Friday, November 24, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving! :)
It's been a very calm week in applicants' blogs. It looks like people relax after DWI deadlines in Chicago and Wharton, and, while Stanford and Harvard have started spreading interviews, it looks like it's too early to become anxious about silence from these two schools.
I followed a new tradition founded by some fellow applicants and fell ill. Concentration on health helps to cheat with waiting a bit. Wonderful news came from Chicago. I cannot express how much responsive they turned to be. The Adcom reacted on interview feedback from me and let me understand that my voice was heard and nothing terrible happened.
More news on personal front: I've got a job offer yesterday. If I will get better by weekend, Monday will be my first day in a new office. As I always suspected, application to MBA starts to influence one's life even before an admission decision. After entrusting thoughts about my life and work to paper in my essays and critically reviewing my resume, I started to see rationality and prospects in opportunities that I didn't notice before. I am very glad about the offer I received. If I had to prove the logic of this career move to a business school (and I hope I will have to, if I will have new interview invitations), it would perfectly suit the goals I set in my essays.
I hope everybody had happy Thanksgiving Day, and wish everybody nice weekend :)
I followed a new tradition founded by some fellow applicants and fell ill. Concentration on health helps to cheat with waiting a bit. Wonderful news came from Chicago. I cannot express how much responsive they turned to be. The Adcom reacted on interview feedback from me and let me understand that my voice was heard and nothing terrible happened.
More news on personal front: I've got a job offer yesterday. If I will get better by weekend, Monday will be my first day in a new office. As I always suspected, application to MBA starts to influence one's life even before an admission decision. After entrusting thoughts about my life and work to paper in my essays and critically reviewing my resume, I started to see rationality and prospects in opportunities that I didn't notice before. I am very glad about the offer I received. If I had to prove the logic of this career move to a business school (and I hope I will have to, if I will have new interview invitations), it would perfectly suit the goals I set in my essays.
I hope everybody had happy Thanksgiving Day, and wish everybody nice weekend :)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Come What May :)
I took a small break for two days to drift away a bit. I was not happy with my first (and second, and third ;) reaction to my interview with Chicago, because I didn't expect myself to become so affected and possessed with the idea of admission. I always try to comfort every fellow applicant in difficult situations, saying that admission is just a small bite of a lucky pie, there are so many great experiences ahead, don't worry if your short-term goal = admission gives you pains, because you never know what waits for you round the corner. It's a shame that I took a single failure - bad interview experience with yet unknown outcome - so close to my heart. Weren't there events in my life that were worse? :) I think I was very girlish in my reactions. In fact, that's a real test - will I be capable of dealing with difficulties, especially in communication with other people, as a student of a business school in a foreign country far from my friends and people who care about me? Will I overreact every time when there is somebody who doesn't like me, doesn't care or, perhaps, just plays a "bad policeman"?
I think I will be unfair to my interviewer if I will keep returning to that meeting and guessing what happened and why. He is an experienced person, not a monster after all, and I am what I am - a candidate. Of course he could meet many candidates better than me in some aspects, but I think that my CV is worth it to say that I am definitely not the worst candidate for admission :) My background is in my application, and my goals and concerns are in my essays, and the school has already scanned me through before inviting for an interview. So, let it be a life lesson and a base to prepare for future interviews, if any ;) And who can say now, what will happen with my application to Chicago? :) December, 20th is just a month away.
I think I will be unfair to my interviewer if I will keep returning to that meeting and guessing what happened and why. He is an experienced person, not a monster after all, and I am what I am - a candidate. Of course he could meet many candidates better than me in some aspects, but I think that my CV is worth it to say that I am definitely not the worst candidate for admission :) My background is in my application, and my goals and concerns are in my essays, and the school has already scanned me through before inviting for an interview. So, let it be a life lesson and a base to prepare for future interviews, if any ;) And who can say now, what will happen with my application to Chicago? :) December, 20th is just a month away.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Touchy-Feely
Guys, if you wanted to say your sorry for me being dinged in Wharton, I hope you saved it for now, because it's the time when I really feel dinged. I had a horrible interview experience tonight. I cried all my way home from the office of Chicago's alumnus (girlish protective reaction).
There is not much of any constructive feedback on interview procedure to report here. The only relevant question popped up tonight was why people like me dare to apply. My resume was reduced into "worked in the middle of nowhere doing things I don't understand", desirable concentration - into "not interested in IB and consulting = wasted her career and my time". No questions about my activities, what matters, how I deal with things and situations. Not a word about finding my candidacy worth a report. And a great fat bonus: "hey, I know your boss, will check with him your CV". Oh, but it's LOVELY, sure thing, go straight ahead!
