Thursday, January 01, 2004
Hey- who is that person who just walked into the room? Why it's 2004! Happy New Year, everyone!! I am very excited to start a new year. This year could be a year of major change - and I look forward to what the year brings. I feel like its Christmas morning, and I've run down the stairs to be greeted by dozens of presents. I just don't know what's in the presents yet. Right now the anticipation is a good thing. I may feel differently as decision days get closer.
So I'm working on finalizing my essays. They seem to be coming along well. And I just realized that I have a little bit more time for my consortium essays. This application only needs to be postmarked by January 15th so I can probably submit it on the 13th or 14th and still be okay. Because of the extra time, I'll most likely complete a Michigan essay and I might apply to Tuck via the consortium.
I started to think about the schools I was less sure of. I realized that I'm in love with the schools I've visited and I'm less enamored with the schools I've never been to. It's made me realize how important it is to visit the schools before the application process. Nothing beats experiencing the school first hand.
So because of this revelation and because its New Years, I've written a list of 10 resolutions for other applicants (because writing other people's resolutions is really what its all about) who are just beginning the process.
1) Do not try to compact your application process into a 6 month process. Applying to business school is meant to take at least two years.
2) Do not do the lame thing of starting community service activities with the beginning of the application process. That is just tacky (and obvious to the adcoms!).
3) Do take time to study for the GMAT. I don't care how awesome you did on the SAT - that was so seven years ago.
4) Do not get sucked in by the bullsh*t propogated by some of the posters on the BW Forums. I truly believe that some of the people post there with the sole purpose of discouraging people from applying to school. And some of them don't know what the heck they are talking about. Plus its amazing how easy it is to waste an entire day of work reading the forum... not that I would know anything about that...
5) AND Do not post your credentials on the BW Forum to ask if you have a chance at X school. Why you ask? Because I get annoyed reading those post. (Yes, you have a chance. Now grow some cajones, stop looking for external approval, and apply, gosh darnit!)
6) Send people who take the time to write recommendations for you thank you notes and thank you gifts.
7) Send people who interview you for schools thank you notes. Hand written or email are both fine. (No gifts though - that might be seen as an attempt at bribery and could result in an automatic ding).
8) Answer your essays from your heart. Answer truthfully and honestly, not what you think people want to hear.
9) Be open to attending a school outside of the top three (and you know which ones I'm talking about). There are some really great schools out there, and they aren't always located in Boston, Philly, or Palo Alto.
10) Oh and visit the schools if you can - it can really help you get a feeling for the school and if you fit in there.
Not sure if those are really resolutions now that I think about it. Maybe if you say "I resolve to" before each one, then they would be resolutions? Then again maybe not... Oh well. Happy New Year, Y'all!
So I'm working on finalizing my essays. They seem to be coming along well. And I just realized that I have a little bit more time for my consortium essays. This application only needs to be postmarked by January 15th so I can probably submit it on the 13th or 14th and still be okay. Because of the extra time, I'll most likely complete a Michigan essay and I might apply to Tuck via the consortium.
I started to think about the schools I was less sure of. I realized that I'm in love with the schools I've visited and I'm less enamored with the schools I've never been to. It's made me realize how important it is to visit the schools before the application process. Nothing beats experiencing the school first hand.
So because of this revelation and because its New Years, I've written a list of 10 resolutions for other applicants (because writing other people's resolutions is really what its all about) who are just beginning the process.
1) Do not try to compact your application process into a 6 month process. Applying to business school is meant to take at least two years.
2) Do not do the lame thing of starting community service activities with the beginning of the application process. That is just tacky (and obvious to the adcoms!).
3) Do take time to study for the GMAT. I don't care how awesome you did on the SAT - that was so seven years ago.
4) Do not get sucked in by the bullsh*t propogated by some of the posters on the BW Forums. I truly believe that some of the people post there with the sole purpose of discouraging people from applying to school. And some of them don't know what the heck they are talking about. Plus its amazing how easy it is to waste an entire day of work reading the forum... not that I would know anything about that...
5) AND Do not post your credentials on the BW Forum to ask if you have a chance at X school. Why you ask? Because I get annoyed reading those post. (Yes, you have a chance. Now grow some cajones, stop looking for external approval, and apply, gosh darnit!)
6) Send people who take the time to write recommendations for you thank you notes and thank you gifts.
7) Send people who interview you for schools thank you notes. Hand written or email are both fine. (No gifts though - that might be seen as an attempt at bribery and could result in an automatic ding).
8) Answer your essays from your heart. Answer truthfully and honestly, not what you think people want to hear.
9) Be open to attending a school outside of the top three (and you know which ones I'm talking about). There are some really great schools out there, and they aren't always located in Boston, Philly, or Palo Alto.
10) Oh and visit the schools if you can - it can really help you get a feeling for the school and if you fit in there.
Not sure if those are really resolutions now that I think about it. Maybe if you say "I resolve to" before each one, then they would be resolutions? Then again maybe not... Oh well. Happy New Year, Y'all!
