Its been a month at Stern and in New York

It has been a whole month since I started school and it seems like i just joined it 2-3 days back. Life has really been different and very busy since I started school.

Our pre-term started on 18th September and it kicked off with a speech from the Dean. The first day was just so exciting. I got a chance to meet people from so many countries (I think around 40 countries are represented at Stern). In fact in the evening, I forgot the name of most of the people I met on the first day :). NYU Stern has one of the longest pre-term of 2 weeks and its very very exciting. In fact, according to MBA2's it is the best time you have during your first year.

Some of the highlights:

1) Entire class went for Mets game (baseball)
2) Entire class went for US Open ( Federer match)
3) Broadway show
4) on the last day of pre-term Boat Cruise, which was the best part.

Full 2 weeks of party till late in the night. We used to get drunk and party till 2AM and then go to school back at 8AM for the free breakfast. And yeah all 2 weeks were sponsored by various companies (one of them was Lehman :)) so everything was on the house.

Classes started on September 2nd and its been really very busy since then. Assignments, pre readings, post readings.....

Anyways, one thing i should mention here is about the Professors at Stern.

Some of the professors at Stern are really amazing. Like our first semester finance and Accounting professors.
Finance Professor is like a real showman, i haven't seen a person giving a lecture with such a passion. Our finance and Accounting Profs give lectures and take trainings in all major banks regularly. So you get to learn from someone who is in touch with the industry. Almost same is true for the economics and Strategy professor as well.

Office of Career Development already has started building job search strategies for all of us. Of course you yourself need to take initiative here. But as we all know the market position these days, no one is really sure what is going to happen. But anyways for now it seems like its good to be in school right now. But again, summer internship recruitment starts next month and its hard to say that I am not worried.

Hope all goes well!

Which Laptop to buy?

I am writing a post after really a very long duration. Will write details about last 3 months in a separate post. This post is regarding an imp decision i am taking of buying a laptop for B school :)

I have shortlisted following 3 laptops

1) Dell M1330 laptop - 13.3' screen
2) Sony Vaio CR series - 14.1' screen
3) HP 14.1' screen

Well the prices are in order with Dell XPS being the costliest.

Hoping to see opinions of people here on the 3 laptops.

Also i am confused on which windows i should buy:
1) Windows home edition
2) Windows Business
3) Windows Ultimate edition

I am really not a MAC guy so have to buy Windows laptop.

So give me your opinions people, i have to order my laptop in another 2 days.
Right now i am getting inclined more towards DELL XPS. It is beautiful and is giving me best configuration in around $1250

One more thing: Will 6 cell battery be fine or shall i choose 9 cell one? Only issue with 9 cell is, it will make my laptop heavier and big

I bought Dell XPS 1330 and its really a great laptop.

Preview @ Stern - Admitted Students weekend

Last week i was in New York for the NYU Stern Preview and i really had a great time.

Events started on Friday evening with Admitted students reception guess where :)....@ New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) right on the Wall Street. It was really organized very well. We had champagne on the NYSE Options trading floor. As many as 250 admitted students turned up for the event. There were couple of nice speeches by NYSE CEO and Dean. Overall it was a networking event wherein i interacted with many admitted students and also MBA1 and MBA2's. Friday night was full of parties with one of the good parties organized by LGBT community at Stern...we were partying till late in the night.
I actually organized a happy hour at San Francisco for admitted students wherein i met some 10 people and they already are very good friends now. During the preview these people were like old friends for me, as if i know them for years...bonding has really started.

On Saturday, we had some interesting team games, just another way to have more networking :), but it was good. This was followed by sessions organized by OCD(Office of career development). Now i know why Career Services @ Stern are ranked in top 10 by Economist. OCD people were really great. They really gave a snapshot of things to come and how they will help us in that and i am really looking forward to that now. There were couple of workshops organized for Finance, Consulting, Media & Entertainment, Marketing, Non profit etc. Based on students interests, people were already divided into different workshops. Since i am interested in Finance, i went there and had a chance to interact with current students who are going into the type of profiles in which i am interested. Saturday evening we had a cocktail party at a pub in Manhattan downtown. After that all admitted students and many current students went to The Village Underground for the night out. It was a real fun. Nice ambiance and we had a nice time dancing till around 4 AM in the morning.

Sunday was alumni day with some 90 Stern alumni coming in on campus to meet us. And again alumni were divided into groups like Finance, Consulting etc so that every person can meet up people in his field of interest. For finance alone there were some 25 alumni who came. 1-2 alumni were VP's in large investment banks. I don't know about other groups as i only attended the Finance alumni meet. Didn't have time to go to other meets.

It really was a great weekend and at the same time tiring as well. I slept for less that 12 hrs in 3 days. But it was worth it. I am really waiting for the school to start now :)

Plans between now and school

I have been thinking about what all i have to do before the school starts and believe me there are so many things to be done that i am actually falling short of time. I actually thought when i got selected at Stern that what will i do with so much time that i have. But now it seems the other way around.

As i will be an international student, i need to get my work permit transferred to a student visa before the school starts. Visa stamping is really a very painful process through which every international student has to go through. I am presently researching on all things i need to do for visa stamping.

