My Quest for a Top US MBA

Waiting to get to NYC

2005-07-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

I got my stamped visa on June 14, and while it was heartening to see my fourth US visa stamp, I was kind of puzzled to see my First Name spelled as "FNU" and the Last Name slot bearing my complete name. Looked like an irritating goof up by the consulate folks and one which I'd certainly have preferred to do without. On calling up the consulate the following day, I was told that FNU stands for "First Name Unknown", and it's that way due to recently introduced stringent rules accoding to which names on the visa must exactly match those on the passport. As I discovered, my passport actually doesn't mention my first name, and list down my full name as my surname! Anyway, looks like things should be ok the way they stand

The rest of June was spent selling off all the furniture I'd accumulated over the last 5 years in the city I'd been working. Somehow managed to sell off all the big ticket items and sent off the remaining stuff (22 cartons!!) through the movers on the penultimate day. Closing bank accounts, phone connection, relieving formalities at work, farewell dinners - everything took time. Finally left the city for good on July 10. I'll be spending the last few days with my parents before leaving for NYC on Aug 7. I can hardly wait!

I also sent over the registration papers to Stern before the July 15 deadline. My 40k loan is also approved so no money to be sent for the time being. I'm planning to try and waive out of the core Statistics course. Will also keep waiving the Operations course as a stretch goal. Tests for waivers happen twice - in August and October - and I need to get rid of at least Stats in August.

But before I start preparing for the planned waivers, I want to complete the prework that Stern sent. There is study material and there are mandatory online tests in which I need to score at least 80%. I'm done with 4 of the 5 tests but the last one remains. The first test on quantative skills was the easy one; the rest are on accounting and need self-study of the material.

I sent in my deposit for a shared 2-bedroom at the Palladium (the on-campus housing option), but was placed #1 on the waitlist. July 15 was the last day of withdrawals, but noone had withdrawn till early afternoon on July 15. However, single studios were still available, and I decided to block one for myself. A single studio is for $1600/month but I'm excited about the collegial atmosphere and getting into the thick of things right away (no househunting and furniture-shopping etc). The cost is also pretty reasonable for the location and amenities. A bit of research into the Palladium showed that there are just 12 slots for shared 2-bedrooms compared to 102 single studios for Stern students. Studios include a twin bed, table, chair, desk, dresser, phone, cable tv connection, internet connection, microwave, cooktop, fridge, sink, bathroom. There also some common dining facility which I guess I can use when I'm not in a mood to cook or go out.

Yesterday I did a whole lot of shopping. Bought some woolens, toileteries, shirts, jeans. Also ordered for a suit to be stitched.

I'll be flying British Airways on Aug 7

Still need to get myself inoculated as per NYU guidelines...

Visa Interview

2005-05-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

It has felt nice to be asked by many people about how my visa interview went. I've been basking in the feeling of relief since it happened, and have felt too lazy to post the details. To get to the point, we got it, both of us. The actual interview was over in maybe 5 minutes, and made up for the excruciating wait in the horrible Chennai weather. We haven't actually got the passports with the stamped visa in our hands due to a rule according to which the visa cannot be stamped more than 90 days in advance of the start of classes. Our passports have, however, been retained, and we've been told that we should get the stamped passports around June 10. I'm rejoicing based on my trust of people with past experience in similar situations - by all accounts, passports are retained only when they need to be stamped.

My takeaway from the experience was that if you have an admit from a top school, and have a normal job and education, then you'll get the visa. Don't let that prevent you from doing all the due diligence with the paperwork, though.

I20, Visa application, etc

2005-05-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

I received my I20 documents in 3 weeks from the time I faxed in the application to NYU.

However, getting our passports back with all the updations done was more of an adventure for my wife and I. Coincidentally, both the I20 and passport updation processes were initiated on April 13. All that our passports needed was inclusion of spouse names and ECNR status (also change of maiden name and renewal to normal validity duration for my wife). Since our address had changed since the passport issuals, a police verification of our current address was deemed neccessary. We were told that we'd have our updated passports back in 15-20 days.

The police personnel visited our place on April 23 for address verification. Due to some miscommunication, he was not given the address proofs that I had religiously submitted at the passport office. We were asked to again submit photographs, along with copies of our marriage certificates, degrees, and proof that we had been living in this place for a year (for which I had to fish out BSNL phone bills dated a year ago). Anyway, the police officer seemed happy with all the documents and the Rs. 300 he asked for as a favor to expedite the process.

I started getting panicky by May 6. The web-based status tracking system showed the status of our applications "in process", but that's what it had been showing since submission. A call to the passport office advised that the police verification report had not been received by the office as yet. So much for the favors promised by the verification officer! A visit to the local police station showed that my file had been approved and forwarded to the Police Commissionor's Office, from where it should go to the passport office. A call to the Police Commissionor's Office advised that I come over in person. They're probably too high and mighty to deal with mere mortals! Well, some grappling with the horrible traffice and one-ways finally took me to the Police Commissionor's Office on May 9. After being routed this way and that 6 times, I was told that my file had been sent to the passport office that very day. I called the passport office and they confirmed the same. They also told me that it'd take another 10 days for me to get the passports back.

