Experiences- My Life

Its been a month at Stern and in New York

2008-09-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a whole month since I started school and it seems like i just joined it 2-3 days back. Life has really been different and very busy since I started school.

Our pre-term started on 18th September and it kicked off with a speech from the Dean. The first day was just so exciting. I got a chance to meet people from so many countries (I think around 40 countries are represented at Stern). In fact in the evening, I forgot the name of most of the people I met on the first day :). NYU Stern has one of the longest pre-term of 2 weeks and its very very exciting. In fact, according to MBA2's it is the best time you have during your first year.

Some of the highlights:

1) Entire class went for Mets game (baseball)
2) Entire class went for US Open ( Federer match)
3) Broadway show
4) on the last day of pre-term Boat Cruise, which was the best part.

Full 2 weeks of party till late in the night. We used to get drunk and party till 2AM and then go to school back at 8AM for the free breakfast. And yeah all 2 weeks were sponsored by various companies (one of them was Lehman :)) so everything was on the house.

Classes started on September 2nd and its been really very busy since then. Assignments, pre readings, post readings.....

Anyways, one thing i should mention here is about the Professors at Stern.

Some of the professors at Stern are really amazing. Like our first semester finance and Accounting professors.
Finance Professor is like a real showman, i haven't seen a person giving a lecture with such a passion. Our finance and Accounting Profs give lectures and take trainings in all major banks regularly. So you get to learn from someone who is in touch with the industry. Almost same is true for the economics and Strategy professor as well.

Office of Career Development already has started building job search strategies for all of us. Of course you yourself need to take initiative here. But as we all know the market position these days, no one is really sure what is going to happen. But anyways for now it seems like its good to be in school right now. But again, summer internship recruitment starts next month and its hard to say that I am not worried.

Hope all goes well!

Which Laptop to buy?

2008-07-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

I am writing a post after really a very long duration. Will write details about last 3 months in a separate post. This post is regarding an imp decision i am taking of buying a laptop for B school :)

I have shortlisted following 3 laptops

1) Dell M1330 laptop - 13.3' screen
2) Sony Vaio CR series - 14.1' screen
3) HP 14.1' screen

Well the prices are in order with Dell XPS being the costliest.

Hoping to see opinions of people here on the 3 laptops.

Also i am confused on which windows i should buy:
1) Windows home edition
2) Windows Business
3) Windows Ultimate edition

I am really not a MAC guy so have to buy Windows laptop.

So give me your opinions people, i have to order my laptop in another 2 days.
Right now i am getting inclined more towards DELL XPS. It is beautiful and is giving me best configuration in around $1250

One more thing: Will 6 cell battery be fine or shall i choose 9 cell one? Only issue with 9 cell is, it will make my laptop heavier and big

I bought Dell XPS 1330 and its really a great laptop.

Preview @ Stern - Admitted Students weekend

2008-04-17T00:36:00.001-07:00

Last week i was in New York for the NYU Stern Preview and i really had a great time.

Events started on Friday evening with Admitted students reception guess where :)....@ New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) right on the Wall Street. It was really organized very well. We had champagne on the NYSE Options trading floor. As many as 250 admitted students turned up for the event. There were couple of nice speeches by NYSE CEO and Dean. Overall it was a networking event wherein i interacted with many admitted students and also MBA1 and MBA2's. Friday night was full of parties with one of the good parties organized by LGBT community at Stern...we were partying till late in the night.
I actually organized a happy hour at San Francisco for admitted students wherein i met some 10 people and they already are very good friends now. During the preview these people were like old friends for me, as if i know them for years...bonding has really started.

On Saturday, we had some interesting team games, just another way to have more networking :), but it was good. This was followed by sessions organized by OCD(Office of career development). Now i know why Career Services @ Stern are ranked in top 10 by Economist. OCD people were really great. They really gave a snapshot of things to come and how they will help us in that and i am really looking forward to that now. There were couple of workshops organized for Finance, Consulting, Media & Entertainment, Marketing, Non profit etc. Based on students interests, people were already divided into different workshops. Since i am interested in Finance, i went there and had a chance to interact with current students who are going into the type of profiles in which i am interested. Saturday evening we had a cocktail party at a pub in Manhattan downtown. After that all admitted students and many current students went to The Village Underground for the night out. It was a real fun. Nice ambiance and we had a nice time dancing till around 4 AM in the morning.

Sunday was alumni day with some 90 Stern alumni coming in on campus to meet us. And again alumni were divided into groups like Finance, Consulting etc so that every person can meet up people in his field of interest. For finance alone there were some 25 alumni who came. 1-2 alumni were VP's in large investment banks. I don't know about other groups as i only attended the Finance alumni meet. Didn't have time to go to other meets.

