Learn to say no

There is one thing that my reviewers taught me in this MBA app process. The importance of saying no. Often, when I receive a mail from a friend asking for some favor which I can’t do or find burdensome, I just don’t reply to it. I look at it in my inbox and let it be. This is not cool as it may hamper the other persons schedule greatly.

I have learnt that if you can’t do it though you want to ….let your friend know. This will give them the time to approach someone else to do the job and will cut down your to do list which you anyways never look at.

Kellogg R1 Part1-Check

I submitted the Kellogg R1 application today. By now, I am kind of in love with the MMM program. The only things is, with Kellogg being my dream school and all, I am not sure if applying to it in the first round is a very smart decision. Kellogg’s will be the first interview for a bschool and that worries me. I have finalized my list for round 1 though. It’s MIT, Tuck and Kellogg. This may get trimmed down to 1 depending upon how my essays come out. My reviewers are not responding. All I have got are polite online acquaintances, who are not the best candidates for reviewing my essays as they won’t be able to fix the “whether it sounds like me” part. I really don’t like the idea of going to an admission consultant, and I don’t have $500 to dish out for that.

That said, I slipped by one day on my study for GMAT schedule. I should have been ready for it this weekend. There is one thing I really need to fix…the get it over with attitude while writing the test. I get so impatient….that I have like half an hour left when I complete the verbal section. It’s just dumb as finishing early doesn’t give me any browny points

The first essay

My first essay is almost complete.I started with Kellogg as their set of questions are usually a good choice to get the process going. Here are the questions for this year-

Essay #1 
a) MBA Program applicants – Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 word limit)

b) MMM Program applicants – Briefly assess your career progress to date. How do the unique characteristics of the MMM Program meet your educational needs and career goals? (600 word limit).

Essay #2
Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences (600 word limit).

Essay #3
Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would you and your peers select you for admission, and what impact would you make as a member of the Kellogg community? (600 word limit).

Essay #4
Complete one of the following three questions or statements. (400 word limit)
Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this grouping, but this is not required.

a) Describe a time you had to inspire a reluctant individual or group.
b) People may be surprised to learn that I…..
c) The riskiest personal or professional decision I ever made was…..

Required essay for re-applicants only – Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (400 word limit)