Random Thoughts and Lots of Caffeine

I must say… I truly underestimated the chaos applying to business schools brings into your life. This time last year I was doing my last bit of prancing around the pool in my bikini and gearing up for my favorite time of year: football season, state fair season, boot and scarf season, and Fall tv show season. But now.. apparently it’s also Application Season. Oh how things change..

The GMAT is still my number one focus right now, but as soon as it’s over, I know I’ll need to quickly shift gears into the next steps of the app process to catch up with most of you. With my first GMAT exam ocurring so late in the season, I’m really happy I decided to apply to schools in Round 2. I’d probably be a nervous wreck right now if I had to do such a quick turn around. And that’s if I was satisfied with my first time score. Without all the added pressure of trying to make Round 1 deadlines, I have a clear mind to study GMAT prep and then can take a month or two to attend networking events, visit campuses and really get to learn all about the schools I hope to attend next year and experience all they have to offer.

I was finally able to find some time to read over one of Clear Admit’s School Guides. I got a Fuqua guide for my trial run and I will admit, I actually found it quite helpful. Maybe it’s because my job requires me to stare at a computer screen for 500 million hours a day, so I absolutely hate having to read anything on my laptop. I know its the 21st century (or the 22nd? I was never good at that) but I’m old school with some things and it was just extremely convienient to have this one comprehensive packet that I could just print out, read in bed, and scribble notes all over. One stop shop. Now I’m sure most information in the guide is somewhere on the school website, but a) i’m lazy and like things handed to me on a silver platter b) when it comes to researching multiple schools looking for ways to compare and contrast, it’s nice to have all the most important information right there in front of you so you’re guaranteed not to miss anything. It lays a really good foundation of organized info on which you can build upon by allowing you to spend more time researching the details that are most relevant to you. It features 9 chapters that include information about Academics, Special Programs (such as the HSM program, consulting, and study abroad), Career Services, the Admissions Process, and even essay analysis and Q&As with the admissions and career services directors. I actually learned alot about Fuqua that I hadn’t even thought to research or look into. The guide was long enough to give you your money’s worth and offer a good depth of information but wasn’t too long to bore you to death or overwhelm you with unnecessary facts. So for those of you who like me, may be feeling overwhelmed with organizing school specific info or maybe just learning all there is to know, I would highly suggest getting a copy, especially on the schools you are least familiar with.

I also downloaded the Clear Admit MBA Planner (it’s free)! It has all the application requirements and deadlines for all the top schools in checklist format and you add the schools you’re applying to, to your list. It also lets you jot down notes for each school’s essays. Very handy since I’m sure every single person on the planet has their phone with them at all times. I especially find this useful for the essays such as Duke’s “25 Random Things”. I tend to forget the so-called interesting things I’ve experienced in my 24 years of life when put on the spot to actually list them, so I like the fact that when I randomly think of something, I can just whip out my phone and make a note. I’m sure when the time comes for me to actually write my list, many of the things I wrote, may not get used, but it never hurts to have a few things already brainstormed.

 

As you can see, I’ve obviously gotten realllllllllll far on my applications.

That’s all the randomness I have for now. I’ll be in Atlanta all this week for work so I’ll probably gain like 500 pounds since all my meals are per diem and I’m always too tired to go to the crappy hotel gym. Goodbye hot bod.. we had a good run.