Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I Think I'm Done
Tonight is the deadline in Haas (Berkeley) - the last American business school I considered for this year. And my decision is that I am not applying. I also decided to keep HEC and LBS for next year and to finalize my application process for class 2009. So, it is only Columbia and Darden now.
The decision was taken under influence of changes in my work and private life. I am becoming really involved in my job this time, which is really a news compared to routine of previous two or three years. The risks I took when accepted a job offer from a company of different industry and scale (fashion retail start-up vs. multinational consulting giants which populated my CV for last 5 years or so) paid back by means of truly cheerful atmosphere. My new boss is a young lady, the team made a point of calling her "dear chief" or "bossy boss", a lot of fun ;) She suggested me working in pair in her future projects, and I feel like I enjoy the offer, as she is used to work in international assignments and that's exactly the next step I was looking for after MBA.
Just to top, there are some positive changes outside work, too... Life is full of wonders :)
I planned to start the new year in my blog by listing memorable things that happened with me in 2006. My first trip to Asia, New Year's Eve in Mumbai, whole year spent without falling in love (somehow, it reminds me of Bridget Jones), guerilla warfare at work, my first interview for a glossy magazine, finishing my postgraduate, changing the industry, passing GMAT, starting a blog... It turned to be such a challenge, to recall every meaningful event :) And to list promises of 2007 - family reunion, first time in 20 years celebrating New Year together, new love... Girl is enjoying the momentum.
The decision was taken under influence of changes in my work and private life. I am becoming really involved in my job this time, which is really a news compared to routine of previous two or three years. The risks I took when accepted a job offer from a company of different industry and scale (fashion retail start-up vs. multinational consulting giants which populated my CV for last 5 years or so) paid back by means of truly cheerful atmosphere. My new boss is a young lady, the team made a point of calling her "dear chief" or "bossy boss", a lot of fun ;) She suggested me working in pair in her future projects, and I feel like I enjoy the offer, as she is used to work in international assignments and that's exactly the next step I was looking for after MBA.
Just to top, there are some positive changes outside work, too... Life is full of wonders :)
I planned to start the new year in my blog by listing memorable things that happened with me in 2006. My first trip to Asia, New Year's Eve in Mumbai, whole year spent without falling in love (somehow, it reminds me of Bridget Jones), guerilla warfare at work, my first interview for a glossy magazine, finishing my postgraduate, changing the industry, passing GMAT, starting a blog... It turned to be such a challenge, to recall every meaningful event :) And to list promises of 2007 - family reunion, first time in 20 years celebrating New Year together, new love... Girl is enjoying the momentum.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Small update
My Columbia and Darden applications both went under review. That's all news for today :)
Friday, January 19, 2007
And Stanford Too :)
It's ding in Stanford too, no surprise. They did not send an email notifying about changes in my status, but I checked my application and found a letter from infamous Derrick Bolton. It was a nice letter that underlined several times that applicants cannot control the process and must realize this fact and stay confident about their personality and achievements and not overanalyze the outcome of application. Well, Stanford really put it in nice words :)
As I was looking in my inbox for an email notification about status change, I found a note from Darden introducing to me the European recruitment coordinator / Associate Director of Admissions who, as I understand, will be my personal contact during review of my application :) Good news.
As I was looking in my inbox for an email notification about status change, I found a note from Darden introducing to me the European recruitment coordinator / Associate Director of Admissions who, as I understand, will be my personal contact during review of my application :) Good news.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
HBS So Stingy For Surprises
Not to keep the news for long, it's ding of course. I didn't give up hope for good news (interview invitation) from Harvard till the decision date, and I still keep my fingers crossed for Stanford, but it's rather not hanging my head than really waiting for admission falling on my head right from the sky.
I am seconding KorAl, who said in his blog that his HBS application was the rawest one. It's the same in my case. Unfortunately, I must say that all four my applications in R1 were raw :) Only after I met an interviewer, I understood how I should deliver my goals in Why MBA. The best advice I can give to new applicants: do try mock interview, especially if you are familiar with an MBA alumnus. Don't be shy, as I was. You just have to talk your Why MBA over with somebody, to see his or her reaction and hear his or her questions. With someone who is able to criticize you and let you know when you are nothing else but pathetic. In this way you wouldn't write such a dull essay as I did for H/S/W/Ch :)
Though I am applying in several schools in R2, I have already made my mind about the list of schools I will try next year if I am not successful this time. I will definitely try to conquer Harvard and Stanford again :) It's just a shame to leave it as is because of one essay I totally blew off :)
P.S. Still, isn't it strange that, despite promises, there is no evidence of Harvard sending last minute interview invitations?