I am planning to resign from my present job in US in may end and leave for India. On the way i will also be going to Hong Kong to visit my friend. Planning to checkout Hong Kong with my friend there before leaving for India.
In India, i will get my visa stamped and then there are many plans for travelling in India itself. Also i am really excited about meeting so many friends and relatives back in India.
After travelling and relaxing in June and July in India, i plan to fly back to New York by August second week for the orientation.

Also in between i have to look for my accomodation in New York which again is not an easy task. But i will do some apartment searching while i am there in New York for the admit weekend next month.
Stern is organizing the openieng ceremony of the admit weekend at the New York Stock Exchange and i am excited about attending that. Last couple of times i have just seen that building from outside and this will be the first time i am being invited to enter that building.

In between these plannings, travel and resting i need to find out time for following some of my hobbies which i initially thought i will be doing once my apps are done. And now that its done, I have started following and doing some of the things i wanted to do for so long and hope to continue that atleast till the school starts :)

- (The idea for this post has been give by Paige. Thanks Paige !! )

Am I forgotten? Wishes for the fellow bloggers

Its been long since i wrote a post here, i hope my fellow bloggers have not forgotten me.

Oops - All the best buddy for your forthcoming results and interviews. I am sure you will make it good.

Paige - How is your Euro trip planning coming along? Do plan to attend a Euro cup match during your stay there. The exceitement and passion in soccer is a must see.

HappyBunny - congrats for your great score

Bee - All the best for your HBS interview.....you will do well

Coin toss - welcome back!! :)

Hazyblur - good luck for forthcomming results

BSchoolBound - have a happy time deciding between H/S :)

Also, Congrats to all the new admits from blogging world...its great to see so many people finally getting what they wanted here.....Cheers!!

Sent initial deposit

After postponing this for 2 weeks now finally i wrote a cheque for $1000 and sent out to NYU Stern. With this i am finally officially part of NYU Stern class of 2010. I am really happy for this :)

NYU Stern Interview experience log

Finally I got down to write my NYU Stern interview experience.

As is required by Stern, I went for an onsite interview at Stern campus in New York for the interview. Anyways, since I didn't visit the school before so I really wanted to experience everything first hand.

My interview was taken by an Associate Director of admissions. She was really a very nice lady and made me feel comfortable before we jumped on the actual questions. She asked me about my plan for the New York trip and how I am finding the city and also talked about SF (where I am living presently) weather.
Then she mentioned to me that this interview is not a blind interview and she has already read my essays, recommendations, resume and my application well. Also she clarified that this is not going to be an interrogation but will just be a casual chat which really helped in calming my nerves. Actually it was my first ever B school interview, so was a little tense but i was also confident on my preparation.

She started with my present experience. She was so well acquainted with my present profile that she asked me a very specific question about the work I am doing presently and that really impressed me a lot. As I am working in a technology consultancy firm I have worked for several Big Retail clients at multiple locations within US and in India. She also asked about my experience on that. It never seemed like she was just asking me questions. In fact it felt like we were just discussing things.
As I have worked with two biggest US retailers she asked me about what is my opinion about their working and what will I suggest them if I need to devise a strategy for them. This question caught me a bit off guard. I though about it a bit and then was able to answer it well.
Then we moved on to my short term goal and she asked me very specific question on that which again was impressive. This interview can really be called a personal interview and I was really impressed on the amount of effort she had put in going through my application material
Type of question which was asked was:-
1) Why I wanted to make a career switch?
2) How will I make the career switch?
3) How will Stern help me in making this switch and reaching my goals?
4) What will be the biggest obstacle I will face in getting to my short term goal/making the career switch?
5) How will you decide on which company you will join after graduating from Stern and why?

I was also asked:

1) If you are selected by several top schools how will you make your final decision?

I am unable to recall some of the questions :( but will update this post here if I am able to recll more.

The duration for my interview was 40 minutes including the time for my questions.

She mentioned to me after the interview that - “You really have done your research so well - Why was I asking you questions - you should have asked me" :). So that really gave me a very positive feeling and I was just waiting for the results.

I was really impressed by the Stern campus, though it’s a small campus. But the facilities were really excellent and all of the people were so friendly. After giving admits, the initiative which Stern has taken to connect all the admitted candidates and the way they reply to any of the queries which I have really shows the cooperative and collaborative culture which Stern has. Also its location in the heart of Manhattan - nothing can beat that. Just hop 2-3 subway stops and there you are standing on the Wall Street :)

For the interview one thing which is very important is:

You may not be asked on many of the things and thus may not get the opportunity to speak whatever you would have thought. So you need to plan during the interview itself that you speak everything you thought of conveying to the admission committee. Don't miss this opportunity and just space out various points in your replies and keep them impressed. It's important that whatever question you answer, you are able to convey one important point so that the interviewer remembers that. This becomes a little difficult when the interview is not blind since you need to go one step further from what you wrote in the application.

Do let me know if any of you guys have any questions?

With arms wide open

This famous song from Creed really describes what i feel after getting the first admit. I am so relieved.

"Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face "
- Creed

Do listen to this song again guys when you get that good news!!





All the best to my fellow bloggers!!