Monday, February 28, 2005
I've Been Lied To
Was it too much to expect my horoscope to come true? Damn! Today my horoscope says, "Whatever was bothering you will quite quickly be over and done with soon. You might think it's because you've had such an eventful last few days and you really didn't have time to worry about it, but that's really not the case. It's come to a close. Truly." Liars. This is a conspiracy, I just know it. So, I will start taking bets now... how long 'til Columbia gets back to me? $5 says Friday (day 39) because they want me to start off my weekend really well. Any takers?
On a brighter note, the L.A. area Duke admits are meeting up in 2 days! Apparently, people were to meet up last Friday, but only one person showed up. What's up with that?!?! No Devil Worshipper should have to drink by himself (since Duke's mascot is the Blue Devil, I now refer to its students as the Devil Worshippers; it's way cooler than 'Dukies' --> No thanks)
And I missed the UCLA Admit happy hour yesterday, which I wouldn't mind except that CalGrad and Wakechick were there. And Wakechick, girlfriend, you even posted a pic of yourself! With all this bskewl drama going on, I'm impressed.
On a brighter note, the L.A. area Duke admits are meeting up in 2 days! Apparently, people were to meet up last Friday, but only one person showed up. What's up with that?!?! No Devil Worshipper should have to drink by himself (since Duke's mascot is the Blue Devil, I now refer to its students as the Devil Worshippers; it's way cooler than 'Dukies' --> No thanks)
And I missed the UCLA Admit happy hour yesterday, which I wouldn't mind except that CalGrad and Wakechick were there. And Wakechick, girlfriend, you even posted a pic of yourself! With all this bskewl drama going on, I'm impressed.
Gemini: A Good Sign
And my horoscope reads: You've got one more day left to your relaxing times, and if you're smart -- which, legend has it, you most certainly are -- you'll spend it letting go of whatever was bothering you last week. That way, you'll be able to start tomorrow fresh...
Wow, how did they know? Ok, I jest, but I will hold on to this as a sign that I will be getting thumbs up from Columbia tomorrow. It's been 35 days since my interview. Bastards. Torturing applicants into wanting to enter the MBA program must be the Adcom's marketing technique, as they do have very high yields at CBS.
Evil.
Wow, how did they know? Ok, I jest, but I will hold on to this as a sign that I will be getting thumbs up from Columbia tomorrow. It's been 35 days since my interview. Bastards. Torturing applicants into wanting to enter the MBA program must be the Adcom's marketing technique, as they do have very high yields at CBS.
Evil.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
To My German Friend
To The Person in Germany Viewing My Site on a Regular Basis,
That is SOOOO COOL!!!!! I am very curious to know who you are and why you are interested in my blog. What's your story? Are you an MBA student? Thinking about an MBA? Or do you like Margaritas too and are upset that you cannot get them in Germany? (Actually, you probably prefer drinking German beer in your lovely beer gardens)
I just wanted to write to you and say, Thanks for checking out my blog. Your interest in my random brain-dumps fascinates me.
~MargaritaLuvr
P.S. - I visited Munich once and it was beautiful. Given the chance to move to Germany, I would do it in a heartbeat. I also like German beer, but I have to admit, the glasses served to patrons during Oktoberfest are overwhelming to a person of my size and alcohol tolerance. I will know better next time ; )
That is SOOOO COOL!!!!! I am very curious to know who you are and why you are interested in my blog. What's your story? Are you an MBA student? Thinking about an MBA? Or do you like Margaritas too and are upset that you cannot get them in Germany? (Actually, you probably prefer drinking German beer in your lovely beer gardens)
I just wanted to write to you and say, Thanks for checking out my blog. Your interest in my random brain-dumps fascinates me.
~MargaritaLuvr
P.S. - I visited Munich once and it was beautiful. Given the chance to move to Germany, I would do it in a heartbeat. I also like German beer, but I have to admit, the glasses served to patrons during Oktoberfest are overwhelming to a person of my size and alcohol tolerance. I will know better next time ; )
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Day 30
...and still nothing from Columbia... people, let me tell you what this has done to me. 1) I check my email probably 20 times per day waiting to see something from Admissions. 2) At some point during the day I decide I can't trust my email, so I go to the online application I submitted to see if my application has updated, only to see that the message still says "Thank you for interviewing" 3) I check the Business Week message boards to see who is accepted and dinged. If someone gets dinged, I don't really want that update to my app because that means I could get dinged too. It could be Columbia Ding Day.