It really was a great weekend and at the same time tiring as well. I slept for less that 12 hrs in 3 days. But it was worth it. I am really waiting for the school to start now :)

Plans between now and school

2008-03-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about what all i have to do before the school starts and believe me there are so many things to be done that i am actually falling short of time. I actually thought when i got selected at Stern that what will i do with so much time that i have. But now it seems the other way around.

As i will be an international student, i need to get my work permit transferred to a student visa before the school starts. Visa stamping is really a very painful process through which every international student has to go through. I am presently researching on all things i need to do for visa stamping.

I am planning to resign from my present job in US in may end and leave for India. On the way i will also be going to Hong Kong to visit my friend. Planning to checkout Hong Kong with my friend there before leaving for India.
In India, i will get my visa stamped and then there are many plans for travelling in India itself. Also i am really excited about meeting so many friends and relatives back in India.
After travelling and relaxing in June and July in India, i plan to fly back to New York by August second week for the orientation.

Also in between i have to look for my accomodation in New York which again is not an easy task. But i will do some apartment searching while i am there in New York for the admit weekend next month.
Stern is organizing the openieng ceremony of the admit weekend at the New York Stock Exchange and i am excited about attending that. Last couple of times i have just seen that building from outside and this will be the first time i am being invited to enter that building.

In between these plannings, travel and resting i need to find out time for following some of my hobbies which i initially thought i will be doing once my apps are done. And now that its done, I have started following and doing some of the things i wanted to do for so long and hope to continue that atleast till the school starts :)

- (The idea for this post has been give by Paige. Thanks Paige !! )

Am I forgotten? Wishes for the fellow bloggers

2008-03-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Its been long since i wrote a post here, i hope my fellow bloggers have not forgotten me.

Oops - All the best buddy for your forthcoming results and interviews. I am sure you will make it good.

Paige - How is your Euro trip planning coming along? Do plan to attend a Euro cup match during your stay there. The exceitement and passion in soccer is a must see.

HappyBunny - congrats for your great score

Bee - All the best for your HBS interview.....you will do well

Coin toss - welcome back!! :)

Hazyblur - good luck for forthcomming results

BSchoolBound - have a happy time deciding between H/S :)

Also, Congrats to all the new admits from blogging world...its great to see so many people finally getting what they wanted here.....Cheers!!

Sent initial deposit

2008-03-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

After postponing this for 2 weeks now finally i wrote a cheque for $1000 and sent out to NYU Stern. With this i am finally officially part of NYU Stern class of 2010. I am really happy for this :)

NYU Stern Interview experience log

2008-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Finally I got down to write my NYU Stern interview experience.

As is required by Stern, I went for an onsite interview at Stern campus in New York for the interview. Anyways, since I didn't visit the school before so I really wanted to experience everything first hand.

My interview was taken by an Associate Director of admissions. She was really a very nice lady and made me feel comfortable before we jumped on the actual questions. She asked me about my plan for the New York trip and how I am finding the city and also talked about SF (where I am living presently) weather.
Then she mentioned to me that this interview is not a blind interview and she has already read my essays, recommendations, resume and my application well. Also she clarified that this is not going to be an interrogation but will just be a casual chat which really helped in calming my nerves. Actually it was my first ever B school interview, so was a little tense but i was also confident on my preparation.

She started with my present experience. She was so well acquainted with my present profile that she asked me a very specific question about the work I am doing presently and that really impressed me a lot. As I am working in a technology consultancy firm I have worked for several Big Retail clients at multiple locations within US and in India. She also asked about my experience on that. It never seemed like she was just asking me questions. In fact it felt like we were just discussing things.
As I have worked with two biggest US retailers she asked me about what is my opinion about their working and what will I suggest them if I need to devise a strategy for them. This question caught me a bit off guard. I though about it a bit and then was able to answer it well.
Then we moved on to my short term goal and she asked me very specific question on that which again was impressive. This interview can really be called a personal interview and I was really impressed on the amount of effort she had put in going through my application material
Type of question which was asked was:-
1) Why I wanted to make a career switch?
2) How will I make the career switch?
3) How will Stern help me in making this switch and reaching my goals?
4) What will be the biggest obstacle I will face in getting to my short term goal/making the career switch?
5) How will you decide on which company you will join after graduating from Stern and why?

I was also asked:

1) If you are selected by several top schools how will you make your final decision?

I am unable to recall some of the questions :( but will update this post here if I am able to recll more.

The duration for my interview was 40 minutes including the time for my questions.

She mentioned to me after the interview that - “You really have done your research so well - Why was I asking you questions - you should have asked me" :). So that really gave me a very positive feeling and I was just waiting for the results.

