The Waiting Game Amplified

I'm sitting on my bed waiting for Jersey Shore to come on and figured I would write another blog post.

Coming down from my high of my interview yesterday I realize that I have now entered a new phase of the waiting game and it's worse to an extent.  I'm not sure how that's possible but it definitely is.  So when I made my previous post about the waiting game it was "bad" because I was hearing about other people being accepted and dinged from schools.  Hearing about my friends getting into schools and being dinged from schools was nerve wracking and I would think about how in a few short weeks I would be in the same boat.

NOW it's my turn!  The next round of acceptances and rejections that will occur in the coming weeks will determine my fate and it's an odd feeling.  I'm glad that I had what I thought was a good interview at Cornell yesterday, but all that means is that I've crossed one more bridge.  There are two schools that I applied too who have mandatory interviews in addition to the Consortium interview.  I didn't hear from one of them on the day that I should have heard so I've lost hope for that.  I also haven't received an interview invite for the other school either.  I'm not even sure if they're still sending out invites.  But enough about those schools... I don't want to dwell on potential negatives.

Knowing that I'm one step closer is heart wrenching.  There's absolutely nothing that I can do now besides wait and THIS is the worst part.  My feeling is also compounded by some personal issues but it's tough.

Last night after my interview I went to work and worked on a couple of things until 6.  I hadn't planned on going in but I figured it would make my day easier today.  Then after work I met some friends for drinks.  My friends are all in MLT and had applied this past year.  It was great to see where everyone was in the process and who had received interview invites and acceptances to where.  We are all "doing the damn thing" so to speak.  I would really love to go to scool with these people and it's funny when you can speak about certain schools to different people and you echo the same sentiments about the school.  I realized that through massive amounts of research one can really get a sense for the school community and I think that's the difference between those people whose stats are impeccable and yet they may be rejected.

I've said it once and I'll say it again.  Whether I am accepted to a school or not I firmly believe that all interaction one may have with a school gives he/she a little more insight that he/she can then use as ammunition to get into said school.

Anyway I digress... I'm supposed to be talking about waiting post interview.  But yeah... it's rough!  You don't know what the school is looking for once they've interviewed you especially if they do mandatory interviews.  I've always told my friends that once you get an interview it's about you yourself personally. They've evaluated the rest of your application so now it's just whether or not you fit with the class profile that they're trying to put together.

I think the main reason I'm so nervous now is because I know that I left everything on the table.  It's funny because I was talking to one of my friends about that last night.  He said "I know that I did everything in my power to get into b-school!"  I'm glad that I have surrounded myself with a bunch of people who are like me in that they put their heart and soul into this process.  It's nice to see that it's finally paying off for them and hopefully in the near future we can all be celebrating as new admits and future classmates!

FINGERS CROSSED!

Wharton Interview Questions Leaked?

So in today's big news... there has been some discussion about Wharton Interview Questions.  I was reading an article online today about how the behavioral questions at Wharton were "leaked" and students were finding out what the questions would be before their interviews.  Then I started seeing this topic on a bunch of websites... then I checked on Poets and Quants and saw it there too!  Big stuff...

My thoughts on this are as follows... is it really considered a "leak" if a mass memo goes out to all interviewers, some of which own admissions consulting companies and others who I'm sure have sons/daughters of friends who are applying?  I don't know much of the story, but such is the way we do things here right?  We here 25% of a story and just run with it and make it our own.

When I immediately heard this I thought, "How much would it really help to know the questions they would ask before hand?"  I have not gone to nor will I go to a Wharton interview because I am not applying there, but from what my friends have told me, it's a very nerve-wracking interview.  But then again I think initially, all interviews are nerve-wracking.  Hahaha after my Dartmouth interview I went to the bathroom to change my shirt because yeah... talk about pit stains!  Luckily I had on a suit otherwise that would have been hella embarassing!  Don't give me that look!  You've all been there!!!!

Since the questions "leaked" from Wharton are a different type of question, then yeah I can see how one may have a leg up.  But then again I wouldn't put anyone at fault for there being a leg up per se, because if the interview questions can be found online and are out there for everyone to see... what's the problem?  We have all Googled the types of questions one gets asked in a B-School interview.

I dunno... I feel that if you were meant to get into a school... then you will get in.  That's the optimistic side of me talking.

Dartmouth Tuck Interview

Hello Hello...

So after my hellish day yesterday of a sub-par yet improved GMAT score, I drove 4 hours up to Hanover, NH to my hotel for my Tuck interview today.

I woke up in the morning and got ready and had to figure out how to get from White River Junction, VT to Hanover, NH which turned out to be only a 15 minute ride.  The weather was gloomy, but that was ok because it wasn't going to put a damper on me being at Tuck.

I arrived at Tuck about 30 minutes before my the class visit/campus tour began and couldn't find parking right near campus but luckily I had given myself enough time to figure out where to park.  So I drove to the parking lot and waited for the campus shuttle to arrive.