I am seconding KorAl, who said in his blog that his HBS application was the rawest one. It's the same in my case. Unfortunately, I must say that all four my applications in R1 were raw :) Only after I met an interviewer, I understood how I should deliver my goals in Why MBA. The best advice I can give to new applicants: do try mock interview, especially if you are familiar with an MBA alumnus. Don't be shy, as I was. You just have to talk your Why MBA over with somebody, to see his or her reaction and hear his or her questions. With someone who is able to criticize you and let you know when you are nothing else but pathetic. In this way you wouldn't write such a dull essay as I did for H/S/W/Ch :)
Though I am applying in several schools in R2, I have already made my mind about the list of schools I will try next year if I am not successful this time. I will definitely try to conquer Harvard and Stanford again :) It's just a shame to leave it as is because of one essay I totally blew off :)
P.S. Still, isn't it strange that, despite promises, there is no evidence of Harvard sending last minute interview invitations?
Friday, January 12, 2007
The Game Is Continued
I am alive :) And I am again in the application game. It was easy to finalize application to Columbia, because I started it way back in October, and now I expect my application to go under review before Jan 29.
I was in serious doubts about whether I have the courage to try any other school this year. Vacation in Paris inspired me to research business schools in France, and I actually filled in the first part of application in HEC. The school provides brief evaluation to each candidate who submitted the first part of application, and so I decided to give it a try. But as I considered whether I should submit the rest before January deadline, I started realizing that I felt really uncomfortable about low position of HEC in rankings of business schools. I tried to figure out why that aspect really matters to me, and understood that I was just looking for excuses because wasn't ready to apply to safety schools this year (under safety I do not mean HEC in particular, but any school in general for which I do not feel 100% enthusiastic).
I took the list of schools I was still interested in and revised it on the basis of the said realization. Finally, I was left with two very different options: Darden and LBS. I had not considered Europe when I picked schools for R1; if I would - LBS would definitely be my choice. As for Darden, it's the school that I really like (as much as I can like places I haven't been to). It's the case when you can list many pros, and none of these pros will make a school unique, but still you would love it in the whole. So, the news is that I applied to Darden :) I am ashamed to admit that I was nervous about that decision till the last minute, and refrained from hitting the button till a few hours before deadline, because of arrogance: I was refraining from making a first step aside from "the top". I was telling myself that I should save money for next year instead of throwing it on more schools this time, but in the end I imagined my reaction if I get admission... and again, I clearly realized that I would be happy, and there is no doubt I would accept it.
Recommenders told me that Darden asks a tricky question about the way I would spend my day at work if I could do only things I enjoy. That was a difficult question for my former supervisor, the one from job I had in 2003-2005. Time goes by, he is in finance, I am in corporate management, and he can only imagine my current duties :) It was a challenge.
I failed to submit application in LBS this time, because the school requests official transcripts to be sent by courier mail, and I did not have translation available before January deadline. The next deadline is February 23. I am taking a short break before I will finalize my pack.
And at last, I would like to ask my fellow bloggers to tell me your opinion about Haas (Berkeley). I cannot eliminate this school from my thoughts yet because I again and again imagine living in California and studying in a school supported by such an impressive academic institution (do you hear echo of Stanford here? :) Has anybody toured this school? What's your general impression?
I was in serious doubts about whether I have the courage to try any other school this year. Vacation in Paris inspired me to research business schools in France, and I actually filled in the first part of application in HEC. The school provides brief evaluation to each candidate who submitted the first part of application, and so I decided to give it a try. But as I considered whether I should submit the rest before January deadline, I started realizing that I felt really uncomfortable about low position of HEC in rankings of business schools. I tried to figure out why that aspect really matters to me, and understood that I was just looking for excuses because wasn't ready to apply to safety schools this year (under safety I do not mean HEC in particular, but any school in general for which I do not feel 100% enthusiastic).
I took the list of schools I was still interested in and revised it on the basis of the said realization. Finally, I was left with two very different options: Darden and LBS. I had not considered Europe when I picked schools for R1; if I would - LBS would definitely be my choice. As for Darden, it's the school that I really like (as much as I can like places I haven't been to). It's the case when you can list many pros, and none of these pros will make a school unique, but still you would love it in the whole. So, the news is that I applied to Darden :) I am ashamed to admit that I was nervous about that decision till the last minute, and refrained from hitting the button till a few hours before deadline, because of arrogance: I was refraining from making a first step aside from "the top". I was telling myself that I should save money for next year instead of throwing it on more schools this time, but in the end I imagined my reaction if I get admission... and again, I clearly realized that I would be happy, and there is no doubt I would accept it.
Recommenders told me that Darden asks a tricky question about the way I would spend my day at work if I could do only things I enjoy. That was a difficult question for my former supervisor, the one from job I had in 2003-2005. Time goes by, he is in finance, I am in corporate management, and he can only imagine my current duties :) It was a challenge.
I failed to submit application in LBS this time, because the school requests official transcripts to be sent by courier mail, and I did not have translation available before January deadline. The next deadline is February 23. I am taking a short break before I will finalize my pack.
And at last, I would like to ask my fellow bloggers to tell me your opinion about Haas (Berkeley). I cannot eliminate this school from my thoughts yet because I again and again imagine living in California and studying in a school supported by such an impressive academic institution (do you hear echo of Stanford here? :) Has anybody toured this school? What's your general impression?