Loony. That's what this scenario has come down to. I am now officially loony.
...but I did get my admissions packet from Duke yesterday! It was all very exciting. I received a couple of binders with all kinds of info about the school, the neighborhoods, and North Carolina in general. It made my day. Someone from the Duke Classifieds Yahoo Group posted their friend's condo for sale... 2 bedroom 2.5 bath... $129K. Huh? That doesn't translate in my California brain. Maybe I will buy rather than rent. It's something to ponder over the next month or so.
Loony. That's what this scenario has come down to. I am now officially loony.
...but I did get my admissions packet from Duke yesterday! It was all very exciting. I received a couple of binders with all kinds of info about the school, the neighborhoods, and North Carolina in general. It made my day. Someone from the Duke Classifieds Yahoo Group posted their friend's condo for sale... 2 bedroom 2.5 bath... $129K. Huh? That doesn't translate in my California brain. Maybe I will buy rather than rent. It's something to ponder over the next month or so.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
All Quiet on the Eastern Front
At this point, I'm dying to hear back from Columbia. I think that 4+ weeks post-interview is long enough to make a decision on my candidacy for their program... so I'm afraid my hopes to go 3 for 3 are dwindling quickly. Damn, and I was on fire.
On the other hand, it gives me lots of time to daydream about Duke and getting OUT of California (this is my ideal scenario). I kind of feel sorry for the delusional suckas who are coming to Cali just for the weather. Wonder what they will think when they see that gas is now $2.25 a gallon and you have to plan your days around the traffic patterns of this abominable city, or how the rents are so high you don't actually have money to enjoy some of the genuinely cool attractions that L.A. has to offer. God forbid one eventually moves here, unless he can afford buying a 2 bedroom shack for $900K+.
I shouldn't talk too much trash about L.A. though. I have a 50/50 chance of attending UCLA at this point, especially if I get the fellowship (It's for about $35K); and it would be cool to show the out-of-towners some of the hard to find gems of the city... you know, the places only locals really know about. With that said, I have officially signed up for Anderson Days ("A-Days"), UCLA's preview weekend for newly admitted applicants.
On the other hand, it gives me lots of time to daydream about Duke and getting OUT of California (this is my ideal scenario). I kind of feel sorry for the delusional suckas who are coming to Cali just for the weather. Wonder what they will think when they see that gas is now $2.25 a gallon and you have to plan your days around the traffic patterns of this abominable city, or how the rents are so high you don't actually have money to enjoy some of the genuinely cool attractions that L.A. has to offer. God forbid one eventually moves here, unless he can afford buying a 2 bedroom shack for $900K+.
I shouldn't talk too much trash about L.A. though. I have a 50/50 chance of attending UCLA at this point, especially if I get the fellowship (It's for about $35K); and it would be cool to show the out-of-towners some of the hard to find gems of the city... you know, the places only locals really know about. With that said, I have officially signed up for Anderson Days ("A-Days"), UCLA's preview weekend for newly admitted applicants.
F-ing Email
This is a follow-up to my gripe on workplace happenings, "F-ing Meetings." Here goes "F-in Email"...
Why does someone who sits less than 7 feet from me (i.e. next cubicle) feel the need to email me trivial questions that can be answered in one second? Seems like she could stand up, turn around, open her mouth, and ask her question. It's not like I have a door on my cube. No locks either. I don't bite (really, I don't). I don't think I smell too bad. I'm willing to help. I was also at my desk the whole time, so she was writing me an email while I was sitting within sight.
I think that's weird, but maybe I'm just weird. I'm really starting to have doubts about my group.
Why does someone who sits less than 7 feet from me (i.e. next cubicle) feel the need to email me trivial questions that can be answered in one second? Seems like she could stand up, turn around, open her mouth, and ask her question. It's not like I have a door on my cube. No locks either. I don't bite (really, I don't). I don't think I smell too bad. I'm willing to help. I was also at my desk the whole time, so she was writing me an email while I was sitting within sight.
