A blog to share my MBA experience from application days to graduation.
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| Harry Potter's MBA Musings A blog to share my MBA experience from application days to graduation. |
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Friday, January 30, 2004 Latest application updates a) Berkeley -- Under review. b) Kellogg -- Still not completely matched by adcom. c) Michigan -- Application Matched, under review. d) Duke -- Got a mail to wait till Feb 6 for alumni interviewer notification. I decided to drop Columbia. What if the application is free, I don't feel like applying to a school, where I may not want to spend my 2 years. No doubt Columbia is a great school, but very heavy finance focussed ( over 70% students are from finance background). e) Wharton Round 3 --- Considering no one would read my application earlier than March 18th deadline, I will start out 2 weeks from now. I have some hectic work schedules, lot of clients, lot of change management projects for me. f) MIT Sloan : Need to be more regular in my updates. Need to run Waitlist updates like a campaign. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 11:30 PM | Wednesday, January 28, 2004 Visits from *.edu domain I see more hits from *.edu domain. I sometimes wonder, if any of the adcoms from the schools I have applied have been able to identify me. So far, I have not mentioned about this blog to any school. Welcome all of you ... And please give me admission in your school :). posted by Ravi Trivedi | 1:13 AM | Waitlist campaign Wonderful post on this by Sandy While we have wondered into this area, let me just say, a lot of kids on WL are full of Cheerio's now, but poop out in April, May, June etc. when it really counts to bug adcoms, if you can. Don't let that happen to you, or your supporters. Running a WL campaign is like running a marathon, or more correctly, running for president, where you need to keep going to events, keep figuring out how to keep your candidacy alive etc. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 1:06 AM | Monday, January 26, 2004 Long Weekend Happy Republic day (26th) !!! Decided to take some time off and chill out this long weekend. Had an ocassion to listen to Indian Classical Music concert. It was a great evening. Now am back to applications posted by Ravi Trivedi | 11:48 AM | Saturday, January 24, 2004 Round 3 applications ? Now that, most of my applications are over, and I have a little free time on hand, I am thinking of applying to 1 more school in Round 3. Wharton was a sweet and sour experience for me last year. It was my very first application that I wrote and the second one that I submitted. My essays were definitely lacking. I was put off by the feedback session. Though, I find the Wharton adcom, students and alum very helpful and professional, the feedback session, was too curt. I did not like the "seasoning" word. It felt like I wasn't in the league who could make it. Last year, I was little depressed with 2 straight dings (including no interview invite from Wharton), and the feedback didn't help my morale anyway. On one hand, getting a ding is good, as it mellows you down. Many people, while applying, cant access their real chances and there is a tendency to underestimate the competition ( more so , since one has been extremely successful in one's career and as one has excelled tough competition) . I know many of my friends who decided to apply only to Stanford , Wharton and Harvard. On other hand, there is a potential that you may over estimate the competition. More so, if you are in one of those highly competitive category. (AIIM = Average Indian IT Male) . Demographics have an great role to play in admissions. Another reason that I didn't think of Wharton earlier this year, was the influence a opinion of a top school alum. He had told and showed me that Wharton wasn't a great fit for some like me looking for post-MBA career in Technology Marketing/Biz Dev. In nutshell, I am now thinking of taking March 18th deadline for Wharton. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 6:11 AM | Thursday, January 22, 2004 Updates from the HAAS Chat. This is what I could gather during the 20 mins, I could stay awake. ( I was very sleepy, since I was up for Duke till 4:00 AM the earlier day) a) All the applicants who get accepted, will be interviewed. Those not interviewed can be waitlisted. b) The R2 interview invites would start going out from mid Feb. So, I am waiting with my fingers crossed posted by Ravi Trivedi | 5:13 PM | HAAS - has a chat tonite (IST) . It would be 2 AM here, but I am planning to join the chat, and figure out whats the plan for Round 2 interview. http://www.interactionsoftware.com/openhouse/default.asp?SchoolId=1000199049 - The site "http://64.55.105.211/unchaas/ " hosts a forum with HAAS adcom posted by Ravi Trivedi | 12:27 AM | Wednesday, January 21, 2004 Submitted Duke Application - Submitted the Duke application. - The work on Sloan waitlist is on. I am drafting an update letter + getting one extra recommender to write for me. - Now onto finishing up Columbia application. