Preterm & Orientation

Preterm (optional) was last week. I have been so busy trying to settle in that I have not time to blog. It seems as if there are one and a million things to get done. I had signed up for Data, Model & Decisions, Accounting, Economics and Finance preterm classes. After the 1st 2 days, I confirmed that I didn't need to attend the DMD class. The work I had done previously in Statistics was more than enough. This I would have found out if I had done the diagnostics like the MBA Office had advised us to. But I had my hands full over the summer and had decided I would just attend the class to find out. One thing that really impressed me was that MIT had the preterm classes broadcast on one of their cable channels which is available for free if you live on campus. I actually watched one of my classes at home when I had to stay back to take delivery of my furniture. That was so cool. Even though most people know MIT as a quant school, I also think that they have a very strong ability to pass that knowledge to less quant people.
By the end of the week I was exhausted. Its hard being a student again.

This week was more fun. We started off on Monday with a welcome speech by the President of MIT which was really great and straight to the point. We were then divided into our cohorts and I must say that my cohort is the most fun group. My MIT Sloan colleagues are really down-to-earth, diverse, funny and unpretentious. They are also not afraid of trying out new things. Some really have great accomplishments but they don't brag about it. We played so many games this week and I must say I had a lot of fun and even tried stuff outside my comfort zone. Even though the Career Development Office have started working on us already, its being done in a seamless fashion with our core curriculum. I must say that I am impressed by the collaborative nature of the faculty and MBA office to ensure that we all succeed.

As part of the orientation week, we also had some case studies sessions, one of which was on Nike and globalization. The next day, we had a session with the Head of Compliance at Nike to discuss the issue as well as answer some of our questions.

Two sessions that stuck out in my mind were the Law & Leadership sessions. We were given a couple of real life scenarios and the opportunity to brainstorm about what we would have done in those situations and then we were given possible solutions. The sessions were very informative especially if you are an international student and you are not familiar with US laws.Bottom line: make sure you walk the line of integrity so you don't end up in jail and be careful about the company you keep. When in doubt, ask a lawyer.

One other thing I learnt this week was that no-one was taken off the waitlist this year because the yield was much higher than expected.

Arrived in Boston

I can't believe that a month has passed since I last blogged. I've taken two of the three exams but since I had such a short time before school starts,I've postponed the last one and would take in about a month's time.

I've moved to my apartment in Boston and have been trying to set up house. I already had a list of things that I wanted to check off but I needed my stuff which I had shipped via UPS to kick start everything off. But UPS disappointed me and I eventually received my items two days later than expected (this was after repeated calls on my part). One of my items got really damaged (mind you it wasn't a fragile item) and one of my boxes got missing. I know I'm going to be wary of using UPS again.

I'm trying to sort out, pay for and sign up for everything I need before school starts. Unfortunately, I haven't been hanging out my new classmates yet because I have been fatigued from reading and taking the 8hr exams and just want to recover my strength before classes start. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to hook up with them.

Time to go and pick up my school ID.

Career survey results

So I got this email from the Career Development Office about completing the Career Leader survey that would let you know what career paths you should consider looking at. After completing it, to my surprise, my current industry didn't even make the shortlist! I totally agree with all the career paths listed but to exclude that one job function was a big letdown for me. Does that mean that I have wasted all these years? And I do hope to use the industry knowledge post MBA but in a different job function. I've put that down in my to-do list in OneNote as a point for discussion when I attend the Career Leader session during pre-term. I'm really digging my tablet pc!

I've decided to postpone my exams for a few weeks. I can't seem to get the summer vacation out of my body! When next will I have this kind of work-free holiday? All I really just want to do is sleep, shop, watch movies, lazy around, visit places and try out some new recipes. I could always lose any weight gain when I get to school, right?

Okay okay!