Well, then began the last stretch of the Grand Struggle. In order to expedite processing of my passport, I was asked to come over to the passport office at the enquiry counter with a proof of urgency. I did the same the following morning, and after waiting in the traditionally horrible queue and taking half the day off from work, I was told to get photographs of the applicants! Gosh, that really blew my fuse!! On telling the person at the counter that I was not advised about the photographs by the lady who answered my call, I was told to go fire the lady! Well, there didn't seem much wisdom in fighting the system at the moment, so I complied. Next morning, both my wife and I endured the horrible queue once again, though we came with our photographs this time round. To date I don't know what became of those photographs, but we were finally given an audience with the Assistant Passport Officer, who promised us the passports on May 13 provided we arrived in person between 4:30PM - 6PM.

The big day finally arrived and while it was a bit disappointing to again endure a queue (though only for an hour) to receive the passport, we finally did it.

I'm now filling and collating the various visa-related documents, praying for a quick one on May 20.

Stern it is

2005-04-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

I've been superstitious after the Kellogg ding. I've had illusions of adcoms tracking my blog and issuing me dings one after another based on my utterances. Hence, I decided to stay away for some time inspite of important admissions-related events happening in my life.

Chicago was a ding as well, but I finally heard back from Stern on the interview date. March 15 it was, a day before my surgery to correct a deviated nasal septum. The interview was pretty short and sweet at Taj, Bombay. The decision, I was told, would come in 2-3 weeks.

While I was waiting for the Stern decision, the HBS and MIT dings happened as expected. Soon thereafter, though, I got the Stern admit.

After lots of nerve-racking research, talking to students and industry insiders, I've decided that I want to throw my hat for banking. Stern is hence a natural choice.

It's going to be difficult without a scholarship, and with the higher cost of living. This is going to be my biggest gamble in life, and I'm looking forward to it!

Nope

2005-03-01T04:22:00.000-08:00

I did get my early decision from Kellogg as expected. What was not quite as expected was that it would be part of the first batch of R2 dings on Friday evening. Oh well, perhaps I was destined for an Ivy League!

Chicago is now the last realistic hope to break into the top 5. March 18 is the decision deadline so it can't be too long before I know for sure. My brother resent the check and this time he has tracked it to have reached the destination.

Any time now

2005-02-25T03:41:00.000-08:00

Kellogg started releasing its decisions 2 days ago. Around 5 people have posted admits on BW Forums in the last couple of days. I'm hoping for an early decision since I submitted the application 9 days in advance of the deadline and completed my interview a couple of weeks prior to that. No news so far but I'm dying for an admit to reach the top of the world. Or at least the BW rankings!

I'm bored

2005-02-18T01:14:00.000-08:00

Wife is not home, and after watching 3 movies and reading a book over the past weekend, I'm hopelessly out of ideas to kill time. Perhaps it's best to get absorbed at work despite the obvious lack of motivation. Reading the BW Forums is also getting boring now

On another note, Wharton decided to ding me. I had resisted reviewing my application so far, but couldn't resist it any longer after the ding. A quick glance indicated that I hadn't written "Kellogg" instead of "Wharton". Well, enough of dings, I need a quick accept from one of the Chicago-based schools. It's long since I had a high, and I've slogged way too hard not to get it again

Yale

2005-01-30T02:49:00.000-08:00

It's back to reality.

I had tried to dismiss the CMU waitlist as being an expression of the school's insecurity, but Yale has gone a step further in getting my feet back on the ground. Yale has given me an outright ding! I can't imagine what really went wrong. The essays were simple, the alumni interview went well, or so I thought. This brings my mind back to what my Kellogg alumni interviewer mentioned - that bschool admissions are quite random; don't take admit decisions personally.

Out of the 6 decisions so far, it's been 3 admits, 1 waitlist, 2 dings (1 each with and without interview). The rest of the 6 decisions are likely to come in a bunch around end-March. Nothing much for me to do till then.

Yes, I did submit the $1000 due to Cornell by Jan 31 to keep my place in the class.

Chicago Interview

2005-01-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, I forgot to post my Chicago interview experience. I interview the day before leaving on vacation, after numerous postponements. I was well-prepared since I had already completed all preparationg earlier when the interview got postponed. The interview went well. I think I answered all questions pretty well. It was a satisfying experience and something tells me that I might just end up at one of the two top schools in Chicago this August!

Vacation at last

2005-01-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for this for quite some time. Just sleeping and sleeping till you get tired of it. Daddy persuaded me to turn in my application for MIT, so that's what I'm doing. CMU has put me on its waitlist and asked me to click on a link to become "active" on its waitlist. I guess I'll do others on the waitlist a favor by opting to remain inactive.

Financial Aid Decisions

2005-01-12T04:07:00.000-08:00

Cornell has put me on the waitlist for its financial aid decision. I never thought there would be a waitlist even for financial aid! Duke, on the other hand, has doled out 9.3k/year. Quite a pittance compared to the 30k/year from UNC, but I'll take what I get.

