Throughout the application process, I've learnt a few things that I would have loved to have known at the beginning.

i) Have a team of people to support you in your essay writing. Readers and editors. Preferably, get a current student (though they're always busy), an admit (only if you're applying for round 2 onwards), another applicant (somebody you feel that you can trust not to rip off your content - which is harder than it seems especially if you've got different goals) and a phd student as a proof reader.

ii) Don't be afraid to re-write your essay from scratch. Or re-structure something that you've just spend 3 weeks perfecting. Sometimes it's worth the pain and trouble. I think the saying is "Don't be afraid to kill your babie." Because if you don't, you might never improve your essay.

iii) You can get sick of writing essays. After looking at an essay for the 20th time, you're bound to feel brain dead when it comes to editing it. Take a break for a day or two. Do something else different.

iv) Each paragraph should have a situation - action - result, and a focus. Crop off anything that dilutes that focus.

v) Your goals don't have to be unique. But you must be able to relate to them.

I'll add more stuff when I remember and think of it.

52 versions, 7 re-writes for Chicago Essay 1 and I'm still not done.

Go me!

And it's a ding for Tuck.

Nevertheless, I have full confidence in my Chicago application!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Congratulations to all Chicago R1 admits and all the best to Wharton applicants.
:)

I don't have much to say today. A lot on my mind. I'm thinking about ending this blog after Chicago R2 results come out. If I get in, I'll probably start another semi-anonymous blog on Chicago. If I get dinged, I think it's time that I moved on.

If I get dinged, I realize that it's not easy to move on out of the MBA applicant lifestyle. For once, I will have spare time to do what I want without worrying whether I'm able to perfect an application. To pursue other interests without wondering whether I should put them in my essays.

To my wonderful 13 readers, what do you think? :)

I know, that there were several students admitted to Tuck last year without any interviews (so I've been told).

I know that people have been receiving Tuck interview invites in their junk mail/spam folder.

I've taken to checking my spam mail everyday. I wish I started doing this earlier. Maybe I've been invited but my invite was trashed! Oh my god.

I think there's 0.2% that I get accepted without an interview. Oh well, I don't have to wait long for a ding. It's only next Friday.

I've thought about it. Chicago GSB will be the last school that I apply to. Yes, maybe I could pump out an application for Ross or Wharton in time. But I don't think it would be a really good application. Not only that, but I may not even get my recommenderse to fit it in on time. I would feel rather rushed for time. It's definitely putting all my eggs in a basket, but I guess, maybe I'm also getting a bit tired.

So, as they say, I'm pot committed to Chicago GSB. All in baby. Nothing less. So let me take stock of what I've got prepared for Chicago GSB.

1. Essay 1 - Completed, in the midst of polishing. I'll give this nothing less than a Grade A. How do I know? I had 5 people read it, 2 who reworked it to hell and back. I'm passing it to a Chicago GSB student for her opinion after I'm done fine tuning. Target for completion, would be next week latest.

2. Essay 2 - Completed, with an interesting approach to it. The person that I chose is hopefully different from the usual and it definitely ties in with my long term goals. Grade B

3. Powerpoint Presentation - Just completed it today. Will polish it by this weekend and send it to the student. Completed with the help of a senior consultant. Grade B

4. Recommendations - 1 from a former supervisor who brought me into banking and 1 from my volunteer organization. Shouldn't be anything less than a Grade B.

I can only control my essays, and will do so to push them to a Grade A standard. Good luck to me.

For the past 2 odd years, I've been asked repeatedly, "Why do you want to do an MBA in America?" I guess it's a valid question when most people from my country do not do that. It's just sopmething that you don't do. Maybe an MBA locally done on a transfer program, that's good to go, but to spend 2 years abroad and USD150k? That's just against common sense.

I've been told that I could buy a house, maybe settle down, or if I want to be naughty, I would be an entrepreneur and start my own business with that kind of cash.

So I've been thinking about it. A lot, and I think it goes like this: I am starting a business, I'm investing in Me Inc. that USD150k goes towards investing in a business that has a business plan, a short term and a long term goal. Businesses like this tend to show a good ROI and have a pretty decent success rate.

So that's why.

Gosh. I am tired. I've been re-editing my Chicago essays everyday for the last two weeks. Thankfully, I have several reviewed that have been willing to go the extra mile and comment on my essays within the same day I send them. My essays have been reworked from scratch, they are now a ghost of their former selves.

The essay 1 now reads so much better. I now understand why I have been dinged from all my other schools. My applications were just W E A K...and horrid. I cringe at the thought of actually having sent them. 5 schools before I learnt how to write properly. Sigh. A little too late in some sense.

But hopefully, with Chicago, I might have a chance. Who knows. Maybe?

2 more weeks till I get my ding from Tuck. I wish Tuck would send out its dings earlier and faster. At least, there would be closure and a chapter closed. If for some reason Tuck decides to give me an admit (looking at my essays), I have nothing to say.

I'm thinking of maybe a second school for Round 2. Maybe Kellogg? Maybe Ross? I guess I'll look at their essays before I make a decision. At the moment, I just want to wrap up Chicago and call it quits. My poor little brain can't edit much more.