I have been trying to enjoy my time off in addition to sorting out some family commitment but I have also had a secret assignment that I have been taking care of. All my friends and family have been encouraging me to do some professional exams and my excuse has always been that I can't afford it yada yada. Anyway, last month my other half (Prince) decides to pay for the exams. Men, I was busted! Now, these exams are not cheap by any standard and I could have used the money for some nice pre-school shopping. Okay, so I come with the excuse that the time is too short and I can't do 3 exams before school starts. But Prince was quick to remind me that on average that I hardly ever study for an exam for more than a month and I do that still reading novels everyday and watching movies. And this is actually true. My classmates and colleagues always marvel about it. But I do that to relieve stress. So now I have a lot of reading to do and goodbye to the beaches and watching the sunset. I'm so sad about that. And I don't like studying for exams. The first one is next week and I still have a lot to read. I've thought about postponing it but that would eat into the one week that I managed to squeeze out to rest before school starts and I need that holiday! Wish me luck.

On the MBA front, I've received the first term bill from MIT. Just seeing how much I have to pay gives me chills. I started asking myself : "Why am I doing this MBA?" That's why your essays have to ring true and be a result of deep soul searching. I'm sure there will be many more times when I have to remind myself of what I wrote in the essays and what my dreams and goals are.

I'm still going to post the pictures of my new laptop as soon as I find my camera. I hope I haven't packed it in the boxes I'm shipping via UPS.

So far................

I have finally moved my things to my friend's house where I will be staying till school starts. Then I will move again to Boston. I had no idea that I had a lot of things. At least this moving has given me a chance to prune down my stuff. I must say that I dislike moving. I've disconnected my cable, Internet and phone so that should save me some change. Every dollar counts now.
My X61 tablet laptop has shipped and I will be getting it on Thursday. I'll put up pictures once I unpack it. My laptop bag should be arriving about then.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to go on any of MIT E-Treks because of a friend's wedding on the same weekend. I'm sad about that but I guess there will be other opportunities.

Happy 4th of July!

I need to move.......

I have 5 days before I have to move out of my apartment and I haven't even started packing yet. I have been trying to sell off my furniture and some items still remain. Hopefully they'll be gone by then. Maybe I'm relaxed cos in my mind's eye, I already know what is going into which box and what I am giving away. I'm moving into a friend's house and will keep my stuff there till school starts.

I ordered a Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag yesterday. I already have a black laptop bag and I just wanted one that was a bit casual so I chose the colors I wanted by building my own bag. Here is a sample. Even though I know that I'm going to get a free backpack from school, I generally don't like carrying a backpack unless its necessary.

Ok. Time to start packing.

All and sundry

I've realised that I am just as busy as I was while I was working. The only good thing is that I don't have to worry about deliverables anymore.Now, if I am tired, I don't have to complete the task. I can kick back on the sofa and let tomorrow deal with it.

I have signed a lease on an apartment in Boston and I got the move-in date I wanted which is a week before school starts. I can use that time to do some shopping for my apartment and meet new classmates. I also have the option of taking scuba diving lessons but I haven't decided on it yet.My finances for school have also been sorted out.

I decided to buy the IBM 12.1'' Thinkpad X61t and have ordered it. Even though Lenovo has been having some order delays, at least I'll get it before schoool starts. I was able to use the Father's day sale with the 10% discount from AMEX so that saved me some money.

Right now, I've just started boxing my things and deciding on what I would keep, sell or give away. I also have some family commitments that would occupy me till the end of July so busy months ahead.

My current headache is sorting out my immunization requirements for Massachusetts. My immunization record is all over the place and even though I have been able to retrieve some, I have no idea what happened to the rest. I have till middle of July to have it ready and I'm really not keen on getting those shots if I don't find the record.

Phew! Time to chill out some more on my couch!

Can't still believe it!

Yesterday was my last day at work. I woke up early as usual this morning and I suddenly remembered that I didn't have to go to work! I know its going to take a while for my body to adjust back to sleeping in till late morning.