I think that's weird, but maybe I'm just weird. I'm really starting to have doubts about my group.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Procrastination Revisted
I'm certain there is an inverse relationship on how badly you procrastinate because you don't want to do something to how much other stuff you get done in your life. For example, those fellowship essays - I really wasn't looking forward to them. Instead, I cleaned the kitchen, went grocery shopping, did 3 weeks' work of laundry (literally), and vacuumed (and I never do that). I did finally finish the essays, but only after everything else was done.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Fellowship Procrastination
On Thursday, a lovely lady from the UCLA Financial Aid Office called to tell me I was nominated for a fellowship but I have to do an application and send it to her by Tuesday... so, it's Sunday night and I have not started. There are 3 essays I have to write but something tells me that this may not go over so well. UGH. I also probably shouldn't be drinking wine right now either.
Friday, February 18, 2005
The Day After
I am still in shock and excited about my Duke admit. It has re-energized my enthusiasm for the school and I cannot wait for Blue Devil Weekend (it's the MBA preview weekend for Fuqua admits). I registered for it today. Yesterday, I was admitted to the Duke MBA Class of 2007 yahoo group and scoured, for hours, the hundreds of messages posted by Fuqua admits:
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE post on the Fuqua yahoo group:
My name is Sudsanguan Chusacultanachai but people call me Jiab... (holy shit, I can't wait to meet Jiab).
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE response on the Fuqua yahoo group:
I know why you got tagged with a nickname but I am curious how one gets tagged with Jiab...
p.s - A BIG THANKS for everyone's congratulatory comments and wishes. I read them all and appreciate the feedback.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
2 for 2
Dear MargaritaLuvr,
Congratulations!
The Admissions Committee of the Fuqua School of Business is pleased to offer you a place in The Duke MBA Class of 2007. Admission to Fuqua is very competitive; after a careful evaluation of your application, we are confident that you have the ability to excel at Fuqua and become an integral part of our community, both in our classrooms and in the greater Team Fuqua community.
I will be celebrating with some margaritas tonight!!!!!
Congratulations!
The Admissions Committee of the Fuqua School of Business is pleased to offer you a place in The Duke MBA Class of 2007. Admission to Fuqua is very competitive; after a careful evaluation of your application, we are confident that you have the ability to excel at Fuqua and become an integral part of our community, both in our classrooms and in the greater Team Fuqua community.
I will be celebrating with some margaritas tonight!!!!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
MBA Updates
In less than 24 hours I will know my fate at Duke. I wasn't nervous until someone asked me if I was nervous. Then I started wondering if I should be nervous? I guess I'm a little ancy, but not so much nervous. I was thinking I might have trouble sleeping tonight and have the urge to check for email every 2 minutes, but then why would Duke email me in the middle of the night? No, I can't do that.
Speaking of ancy, what is going on with Columbia?!??! 23 days after my interview and no word from them. I was thinking I would hear back within 2 or 3 weeks since that was what happened with some of the other bloggers out there, but not me. 3 weeks have blown by and nothing... I don't know if this is a bad sign or not.
My heart is set on both Duke and Columbia and if I have to choose between them, I am going to have a really, really difficult time. On the other hand, I don't want to be dinged by either, so no matter what happens life will be difficult for me.
According the the Business Week forums and Clear Admit, HBS R2 interview invites have started rolling out, so where is mine? There's no HBS love coming my way yet (<--- see my optimism), but my mind is on Columbia and Duke right now, so it's no biggie. I also found a productive use of my time as I wait out the start of my MBA program: Outlaw Golf for XBox. This was my biggest dilemma previously, but now it's solved. I don't even like golf, let alone know how it's played, but I really kick some butt at this game and I am as addicted as a crack addict. No, really. I rationalize the hours and days I have recently dedicated to this game to learning the rules and terminologies in golf (but it's also fun to beat the crap out of my caddy) which may help me in my future business transactions (ok, that's total bullshit, but whatever); however, I now know what eagles, birdies, pars, bogey's and double bogey's are. I almost have down the differences between clubs (woods vs. irons). I went from 44 strokes over par on my first 18-hole round (which is apparently very bad) to 5 under par. I may just have to dedicate a few more hours to golf tonight...
Speaking of ancy, what is going on with Columbia?!??! 23 days after my interview and no word from them. I was thinking I would hear back within 2 or 3 weeks since that was what happened with some of the other bloggers out there, but not me. 3 weeks have blown by and nothing... I don't know if this is a bad sign or not.
My heart is set on both Duke and Columbia and if I have to choose between them, I am going to have a really, really difficult time. On the other hand, I don't want to be dinged by either, so no matter what happens life will be difficult for me.