I was really impressed by the Stern campus, though it’s a small campus. But the facilities were really excellent and all of the people were so friendly. After giving admits, the initiative which Stern has taken to connect all the admitted candidates and the way they reply to any of the queries which I have really shows the cooperative and collaborative culture which Stern has. Also its location in the heart of Manhattan - nothing can beat that. Just hop 2-3 subway stops and there you are standing on the Wall Street :)

For the interview one thing which is very important is:

You may not be asked on many of the things and thus may not get the opportunity to speak whatever you would have thought. So you need to plan during the interview itself that you speak everything you thought of conveying to the admission committee. Don't miss this opportunity and just space out various points in your replies and keep them impressed. It's important that whatever question you answer, you are able to convey one important point so that the interviewer remembers that. This becomes a little difficult when the interview is not blind since you need to go one step further from what you wrote in the application.

Do let me know if any of you guys have any questions?

With arms wide open

2008-02-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

This famous song from Creed really describes what i feel after getting the first admit. I am so relieved.

"Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face "
- Creed

Do listen to this song again guys when you get that good news!!

All the best to my fellow bloggers!!

ADMITTED to NYU STERN!!

2008-01-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is the post i wanted to make for so long...i have been thinking about writing these lines in my dreams :) and today is the day when i finally get to write this......

Just got the call from NYU Stern confirming my admit!!

The feelings which i have when i got the news are really awesome.....and i am unable to concentrate on work.

"Dear Achilles,
Congratulations! We are very pleased to offer you admission to the NYU Stern MBA Class of 2010. The NYU Stern admissions process is highly competitive, and we congratulate you on this achievement.
On behalf of the Admissions Committee and NYU Stern, I welcome you to our community. "

I wanted to get into Stern since so long because of many reasons apart from it being one of the top schools.

Finally, i also get a chance to be a New Yorker....i have been looking forward to live in the city for many years now and finally the moment has arrived....

Now i get a chance to walk on the path of my dreams and to realize them.....

would not make this post long...and will write a new post for my journey from here....also pending is post on my interview experience at Stern....

Thanks all you guys out there

Thoughts and status update...

2008-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have been planning to write this post for a while now and finally i was able to sit and write it.

So here goes the status of my R1 apps -

NYU Stern:- I am done with my interview at Stern and it went okay. Even after so many days of the interview i still keep thinking about what went in those 30-45 minutes. And then i start thinking how i could have answered that question in a more better way :). I guess this is how it is for everybody. Now i am waiting for the results.
I interviewed on campus in NYC. And i really had a great time there. Will write a seperate post on the interview experience.
I am really impressed with the school and the city and 'Stern' remains my first choice.

Ross:- As i posted earlier, i have been waitlisted. Two days back i got mail saying that i will be considered with R2 apps now. Also they asked me to send any update. I have devised my strategy to send updates and will start sending updates ASAP. Lets see if i am able to convert this to an admit. Will keep you guys updated.

Darden:- Now i don't know what happened to them. I haven't heard from them for long and same is the status with many other people. Oops also seems to be in similar situation as me.
With the decision date coming nearer, i am fearing my worst for this application. But such a long wait for the so called 'early decision' round is really making me think that why i applied to this school in the first place. And then all the controversy that they are considering R2 apps now with R1 has further pushed this cause.

And so goes the waiting period......

No time to write a post!!

2008-01-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

I have really been very busy lately...( yeah start of excuses)
Some of the people even pinged me last week to check if achilles has given up plans for MBA :) ...hell nooooo

I am still very much into the game and its just that i didn't find much time to write a post on status of my current apps.

Again its very late in the night now and i have to rush for office early tomorrow (in fact today now :) ) as i have an important call at 8 in the morning. I have been thinking to write a post since 3 days now after i came back from New York but work has been really hectic since then.

Anyways cya guys, i will certainly write a status mail tomorrow :)

'Waitlisted' at Ross!

2008-01-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

Finally, i heard something from the school to which i submitted my first application

Today 01/15 was the decision date for Ross and somewhere deep down i knew that i would be waitlisted. I knew for sure that i would not be dinged directly. I always believed in the quality of application i submitted. Although i also knew that the quality of application i submitted for Ross was considerably different from what i submitted for Stern. This was mainly because Stern was my last application and thus i had more time to work on this one and by the time i started writing Stern application, i was already experienced in writing apps :)

Now i know how long this waiting game can be.

I know i can convert this to 'admit'. I will need to put a strategy in place for this.And i really need some guidance from all you guys out there. The moment, i saw my waitlist decision, I knew i can rely on all the people from this blogosphere in order to convert this to 'admit'.

Any help and suggestions are really appreciated.

Happy New Year' 08: Resolutions and ponderings

2008-01-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

One simple message on this new year. Below image was once forwarded to me by me friend.

(double clcik on this pic to see it properly :))

Let's march towards the goal of our life....