On the MBA front, I'm still waiting for my I-20 but I know it will come soon. Still looking for a roommate for the apartment building I want to live in.
One of the Sloan'08 students compiled a list of his classmates/companies they would be working in the summer and sent it to us so that we could hook with them and ask questions. That's so cool!

Since my phone is due for a change, I have been shopping for a new phone but hadn't found one that I like. I love Sony ericcson phones but I felt P990i was a little too bulky for me. Yesterday, I found the phone: P1i
http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=us&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10864
I know the phone won't come out till the Q3 but I can wait. I have used sony ericcson phones in the past and they have consistently delivered for me.

For my laptop, I'm still deciding between a Sony and an IBM. I want a screen size less than 14.1 inch but I also want an optical drive and 5400rpm. So I keep going back and forth on which to buy.

Anyway, time to catch a morning nap. Can you believe it?

New debt...............

Applied for the citiassist loan yesterday. Was approved today. I have faxed all my documents to the International Student Office.More progress on my checklist.
Started reading a new novel yesterday. Hope to finish it this evening.
Planning on making an appointment tomorrow to see my physician. Hope his schedule is not too busy. Need to have my medical forms filled out. I can't seem to be able to access some of my immunization records and I hope that I won't have to take them all again. Needles are not a big deal for me but hey, who wants to be poked?
I hope to work some more on my housing issues over this weekend.

Moments of introspection

So much seems to be going through my mind as I wind down on the last days of work. The reality that I would be unemployed soon is now dawning on me. Many changes would have to occur:
1)Cut down on the amount of financial support that I provide to members of my extended family. I enjoy giving money whenever there is a need and I'm currently not looking forward to feeling frustrated when I can't do this. Luckily, family members are aware that I am going to bschool and have been supportive.
2)Cut down on my spending budget for clothes. Maybe I need to quickly purchase the necessary items now that I can still afford them.
3)Put aside enough money for maintaining my novel reading habits. Can't even compromise this for bschool.
4) Disengage myself temporarily from some of my volunteer responsibilities. Since I would be relocating, virtual support wouldn't really do much.
5)Learn to be a student again. I don't have any plans other than to throw myself into it. I have absolutely no plans to read any materials during the summer. I have enough movies, tv shows, novels and hangouts to take care of. No need to further clutter my busy schedule.

OK. Back to pursuing my housing options.

Financial headache

Started filling financial aid forms. Since I already have an F1 visa, I needed to transfer my I-20 to MIT. So I made a trip during lunch break to my ex-ISO office to start the process. Luckily, I could just walk-in. If I had to make an appointment, I would have had some issues. I had only 1 week from the day I paid my deposit to submit my financial certification form. This seems strange considering that I paid my deposit 3 weeks before the deadline and exactly one day after Admit weekend. I think the admissions office should extend the deadline date for the form for R2 admits.
Faxed all the required forms & documents to the school after picking the transfer form. Phew! At least that it over for now. Check!

Paid

Finally paid my deposit for enrollment. At this point there is no going back. Even though I have always looked forward to enrolling, paying the money just makes it real (and a chunky amount at that!) that I have committed to spending about $150,000 for the next two years. That's why it is important to be sure that it is a school you really want to attend. No point in giving up that amount and being resentful/unhappy about it.

Now, I have a long checklist of things to be done in preparing for school. Housing in on the top of my list. I wasn't really impressed by the housing I saw and the one I really liked is a bit more expensive and would require a house mate. Its been a while since I lived with someone so don't really know how I feel about it. I am also concerned about proximity to the school since I'm unused to the Boston weather. Anyway lets see how that goes.

MIT Admit Weekend

After work on Thursday, I hopped on a plane to Boston, having taken Friday off. Went straight to my host's house (a current MIT student) and dropped off my luggage. My host had arranged dinner for me with some other students and new admits with interests similar to mine. Dinner was awesome - Thai food (really spicy) in a relaxed atmosphere and we had such a great time that we lost track of time. Since the night was still young, we then proceeded to one of the popular MIT bars were I met more students and admits. I must say that the music was really great- whoever hired the DJ should make sure they keep him. Even though I don't drink alcohol, I still had a great time but chose to retire early at 11am since I was exhausted.

