Post Acceptance Action

I just got back from Midnight bingo where my friend won $200 and now I'm wide awake so I've decided to write a blog post and update my metatag information.

I've been very busy these last couple of days!  It's weird because people always reach out to me and ask for guidance and I either tell them my honest opinion or forward them on to other people who may be of more assistance.  I enjoy connecting people (one of the things I wrote about in my application) it's fun to me.  My blog has been a great vehicle to facilitate this action.

One thing I never had insight to was the Post Acceptance process...  what goes on behind the scenes is quite exciting (nerve-wracking for me in another sense but again... more to come on that next week).  There are a lot of emails going back and forth... a lot of facebooking people who were also accepted and who may become future classmates, and a lot of texting.  All of this is to just keep in contact with potential classmates as well as find out from your friends their decisions from other schools.  I've made a lot of new friends this way as we bond over Cornell (no other school to bond over yet).  One person in particular is my road dog and was also accepted to Johnson.  We talk all day about hypothetical situations in school.  She had my ROLLING with one comment hahah #We'reAMess!

The reason I've been busy is quite ironic.  After my acceptance I've had at least 7/8 people reach out to me inquiring about the Cornell interview.  I even had my tutor ask me if one of his other students could reach out to me and inquire about my interview and experience with Johnson thus far.  He and I will be having lunch tomorrow when I go into the city.  I'm looking forward to it because I think I can really offer some great advice.

I also had someone reach out to me via one of the blogs.  I couldn't answer his questions because they were tailored more towards current students.  So what did I do?  I contacted one of my contacts at Johnson and asked if her I could put the two of them in touch.  Of course she said yes, I don't think there's a student at Johnson who would be like "umm.. no don't be giving my information out!"  Johnson doesn't accept those types of students...at least not to my knowledge!

Hmmm what else has me busy?  Oh... I've been emailing back and forth with a couple of my friends at Johnson just asking basic random questions.   I asked about finding apartments....about ordering food at 1am... and about the whole laptop situation.  I have a Mac and I know that in B-school it's imperative that you need the Microsoft suite and I wasn't sure if it would suffice for me to simply get the add-on for my Mac or get a new laptop which I would be 100% opposed to doing because PC's suck.

HHmmm... where is that person who said that the quality of my blog posts had been declining back in December?  Wonder what the person thinks now... actually.. I'm not concerned at all.  Sorry that just popped into my head.

I just realized that my last two "bullet points" started with Hhmm.  How original.  Now I'm "talking" to myself and have used quotation marks too frequently just recently.  That's my cue to end this post.  I mean it is 4:30am.  I should probably be going to bed.  But first!  Let me track my package from Cornell.    I wonder if it got caught in the snow storm.

Cornell Johnson Interview - Yay!

So you know how sometimes you just feel when something goes well?  That's the case with my Cornell interview.  I'm back on the bus now but I felt that my interview was smooth and perfect.  I was cool calm and collected and was at ease the whole time.

Did I research questions that I thought I would be asked?  Yup sure did, I mean they're out there so why not right?  I didn't type up answers or anything like that though.  I just read through them and thought of stories or anecdotes that I would use.  I didn't even do too much of this because I didn't want to sound too rehearsed because then if I was thrown off my game it would not have a good outcome.  People were asking me if I was nervous at all and I made sure that I was prepared to the point where I would experience a little nerves.  I know how I operate and a little bit of nerves keeps me on my toes, so that's what happened.

My interviewer did not throw any curveballs at me.  Sure there were some questions that I had to pause for, but that's fine because I was simply collecting my thoughts.  What's my definition of Leadership?  Sure didn't think I would be asked that but I mean I have my own definition and here it is.  I didn't say that exact phrase but that's what went through my head.  No biggie.

What surprised myself is that I was making connections to things that I didn't even know I had in me... it's hard to explain but I guess it's a function of being in a different mindset 4 months ago versus now even though I've had the same story ya know?  I think my interview showed how genuine I was which is what I wanted to convey and why I'm glad I took the trip up to Ithaca.  I always said that if I just got an interview I know I can do well.  Which brings me to my next point...

If you can interview on Campus DO SO!!!!  I heard a story about someone from Peru who flew in to visit campus, from Japan, and from India.  I know the guy form India was visiting because he was waitlisted from R1 - we were sitting in the admissions office together.  So there are people who are traveling from every corner (there are no corners) of the Earth, so my little measly 5 hour trip back to NYC was nothing compared to these folks.  Just keep that in mind that you may not want to take a 5 hour trip up to Ithaca or Hanover, or a 2 hour flight to Michigan etc etc... but there are people gunning for that same spot that you want and they/we are taking those trips and interacting with folks at the schools.

