Ah, my first ding after an admit and two WLs. I knew Duke was a long shot, and my interview wasn't exactly the greatest thing. It still stings just a bit though. All that's left on the decision front is my WL status at Georgetown and UNC and my inevitable ding at UCLA (having not received an invite to interview, I think it's safe to say I'm not getting in).
So, my focus continues to be on Wake Forest. I leave for Scholar's Weekend early Friday morning and the schedule looks fun and action packed. Even better, Wake is playing in the ACC Tournament that weekend, so it should be a good time. I'm definitely looking forward to meeting some fellow admits and getting a feel for things down there.
To those that got in to Duke today, congratulations and best of luck!
Showing posts with label Duke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duke. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Duke Visit Recap
I've calmed down a bit and gotten a tiny morsel of rest. Unfortunately, work isn't cooperating with me wanting to take it easy. I'm still high off my admittance though!
Wednesday, January 21st, I visited Duke's Fuqua school. Parking was a hassle, as the lot they told me to park in was closed, so I parked at a visitor's center far away and walked back. The guy checking students in said the lot was really open and gave me a pass to go back. Oh well. My interview was at 10AM with a second year student. We had a good conversation, nothing out of the norm. After I mentioned my work with the Humane Society, she asked me to educate her on shelter animals and why they're a good choice. It put me on the spot!
I had a break between my interview and lunch/tour, so I moved my car then went back to the building. There were other first year students there, just answering questions and shooting the breeze with other potential students. I'd say there were about 20 other people there. The group was pretty diverse and nice, I had a good time talking to them. Our tour started very late, as the student host never showed up. We were eventually led to the cafeteria, grabbed some food, then took an abreviated tour. I sat in on an operations core class after that. It was interesting, though as we hadn't read the case it was a bit over our heads. There also wasn't much discussion among students, mostly just answering direct questions.
Overall, I'd rate the facilities as amazing. The building is absolutely gorgeous; I could see myself sitting in the Fox Center doing work and drinking coffee. After class I headed back to Charlotte. Total driving time: 5 hours.
Wednesday, January 21st, I visited Duke's Fuqua school. Parking was a hassle, as the lot they told me to park in was closed, so I parked at a visitor's center far away and walked back. The guy checking students in said the lot was really open and gave me a pass to go back. Oh well. My interview was at 10AM with a second year student. We had a good conversation, nothing out of the norm. After I mentioned my work with the Humane Society, she asked me to educate her on shelter animals and why they're a good choice. It put me on the spot!
I had a break between my interview and lunch/tour, so I moved my car then went back to the building. There were other first year students there, just answering questions and shooting the breeze with other potential students. I'd say there were about 20 other people there. The group was pretty diverse and nice, I had a good time talking to them. Our tour started very late, as the student host never showed up. We were eventually led to the cafeteria, grabbed some food, then took an abreviated tour. I sat in on an operations core class after that. It was interesting, though as we hadn't read the case it was a bit over our heads. There also wasn't much discussion among students, mostly just answering direct questions.
Overall, I'd rate the facilities as amazing. The building is absolutely gorgeous; I could see myself sitting in the Fox Center doing work and drinking coffee. After class I headed back to Charlotte. Total driving time: 5 hours.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Very Tired
Just got back from Winston-Salem. Tuesday: 8 hours in the car. Wednesday: 5 hours in the car. Today: 3 hours in the car. Tomorrow: 8 hour drive home. Ugh. The good part is I've completed my visits to both Duke and Wake Forest. I will have write-ups for both once I get home and unwind a bit. The Done-In-A-Day experience was a good one, one others will hopefully enjoy hearing about!
Anyways, I'm off to let loose some steam. To all the people I met at Duke on Wednesday and Wake Forest today, good luck!
Anyways, I'm off to let loose some steam. To all the people I met at Duke on Wednesday and Wake Forest today, good luck!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Carolina Bound
Tomorrow morning, I head off to North Carolina for the second time in 30 days or so. I'll drive to Charlotte from Cleveland on Tuesday, wake up early Wednesday morning and drive to Durham for an all-day visit to Duke (interview, class visit, tour, lunch with current students), then back to Charlotte. Thursday is my only free day. Friday I have a dinner for Wake Forest so I have to drive to Winston-Salem, then back. Saturday I wake up very early, drive to Winston-Salem, and do class visit/tour/lunch/reception/interview at Wake Forest. The bad news: that's a ton of driving. The good news: I will have a decision from Wake Forest that day. I'm looking forward to this experience, as it's fairly unique among MBA programs.
