I received an email from Georgetown informing me of a status update...so I log in and see that my application is listed as complete and under review by the admissions committee. Awesome. Only thing is, Georgetown doesn't release decisions until January! That's cruel! Now I know they're looking at my scores, my essays, my interview already, but won't let me know anything for nearly two months! I find it funny I don't really worry about where I am with UCLA, but I'm dying to know about Georgetown.
Scheduled my interview with UNC, set for December 15th. I traded emails back and forth with some admissions people regarding interviews, the whole telephone vs. on-campus debate. Ms. Nair said that although there is no difference between the two, she would expect applicants in the US to visit campus. I wanted to avoid applying in round 3 (although technically it's round 2), so I made sure all my scores and stuff were already there. All I have to do is finish my essays and do my interview. Shouldn't be too tough.
I'm not going to reschedule Wake Forest or Duke (all set for late January). I'll continue working on them, regardless of an admit from Georgetown. The cost of living is so much cheaper in North Carolina, I'd definitely have to weigh the pros and cons of each before I make any sort of decision. But, I'm ahead of myself!
This weekend I'm working as a poker dealer for a charity tournament in Cleveland, to benefit the Humane Society. Should be a good time, and I'm recruiting players. Also planning on running the Turkey Trot 4 mile walk/run on Thanksgiving morning. Look at me, Mister Charity!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Back To Work
In the words of Jed Barlett, what's next?
Georgetown application is done, all recommendations and transcripts are in, and it is now the waiting game. Anyone know if they release their decisions all on the same date, or in spurts? It'd be awesome to know before January 12th, but it's ok. I'll survive. The more I found out about the program, the more interested I became, and now I'd be pretty down if I got dinged. Their ranking in BW dropped a ton, which surprised me.
Next up is the North Carolina triumvirate: UNC, Duke and Wake Forest. I've scheduled my Duke interview/tour/visit for January 21st, and I hope to do UNC on the 22nd. Right now they only allow scheduling for 2008. I've also registered for all the events at Wake Forest on the 23rd/24th. Friday is the dinner, Saturday is the info session and panel interview, what they call the Done In A Day. I'd get a decision on the same day, which would be nice.
It seems lots of interview invites and offers/dings are going out now. I'd just like to wish all my fellow applicants best of luck! And remember, a ding isn't the end of the world. Trust me!
Georgetown application is done, all recommendations and transcripts are in, and it is now the waiting game. Anyone know if they release their decisions all on the same date, or in spurts? It'd be awesome to know before January 12th, but it's ok. I'll survive. The more I found out about the program, the more interested I became, and now I'd be pretty down if I got dinged. Their ranking in BW dropped a ton, which surprised me.
Next up is the North Carolina triumvirate: UNC, Duke and Wake Forest. I've scheduled my Duke interview/tour/visit for January 21st, and I hope to do UNC on the 22nd. Right now they only allow scheduling for 2008. I've also registered for all the events at Wake Forest on the 23rd/24th. Friday is the dinner, Saturday is the info session and panel interview, what they call the Done In A Day. I'd get a decision on the same day, which would be nice.
It seems lots of interview invites and offers/dings are going out now. I'd just like to wish all my fellow applicants best of luck! And remember, a ding isn't the end of the world. Trust me!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Georgetown Submitted
After a last-minute change of heart regarding an essay, I submitted my application for Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. I'm pretty happy with my essays. I did use the optional essay to write about my undergraduate performance, explaining my GPA being low due to finishing school in two and a half years.
I did find this experience a bit easier than UCLA, mostly because I had been through it once before. It's true what they say, the essays get easier the more you do. I wish my recommenders felt the same way!
Best of luck to everyone who's applying to McDonough! And happy birthday to me!
I did find this experience a bit easier than UCLA, mostly because I had been through it once before. It's true what they say, the essays get easier the more you do. I wish my recommenders felt the same way!
Best of luck to everyone who's applying to McDonough! And happy birthday to me!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Georgetown Interview
Yesterday I had my interview with Georgetown. McDonough is candidate-initiated until December, so I scheduled this one myself. Six hours in the car Sunday allowed me to listen to football, and remember everything I forgot back home (ie, an undershirt, a TIE, and cufflinks). I spent that night at a friend's place, jotting down notes and reading interview stuff on GMAT Club and accepted.com.
I woke up early on Monday and headed into Georgetown. I had to run into some stores to pick up the stuff I forgot, but didn't have any problems there. A current student helped me find my way to the admissions office, which was nice. The place was pretty well packed with prospective students waiting for either interviews or an information session. I wish I had scheduled my interview around one, but it didn't work out that way. My interviewer met me a few minutes before my scheduled time and led me to a room.