You may think "oh... I just need to visit"  well no... interact... I mean think about it... Me...someone who just left Ithaca and was int he admissions office for all of 10 minutes has heard about that prospective student who flew from Peru to visit, last week I think.  So people are still talking about that prospective from Peru and the one from Japan weeks after their departure.  Do you think that person will be memorable?

You be the judge... I've said my piece.... go visit!  I'm going to take a nap because this baby is crying on the bus!  Peace Peace

Oh sidenote - my friend got a Full Ride to Cornell!!!!!!!!!!!

All Packed for Cornell Interview

So as you can see I am all packed for my interview at Cornell!  I'm just joking that is NOT my luggage.  If I could afford that much Louis Vuitton luggage I probably wouldn't need to go to business school.  There's about $15,000 of luggage right there.

In any event, I did just pack all of my clothes.  I have my suit, suit, socks, belt, shirts... etc etc blah blah.  I want to thank everyone for sending me their best wishes.  It's nice to know I have all of that support.  This is the final stretch right?  Interview(s) and then hope that the schools understand the applications I submitted to them.  If they "get it" then I think I will have a happy spring.  If not, then my blog will become one of many stories of a re-applicant.  But positive thoughts...positive thoughts.  

Tomorrow (today) I am going to work for about three hours.  I have some things that I need to take care of.  If I had a bit more notice I would have been able to take this time off without it feeling too rushed, but such is life right?  The bus leaves tomorrow from the Cornell Club in Mid-town Manhattan at 12:30 so I'll probably leave work right at 12.  I'll probably get there at 12:15 since it's only 1 stop on the 6 train from where I work, but it's better to be early than late.  

When I arrive at Statler (the Hotel on campus which is across from Sage Hall (business school)) I'll call up my host and get a ride to his apartment and then do whatever and prepare for my interview.  I'm very excited for it!  I like interviews..they make me smile lol.  Actually let me rephrase that...I like interviews where the interviewer is not trying to stump you.  I've heard of some schools interviews and yeah that's not for me - and probably also the reason I'm not going into consulting.  I've done a case based interview before for a start-up and well....I do not work at a start-up so you can imagine how that went.

My interview is Wednesday @ 10:15am and then my bus leaves for NYC at 11:40.  From what I hear the interview will be about 35 minutes so that'll give me enough time to change before taking the 4.5 hour trip back.

From what my friends tell me there is a happy hour going down with a lot of MLT folks on Wednesday @ I think 6 or 7.  Now while I am not in MLT, I know many of MLTers just from attending events with them, so maybe if I feel up to it I'll make the happy hour.  I know a lot of them have been receiving good news lately.  I hope that one day in the near future I'll be able to add to it!

and on that note I'm going to do some more research!  ;-)

Cornell Johnson Interview Invite!!!

Let's talk about how three words totally made my day!!!

I woke up today feeling pretty happy.  I got my happy back! as per my facebook status this morning!  I'm not sure what it was that put me in a good mood but I was happy all day!  There was just something in the air!   I knew that Michigan's R2 Batch 2 decisions were coming out today, but I told myself that I wasn't going to think about that.  I thought that gauging from Friday's results that invites would not go out until around 2pm so I was calm until about 1:30.  Then... I logged out of my gmail account around 2pm because I didn't want a lack of an invite to take my Happy away from me.  I was on a natural high.

Then around 4:30 I had to check my email for something that I sent myself.  I scanned the 6 new emails that I had and saw that one said Johnson Interview Invite.  Initially I said to myself "Johnson is the school at Cornell.... wait... Interview to Invite?!?  OMG OMG OMG OMG"  Then I opened it... and read it and said "YES!!!"  I told my coworker who sits next to me and she gave me a hug.  Lol.. I know over dramatic yes... but she has her MBA so she knew what I was going through.  It was nice to be able to share the happiness with my coworkers.

I then told my recommenders and they congratulated me and what not.  So now I'm in a different stage of the game.  Interviewing!!!  So yes I did interview for the Consortium back in October and that went well, but now I have to interview for Cornell by February 18th.  I have the option of doing a phone interview or going up to campus and doing a campus interview.  HHmm let me see here... what to do what to do?  DUH!  I'm sure by now it's obvious to know what my decision will be.  I plan to go back up to Ithaca.  It's only about a 4.5 hour bus ride - completely doable in a day.  Or maybe I'll go up and stay over that day and come back on Saturday.  Who knows?!?  I have some friends up there we can hang out... take a chill pill... ok not really because I'm positive they're uber busy.

Regarding the Michigan interview, or rather lackthereof... I'm not discussing that until after I see my account updated.  NOT GOING TO TAKE MY HAPPY AWAY!!!

I GOT MY HAPPY BACK FOLKS!!