Friday morning, I woke up late but still got to MIT Sloan in time to meet breakfast (provided by a Boston based company owned by two MIT Sloan Alumni). Picked up my laptop bag and materials, got to meet some more admits and then headed off to the events for the day.The mock class was very interesting and engaging, admit lunch had awesome desserts, lots of other activities (ended up with a gym bag and signed up for a trek before school), special career sessions with lots of time for questions (The Career Development Office was also available) and more receptions with alumni, students, faculty and MBA office(lots of wine). I must say that all the current students were very friendly and open and it was obvious that it was a tight-knit community. What I found amazing was that a lot of the current students I talked with went out of their way to hook me up with other students with my interests and made sure I met them during the Admit weekend. There was also lots of food and snacks throughout the weekend so there was always something to nibble on. By the end of day, I was tired so I declined to continue the party at the bar which I later heard continued into the wee hours of the morning.

Day Two- early breakfast organized by the MIT Sloan Women at a hotel. Great variety in the meal that I ended up eating so much that I hoped I wouldn't fall asleep. Had more one-on-one time with them. Moved back to MIT Sloan where students then shared their stories on all aspects of student life and addressed questions. Then Student and Academic Life Rotating panel sessions that addressed all possible aspects of students life from academics to trips&treks, consulting opportunities, housing and financial aid. Another breakout Q&A session to give students more one-on-one time to answer questions. Lunch, then finally an optional tour for housing both on-campus and off-campus. Some students even offered to give an independent tour of their homes to students who were interested in their area.

All in all, I think the focus of the MBA office was to ensure that all admits (whether introverts or extroverts)had an exposure to what an MBA experience at MIT Sloan truly means so that they could make an informed decision. I liked the fact that there was no undue pressure to choose Sloan. I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful students and admits I met and how open, down-to-earth and warm hearted they were. I also noticed that quite a number of didn't have quant backgrounds and were not technology majors. Their backgrounds were so diverse. Students shared a lot of experiences on how they helped each other even during interviews and even shared information about jobs that alumni brought to their notice. This seems to be so much easier in a smaller school than a larger school.Those I met in biotech/health care had 4-7 great job offers for internships.Significant Others (spouses) received special attention and were really integrated into the program. The host I stayed with really introduced me to students and alumni who had similar interests.

I had a great weekend and I would advise any admit to attend their schools' admit weekend. You would be surprised how much you would learn and would give a greater insight into the vibe of the school and whether it is a fit for you.

Very funny

I read this post on the BW forum and I had a good laugh. I couldn't help but post it here:

Dear xxxxxx,
After a careful review of your credentials, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to the title of "king of dings."We have had an unusually competitive applicant pool this year, and while your combination of dings, high gpa, and high gmat is impressive indeed, we had to turn away many well-qualified candidates like you.We encourage you to reapply next year, and your chances will increase in R3, when you have had a chance to accumulate more dings. A note of caution: you will have to make a concerted effort to accumulate more dings. With your gpa and gmat, it is likely that you will be admitted to a top program next year and be disqualified for admission to "king of dings."
Best wishes,
adcom

I know it can be really devastating to have a ding or more even if you end up getting an admit and especially painful for those with no admit. I really think it is brave that someone can actually find a way to laugh about it and find some hope and strength to apply again.

Finally........

It is over. The application period has come to an end for me. Its such a big relief and I am glad that I got in into one of my choice schools. I want to thank all those who sent a congratulatory message. I am really happy because the schools I applied to were really schools that I was interested in attending. It funny because I had issues with one of my recommendations for MIT and I wasn't sure that my interview went well because I was really tired that afternoon. But I ended up having a fun discussion about interests that I discovered that I shared with the interviewer. Its really true that all things work together for good.

