ccatcher's mba chronicle

Some good advice

ccatcher — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:42:50 +0000

Here is a video I watched whenever I felt disoriented while writing the applications. Remember….knowing the “WHY” is important . Having the inside out approach through the concentric circles Simon draws makes your essays sound coherent.

This is a blog entry I just read and felt that it has some content relevant to the apps as well.

The R2 update

ccatcher — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:06:54 +0000

Today I submitted my last R2 app. Here is the list of my R2 submissions-

-Tepper : Invited for inteview
-Anderson: They take time I hear
-Cornell: Submitted this morning

I love all the three schools and would go to any of them if selected

Tips for 2012

ccatcher — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:18:42 +0000

I have got some tips from my experience so far-

-Never make your dream school your first app.
-Make your dream school the first school you research.
-Start thinking about career goals as soon as you can and discuss them with successful professionals in your choice of career.
-Discuss your career goals with friends who know about this sh**. It’s an added bonus if they enjoy putting you down and not believing in anything you say. Just argue with them till you win and then write your career essay.

Happy New Year and Tepper

ccatcher — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:14:13 +0000

The title sounds wacky?? That’s the aim people. I wish you all a great 2012. May all of you get into the school of your choice this year.
Tepper is one of the best fits for my career goals and I really like Pittsburg and I have submitted my app mere thirty minutes before the deadline.
Essay writers, I hear you all gasping at the jumpiness of this post but I have used all my ability to write in a flow by now and jumpy is fun.
After being rejected by the love of my life (in MBA programs), I really don’t know that where does my app/profile stand.
I have resisted multiple offers of we-will-do-everything-for-ya admission consulting thinking that if I can’t pull off an application, would I be able to handle the whole yembeeyaay.

And I am back

ccatcher — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:35:34 +0000

Yeah people….after having cried to a nasty headache, consuming lots of chocolates and almost my entire birthday cake, I am back in the game. Thanks to some great friends, my crushed spirits are rejuvenated and I am up and kicking again. Doing the re-calibration for my entire strategy. Stay tuned for more.

Dinged on my birthday

ccatcher — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:34:33 +0000

I was completely in love with Kellogg….the MMM program in particular…deeply, madly. It’s my birthday today and my mom is here and she makes it all the more difficult. I can’t curl up in my bed with all the b’day chocolates and cake at my disposal and cry away my sorrows of this rejection with my favorite chick-flicks. I have to be her brave little girl and laugh it off while gearing up for the next schools.

Gawd…my birthday sucks!!

Dinged by Kellogg

ccatcher — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:57:22 +0000

I quote-
Dear Ccatcher:

The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application for the MMM Program. Despite your many merits as a candidate, I regret to inform you that we are not able to offer you a place in the entering class.

The Admissions Committee carefully evaluated your application in the following areas: work experience, career plans, academic ability and performance, extracurricular and community involvement, leadership and interpersonal skills. Decisions are based upon a thorough evaluation of your individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as your qualifications relative to all others in our applicant pool. This decision is not a reflection of your personal qualities and achievements or your potential for success in management, but merely a reflection of the limited number of places in the class.

We certainly wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and thank you for your interest in the MMM Program .

As I wait for the mail

ccatcher — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:43:51 +0000

It’s difficult to wait. To cope, it’s a good idea to do something productive instead of refreshing your inbox ever other minute.

The question is what to do??

I think that one could research further on one’s career options. After the applications, everyone has some idea about future aspirations. I certainly know about mine. The essays have given me a good deal of clarity about what do I want to do. Instead of just sitting back and dreaming about my future, I have started building a road map to it. There are some constants (like where am I and where do I want to be) and some variables (which bschool I will end up in) . I am doing the linking Prison Break style. I have pasted this huge chart in my room on which I keep sticking printouts and sticky notes. It’s cool and fun to do this. Stay tuned for some shots of my awesome road map.

Further action deferred till….

ccatcher — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:00:16 +0000

….I hear back from Kellogg. I am sick of imagining my reaction to all possible outcomes. I have skipped the second round for one of my safety schools. I am not gonna do any app related stuff apart from cyber stalking schools and fellow applicants.

How would I spend my time then??

Trying to get my running routine back on track and working extra hard to help my cause in the annual appraisal at work, which has been postponed by a couple of months. I have to convince my manager that I will continue my “stellar” work will late next year even if I get into a school.

My to do list for next few days-

Make an awesome running songs playlist and sync my ipod
Complete the prototype of my awesome idea
Buy groceries to enhance my crackers+coffee weekend diet
Visit sis over the weekend
Spend time with friends
Make my skin care routine official (start doing it)

self realization

ccatcher — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:53:02 +0000

Most of my friends are getting married, planning to get married or switching jobs and some are even having kids. I think we get into a sort of introspection mode as we enter the later half of our 20s decade. The entire MBA process has made me realize a lot of things about my personal life, mt professional life and my qualities, positive and negative. More than triggering some improvement routines, this self realization has brought about an acceptance of who I am-to my colleagues, my friends and family.

OMG…I sound like a freaking preacher…so I am gonna stop right here.

Good luck with the results and further apps people!!