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 3:03 AM | Friday, January 16, 2004 Plan for coming weeks a) Work on Sloan waitlist . Sloan is a mecca for an technology enterpreneur . b) Submit Duke application . c) Submit Columbia application. Decided to forgo the 15th deadline for a better stronger essays. And above all prayers and crossed fingers for other applications HAAS, Kellogg and Michigan. :) posted by Ravi Trivedi | 7:48 PM | Wednesday, January 14, 2004 Congratulations to all !!! Congratulations to all Round 1 admits from Sloan, Kellogg , Michigan. I am glad for you fellow blogger TechieDude who made it to Michigan. PowerYogi , I think we have something in common. The ability to procastinate :). posted by Ravi Trivedi | 3:05 PM | Whats next I am in midst of multiple applications, work pressure, waitlist follow through. Wondering if I should go for the 15th deadline for CBS. I would rather submit the CBS app a little later, which is of better quality. That would mean missing on a chance of a merit based scholarship -- which in any case I dont believe I would get. I am not a olympic medal winner, or have worked in Africa for children. As far as Duke is concerned, the set of essays look easily doable. I also heard from the recommenders after writing 4 recommendations their job is lot more easier in terms of writing a new one. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 3:03 PM | Tuesday, January 13, 2004 Waitlisted at Sloan Folks the decisions are out on the website. MIT has decided to waitlist me without an interview this year . I need to go onto a website and indicate if I want to be on W/L, and till what date. Yes, I am happy, but the last years long waitlist at Kellogg has had an impact on me, so am not "jumping". All the best posted by Ravi Trivedi | 5:58 AM | Monday, January 12, 2004 Columbia Fee Waiver is for applicants from developing countries staying in their countries. (e.g Indians in India). I called up the adcom for the procedure to get exemption. You need to check the Money Order/Cheque option in the application. Then you send out a fee waiver request to their Main Fax no. 212-662-6754 posted by Ravi Trivedi | 11:12 PM | New chat board I have added a Chat board while applicants wait for MIT results... Feel free to use it ps: Am heading home for Dinner... Will join you folks in an hour. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 9:09 PM | MIT Decision is still awaited anxiously....... posted by Ravi Trivedi | 8:53 PM | Duke application With a deadline of 20th Jan and "easy" essay questions, I should be able to do Duke after Columbia on 15th. The Duke questions are: 1. Describe your professional work experience since earning your bachelor's degree and discuss how you chose your career path. (Limit response to 500 words) 2. What are your short and long term career goals once you earn your MBA? Why are you interested in The Fuqua School of Business and how will The Duke MBA help you reach your goals? (Limit response to 500 words) 3. Outside of your professional persona, who are you? Please note this essay is intended to get a sense of your personality and potential contribution to the Fuqua culture. (Limit response to 750 words 3 will require some effort. 1 is similar to Kellogg's career progress question 1. 2 is any standard why MBA question. Well, the last year and this years research on Duke will help me quickly revise what I know of the school posted by Ravi Trivedi | 12:07 AM | Preparing for MIT No interview invite so far, and the accepted.com chat with Jon confirms no interview = ding. I am preparing myself to come out the rejection as soon as possible. :(. Any time spent on a "sunk cost" like Sloan would make it worse. Will forget it and just get over it....( though there are some emotional strings with Sloan) Have to work on more applications, as I spread the risk and try my best to get ONE place in any of the schools. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 12:02 AM | Saturday, January 10, 2004 Columbia Essay questions posted by Ravi Trivedi | 11:56 PM | Kellogg application is done Its time for searching for options, which might help me get on with an MBA degree. Doing few Business courses, makes me realize what lies ahead is very important and much more interesting that the essays and data sheet. :). Hence , I better get into a program. Folks, any suggestion for schools that might be good for me , which still take applicants. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 7:03 PM | Friday, January 09, 2004 Kellogg Application Will be submitted in another few hours from now... I wish to increase my schools this year, so that I definitely get in . Am wondering of LBS Round 3 . Though they have extended Round 2 deadline till 12th, I would rather not hurry up. The next school after Kellogg is Columbia Business School, where the deadline is 15th Jan. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 8:57 PM | Thursday, January 08, 2004 The stakes are highest this year Due to anonymity reasons I cant share a lot of my personal story here, but I have very high stakes this year. I have invested lot of time, energy, money and pre-preparation efforts for my business school. Several of my personal decisions hinge on this outcome. Hence, I am anxiously waiting for my b-school results. I eagerly look for March 15th, the day by which I will know michigan and HAAS status. Or may be before that... MIT or some other school... Who knows :) posted by Ravi Trivedi | 7:34 PM | MIT Ding ?? With each passing day, my chances of a MIT ding look stronger. Or will they waitlist me, since they interviewed last year. But, I think these are just +ve thoughts to pep my self up. The reality is...... Let me still keep the hope for another day or two. :) posted by Ravi Trivedi | 7:29 PM | Michigan app is done I cut it too close. Whaaaoow... What a marathon finish. First time, that I submitted my app in the last minute... 11:59:0x ... Mea culpa Kellogg is still to go, and in better shape. Will sent it by tommorow, atleast 12-16 hours before the deadline. posted by Ravi Trivedi | 7:28 PM | Monday, January 05, 2004 Last minute Rush for Kellogg and Michigan is on. I am working on submitting Michigan and Kellogg application this week. The travel and other considerations have once again made me drop Stanford from my list. All the best to all R2 applicants . posted by Ravi Trivedi | 10:50 PM | |
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