I hope everyone of you would have made some resolutions for this new year, lets hope we all keep our resolutions.
I can easily say this was one of the great years in my life and i really learned a lot in this year.

I had considerable learnings at work with major changes in my location twice during the year.
I had the opportunity of working with 2 great fortune 500 companies.
Last year was a lot about travel. I had 3 major trips during this year
GMAT - One of the major things which i planned in early 2006, i completed it with flying colors in 2007
Applied to my dream B schools

Now starts 2008 and i plan to beat 2007 in terms of more learnings from work, life and whole of this application process. Whatever may be the result, i am sure at the end of it i would have learned a lot and become a better individual.

Hope all of you have a great and happy year ahead !!

Price of an MBA....it's priceless indeed

2007-12-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was just going through the MasterCard advertisement and thought of this...though this is kind of old now but still thought of writing this:

GMAT - 250$
Manhattan GMAT classes - 1400$ (though i didn't take that :) )
Application to each school - 200$
Travel cost for interview - 350$

One admit from the dream school - PRICELESS!!

After this,

Tuition fees - 80000$ ( and i believe MasterCard can't pay this)...

But...
After MBA, dreams you convert into reality.....PRICELESS!!

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all bloggers!!

It's the celebration time people, enjoi :)

NYU Stern invites for interview

2007-12-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Yay!! Finally, i received my first interview invite :) and it comes from NYU Stern. I was confident of getting this invite because i think my application for Stern was the best of the three schools i apped. This is mainly because of more time i had for this application and also it was my third application i.e. after i had already submitted my applications to Ross and Darden. Thus, i think i was a little experienced while writing this application :).

I am really happy about this invite as this re insures about the quality of my app and gives me confidence both on the quality of my app and also my profile. Also NYU Stern is one of my dream colleges.

Now i can interview anytime in January but i was planning to interview sometime in last week of Jan. But i have one question - does the timing of my interview matter here? I believe it matters because some schools follow rolling admission even if they don't mention it. So what do you people say? I really need some feedback on this before scheduling my interview.

Also i need some tips on how to prepare for the interviews from fellow bloggers. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

The wait continues.....

2007-12-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

The wait for getting an interview invite still continues for me......

I am posting after a long time since there hasn't been much updates from my side on the application front. After submitting my Stern application on November 15, i went into a relax mode which has continued almost till now. I again started sleeping on time :)
Also, was on a nice shopping spree during the thanksgiving week. Also watched couple of movies...so all in all it was a nice time.

I started working on my Chicago application but the motivation and enthusiasm is clear missing. And that i think is mainly because if the long wait required for the results. Although i am working on my Chicago application now, i am only going to submit it if i am 100 percent sure of its quality. Chicago is my dream school and i don't want to put a half hearted application there. I will prefer to wait for one more year and then apply in full swing next year.

Meanwhile R1 Chicago results have started pouring in and mbarunnergirl has already got the call. Congrats to her!! One of my very good friend is also waiting to hear from Chicago. Hope he gets in!!

I am sure coming days are going to bring lots of news on this blogosphere....

Top B Schools

2007-12-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some thoughts about all top B schools written by a top B school alum.....
Source: Businessweek
Not: Views expressed below are not mine. Though i agree in some of the points but i am not eligible to comment on them. Anyways, its an intersting read:

1.) Harvard - Pros: The best academic brand in the world, people from East Timor will know where you went to school. Graduates are extremely polished and dynamic leaders. its no coincidence that so many politicians these days are HBS grads.
Cons: Students are about as pompous and pretentious as possible. Polish is a fancy way of saying full of s**t. its no coincidence that so many politicians these days are HBS grads.
Office Space Character: Lumbergh (Peter’s hated boss). He’s a quintessential Harvard grad; in charge and full of platitudes that sound great but on further inspection don’t make any sense. He also drives a nice car and makes a lot of money while being universally loathed. Kind of sums up every HBS grad you’ve ever met, right?

2.) Stanford - Pros: Small class size and focus on do-gooders leads to an incredible array of backgrounds and accomplishments of students, who thrive in tight knit community. Haven for the really interesting superstars out there. Tremendous brand. Beautiful weather.
Cons: It may be interesting to be classmates with a Buddhist monk-fighter pilot, but its also hard to relate to anyone (”So, did that vow of peace make it hard to take out bogeys?”). For super accomplished business students with the world at their fingertips, it sure doesn’t seem like any of them actually like business.
Office Space Character: Peter (main character). He seems like the most level headed, likable and down to earth of any of the characters, but for all his talents, he ends up as a damn construction worker. He’s also a major league flake, showing up to work only when he feels like it. Can you say entitled?

