Reflection

It's been a whirlwind month for me. I work in financial services, so the market chaos is enough to give even the most experienced wall street'ers a headache times ten. Add in business school applications, the CFA, working with an Asian American leadership organization, and trying to balance some time with family, friends, and social networking, and you basically get overloaded.

I got rejected from Lauder (Wharton) shortly after I got rejected from Chicago. My best friend saw a post that I made on facebook which was a snippet from the Goo Goo Dolls song "Better Days" - he proceeded to make fun of me for posting whiny lyrics, then figured out I got rejected. He was apologetic for days.

At least that made me laugh. ;-) (he is my best friend...and we give one another more hell than most enemies, you should know)

After that, I proceeded back to studying for the CFA, an exam which I barely failed in June and one which I have been firmly resolved to pass for a year now. But frankly, there's just too much on my plate right now. A couple people have suggested I pull back a bit, and I plan to.

After much deliberation, I'm going to aim to move to China this spring and ignore finding a new job or MBA program for the time being. I'm hoping to enter a study program in Shanghai to bolster my language skills while also looking for work there, and I may still submit one last app to a second round school.

For any of you who actively read this, don't be afraid to have a plan B. I have a wonderful friend who's at Chicago right now. She pointed out, rightly so, that you don't NEED an MBA to do whatever you like. And I'm 26. Not too young, but clearly not old. I still have time.

I want to see the world. I was just hoping to do so under the guise of a study program with Wharton. But I am going to refocus and learn more about myself. I've been too comfortable for too long. I need to thrive on my own, creating a whole new set of friends, challenges, and stories.

I'll keep posting here until my decisions come in. Good luck to all of you. (and wish me luck on my CFA...t-minus 6 days!)

Chicago says no

Well the first rejection has arrived. Chicago's email arrived this morning, I signed onto their website and in four letter, I read it.

"DENY."


DearXXX

Thank you for applying to Chicago Booth's Full-Time MBA Program. Your application has received the careful consideration of our Admissions Committee. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you admission to the Class of 2011.

The superb quality of this year's applicant pool presented the Admissions Committee with some difficult decisions. Three members of the Committee reviewed your application in its entirety before our decision was made. Applicants are evaluated on several criteria, including academic preparedness, professional achievements, communication skills, extracurricular/community involvement, leadership, self-awareness, understanding the value of the MBA experience, and fit with Chicago Booth.

We certainly appreciate the effort you put into this process, and we wish you every success as you continue to plan for your future.

Sincerely,

Rosemaria Martinelli
Associate Dean, Student Recruitment and Admissions


Hmm. Not totally surprised but not really happy about it either...

Slight heart attack, then relief.

My Wharton-Lauder account status read "Submitted" but not "Complete-Round One" like it should have. It had been several weeks since I clicked "Submit" and I was becoming a bit anxious.

Then I got an email from Nellie Kanjo, coordinator for admissions and student affairs at Lauder the other day. It came to my work email after I had posted on the student2student bulletin board. She asked for my transcript, I sent it, and voila! It was complete!

Now this doesn't really mean anything beyond that my application will be reviewed and a decision (to interview or not) will be sent by November 13th. That's only a WEEK away. But I am surprisingly calm about this. I know Lauder's a great fit for me but there's not much else I can do.

Fingers crossed and optimistic, I can just hope for the best!