Venting Thread

So glad to have stumbled upon this thread! i seriously don't feel like I've been this stressed in sooo long! my interviewer also took 10 days to complete my feedback...I applied only to Columbia ED and HBS (HBS was def a stretch so not getting an interview invite wasn't too surprising)...however, I have no idea what to do if I don't get into Columbia! I really want to know ASAP so I can at least salvage something and apply to a few R2 schools. with late dec and early jan deadlines looming, I'm soo worried that I wont know about Columbia in time...should I just go ahead and start on R2 apps?? The thought makes me gag!

I called the admissions office today and they said there might be a further lag due to the holidays...arggghhhh!!!

If I'm this much of a wreck about one school (Stern) with the faint possibility of SOME interview invites emerging this week but in all likelihood they won't come till January, what the heck am I going to be like at the end of January through March when I'm waiting for Stern + 3 other schools to contact me?


EEK! Just needed to get that off my chest!!

I've become a basketcase. I keep reliving my HBS interview, and remembering in hindsight all the moronic things I've said. And there were a lot of stupid things, and rambling (maybe on three questions). Although she did get to ask like 15+ questions. I can't believe some of the stuff I said. I just feel like I blew such a great chance. I had a decent feeling out of the interview, but as I think back, I feel worse and worse. I also didn't really get to focus too much on my accomplishments, but then she really didn't ask about them I just feel very blah. I really shouldn't have added all the extra stuff in. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Am trying to do R2 apps, but can't keep my mind off of this blow up. It's like literally impossible. I know I answered all the questions, but I said stuff I really should have in hindsight shut up on.

And btw, you can't judge a person in 1/2 hour!!

I'm trying not to relive my interviews. It won't do us any good. I have no idea how to pass the time for these next two weeks though!! I've run out of distractions, yet I still can't focus at work. I'm spending a lot of my time thinking about how painful 12/15 is going to be - I really wish I could take the day off so I'm not in the spotlight all day in front of my colleagues if I receive bad news.

all i know is on 12/15, if i hear back some bad news, i'm going to drink till i can't remember. if i get some good news, i'm going to drink till i can't remember... lol
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Booth decisions come out the day after (w/ rumored admit calls before) so there's going to be a lot of emotional people on the boards that week one way or the other. If you get good news, I'll definitely drink a beer in your honor.

any one care to share tips on how to deal with the emotional turmoil that results from being dinged...

Hello stressful people! I'm feeling pretty good about the process right now, despite being in the same waiting game. I only got one interview from R1 but it went well so I know I have a 50/50 shot. But I've used to my time to perfect my R2 apps anyway, so now I know that I've got options, if it comes down to it. Having a plan B makes plan A less life and death!

So if I get in R1, that's great, but it's more of a bonus not a necessity. If it doesn't work out, I'm ready to push the send button on an array of solid R2 apps. And doing the R2 research has highlighted some of the plus points about the R2 schools I initially overlooked, so even if I get that R1 call I'm not going to cancel everything else right away.

So not getting into ONE or TWO schools is never the end of the world. So stop pushing F5 and go do something proactive!

Hope that helps!

So I'm done with being a basketcase. If it's meant to happen, it'll happen. If it's not, I still have some great schools to think about and apply to. And heck, if I don't get in anywhere, there's always next year. I do have a good job, good friends, and a family that's healthy. And plus, it's that school's loss, not mine! (although school X, let me tell you a couple of things....)

I felt kinda guilty for venting too...and I do love the ideas of Darden, Kellogg, Chicago, Yale....

Basically been splitting my time between the gym and the bar…

There are worse things than this process but it’s still unnerving. It would be a lot better if they just released decisions on one date. I’d take one day of heavy stress over 20-40 days of guesswork. Even if they said something like interviews will be released Tue and Thu.

Could be worse but def could be better....

Alright, so don’t beat up on me too much if you don’t like this, I’m certainly no creative writer or philosopher. Having said that (<- Curb Your Enthusiasm reference), in an attempt to kill time I propose this…

Waiting to get into business school is a lot like skydiving. With skydiving the most exciting part isn’t after your parachute works and your feet touch the ground, it’s the moment right before you jump and the outcome is still unknown. Though remote, the possibility your parachute won’t work exists, and therefore that moment has an intensity that is unique. There exist a thrill in not knowing the outcome and the idea of the possibilities. We may still get into the school of our dreams or we may get rejected across the board. We are free to imagine any outcome we choose.

Still it is a moment that is difficult to appreciate until we get the outcome we desire, yet cannot be fully appreciated once we do. Also, like that moment right before you throw yourself out of a perfectly good aircraft, its best that it’s brief. You don’t want to think about it too much (which is probably where most of us are at/approaching)! I guess what I’m saying is while we all want to know the outcome NOW, today at least anything is still possible.

Good luck and Godspeed to all.

Last year, we decided to write a song about it…to deal with disappointments

to-all-the-schools-that-turned-me-down-77251.html?view-post=582212#p582212

This is something I came across a while ago and, even in the peak of application stress, managed to make me smile (even after waking up to a flooded crawl space this morning!!).

**Disclaimer** I did not write this, I only shamelessly pillaged it. I am not sure who the original is from.

Dear Admissions Committee,

Thank you for your letter of (Insert Date Here). After careful consideration, I
regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me
a position in your class of 2012.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually
large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field
of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite (Insert School's name) outstanding qualifications and previous experience in
rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at
this time. Therefore, I will join the ranks of graduate students in your department this coming fall.
I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
(Insert Name Here)


Happy Wednesday!!
-Duc

LOL

+1...lol


Another rant: I hate talking about the b-school process to friends because then I hear about other people who are applying from my UG to the same schools - especially stressful when you both occupy the same age/sex/race....

Hehe 2012dreams, I understand. It's like that for companies too - when a boatload of people from the same firm are applying, you all look at each other as if to say "are you my competition?". Although, being from Australia definitely has its advantages - there isn't too many of us applying!

One good way to avoid thinking about R1 decisions is to procrastinate on R2 essays and realize that the deadlines are starting to come up!

That none of the "top 15" schools court you...they don't have to show interest. I just got a frickin cool ass grab bag/box of freebies from Wisconsin's dept of Brand Management - them, Kelley, Darden, Notre Dame, and Emory have all been very proactive at stalking me...too bad I'm just another blip on the radar to Kellogg, Wharton, and Harvard

that's cool.. i dont think ive gotten any freebies from anywhere. just a lot of spam email, and occasionally a few pamphlets from the schools. mostly just email though
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