More bad news: the weather on my drive will be awful. Now, I've made this trip a thousand times over the years. Yet I have never had to drive through the mountains of southern West Virginia and Virginia during snow before. I'm definitely a little nervous. I'll be leaving earlier than I had originally planned to compensate. It figures, the time I want to visit, Durham is expecting a high of 20 degrees and an 80% chance of snow. Knowing North Carolina they'll shut down the state!
Even more bad news: OmneGirl won't be making the journey either. A work issue has come up and her vacation time was cancelled. I'm definitely bummed out that I have to go alone, and I know my brother's girlfriend was looking forward to having a female visitor for once.
I'll try and blog from the road. I'm very much looking forward to both visits. As I did Wake Forest for undergrad I'm very familiar. The Done-In-A-Day event is something I'll definitely give a full recap of, as I don't think anyone knows what it is really like. Until then, happy hunting (welcome back, BSG)
More bad news: the weather on my drive will be awful. Now, I've made this trip a thousand times over the years. Yet I have never had to drive through the mountains of southern West Virginia and Virginia during snow before. I'm definitely a little nervous. I'll be leaving earlier than I had originally planned to compensate. It figures, the time I want to visit, Durham is expecting a high of 20 degrees and an 80% chance of snow. Knowing North Carolina they'll shut down the state!
Even more bad news: OmneGirl won't be making the journey either. A work issue has come up and her vacation time was cancelled. I'm definitely bummed out that I have to go alone, and I know my brother's girlfriend was looking forward to having a female visitor for once.
I'll try and blog from the road. I'm very much looking forward to both visits. As I did Wake Forest for undergrad I'm very familiar. The Done-In-A-Day event is something I'll definitely give a full recap of, as I don't think anyone knows what it is really like. Until then, happy hunting (welcome back, BSG)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Duke Submitted
I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Years celebration. I enjoyed the festivities with friends and family and it was wonderful.
At 4:15PM EST I submitted my Duke-Fuqua application. Phew! This one came down to the wire as I kept editing my essays. I think I put together the best possible application and hope for the best. I have to give big thanks to Vitaly for giving me some pointers, it was nice to have someone look at them who has been through the process.
So, where do we go from here? My Duke visit/interview is January 21st and my Wake Forest visit/interview is January 23rd-24th. I've got basically two weeks to prepare. The good news is that all applications are submitted and out of my hands. It was a trying experience, and I'll write about it more in depth when I catch my breath.
I know more decisions are coming out in the next few weeks. UCLA notification is January 8th. I haven't heard anything since October, so either I was pushed to R2 like they said or I'll expect a big fat DING tomorrow. Fate will see! Best of luck all!
At 4:15PM EST I submitted my Duke-Fuqua application. Phew! This one came down to the wire as I kept editing my essays. I think I put together the best possible application and hope for the best. I have to give big thanks to Vitaly for giving me some pointers, it was nice to have someone look at them who has been through the process.
So, where do we go from here? My Duke visit/interview is January 21st and my Wake Forest visit/interview is January 23rd-24th. I've got basically two weeks to prepare. The good news is that all applications are submitted and out of my hands. It was a trying experience, and I'll write about it more in depth when I catch my breath.
I know more decisions are coming out in the next few weeks. UCLA notification is January 8th. I haven't heard anything since October, so either I was pushed to R2 like they said or I'll expect a big fat DING tomorrow. Fate will see! Best of luck all!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wake Forest Submitted
I submitted my Wake Forest-Babcock application today. My interview isn't until 1/24/09, but I had the option of submitting it today and getting a fee waiver (in honor of Wake going to a third consecutive bowl game). Saved me $75, so yay! On the 23rd of January I'll be attending a dinner with alumni, faculty and current students to learn more about the program. The 24th is a busy day, with a mock class, tour (I used to work there, so I'm pretty comfortable in that building), information sessions, then my Done-In-A-Day interview. I don't have to write essays, but I sit for a panel-style interview and answer the essay questions. By doing this, I will receive an admissions decision within 24 hours. When I get home, I should have an admit in my pocket if all goes well.
All that's left to do is submit Duke in early January then prepare for my second Carolina trip for interviews and visits. I've already started the Duke essays, so I'm pretty confident I'll finish early. I kind of like submitting apps on a rolling basis. My original plan was to submit everything for round one, but this would have been very taxing for both myself and my recommenders. This way is better, staggering them. Although, it also means my decision notifications are staggered. Oh well!
So, who works next week? I'm off starting Wednesday.
All that's left to do is submit Duke in early January then prepare for my second Carolina trip for interviews and visits. I've already started the Duke essays, so I'm pretty confident I'll finish early. I kind of like submitting apps on a rolling basis. My original plan was to submit everything for round one, but this would have been very taxing for both myself and my recommenders. This way is better, staggering them. Although, it also means my decision notifications are staggered. Oh well!