I remember when I started applying, some friends felt I was setting my sights too high. Those who really knew me were not surprised. My philosophy has always been to try whatever I felt I could achieve even if others didn't think it was possible.In my own case it's based on my faith in God. After all, I get to live with my decisions and I can only live this life once. It was important to me to apply to schools that I felt a fit with even if they were highly ranked because it was so much easier to sell myself to the school. I took a risk by not applying to any safe schools but it forced me to put more effort into my applications. This works for me but may not necessarily work for any one else.

Some people wonder why MIT? Isn't it supposed to be an engineering oriented school and you are not even an engineer or a science geek? I'll write later on why I chose MIT.

So now the fun part starts. I get to go to the Admit weekend later this month. I let you guys know how it goes.

I'm IN!

Got the phone call at about noon this afternoon. I'm IN at MIT! I am soooo thrilled. This application process has been a long one and I am glad that it is coming to a close.

DING!

Official ding from Wharton!

Abnormal feeling?

As the day draws nearer for Wharton's decision on whether they love me enough to admit me, I find myself calmer and more excited than nervous. In fact, I seem to walk around with more spring in my steps. I don't think it has to do with whether I know the outcome or not . I think it has to do it knowing deep down in my heart that I will be alright at the end of this whole application process.The process does not define me and I will still have fun and be successful in my life no matter the outcome!
Tried a new dish today.....................

Had a blast!

The party with my friends was a blast. We ended up going to a restaurant called Bahama Breeze. Had to wait a bit for them to seat us at this huge table.The food was really delicious and we made so much noise that we got so many looks from other people. Even though it was fun, I was sad because I knew that after today, it may take a while before I see my friends again. Two of them were going on vacations across the globe before starting medical residencies. Another one was going to University of Chicago to take up a position while another was going to UCLA to start dental school. I'm glad that all of us are following our dreams.
Anyway, back to waiting for the decision dates......................

The wait continues...........

I am really forward (as are most people) to Thursday next week when Wharton will release its decision results. In the meantime, I have a party this weekend that I am really looking forward to. Some of my friends who matched already will be finding out where they will be starting their residency today so there's lots to celebrate about. One of them really enjoy baking so there would be lots of desserts as well as food from different cultures. Some friends are even coming from out of town. This may well be the last time that we would be together in one place for a long time. I hope other applicants have interesting weekends as well. If not, please find something fun to do this weekend instead of stressing out (there's really not much you can influence at this point).

Congrats to all those who are already celebrating admits!

Another interview out of the way

Had MIT interview last week. Adcom member was very cheerful though I had prepped myself for the "straight face". After some icebreakers, the interview questions were as follows:
- Do you have your transcript? (which I dutifully handed over)
- Tell me about yourself
-What other interviews have you had?
- Why an MBA at this time?
- Why Sloan ?
- What expectation have you had recently that was not met?
- What great thing has happened in your experience at work within the last one year?
-What question do you wish that I had asked you?

I can't really say how the interview went. All I can say is that I hope for the best.

I must say that I am glad that I have done the interview because it means that I am one day closer to the end of the application process.
I wish that others who are waiting get at least an invite to a school that they are really interested in attending. That's at least one step closer in getting an ROI on this application investement.
Still hoping for other invites!

I'm soooooooooooo excited

I just got an invite from MIT! I am sooooooooo excited!

The bug definitely bit me

This wait is killing me!The first thing I do after getting out of bed is to check my email for the letter. I must have been bitten by the invite bug. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this fever! I have tried all the treatments that have been recommended to bring the temperature down: immersing myself in my hobbies, hanging out with friends, praying e.t.c. It seems I may have to wait this fever out.

Mmmmh. Maybe I should discover the cure, patent it and sell it it to MBA applicants. I would definitely become a zillionaire!

Another one!