According the the Business Week forums and Clear Admit, HBS R2 interview invites have started rolling out, so where is mine? There's no HBS love coming my way yet (<--- see my optimism), but my mind is on Columbia and Duke right now, so it's no biggie. I also found a productive use of my time as I wait out the start of my MBA program: Outlaw Golf for XBox. This was my biggest dilemma previously, but now it's solved. I don't even like golf, let alone know how it's played, but I really kick some butt at this game and I am as addicted as a crack addict. No, really. I rationalize the hours and days I have recently dedicated to this game to learning the rules and terminologies in golf (but it's also fun to beat the crap out of my caddy) which may help me in my future business transactions (ok, that's total bullshit, but whatever); however, I now know what eagles, birdies, pars, bogey's and double bogey's are. I almost have down the differences between clubs (woods vs. irons). I went from 44 strokes over par on my first 18-hole round (which is apparently very bad) to 5 under par. I may just have to dedicate a few more hours to golf tonight...
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
F-ing Meetings
Ever been in meetings where you wanted to pull your hair out and poke out your eyeballs? That was me today, for about 2 hours. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes as to what was going on for these two hours of my life, which I can never get back. I'm a huge believer that meetings should never go more than an hour, but this meeting was scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and went something like this:
9:00: Half the attendees (8/16) arrive
9:13: Rest of the attendees show up, meeting has not started
9:25: Old guy running the meeting (Meeting Leader A) finally figures out how to turn the computer on and now we have 3 files open to review
9:30: Project Mgr says there's a 9-week slip in schedule (well, no shit, we're doing nothing for hours a day but sit here)
9:35: Meeting leader shifts from Leader A to New Leader B thanks to Leader A's incompetence
9:36: Suddenly, Meeting Leader B switches off topic (there's only 1 scheduled topic for this 2-hr meeting though)
9:40: Attendee C gets phone call on cell, decides to answer and have a phone conversation during the meeting
9:41: Attendee C gets off phone
9:45: Woah, back on topic
9:50: 1 person sleeping (I'm jealous at this point)
10:00: Attendee C gets another call, answers again (damn, this is getting annoying)
10:00: Attendee C gets off phone for the 2nd time
10:02: Attendee C now becomes Meeting Leader C (dude, what happened to Leader A??!??!?!)
10:03: Ha! Off topic again, never to return to the original purpose of this meeting, still an hour left
10:15: Still off topic, dude still sleeping, I'm getting really pissed
10:16: I leave to visit a friend down the hall, this meeting blows
10:30: Damn, have to go back to the meeting before people think I have bathroom problems
10:35: Leader C, previously Attendee C, gets phone call, while facilitating the meeting. Answers-the-call. BITCH!!!
10:37: Leader C off phone, side conversations stop, back to the meeting
11:00: I walk out, meeting still in session for God knows how long
To summarize this mess: the meeting started half an hour late, we spent about 30 minutes, in total, actually on topic, one bee-otch was on the phone talking to someone while we were trying to have the meeting, people are sleeping, and one guy couldn't use the computer or projector so save his life.
Yup! This project is doomed, and I will be leaving just as the shit hits the fan. Thank God.
9:00: Half the attendees (8/16) arrive
9:13: Rest of the attendees show up, meeting has not started
9:25: Old guy running the meeting (Meeting Leader A) finally figures out how to turn the computer on and now we have 3 files open to review
9:30: Project Mgr says there's a 9-week slip in schedule (well, no shit, we're doing nothing for hours a day but sit here)
9:35: Meeting leader shifts from Leader A to New Leader B thanks to Leader A's incompetence
9:36: Suddenly, Meeting Leader B switches off topic (there's only 1 scheduled topic for this 2-hr meeting though)
9:40: Attendee C gets phone call on cell, decides to answer and have a phone conversation during the meeting
9:41: Attendee C gets off phone
9:45: Woah, back on topic
9:50: 1 person sleeping (I'm jealous at this point)
10:00: Attendee C gets another call, answers again (damn, this is getting annoying)
10:00: Attendee C gets off phone for the 2nd time
10:02: Attendee C now becomes Meeting Leader C (dude, what happened to Leader A??!??!?!)