I went into the admissions reception area and waited.  I wanted to sit in the same seat that I sat in the last time I visited, but had no such luck.  That spot was taken!  The atmosphere was much different FROM the last time I visited.  When I visited in March there were not as many applicants doing their interviews, which makes sense since it was R4 when I visited last.  I would say there was about 12 of us in the reception area.  Some people in the group already had their interviews for the day but most of us had later interviews.

Ok so the format was identical to my last visit.  The first item on the agenda was a class visit.  I sat in a Leading Organizations class which was very insightful.  It was a T'12 (first year) class.  This class session went over organizational heirarchy and when one would know that it's not functioning properly and how to remedy the issue...essentially.  Of course there's more to it but I was too busy observing the students.  Different from the last class visit, these students didn't have their laptops open.  I guess you don't really need a laptop open when discussing organizational heirarchy, whereas the last time I sat in on an accounting class and I guess students kind of need their spreadsheets on hand.

In any event, after the class visit it was lunch with a student time.  We didn't sit in the main section of Bryne hall but we sat in the Executive section which is an offshoot from Bryne hall.  Sandwiches, brownies, cookies, chips, and soda are things we ate.  While sitting here with the student I only asked one question and let the other folks get their questions in.  The question I had pertained to something that I heard from an admissions officer at the Tuck Reception back in September.  The element I speak of is becoming a larger part of my "Why Tuck" answers, and I wanted to get some clarification from the student about it.

After lunch with a student it was time for the Campus tour.  Nothing new for me here... it's still the same campus!  Our student guide who is a T'11 (meaning he will graduate in 2011) was more than willing to offer any information about Tuck that he could.  He exuded campus pride and it was obvious that he loved being there....Classroom.... Classroom.... Student Residences (which are still amazing)...gym.....dining hall... etc etc like I said... Same buildings that I've seen before.  (I can give that campus tour!  ;-)

So then after that was the Admissions Q&A... I could only stay for this section for about 10 minutes because I wanted to go back to the reception area to look over my resume again before my interview.  I knew going into it that the interviewer would have only seen my resume, so I made sure that I know it back and forth.  I recommend that everyone do this because you may have forgotten things you did back in 2005 or so and you will definitely be asked to 'Walk me through your resume,' which was the first question I was asked by the T'11 student interviewer.

The interview itself was very conversational and I didn't feel nervous at all.  I got tripped up on one thing because I had never been asked it before so I didn't have an example readily available, but that's alright because he wasn't trying stump me or trick me he was just curious, but I got through it.  All in All I give my interview an A, but then again from what I heard all of the prospectives students who interviewed today would probably give themselves the same grade!

After my interview I met up with a Tuckie whom I've been conversing with since March of last year during my visit.  I needed his help with one of my essays and he was glad to do so.  I will explain more in the coming months, what I needed his help with, but for now just know that he helped me.

Then I had about 3 hours to kill before meeting with another Tuckie whom I met last year and have also kept in contact with.  I drove around Hanover and the surrounding towns, looking for a Burger King.  I was craving Chicken Fries, but much to no avail, I did not find one!  I also bought a $15 sweater in the Gap.  Funny story about this... So I have a Tuck T-shirt from an information session I attended the day of my first GMAT Exam on May 8th.  I was wearing it after I left campus and was driving around and walking around Hanover.  (Wearing the T-shirt had something to do with my essay... don't ask..)  Anyway I was in the Gap looking for a maroon/red sweater for my trip up to Cornell.  When I got to the register the woman said "Do you want to save 30% today by opening up a card?"  I said "Yes to the first question of saving 30% but no to opening up a card because in the long run it will end up costing me more than 30%."  She laughed and said "...You Tuck students are always calculating money."  I just smiled and didn't correct her haha....

So then I went back to campus to meet up with my friend in the dining hall.  We met at 6 in Stell hall and then walked over for coffee.  We talked about everything under the sun.  His internship... my application process... his living situation.... etc etc blah blah... Then about 45 minutes into it another Tuckie whom I've only spoken to on the phone about digital marketing showed up and sat with us.  It was nice to meet her in person and her and my friend are good friends on campus.  We talked for another 30 minutes and then he had to go to class and I had to hit the road to come back to good ol'e Manhattan.

I just got home not to long ago... and now I'm laying in bed...  My rental car has to be back by 2pm tomorrow but since I parked on the street across from my building I have to move it by 8am.  I think I'm going to pack up some of my belongings and drive them home - since I'm moving back home to Jersey next week.  In order to get that done and stay on that schedule I have to be up in 5 hours.  No worries though... the only things I have to do tomorrow are unpack my things from my Dartmouth trip... iron... steam... repack... and then be at the Cornell Club by 6 so I can catch the bus up to Cornell for Johnson Means Business.

I'm a busy busy bee this week!