About this time last year, I was frantically preparing my MBA Applications. Now, this year, at brahma muhurtham - 4AM (yet to hit the sack!) am peacefully writing this blog. No, I'm not doing MBA now. My applications got rejected at 4 out of the 5 universities I applied.
Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Wait... not quite. A successful career with considerable experience (5 years) and solid growth, a masters degree with a very good CGPA, a 7xx GMAT score, and neat recommendations were all the things that went right, infact quite right! Everything else went horribly wrong.
First, I shouldn't have been afraid that I was from a common applicant pool, namely Indian IT guy. It's nothing to be worried about. But I did. So, I cooked up an imaginary story that all I wanted to do was get into automotive manufacturing and hence I'm looking for an MBA to fill that void. WTF? Why automotive manufacturing when all I had previously done related to that field of study was religiously read Overdrive and Autocar magazines? For the record, I cooked up a really well-made story but the question followed by "WTF" above should have hit the admissions team as well. Then, I didn't have the maturity that I have now.
Second, I shouldn't have chosen my colleges based on feel good factor but should have ruthlessly employed my neurons to give me the answer. I applied to the following universities based on the following factors (the 'following factors' follows first!)
1. Ease of essays
2. Breathing space between applications to different universities
3. Reputation as I perceived it
4. Probability of landing a job once I graduate
5. Worst of the worst... the application fee (which varied from $75 to $250)
In the end, I applied to the following universities (which have absolutely no connect to each other if you ignore the 5 factors above).
1. Massachusetts Instt of Technology-Sloan School - LFM Programme
2. Northwestern University - Kellogg School - MMM Programme
3. University of Virginia - Darden
4. Univ of North Carolina - Kenan Flagler School
5. Purdue University - Krannert School
Except for the 5th one everyone sent a regret letter. UNC went one step ahead and said something like, "Our not admitting you doesn't mean that you won't be successful in life. But we measured your success in life based on your application blah blah blah.". I don't care. You didn't admit me. Don't give me any such crappy reasoning. Get lost. That doesn't sum up my attitude then. I lost the battle and life has given nothing to me while I gave more than 200% of what I could do. Am I not good enough? Is the end of the tunnel a dead end?
Life was struggle. I needed some time to recuperate from this. And I got plenty of them fortunately. A couple of months after the schools ditched me, I had an uncontrollable urge to vent out my feelings! So, I ditched my ex-employer and joined Microsoft. This is a welcome break and am actually doing the work that I've always wanted to do. Life is smooth. But my MBA journey might resume when in future if I could really see that I need an MBA to springboard me into the next level. Right now, it's see you later, alligator for MBAs and B-Schools.
4 comments:
True. I agree. One must not get onto the MBA bandwagon just cos Mr Sylvester down the street has. This was something even I was struggling with.
PS. By Gods Grace, I am joining MS by the end of this month.
Saw your profile on TamBrahms and came here via Orkut [:D]
Nice to have you here... So, did you do your MBA?
And... welcome to MS.
You mentioned you got admit from Purdue, why did you decide against joining Krannert?
In case you wondering why I am asking this? well I got an admit from them too and plan to join this fall!
PSV,
I didn't join because I wanted some choice in selection and it was not my first choice.
And BTW, you wouldn't go wrong with Purdue. It's a great school to go!
-Shiva.
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