The calendar has turned to May. What does this mean for MBA applicants? It's pretty much the end of the line for Class of 2011 hopefuls. May is the final round for decisions, so if good news was headed your way, it'd be there by now. Myself? Well, I got an interesting status update at UNC today. I had previously been waitlisted in January and March. At that point, I decided Wake Forest was the choice for me. However, I forgot to actually let UNC know, even though they requested a decision from me several times. So, I get the email, log in to my account, and see that they have selected me for the "Final Waitlist." They mentioned they are oversold for this year, which makes you wonder why they'd continue to ask people to stay on the WL.
I'm committed to Wake Forest. I've paid my deposit, visited twice since getting admitted, met some very cool people and am excited about starting my life once again in Winston-Salem. MBA admissions are never easy. There's no roadmap, no Excel spreadsheet about why or how decisions are made. Why would Carolina, after telling me too many kids sent in deposits, ask me to continue to hold out on the waitlist? Even after I ignored their emails about notifying them about a decision? I don't get it.
Other than that wrinkle, I picked my final work date and let both my current boss and my soon-to-be-new-boss-from-the-new-company know. There wasn't much of a surprise. June 30th, a mere 57 days from right now! It's going to be hard to finish, I can already tell. My work will continue to slow until there's nothing left to do. How will I deal with the boredom?
Showing posts with label UNC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UNC. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Game Is The Game
Today was decision day for UNC and Georgetown. I had previously been waitlisted at both back in R1 and was anxious to see the results. In short: they suck. I've been asked to remain on the WL at both. Notification for UNC would come May 4th; Georgetown on May 18th. Sorry, folks, not gonna happen.
I had been leaning towards Wake Forest pretty much since I got accepted back in January; my visit for Scholar's Weekend pretty much cemented it, but I wanted to give the other schools a chance. Asking me to remain on the WL is pretty harsh. Yes, I know it's not a straight ding, though at this point it must be. Schools know you applied to other places, and in the four or five months since you've surely gotten an acceptance somewhere with a deposit due. May dates clearly fall outside those dates. Those who choose to remain on the WL either haven't gotten in elsewhere or are willing to eat a deposit. I will not.
So, the choice is made. I will join the Wake Forest Babcock class of 2011 and have zero qualms about it. I've met fantastic people throughout, I love the school and the area, and I know I can be a part of something special. More importantly, I feel WANTED. Georgetown and UNC have had me on WLs since January (and asking to remain until at least May); Wake constantly reaches out to me to see if there's anything I need. Being wanted is a better feeling than being accepted.
I'll never know about Georgetown or UNC. Sure, I could tell them to keep me on the WL until May and find out my status then, but what would be the point? You don't ask a girl to the prom, and when she says yes ask another girl just to find out what she'd say. Me and Wake Forest, we're going dancing.
I had been leaning towards Wake Forest pretty much since I got accepted back in January; my visit for Scholar's Weekend pretty much cemented it, but I wanted to give the other schools a chance. Asking me to remain on the WL is pretty harsh. Yes, I know it's not a straight ding, though at this point it must be. Schools know you applied to other places, and in the four or five months since you've surely gotten an acceptance somewhere with a deposit due. May dates clearly fall outside those dates. Those who choose to remain on the WL either haven't gotten in elsewhere or are willing to eat a deposit. I will not.
So, the choice is made. I will join the Wake Forest Babcock class of 2011 and have zero qualms about it. I've met fantastic people throughout, I love the school and the area, and I know I can be a part of something special. More importantly, I feel WANTED. Georgetown and UNC have had me on WLs since January (and asking to remain until at least May); Wake constantly reaches out to me to see if there's anything I need. Being wanted is a better feeling than being accepted.
I'll never know about Georgetown or UNC. Sure, I could tell them to keep me on the WL until May and find out my status then, but what would be the point? You don't ask a girl to the prom, and when she says yes ask another girl just to find out what she'd say. Me and Wake Forest, we're going dancing.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Waitlisted at UNC
Another day, another waitlist. Checked my status when I had a free moment and UNC has offered me a spot on the waitlist. They will evaluate me with the other waitlisters and R3 applicants with notification coming on March 23rd, the same day as Georgetown's notification.
This is putting me in a difficult spot, though. First, I have to let Wake Forest know by April 1st if I'm accepting. If I get in to any other school, I'll have a week to figure it out. There likely won't be any scholarship money left either, so now the question will become "Is a full-ride to Wake Forest better than accepted at another school with no money?" This is frustrating having to wait so long.