A bit hysterical at the moment, you see. Frankly, guys, I will live with it, every experience has its value, I only wonder - any advice in my situation? Or I should better forget about Chicago right now?
There is not much of any constructive feedback on interview procedure to report here. The only relevant question popped up tonight was why people like me dare to apply. My resume was reduced into "worked in the middle of nowhere doing things I don't understand", desirable concentration - into "not interested in IB and consulting = wasted her career and my time". No questions about my activities, what matters, how I deal with things and situations. Not a word about finding my candidacy worth a report. And a great fat bonus: "hey, I know your boss, will check with him your CV". Oh, but it's LOVELY, sure thing, go straight ahead!
A bit hysterical at the moment, you see. Frankly, guys, I will live with it, every experience has its value, I only wonder - any advice in my situation? Or I should better forget about Chicago right now?
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Ding-Ding
I expected jingle bells from Wharton to ring right before Christmas, but the school was proactive and sent me a surprise-inside letter a full month in advance. Dinged without interviewing. Well, I can speculate whether I deserve it (who knows?), but honestly, it is quite fair - I don't love this school, why it should love me? :) If they really can read between lines, they should guess. And they probably did.
Now I am even happier with news from Chicago, because I wanted to hear a final decision from at least one school before New Year, and now it will be Chicago :) [Correction: I mean, regular, well reviewed final decision ;)))]
P.S. These two days were horrible for many applicants of Chicago and Wharton, getting bad news after long waiting. I wish everybody good rest this weekend. Guys, girls, take it easy. Schemes of fortune are inscrutable :) Remember that we are the champions!
P.P.S. For some unknown technical reason, recently I experience problems with opening comment windows in some beta blogs. I literally cannot post any comments, while in regular blogs everything is fine. Hobbes, man, I am with you at this moment, you will make it to the best school. Guys who got great news this week, congratulations.
Now I am even happier with news from Chicago, because I wanted to hear a final decision from at least one school before New Year, and now it will be Chicago :) [Correction: I mean, regular, well reviewed final decision ;)))]
P.S. These two days were horrible for many applicants of Chicago and Wharton, getting bad news after long waiting. I wish everybody good rest this weekend. Guys, girls, take it easy. Schemes of fortune are inscrutable :) Remember that we are the champions!
P.P.S. For some unknown technical reason, recently I experience problems with opening comment windows in some beta blogs. I literally cannot post any comments, while in regular blogs everything is fine. Hobbes, man, I am with you at this moment, you will make it to the best school. Guys who got great news this week, congratulations.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Chicago Brings Decision Deadline Forward
News in short: Chicago announced that final decisions in Round 1 will be delivered on December, 20.
D-Day in Chicago and news from my FORMER job
It's midterm decision day in Chicago, and I wish my fellow applicants best luck. Hope everybody received interview invitations. I cross my fingers for you.
Uniqpath discovered that Stanford started delivering interview invitations. Good news! Hope we all hear from the school soon :)
Now, about my job :) Yeap, finally, I can call it my former job. After certain suffering I discovered that I have guts to confront my employer in the open, and it resulted in him offering me a conciliatory agreement with considerable compensation for discontinuance of labor agreement. An amount in question is sufficient to start up a small business and subsidize my relocation in case of admission to a business school. In the same day, I received three invitations for job interviews in different companies, including one for a contract in South America. At the moment, I plan to spend the rest of year in traveling, and must say that I could not imagine happier dissolution of my trouble at work :)
Uniqpath discovered that Stanford started delivering interview invitations. Good news! Hope we all hear from the school soon :)
Now, about my job :) Yeap, finally, I can call it my former job. After certain suffering I discovered that I have guts to confront my employer in the open, and it resulted in him offering me a conciliatory agreement with considerable compensation for discontinuance of labor agreement. An amount in question is sufficient to start up a small business and subsidize my relocation in case of admission to a business school. In the same day, I received three invitations for job interviews in different companies, including one for a contract in South America. At the moment, I plan to spend the rest of year in traveling, and must say that I could not imagine happier dissolution of my trouble at work :)
Monday, November 13, 2006
Harvard Turns to Internationals?
