Kellogg Interview Waiver

Kellogg has waived my interview. Although they've explained in the letter that interview waiver does not affect the application, I'm still anxious about that. I sent emails to a couple of Kellogg alumni I knew. Waiting for their reply.

But I'm unclear about the criteria they use for waiving interviews. Is it FCFS (first-come-first-serve)? If that is the case, then it seems fit as I applied just a couple of hours before the deadline, so my request should, by all means, be at the very end of the queue.

That's still fine but I only dread the thought of waiving interviews for applicants who are not competitive enough :(. I fervently hope that is not the case.

More updates to come ?!?!

Duke and the end of R1 apps

I've finally submitted my Duke app yesterday. The good thing about Duke was there was no word limit. So, I had ample space to write what I wanted to, without checking the word limit. And interestingly, my recommenders submitted before me for this one. Guess, they got used to the process more than I did :)

And so with Duke, my R1 apps are behind me. I'd like to take a couple of days break from this routine and get back to my R2 apps. R2 apps are evenly spaced with 2 in Dec and 2 in Jan, so I guess I wouldnt have to rush through anything. But I've got to talk to my recommenders on those yet as I've told that I was applying only to 4 schools and now the list just doubled !

I hope everyone's anxious for the interviews now and a lucky few waiting for the decision after their inteviews. Let's hope for the best !

The "Proc" way of life

This is the perfect flow chart for the daily routine of a procrastinating person like me. Thanks to whoever created it.

Darden app

Finally, Darden app's done too ! One more to go for my R1 apps..and I'll take a few days rest from this madness

I'm not going to dwell into the details of Darden application process, but it was a crazy day right from the start. I was up for 28 hours straight, not just because of the app though. Work tends to strain you the most and it doesnt help if you're running a company like me. I'd advice future applicants to take a break or keep key things on hold at work during the apps.

But I guess "In the End, it doesn't matter". All that matters is if my app was good enough. I'm confident about my essays, so hoping for the best.

And Sloan's done !

MIT Sloan app submission was a breeze, unlike Kellogg. My recommenders submitted a day before the deadline, and I did it with ample time left. I didn't feel the kind of anxiety double-checking everything like I did for K. I guess you get used to it after you've done it once :)

Anyways, apart from that, I feel I did submit a very good app to Sloan. The cover letter was a hitch coz I'm not used to writing one. But I believe I managed to come up with a good one.MIT Sloan essays were the simplest I've written in all my apps. They are not the kind of abstract questions we have in certain applications. Straighforward questions to what you thought, knew and did in a situation. In fact, I just went through just 3 edits for them. For the first time, I guess I was very much satisfied with my 2nd draft itself, even my reviewer felt good about them after making changes for the 3rd time.

I fervently hope I atleast make the 18% cut - check here for what I mean :)

Fingers crossed !
And on the next one !!

Kellogg Submitted !

And finally, after struggling for a month (read my earlier post to know what I mean), I submitted my Kellogg app just a couple of hours before the deadline of 11:50pm CDT. There was a minor hiccup with my recommenders who actually submitted after me ! I was so anxious that I called one of them like 5 times within those 2 hours to get him hit Submit.

Anyways, I'm relieved now. Kellogg has been one of my dream schools and I'm happy to have applied it in R1. I hope it makes my chances better. Now have to wait and see what the Kellogg AdComm has to say :)
I wish all the best for the others who've submitted their K App

And, after a couple of days of procrastinating, I'm on to my other R1 apps.

A 4-hour trek seems better !

You might be wondering better than what. Yea, if you guessed it right, writing b-schools essays.
I went on treks for hours and hours and climbed hills , but there seemed to be an end to it. Not in the case of a bschool app. The struggle doesn't end in hours, not even days. It weeks and weeks.

I never knew writing essays would drive me insane. I almost became a recluse writing them. And the worst part, it just doesnt end. You got to write them, re-write them , and edit them. And after that, enter your hostile friend - the reviewer. He/She would see your essays like a piece of sh&t and throw in comments that make you furious but then again, you dont know whether you're angry at them or yourself. And again, the vicious cycle of editing, reviewing happens, and sometimes even worse - you have to scrap the whole essay and start from scratch. I sincerely pity those(incl. myself) who had to do that.

After all that, your essays you feel awesome, not because you did something but just because you read them again and again, and thought yourself to be unique/interesting/accomplished. Now, you dont know whether the AdCom is going to feel the same, so hit Submit and get sloshed.


Take it easy guys, just being me !
Wish all you the best !