3.) Wharton - Pros: Arguably the best technical business education in the world. Great brand name, and the job placements are second only to H/S.
Cons: Not sure if it’s the ultra rigorous curriculum, the competitive culture, or the fact that they have to live in Philly for two years, but Whartonites are paranoid bordering on psychotic. The odds of having a nervous breakdown in your life triple after going here. Double that if you actually ask anyone at Wharton to calculate those odds.
Office Space Character: Tom Smykowski (Co-worker that invents “jumping to conclusions mat”). I’m assuming that Tom was actually an excellent technical employee, but that his constant fear of losing his job made him batsh*t crazy. Most fitting quote “I’m a People Person!!!!!!” when yelling at the consultants.

4.) Northwestern - Pros: Strong team culture and arguably the best marketing program in the country. Incredibly collaborative for such a large school. Great location next to major financial center (Chicago).
Cons: Very soft curriculum, these guys are poets. I’m pretty sure that Kellogg finance classes are prerecorded cartoons taught by Disney characters. Is it really worth it to pay $10000+ to drink every night? I mean, couldn’t you just do that without the degree?
Office Space Character: Joanna (Peter’s girlfriend). Like Peter, she’s very likable, level headed and likes to get around. Unfortunately she’s also vastly less skilled than many of her fellow characters. Thank God she’s hot.

5.) Chicago - Pros: Finance education is second only to Wharton globally (and even that’s debatable). Probably the best facilities of all the top business schools. Fantastic job placements and close proximity to Chicago. Academic horsepower of profs is untouchable.
Cons: Socially awkward is an understatement. Unlike Whartonites who are just high strung, Chicago GSBers either never learned or quickly forgot how to communicate with peers. Make sure to wear a face mask if they’re talking to you ’cause spits going to fly.
Office Space Character: Milton (Co-worker that loves red swingline stapler). Milton seems like a nice enough guy, and he might be the smartest guy in the office (he pulls off the grand caper in the end). It’s just that he’s about as charismatic as a toilet bowl. Hire ‘em, just make sure to get GSBers an office in the basement.

6.) Columbia - Pros: Great location in the middle of global financial center (New York). Most diverse student body in terms of minorities and women. Very strong finance program. New York allows great social and job placement opportunities, and draws worldly, cosmopolitan students.
Cons: Cliquish and commuterish. Columbia is like a high school with super rich kids. High ***hole factor. This isn’t the kind of school where you’ll be going to house parties, its more like the kind of school where you’re expected to order bottle service for twenty guys on a student budget or else be ostracized.
Office Space Character: Bobs (consultants that lay off workers). They seem smart, they have great jobs, but c’mon, these guys are douchebags.

7.) MIT - Pros: World class entrepreneurship program, and probably the best supply management program in America. Attached to world class research center, and location in Boston is strong. Great job placement, especially in consulting.
Cons: For all their unique academic offerings, the overall school is like 90/10 men/women including undergrads. Takes the term sausage fest to a whole new level. Nerdy culture.
Office Space Character: Michael Bolton (Peter’s co-worker and friend). Michael Bolton desperately wants to be cool, listening to rap music, talking in slang, but lets face it, he’s a dork. He’s also hampered by his dorky namesake, which seems to attract a lot of nerdy people (to his obvious dismay).

8.) Tuck -Pros: Small class size and tight culture leads to maybe the most enthusiastic students in any school. Great respect from recruiters. Alumni network is arguably the most responsive and helpful of any top school. Strong rigorous program.
Cons: Very conformist culture, and really limited social options. These guys seem so enthusiastic about their school that I’m almost certain that all students are given ecstasy at orientation. Listen, if two years in the middle of Nowhere, New Hampshire were to constitute the best two years of my life, I would kill myself.
Office Space Character: Brian (Works with Joannas at Chotchkies, wears 37 pieces of flair). Brian is well meaning and LOVES his job. Never mind that he’s a waiter at a glorified TGIF, he still loves it with all his heart. They say ignorance is bliss, in which case, maybe Tuckies have the secret after all. That or, like Brian, they’re borderline retarded.

9.) Michigan - Pros: Maybe the most hands-on practical curriculum of all the top schools. New facilities coming up in 2009. Largest alumni network of any business school. State school, so the 2nd year is cheaper.
Cons: Location proximity leaves something to be desired (Detroit? Why not put it next to Beirut). The overall atmosphere here is very fratty and college like. Every single UMich student and alumni I’ve spoken to say the highlight of their experience was tailgating and watching football. EVERYONE. Not that football isn’t awesome, but no one else had any other experience that was noteworthy? They probably forgot the rest after beerbonging Jagermeister.
Office Space Character: Lawrence (Peter’s next door neighbor and friend). Lawrence is a good guy. He’s loyal, and salt of the earth. He also has a few rough edges, and would use 1 million dollars to be intimate with two other women. Have a great time with old Lawrence. Just don’t be surprised if all you end up with is a job he hooked you up with at the local quarry.