Woke up today to the moaning sound of strong wind outside. Windy or not, I have to get to work. Still need to earn the dough to pay for school and that won't happen while in bed( would be glad if I could). I was concerned though that the wind would blow me off my feet considering that I had lost weight from just thinking about these applications!

Was working hard today, minding my own business and what did I see? A mail from admission@hbs.edu. My heart started racing, jumping for joy only to see that it was another newsletter! I'm sure I will win a medal from the race that my heart took on seeing that email. Harvard, please I don't want to have a heart attack! I still need time to rock those huge salaries on Wall street!

Why MBA?

I had been comtemplating seriously on what direction to take my life. Work was cool but I was getting restless. To allow my imaginative juices to flow, I decided to go on a much needed vacation. Maybe I would get some inspiration by climbing Stone Mountain. While on top of mountain with a friend, I started discussing things I would love to do in the future. After patiently enduring my ramblings, my friend proffered a solution,"Go for the MBA!" . After listening, I decided to go for it. Now this was in October and I didn't even have the tiniest inkling about the deadlines.

Many years ago when I first thought about an MBA, I had researched and decided then what schools I would apply to. This ended up saving me a hell of stress as all I had to do was just update my findings. Since it would be impossible to make the first round (hadn't even taken the GMAT), I opted for the second round.

GMAT

I quickly bought the Orange GMAT book and started studying. I scheduled the GMAT for a month after. By the time the exam date drew near, I knew I wasn't ready. A week to the exam, I hadn't even finished the book and hadn't even attempted a practice exam. I crashed the remaining portions of the book and prayed for divine intervention for the essays. The night before, I reviewed all the principles I had outlined from the book. I also made sure I slept on time the day before because I needed a clear head to do the exam.

The morning of the exams I developed a fever. Men, what a day not to feel well. I packed my lunch box and headed to the exam. I had decided that at least I should have glucose in my brain. Even though I wasn't satisfied with my preparations, I knew two things were clear in my mind: one, I have no plans to redo this exam. two, there was still hope. I ended up scoring a 730.

Applications

I had no idea that the worst was yet to come. When I saw all the essays I had to write, I quickly knocked off my fifth school from my list. For undergrad, I only applied to only one school and I got into that one school so four was a real stretch for me. For days, I couldn't write anything. Three days to the first deadline, I knew that I was in trouble. I had only written one essay and I wasn't even sure if adcom won't junk my application just by reading that essay. I started praying for help. The night before the deadline, I wrote all the drafts and kept writing till the I submitted five minutes before the deadline. What an adrenaline rush! I ended up establishing a record of having all my aplications in at 5mins to the deadline. It would have been great to have a medal for it. Maybe I should go and buy one for myself.

Waiting period

For days after submitting the applications, I didn't know what to do with the time. You would think that I didn't have stuff to do before I started this MBA journey. I then found a new hobby: Constant refreshing of email and blogs! Everyone says that you should spend the time preparing for the interview. But how can you prepare when you don't even know where you are going to interview?
Finally - INVITE FROM WHARTON! I think I called all my relatives and friends with the news. My mum actually said that she didn't know that I could talk that much on the phone. There were times I'm sure I was just rambling and the only word they could decipher was "Wharton" It was like winning a lottery! Even though I was still waiting for a response from the other schools, it definitely got me unhooked from constantly checking my email.

Interview

Had a great interview. Hope it translates to some love for me. I really liked the passion of the students and staff and it showed. There are certain things I really like about every school I applied to. One thing I have to say is "Don't apply to any school that you know you have no desire at all to attend if you are accepted" . It is a waste of your time & your money and a waste of the school's resources to get you into their program.

Still waiting for the other schools to send me an invite.

Hi all!

Hi everyone! I have been comtemplating joining the bandwagon of MBA bloggers for a while. Then I just thought, " What do I have to lose?". Reading other people's blogs have really helped me a lot all through my MBA applications and I would love to add my two cents experiences to others.
Here goes!