For those that don't know, Georgetown allows second-year students to interview prospectives. My interviewer was extremely friendly, and helped keep things casual. He started it off by giving a quick background of himself, and what is expected both in the admissions process and the interview. He stated that everything is taken together, and no portion outweighs any other. Good to know!
The first question was the "walk me through your resume" one. I'm pretty confident that I completely botched this! I gave a quick spiel about undergraduate studies, then spoke awhile about my first position, telling about leadership opportunities and teamwork and success. Then, when I started talking about my current position, I completely left out the main points I had worked so hard to get across! How could I forget to mention the main project I've been working on for over a year! Ugh! He probably thought I was nuts, though he didn't ask many follow-up questions. After that he asked about short-term goals, and I went into detail about those as well as long-term plans. He asked a pretty good follow-up question, probably to see how serious I was about my career trek. Hopefully I answered that well.
He asked the "Why Georgetown" question, and I nailed it. I spoke at length about the international curriculum, clubs, classes, professors. I mentioned that I had been exchanging emails with a current student, who turned out to be his very good friend! When it came time to ask him questions, I had tons, and he answered them very truthfully. I think we split our time pretty evenly between his questions and mine, and the whole ordeal took 25 minutes. We continued to talk about stuff on our walk back to the admissions office. I sent him a thank you note this morning, as well as the current student, letting him know we talked about him in my interview!
All in all, I thought it went well, and everything I saw or learned completely reaffirmed my interest in Georgetown. I've got until Friday to complete my application, but I find it so hard to limit my essays to 750 words each!
I woke up early on Monday and headed into Georgetown. I had to run into some stores to pick up the stuff I forgot, but didn't have any problems there. A current student helped me find my way to the admissions office, which was nice. The place was pretty well packed with prospective students waiting for either interviews or an information session. I wish I had scheduled my interview around one, but it didn't work out that way. My interviewer met me a few minutes before my scheduled time and led me to a room.
For those that don't know, Georgetown allows second-year students to interview prospectives. My interviewer was extremely friendly, and helped keep things casual. He started it off by giving a quick background of himself, and what is expected both in the admissions process and the interview. He stated that everything is taken together, and no portion outweighs any other. Good to know!
The first question was the "walk me through your resume" one. I'm pretty confident that I completely botched this! I gave a quick spiel about undergraduate studies, then spoke awhile about my first position, telling about leadership opportunities and teamwork and success. Then, when I started talking about my current position, I completely left out the main points I had worked so hard to get across! How could I forget to mention the main project I've been working on for over a year! Ugh! He probably thought I was nuts, though he didn't ask many follow-up questions. After that he asked about short-term goals, and I went into detail about those as well as long-term plans. He asked a pretty good follow-up question, probably to see how serious I was about my career trek. Hopefully I answered that well.
He asked the "Why Georgetown" question, and I nailed it. I spoke at length about the international curriculum, clubs, classes, professors. I mentioned that I had been exchanging emails with a current student, who turned out to be his very good friend! When it came time to ask him questions, I had tons, and he answered them very truthfully. I think we split our time pretty evenly between his questions and mine, and the whole ordeal took 25 minutes. We continued to talk about stuff on our walk back to the admissions office. I sent him a thank you note this morning, as well as the current student, letting him know we talked about him in my interview!
All in all, I thought it went well, and everything I saw or learned completely reaffirmed my interest in Georgetown. I've got until Friday to complete my application, but I find it so hard to limit my essays to 750 words each!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Nervous Anticipation
My UCLA application is finally complete! I guess what happened was my second recommender had mailed in a printed copy of her rec, instead of following the online instructions. So, that app is all done; now I wonder if I'm still up for R1, or if I've gotten moved to R2. Either way, it's all a waiting game now.
On the Georgetown front, the main three essays are about complete. I don't really consider the fourth required essay as an all-important one, as it's basically just a list of your extra-curriculars and community organizations from college through the present. I've got lots to write about there: founding a chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi at Wake Forest, freelance promotional and event work, and volunteering for the Humane Society. That one should be fairly easy.
My interview has been confirmed for November 3rd. The tentative plan is to drive up Sunday afternoon, stay with a friend to avoid getting a hotel, then nailing my interview with a current student! I've been studying up on the questions frequently asked on accepted.com, as well as speaking with a few other people. I feel I've got a good grasp on this, it all comes down to execution. Any advice?
Now, I've heard that Georgetown is truly rolling admissions, and that once everything is complete, you can get a decision within two to four weeks. I'm not sure if this is still accurate, given the changes in MBA admissions the last year or so, but it would be amazing to have a decision before Christmas! Especially since my company was recently acquired, and no one is sure what will happen.
On the Georgetown front, the main three essays are about complete. I don't really consider the fourth required essay as an all-important one, as it's basically just a list of your extra-curriculars and community organizations from college through the present. I've got lots to write about there: founding a chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi at Wake Forest, freelance promotional and event work, and volunteering for the Humane Society. That one should be fairly easy.