This is putting me in a difficult spot, though. First, I have to let Wake Forest know by April 1st if I'm accepting. If I get in to any other school, I'll have a week to figure it out. There likely won't be any scholarship money left either, so now the question will become "Is a full-ride to Wake Forest better than accepted at another school with no money?" This is frustrating having to wait so long.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Long and Quiet Time
Boy, the MBA blogosphere sure is quiet these days, especially on the applicant front. Where is everyone? It seems before the new year I could check Hella's list and always see an update. Now it's almost always just Clear Admit or Accepted and maybe another blogger. Wake up people! This is the time to talk things through, make some decisions, vent frustrations. I know waiting stinks, but that's no reason to go silent! I rely on you!
I've started formulating what I want to say in my Georgetown waitlist letter. Accepted had a good three-part idea. First, write about what you've done since applying. Then, address a possible weakness. Finally, reaffirm your fit. Sounds like a very solid plan and I can certainly touch on all three points. I already have my manager working on a recommendation for me. March 23rd is just so far away though. And without significant scholarship money I don't know if Georgetown will ever happen.
UNC decision is coming up next Monday. Wee!
I've started formulating what I want to say in my Georgetown waitlist letter. Accepted had a good three-part idea. First, write about what you've done since applying. Then, address a possible weakness. Finally, reaffirm your fit. Sounds like a very solid plan and I can certainly touch on all three points. I already have my manager working on a recommendation for me. March 23rd is just so far away though. And without significant scholarship money I don't know if Georgetown will ever happen.
UNC decision is coming up next Monday. Wee!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Weekend That Was: Charlotte and UNC
Phew, what a weekend! 18.5 hours in a car, by myself. Love it! My record is still 34 hours by myself, driving from New Orleans to Cleveland, and back, for a long weekend. This trip took me to Charlotte to see my brother, then to UNC for my interview.
Charlotte is just plain awesome. I'm tempted to just move down there if I don't get in to an MBA program this year, live it up and apply (with NC residency!) next year. It'd save me some money, definitely. The area they live in is very new, clean, and fun. We took a trip downtown to Blackfinn, Howl at the Moon, Suite, then back to Fox and Hound. Too much fun. Sunday was a tour of some other parts. They definitely gave me a hard sell!
Monday was ridiculous. I woke up at 4:30AM, then drove 2.5 hours to Chapel Hill for my 8:30AM interview. My interviewer arrived plenty early, so we got started around 8:15 or 8:20. He said it would last 30 minutes, he's only seen my resume, and his purpose is to provide a voice in the committee meetings. He knew of my hometown, including my high school, so we developed a quick rapport (this is key!). I was actually able to articulate the nature of my undergraduate GPA, which I think was key. He seemed genuinely interested in my circumstances and I hope he repeats that to the committee.
The main topics were fairly standard and the conversation flowed nicely. We walked through my resume, he asked the standard why MBA/why now/why here questions. He threw some curveballs, such as "If given a day off, what would you do with it?" and "What would be your legacy if you left your current position right now?" I felt I answered them convincingly and I didn't forget huge portions like at Georgetown.
Overall, I felt this interview rocked. We had fun discussing things, and he had to stop us once we reached 45 minutes so that he wasn't late to his next appointment. We continued talking into the hallways, and he advised me on talking to random KFBS students, which I did. The facility is awesome, the students and staff friendly. He definitely sold me, now I just hope I sold him!
Charlotte is just plain awesome. I'm tempted to just move down there if I don't get in to an MBA program this year, live it up and apply (with NC residency!) next year. It'd save me some money, definitely. The area they live in is very new, clean, and fun. We took a trip downtown to Blackfinn, Howl at the Moon, Suite, then back to Fox and Hound. Too much fun. Sunday was a tour of some other parts. They definitely gave me a hard sell!
Monday was ridiculous. I woke up at 4:30AM, then drove 2.5 hours to Chapel Hill for my 8:30AM interview. My interviewer arrived plenty early, so we got started around 8:15 or 8:20. He said it would last 30 minutes, he's only seen my resume, and his purpose is to provide a voice in the committee meetings. He knew of my hometown, including my high school, so we developed a quick rapport (this is key!). I was actually able to articulate the nature of my undergraduate GPA, which I think was key. He seemed genuinely interested in my circumstances and I hope he repeats that to the committee.
The main topics were fairly standard and the conversation flowed nicely. We walked through my resume, he asked the standard why MBA/why now/why here questions. He threw some curveballs, such as "If given a day off, what would you do with it?" and "What would be your legacy if you left your current position right now?" I felt I answered them convincingly and I didn't forget huge portions like at Georgetown.
Overall, I felt this interview rocked. We had fun discussing things, and he had to stop us once we reached 45 minutes so that he wasn't late to his next appointment. We continued talking into the hallways, and he advised me on talking to random KFBS students, which I did. The facility is awesome, the students and staff friendly. He definitely sold me, now I just hope I sold him!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Prepping for an Interview
Thanks to everyone who wrote in about the Fuqua essay topics. I figured the long essay would be the most difficult, and it seems everyone had a wide range of topics covered. It could be a big differentiater.