Two international applicants, Indian and Brazilian, reported invitations to interviews to Harvard in Admissions411. The timeline corresponds with that of the previous year. International applicants to Harvard can cross their fingers and start checking mailboxes every day :)
Status Change in Stanford
I did not expect any status changes in Stanford, assuming that my application will stay "complete" up to the decision deadline, as it should be in Harvard. But surprise! It changed to "Your application is complete and currently under review." This is really lovely. I knew that Stanford starts delivering interview invitations not earlier than late November, and did not expect any news, so, the surprise was pleasant. Just an assumption based on timelines of previous years, I expect that Stanford will keep reviewing applications for one or two more weeks before the school will start spreading interviews.
Meanwhile, I expect certain changes in my professional life, but official announcement will come in its time :)
P.S. I wonder, for what reason did I switch to Blogger beta? No difference at all, except for necessity of additional logging into Yahoo account. Where is the hidden prize elephant? :)
Meanwhile, I expect certain changes in my professional life, but official announcement will come in its time :)
P.S. I wonder, for what reason did I switch to Blogger beta? No difference at all, except for necessity of additional logging into Yahoo account. Where is the hidden prize elephant? :)
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Requesting to replace interviewer :)
I decided to contact GSB to ask for interviewer replacement. His secretary contacted me today to notify that the alumnus assigned by the school is too busy to meet me, despite the fact that we already confirmed the meeting in my application online. She suggested "calling some time next week to check if he will be available" and pinched me again for disturbing such a busy person with my silly business ;)
I hope-hope-hope that this ridiculous situation will not ruin GSB's impression on my application. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
P.S. No news from Wharton.
I hope-hope-hope that this ridiculous situation will not ruin GSB's impression on my application. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
P.S. No news from Wharton.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Background Verification
I don't know about you, guys, but I have been wondering for long about how the schools in USA verify things that international applicants say about themselves. Do they simply pick up the receiver and phone HR departments of a company somewhere in Russia, Vietnam, Argentina etc. to ask whether Mr Smith is indeed employed and in which role? If so, how do they cope with language barrier?
Yesterday I visited an info session held by a representative of Columbia Business School and asked the question. The answer is pretty simple: the school uses background verification services. Columbia, in particular, uses Kroll. Marina provided some details of the process.
Yesterday I visited an info session held by a representative of Columbia Business School and asked the question. The answer is pretty simple: the school uses background verification services. Columbia, in particular, uses Kroll. Marina provided some details of the process.
Cooling experience of scheduling an interview
My high-ranked interviewer got his secretary to call me to arrange a meeting. A secretary. She started with suggesting a time that was out of question for many reasons - not during lunch, but in the middle of office hours, saying that Her Boss is a Very Busy Person. When I asked about evening hours, she recoiled with a cold response about her not finding it convenient to ask her boss about opportunities outside working hours - which showed that, very likely, she has no idea about the background of this meeting. And that the interviewer did not read my letter (or did not pay attention?) We agreed on a compromising time, and now I wonder, should I confirm the meeting in my application or wait till I have any confirmation note from the interviewer himself...
Not to complain, but I did not expect to force my way through an unkindly secretary. Is it a sort of trial of my persuasive/communicative skills? :)
No matter, it will be great to have my first interview!
Not to complain, but I did not expect to force my way through an unkindly secretary. Is it a sort of trial of my persuasive/communicative skills? :)
No matter, it will be great to have my first interview!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Received Invitation from Chicago
Almost jumped out of my pants, of course :) It's so much fun to go through application process for a first time!
I checked the Admissions411.com to review progress of applicants to Harvard and discovered that number of interview invitations gradually grows. Maybe just a wild guess, but it looks like only Americans get invitations at this moment of time, which probably means that invitations are spread by hubs.
It's national holiday in Russia, till Tuesday, and I assume that my interview with Chicago alumnus will take place not earlier than in the end of oncoming week. Time to brush suit and polish boots :)
I checked the Admissions411.com to review progress of applicants to Harvard and discovered that number of interview invitations gradually grows. Maybe just a wild guess, but it looks like only Americans get invitations at this moment of time, which probably means that invitations are spread by hubs.
It's national holiday in Russia, till Tuesday, and I assume that my interview with Chicago alumnus will take place not earlier than in the end of oncoming week. Time to brush suit and polish boots :)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Important Dates In Chicago
Chicago announced important dates for R1 applicants.
The Admissions Committee will begin to release interview invitations onIt's just two more weeks! :)
Wednesday, November 1st, and will continue this process through Wednesday,
November 15th. By November 15, 2006 all applicants not invited to
interview will receive notification via the online application system that they
have been denied admission to Chicago GSB for the Class of 2009.
If you are invited to interview you must complete your interview no later than Monday
December 4, 2006.