My interview has been confirmed for November 3rd. The tentative plan is to drive up Sunday afternoon, stay with a friend to avoid getting a hotel, then nailing my interview with a current student! I've been studying up on the questions frequently asked on accepted.com, as well as speaking with a few other people. I feel I've got a good grasp on this, it all comes down to execution. Any advice?
Now, I've heard that Georgetown is truly rolling admissions, and that once everything is complete, you can get a decision within two to four weeks. I'm not sure if this is still accurate, given the changes in MBA admissions the last year or so, but it would be amazing to have a decision before Christmas! Especially since my company was recently acquired, and no one is sure what will happen.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Mental Block
The whirlwind surrounding Georgetown continues! I've gotten good feedback on the goals and leadership essays, and am continuing to tweak them. I've also scheduled my interview: next Monday, November 3rd! It's so soon! This is such a tight deadline for me. I've gotta get my scores and transcripts sent over as soon as possible as well. I'll refrain from submitting my application before the interview, though, as I'm sure I will gain more insight from another visit. The third essay, the one about the most significant change I have made to an organization is proving to be very difficult, as I can't use the experience I wrote about in essay two. Any suggestions?
I also reached out to a current student whose blog I found on the McDonough website. He's been extremely helpful, and serves as another example of how awesome the MBA community can be! I'm pretty sure a family friend went to Georgetown as well, so I'm going to contact him as well. Hopefully I can get them to read my essays and provide feedback.
Other than that, I continue to track down my second recommender for UCLA (note: she is NOT doing any other recs for me). My status has officially been moved to On Hold. I don't know if that means I can still be considered for R1 if she gets it in, or if I'm already moved to R2. If I don't hear from her soon, I'll have to call UCLA to have her removed. I'm sure that won't look to positive!
I also reached out to a current student whose blog I found on the McDonough website. He's been extremely helpful, and serves as another example of how awesome the MBA community can be! I'm pretty sure a family friend went to Georgetown as well, so I'm going to contact him as well. Hopefully I can get them to read my essays and provide feedback.
Other than that, I continue to track down my second recommender for UCLA (note: she is NOT doing any other recs for me). My status has officially been moved to On Hold. I don't know if that means I can still be considered for R1 if she gets it in, or if I'm already moved to R2. If I don't hear from her soon, I'll have to call UCLA to have her removed. I'm sure that won't look to positive!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Dreams Die Hard
I just can't shake it. The desire to get my MBA is always there, in the back of my mind. Just when I think I'm resigned to the fact that this year isn't the best option, those people who tried to talk me out of it in the first place then say I shouldn't give up and to keep going! Sure, my ambitious plan of trying to apply to eight or nine schools, all in the first round, wasn't feasible.
New plan: be choosy. What schools would I, if accepted, love to go to? UCLA is obviously there, and my portion is done (oddly enough, my second recommender STILL hasn't done it yet!). UNC and Duke were always high on my list, as was Wake Forest. My trip to DC and further research has also brought a new horse into the game: Georgetown. I've already started the app and have a draft of the career goals essay finished. I hope to have drafts of the other ones soon. That leadership essay is pretty tough!
I got an email from an admissions person from UNC regarding my application, just a sort of "hey, how is everything going" message. I responded back and said I'm having difficulty finding the time to leave work and get to Chapel Hill to interview, and if she has any suggestions. We'll see what she comes up with. I figure it'll be the standard "An interview is a very important component that allows us to get to know you better, and is required" spiel, but who knows.
That's my updates for now. Five schools: UCLA (done), Georgetown, UNC, Duke and Wake. Feasible? Absolutely. Will I get in? Wake probably, the rest, doubtful but you never know!
New plan: be choosy. What schools would I, if accepted, love to go to? UCLA is obviously there, and my portion is done (oddly enough, my second recommender STILL hasn't done it yet!). UNC and Duke were always high on my list, as was Wake Forest. My trip to DC and further research has also brought a new horse into the game: Georgetown. I've already started the app and have a draft of the career goals essay finished. I hope to have drafts of the other ones soon. That leadership essay is pretty tough!
I got an email from an admissions person from UNC regarding my application, just a sort of "hey, how is everything going" message. I responded back and said I'm having difficulty finding the time to leave work and get to Chapel Hill to interview, and if she has any suggestions. We'll see what she comes up with. I figure it'll be the standard "An interview is a very important component that allows us to get to know you better, and is required" spiel, but who knows.
That's my updates for now. Five schools: UCLA (done), Georgetown, UNC, Duke and Wake. Feasible? Absolutely. Will I get in? Wake probably, the rest, doubtful but you never know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)