Monday, February 23, 2004
I continue to receive Stanford's monthly newsletter, despite getting the big ole ding from them. Getting that newsletter is like getting one of those mass, "my life is perfect here on the French Riviera" Christmas updates from an ex-boyfriend. I'll have to unsubscribe to that thing.
In my life, I have sometimes been blessed with limited choices. Whenever I'm overwhelmed by choice (which can happen often since I'm quite indecisive), the field of choices seems to diminish so that the right path for me becomes clearer. I think that's what dings do. They make the right path more evident. Without dings, some of us may choose a school that we think is right - and we might ignore the perfect fit. So though they can hurt a bit, I think dings can be good for the focus and direction they bring.
And speaking of indecisiveness - apparently Naveen was poking around in my archives and found my initial feelings about Wharton. I was turned off by an adcom who told me, "We encourage those pursuing nonprofit careers to work in for profit companies for a couple of years to pay off loans." As I told him, I was able to talk to some alums who worked for nonprofits, and current students, all who pointed out resources (like the Loan Forgiveness Program) I was unaware of. And I ultimately decided, that if I want to work for nonprofits, I can, no matter what someone else thinks about the salary prospects of my chosen profession. Plus, the more I learn about Wharton, the more I like the school. And applying to business school is an evolutionary process. I've added schools that I never considered when I started this process and eliminated schools that I thought I would definitely apply to. And I'm a girl; changing my mind automatically comes with the package!
In my life, I have sometimes been blessed with limited choices. Whenever I'm overwhelmed by choice (which can happen often since I'm quite indecisive), the field of choices seems to diminish so that the right path for me becomes clearer. I think that's what dings do. They make the right path more evident. Without dings, some of us may choose a school that we think is right - and we might ignore the perfect fit. So though they can hurt a bit, I think dings can be good for the focus and direction they bring.
And speaking of indecisiveness - apparently Naveen was poking around in my archives and found my initial feelings about Wharton. I was turned off by an adcom who told me, "We encourage those pursuing nonprofit careers to work in for profit companies for a couple of years to pay off loans." As I told him, I was able to talk to some alums who worked for nonprofits, and current students, all who pointed out resources (like the Loan Forgiveness Program) I was unaware of. And I ultimately decided, that if I want to work for nonprofits, I can, no matter what someone else thinks about the salary prospects of my chosen profession. Plus, the more I learn about Wharton, the more I like the school. And applying to business school is an evolutionary process. I've added schools that I never considered when I started this process and eliminated schools that I thought I would definitely apply to. And I'm a girl; changing my mind automatically comes with the package!
