Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Time heals all wounds. It's been 4 hours since I was dinged and I feel somewhat better about it. (Although there is still a bit of sadness about what might have been.) I know that my credentials were appropriate, and that I was not underqualified. I think it comes down to my essays.
Doing my R2 applications made me realize my Stanford essay was somewhat lacking. I think the standard why MBA, why now, why bla bla bla was fine. It was the What Matters Most essay that did me in. I think what I wrote was compelling. I wrote about my faith and why service is so important to me. But I didn't tell enough stories. The R2 applications I did allowed me to tell lots of stories that revealed who I am and what makes me tick. Some of these stories could have been weaved into my What Matters Most essay. It would have produce a better more multi-dimensional picture. I would have found ways to tell lots of stories, instead of just a few. But we all know what they say about hindsight, and spilt milk, and other things you can't do anything about.
I guess I was inexperienced in the art of business school applications, and my essays reflect that. I think if I had to do it over, my essays would rock. Maybe not mini novels but I think they would have been better.
So that's the end of that. I've learned something. And I guess that's what life is about - learning something even in times of defeat. Onward and upward.
Doing my R2 applications made me realize my Stanford essay was somewhat lacking. I think the standard why MBA, why now, why bla bla bla was fine. It was the What Matters Most essay that did me in. I think what I wrote was compelling. I wrote about my faith and why service is so important to me. But I didn't tell enough stories. The R2 applications I did allowed me to tell lots of stories that revealed who I am and what makes me tick. Some of these stories could have been weaved into my What Matters Most essay. It would have produce a better more multi-dimensional picture. I would have found ways to tell lots of stories, instead of just a few. But we all know what they say about hindsight, and spilt milk, and other things you can't do anything about.
I guess I was inexperienced in the art of business school applications, and my essays reflect that. I think if I had to do it over, my essays would rock. Maybe not mini novels but I think they would have been better.
So that's the end of that. I've learned something. And I guess that's what life is about - learning something even in times of defeat. Onward and upward.