I'm preparing for my UNC interview next Monday. I know the basic questions, resume, why MBA, why now, why here, etc. I've also got the teamwork, leadership, ethical dilemma, failure, strengths/weaknesses, etc. questions down. Is there anything else I should be prepared to answer? I'll be checking out Accepted.com and the Clear Admit wiki for interview write-ups, though I don't think anything has been posted for awhile.
I know we've got some UNC applicants in the blogosphere, so any hints or advice would be very welcome. I do wish I could have done a class visit, but it'll be alright. I'm not looking forward to waking up at 5AM, driving from Charlotte to Chapel Hill, doing my interview, then driving the 8.5 hours to Cleveland.
I'm preparing for my UNC interview next Monday. I know the basic questions, resume, why MBA, why now, why here, etc. I've also got the teamwork, leadership, ethical dilemma, failure, strengths/weaknesses, etc. questions down. Is there anything else I should be prepared to answer? I'll be checking out Accepted.com and the Clear Admit wiki for interview write-ups, though I don't think anything has been posted for awhile.
I know we've got some UNC applicants in the blogosphere, so any hints or advice would be very welcome. I do wish I could have done a class visit, but it'll be alright. I'm not looking forward to waking up at 5AM, driving from Charlotte to Chapel Hill, doing my interview, then driving the 8.5 hours to Cleveland.
Friday, December 5, 2008
UNC Submitted
Phew, three applications done and submitted! My interview for Kenan-Flagler isn't until next Monday (the 15th) so I have ample time to prepare for that. Anyone gone through their interview there yet? I'll head down on Saturday and spend some time with my brother and girlfriend beforehand, to relax a bit and avoid paying for a hotel.
The UNC essays weren't terribly difficult. They asked the standard questions, just in a different way and with a smaller word limit. The typical "Walk me through your resume" question was reworded, asking for a few characteristics that have driven your career success to date and any future characteristics you'd like to leverage. I used teamwork and challenging myself as my main points, which allowed me to walk through and hit the high points of my resume. I felt pretty good about this one.
The second essay is the career goals question. I've got a firm grasp on what I want to do, so I wrote about my short and long-term goals, why they appeal to me, etc. It's basically a shorter version of my McDonough career goals essay. This is probably the easiest of the four required essays.
The third essay was interesting. It basically asked what life experiences or personal qualities make us a unique candidate, and how these will equip us for the K-F experience. Interesting! This is the one I had to widdle down the most, as once I got started the writing just kept on coming. My readers suggested several changes to more aptly answer the question, which I followed. The final version came through late last night and I'm happy with it. It's a slightly different tone than previous essays. I feel this one is the differentiating factor among applicants. Sure, resumes and career goals may be different, but the "Unique Person" essay gives you 500 words to state exactly how you're different, why you're different, and what this'll do for the K-F community.
The last required essay was the "Why Kenan-Flagler" question, with the added twist of measuring the ROI. I knew why I wanted K-F, so I talked about the courses, projects, organizations and professors that I want from the school. Again, if you know why you want that school, it's a fairly easy question.
So, that's it for the UNC application! I can attest to the fact that apps get easier the more you do. Next steps are to prepare for my interview and work on my Duke and Wake Forest applications.
The UNC essays weren't terribly difficult. They asked the standard questions, just in a different way and with a smaller word limit. The typical "Walk me through your resume" question was reworded, asking for a few characteristics that have driven your career success to date and any future characteristics you'd like to leverage. I used teamwork and challenging myself as my main points, which allowed me to walk through and hit the high points of my resume. I felt pretty good about this one.
The second essay is the career goals question. I've got a firm grasp on what I want to do, so I wrote about my short and long-term goals, why they appeal to me, etc. It's basically a shorter version of my McDonough career goals essay. This is probably the easiest of the four required essays.
The third essay was interesting. It basically asked what life experiences or personal qualities make us a unique candidate, and how these will equip us for the K-F experience. Interesting! This is the one I had to widdle down the most, as once I got started the writing just kept on coming. My readers suggested several changes to more aptly answer the question, which I followed. The final version came through late last night and I'm happy with it. It's a slightly different tone than previous essays. I feel this one is the differentiating factor among applicants. Sure, resumes and career goals may be different, but the "Unique Person" essay gives you 500 words to state exactly how you're different, why you're different, and what this'll do for the K-F community.
The last required essay was the "Why Kenan-Flagler" question, with the added twist of measuring the ROI. I knew why I wanted K-F, so I talked about the courses, projects, organizations and professors that I want from the school. Again, if you know why you want that school, it's a fairly easy question.
So, that's it for the UNC application! I can attest to the fact that apps get easier the more you do. Next steps are to prepare for my interview and work on my Duke and Wake Forest applications.
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.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Waiting Stinks!
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!
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!
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