I have pretty much decided against UNC. On reflecting about the decisions I have made in life, I am convinced that I have let opportunities go due to my aversion to taking risks. It's payback time now.

Now I need to decide whether to put in the Cornell deposit of 1k by 31 Jan or give it up. The impression I'm increasingly getting is that Cornell and Duke have comparable programs and open up similar doors. But then there are the subtle differences based on what I'm told, some of which I've summarized here.

Cornell seems to have a better internationally recognized brand as the largest Ivy League university. Its proximity to NYC makes it good for IB. The small class size helps everyone find a job. It's also strong in engineering, which might help me if I choose to remain in the tech sector. Duke is also a great university. It has the best medical school and is based in the city of medicine. It's near the RTP with many companies. It's good for GM and consulting.

Bottomline is that there doesn't seem to be a very significant difference, and I'd probably not go wrong with either.

Last few days...

2005-01-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

...have been busy putting the R2 apps together, which explains absence of any posts. Good thing is that the grind is over. Submitted Wharton last night, Harvard the night before, and Chicago the night before that! I also submitted Kellogg a few days back.

It's been a hard journey writing essays and submitting applications, and I am feeling so relieved now, I can feel myself walking with a spring and smiling at people a lot more. In the last few days, while I couldn't help meeting people at work, I would be lost in my thoughts of trying to find an ethical dilemma, or a mascot, or a childhood hero. I'm glad I can get back to life and reality.

Couple of pending things. I need to call Chicago tonight and ask what to do about the fact that their website allowed me to submit the application without asking for any money! Also need to fax a request to ETS to send my TOEFL score report to Harvard.

Chicago interview is scheduled for Sunday. That's one BIG fish to catch!

I'm Unstoppable!!

2004-12-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Saw the admission offer from Fuqua on the web and couldn't help going out to celebrate. Watched Ocean's Twelve which I thought wasn't as great as its previous incarnation. Got back home around midnight to discover that I had 3 missed calls from a number in the US - and it wasn't difficult figuring out where they were from. Also saw a voicemail from my Fuqua interviewer when I reached work this morning congratulating me on the admit and welcoming me to Team Fuqua.

I am delighted and honoured to have the chance to select from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world.

The last 4 days have put me on cloud nine! The last few days have convinced me that I have it in me to make it to the top schools, something I wasn't sure about earlier.

Kellogg interview

2004-12-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

While I was recovering from the excitement of the KF and Johnson offers, I also had to go through the Kellogg interview scheduled for later in the day. Couldn't do much in terms of preparation due to the excitement from the last two days. Was off to a horrible start, reaching the venue a good 15 minutes late, thanks to the peak traffic hour. Still, the interview went off well. The interviewer was actually a Cornell undergrad and seemed pretty impressed with my admit! He was actually denied admission at Johnson when he had applied, and he used that to tell me that bschool decisions are quite arbitrary and should not be taken personally. Overall the interview went ok. I felt (as usual) that I missed out on a couple of points on a couple of answers. But that might make the difference in a top 5 school. We'll get to know...

Still more good news

2004-12-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm in at Johnson! Got the news through a call from the adcom this morning. This puts me on cloud nine! Just thinking of the good stuff about Cornell - biggest Ivy League university, 200000 living alumni - I'm thrilled to have a chance to be part of this select group of people.

And the dilemma starts. Johnson will announce financial aid decisions on Jan 7. Kenan-Flagler has asked for a deposit of $2000 by Jan 7. I'll talk to current students and take their opinions, maybe ask the Johnson adcom if they can release aid decisions earlier.

More good news

2004-12-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

It was overwhelming to see another mail from Kenan-Flagler this morning, offering me a fellowship for $30,000 per year. This basically takes care of my tuition expenses for the 2 years at Chapel-Hill. So now, I might have some decisions to make in the coming weeks if I get admitted by Cornell or Duke without aid (or without as much aid).

In at Kenan-Flagler!!!

2004-12-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm in, and it's a tremendous feeling!

This proves to me that it's people like myself that make it to these top schools. And that means it's mortals like me, who submit their application weeks after the deadline, who submit their supplementary material in installments, and who realize after submitting their application that they forgot to put a proper ending to one of the essays.

Phew...and now for Johnson on Wednesday and Fuqua on Thursday. My success with KF gives me an intuition that I'm going to crack both these schools as well. So much for optimism!

It's decision week

2004-12-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

KF will post decision by 5PM their time which is 3:30AM tomorrow morning for me. Then comes Johnson on Wednesday and Fuqua on Thursday. Can't do anything apart from repeatedly doing the rounds of BW Forums. Kellogg interview may happen tomorrow and Chicago interview is scheduled for Sunday. The Chicago interviewer has asked me to complete the application before the interview and I'm in bad shape with the essays. I hope I can get these decisions sooner than later so I can focus all my energies on the remaining applications.

Getting Started

2004-12-12T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is to start on my first experience at blogging. I've come across and benefited from a number of blogs of fellow bschool applicants, which have also inspired me to start one of my own. After dallying on this for quite some time, here I am.

I've dabbled in too many pastimes to make pretensions of regular posts at this point of time. We'll see how it goes.