A Pleasant Surprise... Followed by Another

I think I wrote about this before, but it is a strange combination of feelings you get after submitting an application.  For me there is a sense of relief, but also an uneasy feeling that everything is now out of my hands.  After submitting my round two applications, I did feel confident that I put together the best applications I could, and whatever was going to happen.

About a week after submitting my application to Tepper, I received an unexpected email.  An interview invite!  I was pumped, especially because I was expecting it to be at least three to four weeks before I heard back.  Luckily I had already started prepping and I scheduled my interview for a couple days after receiving the invite.

I interview with an Adcom via Skype.  It was a really good experience.  The Adcom was very kind and represented the school very well.  Overall the interview went well.  I felt like it was very conversational, and I felt like I was able to paint a fairly good picture of myself with the time I had and with the questions I was asked.

The day after my Tepper interview, I received another unexpected email... and invite from Anderson!  I gave myself a little more time than I did with Tepper to prep for my interview.  I was pretty happy that I didn't have to take time off work because Anderson had evening interview options (Good call Anderson, good call).

My Anderson interview went well too.  Not as well as my Tepper interview, but I was happy with it.  I interviewed with a Second-year student.  He was really down to earth and created a very conversational and relaxed interviewing environment.  I felt like I wasn't able to express myself as well, but I felt like it was more due to the questions I was asked, not because I was stumped by a question or anything.  I'll tell you what though, the Clear Admit Interview Reports definitely helped me prepare for both of my interviews.

Two down, two to go. It was a nice feeling to have only a couple weeks after submitting my applications.  If anyone has any specific questions regarding my interview experience at either of these schools, feel free to shoot me an email or post your questions in the comment section.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." - Thomas A. Edison

Moving On to Round Two

It is difficult coming off of all the exhaustion that goes into prepping and putting together applications.  When I submitted my last round one app, I thought/hoped it would be the list time I would have to think about an MBA application essay, resume, etc.  But as fate would have it, it wasn't.

While I was waiting to hear back from my round one schools, as a contingency plan, I began working on essays and applications for a few other schools.  However, now knowing for sure my round one fate, I needed to kick it up a couple gears.  There were a few schools that I really liked, but decided not to apply to in the first round because I didn't want to spread myself too thin: Darden, Anderson, Tepper, and Fuqua.

Round two apps were much easier and faster than round one.  It was nice to have my strategy, goals, stories, etc. all honed from my previous applications.  I was able to get those four applications in with very little trouble.  I submitted all for apps between 1/4 and 1/7.  I was really hoping this time would be the last time I would have to submit a b-school app.  Now began the waiting, which I fully expected to be as long and painful as it was in round one…

Belated Round One Update

So it has been a few months since I have last blogged.  Instead of updating you all on everything all at once, I will take you back a couple months.  As of mid-December, I had already learned I was on the Sloan waitlist.  I had yet to be invited to interview at Yale or Haas, so I was not expecting positive news from those programs.  However, I felt my Kellogg and Tuck applications were strong and my interview at Kellogg went really well (I didn't interview at Tuck because they only interview reapplicants on-campus and I could not make it out there), and I was fully expecting an acceptance from at least one of these programs.

December 18th, D-day for Kellogg and Tuck.  By this point, I had already been dinged by Yale.  After having traveled out to Hanover last year to interview, and meeting the students and faculty members, Tuck was definitely my top choice.  There was so much I loved about the program, and I honestly had a hard time picturing myself going anywhere else.  I was hopeful, but as the minutes ticked away on the 18th with no phone call, a pit started to grow in my stomach.  Finally at 5pm EST, I got an email from Tuck saying there was an update to my application status.  Having not received a call, I knew the best case scenario was being waitlisted…

I’ll tell you what, reading those rejection letters never gets easy.  Not long after getting the official ding from Tuck, I received the same news from Kellogg.  It was a tough day.  Although I had started working on some round two applications, mentally I was not prepared to do it all again, for the third time.  Including my apps from last season, I was a depressing 0.5/7 (0.5 for the waitlist at Sloan), soon to be 0.5/8 after Haas’ released their decisions a few weeks later.  I took a few days to let everything sink in before I even thought about round two applications.  After receiving such positive feedback from admissions consultants on my chances at my target schools, no getting into a single one made me question a lot.  Man did December suck!

As hard as it was to accept not getting into my round one schools, especially after two years of trying, I realized it wasn't the end of the world.  The end goal isn't the school I get into, but the having transformative experience at b-school, and using that experience to help my succeed in my future career.  Although all the schools I applied to in round one would have helped me reach those goals, those weren't the only schools.  It was time to refocus and get back to the grind!

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan