Less than 18 hours to go for deadlines of Ross and Darden Applications for Round 1. I haven't submitted both of these applications till now. I am feeling a lot of anxiety while pressing that 'Submit' button for the first time.
Things still left to be completed:-
Ross
1) I am not completely satisfied with my Ross2 essay. Though the concept is very good and all my reviewers have appreciated that, i have to re frame some of the sentences in this essay. One of my reviewers has again reviewed it today and i am awaiting comments from her on this one.
2) Ross3 essay - I completely changed this essay today. The concept was good but two of reviewers gave some critical comments. I modified it completely and sent it for one more review. Waiting for comments on this one too. The essay now seems to be really good, its just that i may need to correct some grammar here and there.
3) Pay the fees :)
4) But my biggest concern, one of my recommenders has still not submitted my reco for this one. Actually she tried submitting the recommendation yesterday but couldn't open thee site :(. She will try it again in next 2-3 hours and let me know. If she's not able to open the site, either i will have to call Ross or will have to ask her to send the reco to someone in US to be uploaded, since i am able to open this page easily.
Darden:
1) Fit with Darden - Thank God i got some good comments on this essay and i was able to modify this essay accordingly. I have changed this essay completely today. I was in doubts about this essay since last 3-4 days but today one of my reviewers gave some very negative comments -"i am not answering the question asked". I immediately sat down and rewrote the essay. It took 20-3 hours to come up with something because of this end moment tension. Now again sent this one for review and got positive comments. But now the problem is that i am exceeding the word limit by good 40 words. So, i have to cut down some of the lines, unable to figure out which ones.
2) Darden 3 essay:- This essay is fine, just i have to modify the opening line once :)
3) Mail the transcripts.
4) Pay the fees :)
Ok guys, wish me luck.....i hope i am able to complete everything left in another 2-3 hours.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Darden essays - doubts and updates
I have completed my first draft of Darden essays last weekend itself. But didn't send those draft to my reviewers until this weekend. Actually, i myself reviewed it multiple times during the week and everytime i improved a lot on them. Also, on Darden first essay, i changed a basic concept of this essay just yesterday. So after doing many changes, i finally sent the essay for review and got first essay with comments. They are generally positive, so not much worries. I have sent this essay to my second reviewer now.
Problem for me is that all my reviewers are first year students at B schools itself and are damn busy in their schools. I am really asking too much from them by asking them to review. Though they are doing it gladly, but i know reviewing one essay deeply really takes lots of time. Thus i am unable to ask them to hurry. Some of my essays have not been reviewed even once, which is worrying me a lot now :(. I hope they get time and give review comments to me on time.
Darden essay 1- This essay doesn't ask us to explain why Darden ? Is it still necessary to put why Darden stuff in this essay, since that will consume, lots of space and is something which is not asked. Its better to give more importance to what's asked in the essay. writing 1-2 generic lines on Darden may be fine but again i think these 1-2 lines simply undermine the importance of 'Why Darden' and its better not to write anything on school. But if 'why Darden' is necessary then we need to take atleast 100 words to explain it, thus we are left with just 400 words for the actually essay which in itself is very tough, sine here we need to relate our goals to what matters to us and also we need to explain the why MBA part.
Darden essay 2 and essay 3- now we have only 300 words limits for these essays. Should we provide only examples in these essays, without giving a starting or ending sentence? Because adding an opening and closing sentence will consume lots of words and will affect the quality of examples. And since its written concrete examples, you just cant mention that you did this, there needs to be atleast one more line given to explain each of the examples.
People, let me know your thoughts on these essays. Thanks
Problem for me is that all my reviewers are first year students at B schools itself and are damn busy in their schools. I am really asking too much from them by asking them to review. Though they are doing it gladly, but i know reviewing one essay deeply really takes lots of time. Thus i am unable to ask them to hurry. Some of my essays have not been reviewed even once, which is worrying me a lot now :(. I hope they get time and give review comments to me on time.
Darden essay 1- This essay doesn't ask us to explain why Darden ? Is it still necessary to put why Darden stuff in this essay, since that will consume, lots of space and is something which is not asked. Its better to give more importance to what's asked in the essay. writing 1-2 generic lines on Darden may be fine but again i think these 1-2 lines simply undermine the importance of 'Why Darden' and its better not to write anything on school. But if 'why Darden' is necessary then we need to take atleast 100 words to explain it, thus we are left with just 400 words for the actually essay which in itself is very tough, sine here we need to relate our goals to what matters to us and also we need to explain the why MBA part.
Darden essay 2 and essay 3- now we have only 300 words limits for these essays. Should we provide only examples in these essays, without giving a starting or ending sentence? Because adding an opening and closing sentence will consume lots of words and will affect the quality of examples. And since its written concrete examples, you just cant mention that you did this, there needs to be atleast one more line given to explain each of the examples.
People, let me know your thoughts on these essays. Thanks
Reco material sent again to Recommenders
Just sent some more insights into the application process to my recommenders. Actually, i discussed with them everything over phone previously but due to some time gap between those calls and today when they are actually writing my recos, they again want that same info.
So now, i wrote everything in a document and sent all the material to my recommenders in written.
Learning- Send everything in written to the recommenders. They are very busy people generally and already you are asking too much of their time. So try to make their work as much easy as possible.
I just hope now they complete my recommendations on time.
So now, i wrote everything in a document and sent all the material to my recommenders in written.
Learning- Send everything in written to the recommenders. They are very busy people generally and already you are asking too much of their time. So try to make their work as much easy as possible.
I just hope now they complete my recommendations on time.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Updates on my apps
less than 10 days to go for my Ross and Darden Applications.
And here are the pending tasks:-
1) Essays sent for second review, waiting for comments.
2) Recommendation still not submitted by any of the recommenders :(
3) Transcripts to be sent
4) Small tidbits like activities and all needs to be filled in the Darden application.
5) Some modification of resume to be done before uploading it.
There is only one weekend left before the deadlines now. I will have to take 1-2 days off from the office to submit these apps on time. I want to press the submit button on October 31 for both of these application, don't want to do this on the last day.
Regarding transcripts, i am not sure if the official transcripts need to reach schools by the deadline or whether they should be postmarked by that time. I am confused on this point, so maybe i will mail the adcoms and get this clarified tomorrow.
Recommendations right now is my biggest worry. I have to get my recommenders submit my recommendation in another 4-5 days max. I don't want to get into last minute tensions as some of the fellow bloggers have been in. Also in my case, both my recommenders are outside US i.e i cannot meet them, just can talk over phone and convince them to submit recos on time :)
Lets keep the momentum going....a few more days left...
And here are the pending tasks:-
1) Essays sent for second review, waiting for comments.
2) Recommendation still not submitted by any of the recommenders :(
3) Transcripts to be sent
4) Small tidbits like activities and all needs to be filled in the Darden application.
5) Some modification of resume to be done before uploading it.
There is only one weekend left before the deadlines now. I will have to take 1-2 days off from the office to submit these apps on time. I want to press the submit button on October 31 for both of these application, don't want to do this on the last day.
Regarding transcripts, i am not sure if the official transcripts need to reach schools by the deadline or whether they should be postmarked by that time. I am confused on this point, so maybe i will mail the adcoms and get this clarified tomorrow.
Recommendations right now is my biggest worry. I have to get my recommenders submit my recommendation in another 4-5 days max. I don't want to get into last minute tensions as some of the fellow bloggers have been in. Also in my case, both my recommenders are outside US i.e i cannot meet them, just can talk over phone and convince them to submit recos on time :)
Lets keep the momentum going....a few more days left...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Darden Essays started
Finally, i was able to complete second drafts of my Ross essays yesterday and sent it to one of my seniors for further critical review. I think my Ross essays are in good shape now. Their needs to be some modifications here and there but i think i will do those modifications once i get final comments from my second reviewer.
