Thoughts and status update...

I have been planning to write this post for a while now and finally i was able to sit and write it.

So here goes the status of my R1 apps -


NYU Stern:- I am done with my interview at Stern and it went okay. Even after so many days of the interview i still keep thinking about what went in those 30-45 minutes. And then i start thinking how i could have answered that question in a more better way :). I guess this is how it is for everybody. Now i am waiting for the results.
I interviewed on campus in NYC. And i really had a great time there. Will write a seperate post on the interview experience.
I am really impressed with the school and the city and 'Stern' remains my first choice.

Ross:- As i posted earlier, i have been waitlisted. Two days back i got mail saying that i will be considered with R2 apps now. Also they asked me to send any update. I have devised my strategy to send updates and will start sending updates ASAP. Lets see if i am able to convert this to an admit. Will keep you guys updated.

Darden:- Now i don't know what happened to them. I haven't heard from them for long and same is the status with many other people. Oops also seems to be in similar situation as me.
With the decision date coming nearer, i am fearing my worst for this application. But such a long wait for the so called 'early decision' round is really making me think that why i applied to this school in the first place. And then all the controversy that they are considering R2 apps now with R1 has further pushed this cause.

And so goes the waiting period......

'Waitlisted' at Ross!

Finally, i heard something from the school to which i submitted my first application

Today 01/15 was the decision date for Ross and somewhere deep down i knew that i would be waitlisted. I knew for sure that i would not be dinged directly. I always believed in the quality of application i submitted. Although i also knew that the quality of application i submitted for Ross was considerably different from what i submitted for Stern. This was mainly because Stern was my last application and thus i had more time to work on this one and by the time i started writing Stern application, i was already experienced in writing apps :)

Now i know how long this waiting game can be.

I know i can convert this to 'admit'. I will need to put a strategy in place for this.And i really need some guidance from all you guys out there. The moment, i saw my waitlist decision, I knew i can rely on all the people from this blogosphere in order to convert this to 'admit'.

Any help and suggestions are really appreciated.

Ross, Darden Submitted - my first two apps :)

I have clicked on 'Submit' on Ross and Darden apps.
I submitted Darden some 2 hours back and Ross just 1 hour back. But i think, i did okay, considering i have submitted my application more than 12 hours before the deadline. :)
I planned to submit one day in advance so missed that target.

Anyways, there were many last minute tensions. I had finalized all essays and started uploading them. As i finished uploading my last Ross essay, i got a ping from my reviewer - she mailed that the last essay is just fine. I felt that 'just fine' is not what i want to submit with. I mailed her back about what's lagging. She mailed some of the comments and i incorporated them. She provided some very good last minute inputs. I think i greatly improved on that essay because of this last minute change.
Then, when i was to submit my credit card details, 'page cannot be displayed' pops up :). I felt like...come onnnnn
Tried again and it worked :)

Clicked the 'Submit' button without thinking much. Mailed adcom some of the required stuff, i mean transcripts and yayyy, i am done submitting two of my important apps.

I think, i have worked really hard on these apps...lets see what the adcoms have to say....

Less than 18 hours to go...

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.

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...

Essays, essays. essays...

A long time status update has been due from my side and as the title of this post says, my life these days has just been essays :)
I sincerely started writing essays some 12 days back and since then i haven't had time to think of anything else..anytime i get free, i am thinking about my essays :)

I started with Ross essays and i am about the complete their last essay. I have already mailed some of those essays to my reviewers.
The most important career goals essay took much less time for me as compared to other essays. In fact i had everything in mind before i wrote this essay and just had to pen my thoughts. So that didn't take much time. Though i will know how well i wrote it when it comes to me after reviews :)

But lots of stuff is left to be done, other than the essays
- I still haven't made my resume
- I have sent my documents for getting my transcripts.
- I have talked to one of my recommenders and explained her in detail about the whole process. - I am yet to finalize my second recommender, though i have 2 people in mind
- I haven't started essays for any other school, though i have researched about my R1 schools in detail now.

I hope to progress more in coming week, in fact i have to start running now to meet those R1 deadlines....hope i am able to get things done on time..