10.) Haas - Pros: Great location in the bay, and strong ties to Silicon Valley. Great weather. Small class size and tight culture. Berkeley has very strong international brand name.
Cons: Weak ties to financial sector, and east coast in general. The culture here is definitely about as PC as it gets. This seems like the type of school where you’d need to get a permission slip before you held a woman’s hand on campus.
Office Space Character: Stan (Joanna’s manager at Chotchkies). Stan wants Joanna to do more than the bare minimum. After all, people can get an MBA anywhere, but they come to Chotckies/Haas for the atmosphere! Don’t you want to do more than the bare minimum? Then put on your flair, burn some bras and save a whale you selfish jerk.

11.) Duke - Pros: Maybe the best health care management program in the country. Great brand name, especially in the south. Strong team culture.
Cons: Relatively young MBA program, so alumni network is small. As such, the brand cache just isn’t there yet. People that come here seem very cookie cutter to me, not in a bad way, just very comfortable and relatively unambitious.
Office Space Character: Samir (Peter’s co-worker and friend). Samir is a nice guy, very practical and unassuming. You get the feeling that he’s happy as long as he has a job in hand. Won’t make waves, won’t screw up, and won’t take any risks. But he’s a happy guy, and will have a house with 2.2 kids and a dog in a suburb somewhere (probably Durham).

12.) Darden - Pros: Strong Case method program and rigorous curriculum is universally respected. Alumni network is very strong and active with current students.
Cons: Middle of nowhere. Intellectual horsepower not as strong at a lot of the other top schools.
Office Space Character: Anne (Peter’s ex-girlfriend who was cheating on him). Anne just seemed really high maintenance and uptight. You try doing twenty cases a week for a year and see what happens to you. Just don’t be surprised if it’s a bigger bi**h than you imagined.

13.) NYU - Pros: Great location within spitting distance of Wall Street. Strong finance curriculum, and media program.
Cons: Location in downtown Manhattan make this the ultimate commuter school. Weird inferiority complex with Columbia. If you don’t go into finance or media, good luck.
Office Space Character: Other Lumbergh (ex-co-worker of Peter, Joanna’s ex-boyfriend). From all accounts, the other Lumbergh was a likable guy who was good at his job and got a great job offer to move on somewhere else. We just never actually saw him. Kind of like your NYU classmates.

14.) UCLA - Pros: LA! Sun, beach, beautiful glamorous people everywhere! Strong ties to Southern California business and great real estate program.
Cons: LA. UV rays, crowded beaches and shallow, materialistic people everywhere. You get the feeling that UCLA students are there just to spend two years in SoCal rather than to get jobs. As such, this place draws vapid, materialistic people. But damn they’re hot!
Office Space Character: Drew (Peter’s co-worker, describes the famous “O-face”). Drew’s a fun-loving guy that people like. He’s also the kind of guy that would tell anyone who was willing to listen graphic descriptions of all his sexual exploits. I liked Drew when I was 19. When I’m 26..?

15.) Cornell - Pros: Maybe the best Hospitality management program in the country. Ivy league brand name, and strong ties to some top consumer management companies. Small tight knit culture.
Cons: In the middle of nowhere, and it’s definitely a cut below a lot of the top tier programs. I mean, hospitality management? Seriously?
Office Space Character: Peggy (Lumbergh’s secretary). She’s kind of in hospitality: “Initech, can I put you on hold? Thank you! Initech, can I put you on hold? Thank you! Initech, can I put you on hold? Thank you! .”

16.) Yale - Pros: World class brand name. Arguably the best social enterprise program in the country. Relatively strong job placement for the rank.
Cons: Newer program means little real rep with employers or alumni to lean on.
Office Space character: Dr. Swanson (Peter’s psychologist/hypnotist). The Dr. has a very strong reputation, and he makes Peter go from depressed to happy (what a do-gooder!). But when it comes to the rankings, he just falls over dead.

Stern Submitted - R1 Complete !!

2007-11-15T00:07:00.000-08:00

yayyyy....i submitted my Stern application 1 hr back and with this i have completed my R1 applications. Well i am kind of satisfied in the senses that i was able to complete the decided things.....
Well, till last minute i was just modifying 1-2 things here and there in the Stern essays and application...though i think i completed everything yesterday itself. Just that i wanted to check the application for one more day that i didn't submit it yesterday..

I really need some break now...for the last 4 months either it was GMAT or the applications in my life except my 4 day Los Angeles(LA) trip....now i really need some time off from all this...and guess what i have decided to take full 4 days off from this work :):) ...also, i have really been ignoring my office work for long now, i really need to concentrate there now for sometime....work these days is very hectic and i have been somehow taking it lightly and ignoring it due to the apps....i hope to find some more time there now....