10:03: Ha! Off topic again, never to return to the original purpose of this meeting, still an hour left
10:15: Still off topic, dude still sleeping, I'm getting really pissed
10:16: I leave to visit a friend down the hall, this meeting blows
10:30: Damn, have to go back to the meeting before people think I have bathroom problems
10:35: Leader C, previously Attendee C, gets phone call, while facilitating the meeting. Answers-the-call. BITCH!!!
10:37: Leader C off phone, side conversations stop, back to the meeting
11:00: I walk out, meeting still in session for God knows how long
To summarize this mess: the meeting started half an hour late, we spent about 30 minutes, in total, actually on topic, one bee-otch was on the phone talking to someone while we were trying to have the meeting, people are sleeping, and one guy couldn't use the computer or projector so save his life.
Yup! This project is doomed, and I will be leaving just as the shit hits the fan. Thank God.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Mo' Money Woes
I am officially paranoid about MBA finances. After scouring the UCLA admit website, I came across this little ditty:
"MBA candidates are encouraged to begin saving personal resources far in advance of applying to the program." hahahaha, ya. Prior to 'applying to the program,' I had saved nothing.
It gets worse:
"Students are encouraged to repay consumer debt prior to applying for financial aid at UCLA Anderson. The student budget assumes a moderate lifestyle and is not sufficient to accommodate payments for credit cards, cars, etc". credit card debt - check; car payment - check. Wow, I am ONE bad MBA applicant.
I think I can pay off my cards before I quit work. My car will be paid off in October. That still leaves me with no money. Crap.
If I take an optimistic view, this makes me prime pickin's for some 'need based' funds.
"MBA candidates are encouraged to begin saving personal resources far in advance of applying to the program." hahahaha, ya. Prior to 'applying to the program,' I had saved nothing.
It gets worse:
"Students are encouraged to repay consumer debt prior to applying for financial aid at UCLA Anderson. The student budget assumes a moderate lifestyle and is not sufficient to accommodate payments for credit cards, cars, etc". credit card debt - check; car payment - check. Wow, I am ONE bad MBA applicant.
I think I can pay off my cards before I quit work. My car will be paid off in October. That still leaves me with no money. Crap.
If I take an optimistic view, this makes me prime pickin's for some 'need based' funds.
After a Pitcher of Margaritas....
After a WHOLE week without Mexican food, I finally broke down and went to Gilbert's for some margaritas and dinner since I am back in L.A. Now that I've had a pitcher all to myself, I've been pondering a couple of things:
1) Who has money saved for business school? Personally, I have none. I mean 'none' as in zero dollars until this coming July when I will have thousands of dollars miraculously saved since I know now that I will be going to a school f0r sure. Actually, the money I was 'saving' was spent on applications, a GMAT class, my GMAT test and 3 postponments, and trips to North Carolina and New York to check out schools and regions (my Whistler trip was decided way before this, so it doesn't count, hehe).
2) I have a few months until I start school, so how should I prepare? The options I've been pondering are a) brush up on a foreign language (french or spanish), b) brush up on accounting and econ, or c) watch as much tv as I can fit into 24 hours per day for the next several months because I won't get to see any of my favorite shows for the next few years. This is a tough decision.
p.s. - please ignore spelling and grammar errors as I am not my usual, sober, self.
1) Who has money saved for business school? Personally, I have none. I mean 'none' as in zero dollars until this coming July when I will have thousands of dollars miraculously saved since I know now that I will be going to a school f0r sure. Actually, the money I was 'saving' was spent on applications, a GMAT class, my GMAT test and 3 postponments, and trips to North Carolina and New York to check out schools and regions (my Whistler trip was decided way before this, so it doesn't count, hehe).
2) I have a few months until I start school, so how should I prepare? The options I've been pondering are a) brush up on a foreign language (french or spanish), b) brush up on accounting and econ, or c) watch as much tv as I can fit into 24 hours per day for the next several months because I won't get to see any of my favorite shows for the next few years. This is a tough decision.
p.s. - please ignore spelling and grammar errors as I am not my usual, sober, self.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
UCLA Admit
WOWeeeee. Got a letter from UCLA admissions saying, 'Thanks, we'd love to have you," today. AAHHHHHHHH <--- my first reaction. That is so cool and I am psyched. What a lovely way to end a lovely holiday. I did rails, boxes, and jumps today in the parks at Whistler (getting better every season) which was topped off with my first admissions offer... and hopefully not last.