So, who works next week? I'm off starting Wednesday.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Few-qua vs. Fooqua
I have officially started the Duke application for R2 (due January 7th). I already scheduled my class visit and interview for January 21st. The application seems pretty basic, nothing out of the ordinary. The essays are a mixed bag, however.
The first essay states "What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long-term goals?" This is the fairly standard goals essay, with a focus on how the Duke experience will help you get where you want to go. One full page should be a decent enough amount of space to get this across.
The second essay, "How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers?", appears to be a place to state where your characteristics and desires match those of the Duke community and what you will bring to the table. I also get the sense of "Why Duke?" in that question. I've got a lot to say, so hopefully one page is enough.
The last short essay asks you to discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and why, with emphasis on NOT being from the professional world. This one is interesting, something I've seen in UCLA and a few other apps. Picking one person, or one experience as a lynchpin moment in my life is going to be difficult, as I think it's the series of events and people that affect us. There is no one defining moment in my life.
The long essay, at two pages, states "Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, emotional intelligence as well as business acumen. Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?" Oh boy, that's a mouthful! Leader of consequence...this feels like a fairly idealistic question to me. Something tells me this is the essay where the Adcoms will find must of the BS.
So, any advice on tackling these? What was the hardest for you? Can you actually pronounce the name properly?
The first essay states "What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long-term goals?" This is the fairly standard goals essay, with a focus on how the Duke experience will help you get where you want to go. One full page should be a decent enough amount of space to get this across.
The second essay, "How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers?", appears to be a place to state where your characteristics and desires match those of the Duke community and what you will bring to the table. I also get the sense of "Why Duke?" in that question. I've got a lot to say, so hopefully one page is enough.
The last short essay asks you to discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and why, with emphasis on NOT being from the professional world. This one is interesting, something I've seen in UCLA and a few other apps. Picking one person, or one experience as a lynchpin moment in my life is going to be difficult, as I think it's the series of events and people that affect us. There is no one defining moment in my life.
The long essay, at two pages, states "Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, emotional intelligence as well as business acumen. Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?" Oh boy, that's a mouthful! Leader of consequence...this feels like a fairly idealistic question to me. Something tells me this is the essay where the Adcoms will find must of the BS.
So, any advice on tackling these? What was the hardest for you? Can you actually pronounce the name properly?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The Work Continues
Been awhile, dear readers, hasn't it? I trust everyone had a happy Thanksgiving break. I myself enjoyed a four-day weekend. I woke up early Thursday morning to run the Turkey Trot, a four-mile fun run for the homeless. Big props to everyone who braved the 30-degree weather, but a big thumbs down to the people who stole my bag containing all the T-shirts for my group and my sister-in-law's ID. Boo! On Thanksgiving, come on people! I followed that up with lots of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc. The rest of the weekend was devoted to relaxing after a stressful couple of weeks.
The UNC essays are in full swing. They're due Friday the 5th and I continue to tweak them, though the 500-word limit is killing me! I feel like I can only scratch the surface of what I want to say before I have to move on to the next topic. Hopefully I'm not the only one in this predicament and my interview will give me an opportunity to more strongly convey what I want. Question: How many words over that 500-word limit is acceptable? I've got some that are 513 or so, which I think is ok. I've got another that currently sits at 548, which I feel is too much. I want to rework that one, take out one paragraph that basically reiterates my teamwork background and add in some other stuff, maybe that'll solve the issue.
I basically have until Friday to finish UNC up, then I drive to North Carolina the weekend of the 13th for my interview on the 15th. When I get back, it's time to start Duke. Luckily, since I'm doing the Done-In-A-Day program at Wake Forest, the essay requirements are waived; however, the interview is conducted panel-style and I still need to answer all the questions. Should be an interesting experience.
The UNC essays are in full swing. They're due Friday the 5th and I continue to tweak them, though the 500-word limit is killing me! I feel like I can only scratch the surface of what I want to say before I have to move on to the next topic. Hopefully I'm not the only one in this predicament and my interview will give me an opportunity to more strongly convey what I want. Question: How many words over that 500-word limit is acceptable? I've got some that are 513 or so, which I think is ok. I've got another that currently sits at 548, which I feel is too much. I want to rework that one, take out one paragraph that basically reiterates my teamwork background and add in some other stuff, maybe that'll solve the issue.
I basically have until Friday to finish UNC up, then I drive to North Carolina the weekend of the 13th for my interview on the 15th. When I get back, it's time to start Duke. Luckily, since I'm doing the Done-In-A-Day program at Wake Forest, the essay requirements are waived; however, the interview is conducted panel-style and I still need to answer all the questions. Should be an interesting experience.
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