After that, i need to look on my R2 apps and my interview prep...though right now there is no sign of any call visible :) ....

Now the wait starts for the R1 results :) .......

Stern Application - almost done

2007-11-14T01:54:00.000-08:00

Though i initially planned to submit my NYU Stern application today, i have decided to do it tomorrow now.
Reason:- I still want to modify some of the lines in essay 2.
Also i have my essay 1 at 764 words and want to reduce it to 750 words. But if i don't get anything to remove, i will submit this one at 764 rather than removing some imp info. from this one.

Recommendations have been submitted - one of my recommenders in fact has just submitted my reco. I just got the mail in my inbox about the submission.

I have completed other small parts of application as well and the only thing left now is to upload the essays and of course pay the fees :)

Stern Application and essays updates

2007-11-11T00:51:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I was able to put my mind away from the personal things going on in my life right now and concentrate on NYU Stern application.

Well, i have just completed the drafts for all the 3 Stern essays. Hufff...i am feeling a sense of great relief after completing these and clicking the 'Send' button on the mail to my reviewer.

I think my essays are in good shape at present. For the first essay, i took a lot of time. Though it was a simple career goal essay but it had a word limit of 750 words. Writing those short essays for 'Ross' and 'Darden', i didn't know what more to write to express myself better :). With great difficulty, i could develop a habit of expressing myself clearly in less words and now this essay wanted me to say more. I don't know how i am going to write Chicago's career goal essay of 1500 words :). Anyways, i completed this essay of Stern exactly at 750 words :)

For Stern's second essay about community, i could express myself clearly in the required limit of 500 words. This was the first essay i completed and think it looks good. Though, i think i have answered all parts of this essay question but still i wanted my reviewer to review this one carefully. Reading your own essay, you can sometimes overlook somethings. Now that's the greatest advantage of giving essays to reviewers. Thank god we have such nice souls who are able to take out time from their busy life for reviewing our stuff.

For the third essay - well this was the most difficult one. I finalized on writing this as an essay but was unable to think anything creative on this one. But finally two days back i got an idea and started writing on it. Though i think i have written it in a very simple way but this essay clearly describes true 'Achilles' :). Also i managed to put a bit of creativity at the end of this essay. This piece also represented one of my essential qualities and provided a nice ending to this essay. Now the only problem is that this essay has a word limit of 500 words and i am presently at 560. I have to reduce this essay by at least 30 words and i was unable to remove a single line from this. So for doing this, i am relying on my reviewer now. I hope he will be able to find something in this essay which i can remove without compromising on it's quality.

Other thing pending for my app is Recommendations. I have talked to both of my recommenders and they said they are almost done with the reco and will upload the same on Monday. I hope they do it on Monday.

I have kept a personal deadline of Tuesday to complete my application, thus keeping one day as buffer. So in worst case i should be able to press the 'Submit' button on Wednesday.

Lost........(personal)

2007-11-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

As usual, today was a busy day in office, due to the holiday season approaching its been very hectic....i was coordinating with different people on multiple things.....and then i received this phone call from India, it was from my best friend......as the phone number of my friend's home landline displayed on my cell phone, the expression on my face changed dramatically, I had an idea on what news this call can bring......and yeah my fear turned right.....
i picked the phone, but could not even speak - "hello" ....i wanted her to speak something first and she did spoke first......
she just spoke those 3 lines about 3 hours ago and all those lines are going on in my mind till now......i m even unable to concentrate on my work today....there's lots of work which requires my attention but i am unable to concentrate.....i need to put everything out and there is no one here with whom i can speak on this......so i decided to write out on my blog...

my best friend's mom has been suffering from cancer for almost an year now and recently about 3 weeks back her health started getting down......
I have known her mom ( my aunt) for very long now......and i share a very special bond with aunt......always in my good/bad times she had always been there, always giving me her blessings....she is one person i know who never did anything wrong to anyone in her life and takes care of every person who she comes in contact with......
3 weeks back my friend had to rush to India as aunt's health started degrading......3 days back was aunt's birthday and i spoke to her....but she could barely speak, still she asked about my work and how was i doing and wished me luck for my apps......but i knew something wrong is gonna happen in days to come.....so when today that number splashed on my phone, i was scared.....

today my friend just told me aunt is now in hospital in India and doctors have said that there is no hope.....its just a matter of time now..
I am in US and will not be able to go back to see her for the last time......but i want to speak to her for the last time and tell her that how much i love her.....even though we are not directly related but we have shared a special bond which is perhaps as strong as the bond between a mother and a child.....