To make things even better, we have 1.75L of Crown back at the condo and I will have to have a few congratulatory drinks with my buddies and my wonderful boyfriend.
To make things even better, we have 1.75L of Crown back at the condo and I will have to have a few congratulatory drinks with my buddies and my wonderful boyfriend.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful
Hate me because I'm in Whister. Sorry guys, blog's off until I come back on Friday (I did have to get my blogging fix and pay $6 to use this crappy computer to check email and see what has been happening with you all too).
Thursday, February 03, 2005
UCLA Admits Beware
If you are going to attend UCLA this fall, please consider yourself warned: The 405 freeway sucks A$$. It is worse than you can imagine. Do not live more than 2 miles from campus unless you want to experience the torture this freeway will unleash upon you.
Yesterday, I spent and hour and a half driving 25 miles of pure freeway bliss (<-- sarcasm) and it can turn you into a raving lunatic... kinda like my rant right now.
On the other hand, a few redeeming charms are located nearby. These are places you can go to unleash your California Road Rage, so I will give you the best kept secrets of L.A. (until now):
* Gilbert's (on Pico and 23rd) - best Mexican food ever
* Paco's (on Centinela and Washington) - next best Mexican food ever
* Sonny McClean's (on Wilshire and 26th) - fantabulous Boston bar
* When you are living on that student's budget, take a stroll to Didi Reese in Westwood, the ice cream shop that sells mondo ice-cream sandwiches between fresh baked cookies for only $1.
Please do not take my advice lightly... I am giving you survival tips. I'm a SoCal native (yup, Dirty Martini, there's actually two of us) and would gladly help out anyone who may have questions on the area.
Yesterday, I spent and hour and a half driving 25 miles of pure freeway bliss (<-- sarcasm) and it can turn you into a raving lunatic... kinda like my rant right now.
On the other hand, a few redeeming charms are located nearby. These are places you can go to unleash your California Road Rage, so I will give you the best kept secrets of L.A. (until now):
* Gilbert's (on Pico and 23rd) - best Mexican food ever
* Paco's (on Centinela and Washington) - next best Mexican food ever
* Sonny McClean's (on Wilshire and 26th) - fantabulous Boston bar
* When you are living on that student's budget, take a stroll to Didi Reese in Westwood, the ice cream shop that sells mondo ice-cream sandwiches between fresh baked cookies for only $1.
Please do not take my advice lightly... I am giving you survival tips. I'm a SoCal native (yup, Dirty Martini, there's actually two of us) and would gladly help out anyone who may have questions on the area.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Christmas Tree - GONE
Oh! I forgot to mention, the Christmas tree went to the dump yesterday. What's the status on your tree, Cal Grad??
Here's a good one: A few years ago, I was involved in a covert operation to get rid of another Christmas tree, my boyfriend's. There's nothing like seeing a Christmas tree in front of a major bank, on a major street (Wilshire Blvd), in June. The tree was there for 2 days and it was damn funny.
- - - - - - - -
Bskewl, I just noticed your post about Fit But You Know It. You have some links on your site that I must check out (ya, when I'm not at work though). I truly have some random, musical gems up my sleeve. Keep a look out.
And if you have not checked out http://helookslike.blogspot.com/ please pay a special visit to December 7th and July 27th. Those are my favs and you will not be disappointed.
Here's a good one: A few years ago, I was involved in a covert operation to get rid of another Christmas tree, my boyfriend's. There's nothing like seeing a Christmas tree in front of a major bank, on a major street (Wilshire Blvd), in June. The tree was there for 2 days and it was damn funny.
- - - - - - - -
Bskewl, I just noticed your post about Fit But You Know It. You have some links on your site that I must check out (ya, when I'm not at work though). I truly have some random, musical gems up my sleeve. Keep a look out.
And if you have not checked out http://helookslike.blogspot.com/ please pay a special visit to December 7th and July 27th. Those are my favs and you will not be disappointed.
Harry Potter's Got Me in a Tizzy
I am in dreaded limbo: done with apps and interviews, I am just waiting... well, waiting and checking my email every 5 minutes to see if there is any news. Lack of patience is one of my biggest weaknesses and I don't like surprises (I was the kid who knew every Christmas present before Christmas because I couldn't bear not to know what was underneath that glorious wrapping paper).
