

for those who have sent in their apps, or have admits , or need a break from the long hours you just spent writing a essay you would scrap tomorrow - check this out - http://www.business-opportunities.biz/projects/how-much-is-your-blog-worth

and for those who want to know, my blog's worth zilch, and that's why the question mark in the title replaced the should-be exclamation mark ;o

dilbert blog

2005-10-27T09:13:00.000-05:00

scott adams joins the blogging bandwagon at http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/

jackpot

2005-10-26T00:19:00.000-05:00

for all future managers who are concerned that their quality of life will diminish as soon as they jump on the high-paying boat, consider australia. it seems that there's scope for improvement in the management cadre in australia --> Right here, that's where you need to click

i like these fellas !

2005-10-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

some time back, i sent a mail to ClearAdmit - asking a question and making a request
a) was there a reason for them not putting up any essay tips for Michigan Ross
b) to change their web page so that when we click on links - it opens up in a new page (i actually got bugged doing a Right-Click : Open in New Window)

i had forgotten about my mail - but ClearAdmit didn't. i am impressed that they are a responsive, responsible, professional and open-to-feedback lot. Graham confirmed to me today that he has posted the Michigan Ross essay tips( they couldn't post it earlier just due to lack of time - which is understandable ) and they have changed most of the links - except the active content and links which they dont have much control on.

if anyone of you is thinking about essay consultancy - do consider clearadmit. i expect that they would be professional and responsible in their dealings.