I just hanged up the phone after i heard this, could not speak anything......this reminds me today that life is really short and you never know what's gonna happen tomorrow..you never know whether you will know the same person tomorrow or not....so its better to tell all the people you love about how much you love them!! we may not get the same opportunity again!!

I hope i get a phone call from her and i am able to speak to her once......but i know, the next time when the same number splashes on my phone, i am going to be even more scared...

Update: I lost one of the most beautiful persons i have known in my life almost a week back and i didnt get a chance to speak to her. I have been thinking about her ever since unable to do anything else. I am not even speaking much with people around me here. But i know she is there sitting right besides God, watching upon us.....thus, now i will not cry but will pray that good almighty God keeps her with all his love. I am sure God will keep her in his best comforts. I know i can speak to her anytime, i just need to close my eyes for that and she will be listening...as aunty once said to me: "You will always be there in my heart" and i know she will always be there in mine. Amen

Next App - NYU Stern

2007-11-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

After submitting two applications last week on 31st Oct, i haven't done much till now on the app front. I kind of relaxed even on the weekend, and now i am feeling the heat again.

NYU Stern R1 is due on November 15 and i still haven't completed even the first draft for any of the 3 essays. Though the first essay is essentially a career goal essay but it has a much longer word limit compared to the the other 2 apps (Ross, Darden) that i have written. So, i have to put in more stuff in this one and mention some of the things in detail.

The other 2 essays are completely different in Stern. Second essay is about Stern community. Though i have figured out what i have to write in this essay but still i have to pen it down.
The third essay is the real bouncer - "Please describe yourself to the MBA classmates". Now i am not getting any creative idea to put into this one and i am planning to write this one as an essay. But still no specific idea has come to my mind on what i am going to put into it.
I am really in need of some ideas for this one.

Its less than 10 days to go for this application.....i will have to start running from here on...

Ross, Darden Submitted - my first two apps :)

2007-11-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

I have clicked on 'Submit' on Ross and Darden apps.
I submitted Darden some 2 hours back and Ross just 1 hour back. But i think, i did okay, considering i have submitted my application more than 12 hours before the deadline. :)
I planned to submit one day in advance so missed that target.

Anyways, there were many last minute tensions. I had finalized all essays and started uploading them. As i finished uploading my last Ross essay, i got a ping from my reviewer - she mailed that the last essay is just fine. I felt that 'just fine' is not what i want to submit with. I mailed her back about what's lagging. She mailed some of the comments and i incorporated them. She provided some very good last minute inputs. I think i greatly improved on that essay because of this last minute change.
Then, when i was to submit my credit card details, 'page cannot be displayed' pops up :). I felt like...come onnnnn
Tried again and it worked :)

Clicked the 'Submit' button without thinking much. Mailed adcom some of the required stuff, i mean transcripts and yayyy, i am done submitting two of my important apps.

I think, i have worked really hard on these apps...lets see what the adcoms have to say....

Less than 18 hours to go...

2007-10-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

Less than 18 hours to go for deadlines of Ross and Darden Applications for Round 1. I haven't submitted both of these applications till now. I am feeling a lot of anxiety while pressing that 'Submit' button for the first time.

Things still left to be completed:-

Ross

1) I am not completely satisfied with my Ross2 essay. Though the concept is very good and all my reviewers have appreciated that, i have to re frame some of the sentences in this essay. One of my reviewers has again reviewed it today and i am awaiting comments from her on this one.

2) Ross3 essay - I completely changed this essay today. The concept was good but two of reviewers gave some critical comments. I modified it completely and sent it for one more review. Waiting for comments on this one too. The essay now seems to be really good, its just that i may need to correct some grammar here and there.

3) Pay the fees :)

4) But my biggest concern, one of my recommenders has still not submitted my reco for this one. Actually she tried submitting the recommendation yesterday but couldn't open thee site :(. She will try it again in next 2-3 hours and let me know. If she's not able to open the site, either i will have to call Ross or will have to ask her to send the reco to someone in US to be uploaded, since i am able to open this page easily.

Darden:

1) Fit with Darden - Thank God i got some good comments on this essay and i was able to modify this essay accordingly. I have changed this essay completely today. I was in doubts about this essay since last 3-4 days but today one of my reviewers gave some very negative comments -"i am not answering the question asked". I immediately sat down and rewrote the essay. It took 20-3 hours to come up with something because of this end moment tension. Now again sent this one for review and got positive comments. But now the problem is that i am exceeding the word limit by good 40 words. So, i have to cut down some of the lines, unable to figure out which ones.

2) Darden 3 essay:- This essay is fine, just i have to modify the opening line once :)

3) Mail the transcripts.

4) Pay the fees :)

Ok guys, wish me luck.....i hope i am able to complete everything left in another 2-3 hours.