Decision Dates:
HBS: March 30th... but no interview invites from HBS yet for the R2 applicant pool
Columbia: If my interviewer would turn in my evaluation form, I should hear back in 1-3 weeks
UCLA: Any day now. I'm all done and ready to know :)
Duke: February 17th... or so I thought:
http://mbamusings.blogspot.com/2005/02/term-3-underway.html
^--- This is a link to Harry Potter's blog, 1st year student at Duke. The wizard posted that Fuqua R2 admit results went out yesterday. I HOPE that is a mistake because I'm in a tizzy (as my blog title suggests) since I've not heard anything about anything. I've searched the BW forums for any info about applicants being admitted or notification date changes, but there's nothing out there. No missed calls on my cell phone. No new emails. Worst case scenario: could an email have collected in my spam folder, which I empty religiously, and I dumped it?
Considering the R2 interview cut-off date is Feb 5th, I'm going to assume the wizard is mistaken, well at least until tomorrow when I call over there to see what's up. Until then, I will obsess over the possibilities.
Decision Dates:
HBS: March 30th... but no interview invites from HBS yet for the R2 applicant pool
Columbia: If my interviewer would turn in my evaluation form, I should hear back in 1-3 weeks
UCLA: Any day now. I'm all done and ready to know :)
Duke: February 17th... or so I thought:
http://mbamusings.blogspot.com/2005/02/term-3-underway.html
^--- This is a link to Harry Potter's blog, 1st year student at Duke. The wizard posted that Fuqua R2 admit results went out yesterday. I HOPE that is a mistake because I'm in a tizzy (as my blog title suggests) since I've not heard anything about anything. I've searched the BW forums for any info about applicants being admitted or notification date changes, but there's nothing out there. No missed calls on my cell phone. No new emails. Worst case scenario: could an email have collected in my spam folder, which I empty religiously, and I dumped it?
Considering the R2 interview cut-off date is Feb 5th, I'm going to assume the wizard is mistaken, well at least until tomorrow when I call over there to see what's up. Until then, I will obsess over the possibilities.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Check This Out
West Coast Interview, East Coast Visit
UCLA Interview Recap
I interviewed with an adcom member at UCLA last week. She was very nice and personable but the interview definitely had a formal feel about it. She asked me many more questions than the alumni interviews and, to be honest, some of the questions seemed to be irrelevant (just my opinion). Anyhow, here is what she asked:
- Why did you pick your undergrad school
- Why did you pick your major
- In what subjects did you excel
- What kind of student were you in college
- Why did you pick the extracurriculars that you did during college
- Why did you choose the company you are working at now
- How do you view your current job
- Why will your work experience contribute to your MBA program
- Why do you want an MBA
- Why Anderson
- How will Anderson assist your future career path
- What will you contribute to Anderson
- Why Anderson and not other schools
- If you were working on a team project and one of your teammates had not started their piece two hours before the assignment was due, what would you do
- Give an example of something outside of work that you are passionate about
I think she asked more, I just can't remember. Anyhow, the interview lasted about 40 minutes but I'm really not sure how I did. I can't say it went good or bad because she never really gave an indication and she just shot off questions like they were nothing. She definitely didn't read my application, but did know that it was "complete" when I walked in to speak with her. I guess I will just have to wait and see.
Columbia Visit
I also visited Columbia and it was an interesting experience. I checked out the surrounding neighborhoods on Sunday and found them to be quite nice. The streets were clean and the area was teeming with students. There were quite a few cafes and coffee shops around, which suits my style. It was obvious that Columbia dumps some money into keeping the neighborhoods presentable.
I also visted a class one day. I did not see much Columbia pride, like I saw at Duke. Also, Columbia does not have dedicated business school facilities for MBA students, like Duke has. The business classes are a little scattered between buildings and are shared with non-business folks. So, those were the downers, in my opinion, which truly are minor. On the other hand, the class I visited was awesome and I was so impressed by the professor, the subject matter and the students. Columbia definitely has a stronger finance curriculum, which is what I would like to focus on, and I seemed to gel well with the students.
I checked out the entire campus and noticed a few things about Columbia students in general: 1) You must own an iPod 2)You must wear North Face branded clothes, and 3)Your clothes better be black, damnit. This was prevalent amongst the undergrads I suppose, but was still noticeable.
... and I am SO tired today. It has been a whirlwind of a weekend and I just want to go to home and relax. Too bad that those are not my plans for tonight. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I can rest.