After incorporating these comments i will send my essays for one final review to one of my other seniors.
After Ross, finally i started with Darden essays. Darden has some unique essays this year and woohhhooooo they ask us to write just 1100 words across 3 essays.
But there is no need to be happy, as that means more work when i start cutting down on words and lines after my first draft of essays are ready :)
When i read the first essay - "What matters to you most professionally and personally and how does an MBA help you relate to those priorities", i could not even think of how to start this essay. And strangely enough Darden doesn't ask for standard- Why Now? Why School? Career Goals question.... but there is a catch, you need to put together your story in this essay itself and that too in just 500 words. Other essays don't give you a chance to put your story.
Finally, i got an idea on how to start and connect my story for this essay and i am ready with the first draft of this essay now.
Its, time for me to go to sweet sleep now, already its 2Am, i need to getup at 7AM to go to office :( .... gud nite
P.S. - I got up late at 745AM and missed my train. Took another train 45 minutes later. Finally reached to office almost 1 hour late :( ....but thank god there were no issues.
After incorporating these comments i will send my essays for one final review to one of my other seniors.
After Ross, finally i started with Darden essays. Darden has some unique essays this year and woohhhooooo they ask us to write just 1100 words across 3 essays.
But there is no need to be happy, as that means more work when i start cutting down on words and lines after my first draft of essays are ready :)
When i read the first essay - "What matters to you most professionally and personally and how does an MBA help you relate to those priorities", i could not even think of how to start this essay. And strangely enough Darden doesn't ask for standard- Why Now? Why School? Career Goals question.... but there is a catch, you need to put together your story in this essay itself and that too in just 500 words. Other essays don't give you a chance to put your story.
Finally, i got an idea on how to start and connect my story for this essay and i am ready with the first draft of this essay now.
Its, time for me to go to sweet sleep now, already its 2Am, i need to getup at 7AM to go to office :( .... gud nite
P.S. - I got up late at 745AM and missed my train. Took another train 45 minutes later. Finally reached to office almost 1 hour late :( ....but thank god there were no issues.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Ross essays
Ross app is the only thing i have been working on these days on application front...
I started with this app and i am still doing it :)
After writing 3 out of the 4 essays, i am kind of stuck in the 4th essay, which says to describe an alternate profession i would be in if i don't follow my goals. Though i know what i would have liked to do, but i am kind of stuck up in how to present it right now.
I have started work on my resume and will complete it by next weekend. Recommender 1 has already got the instructions and letter from the adcom about the reco, but i am still to finalize on my second recommender.
I am kind of stuck up on whether i should choose my previous manager with whom i have worked for 6 months or whether to choose a colleague who is senior to me and has worked with me for more than a year. I think this colleague will be able to present a better reco, because he knows me well professionally and can very well comment upon my professional attributes. I will have to finalize something by this weekend.
November 1 is the deadline for two of my colleges and it seems to be very near. I would have to work hard now, in order to submit my apps on time.
lets see on how it goes...
I started with this app and i am still doing it :)
After writing 3 out of the 4 essays, i am kind of stuck in the 4th essay, which says to describe an alternate profession i would be in if i don't follow my goals. Though i know what i would have liked to do, but i am kind of stuck up in how to present it right now.
I have started work on my resume and will complete it by next weekend. Recommender 1 has already got the instructions and letter from the adcom about the reco, but i am still to finalize on my second recommender.
I am kind of stuck up on whether i should choose my previous manager with whom i have worked for 6 months or whether to choose a colleague who is senior to me and has worked with me for more than a year. I think this colleague will be able to present a better reco, because he knows me well professionally and can very well comment upon my professional attributes. I will have to finalize something by this weekend.
November 1 is the deadline for two of my colleges and it seems to be very near. I would have to work hard now, in order to submit my apps on time.
lets see on how it goes...
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