CBSoverBOOTH
Too all of my new MBA friends: I want to let you know about a great place and one of my favorite bars to get dinner and chill out. The Amsterdam Ale House on 76th & Amsterdam Avenue. Best sweet-potato fries and amazing burgers/pulled pork. They have like a 100 beers on tap including Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. I highly recommend eating the sweet-potato fries with mayo instead of ketchup; trust me.
I am technically one of the first members of the class of 2013 because I had to defer a year due to military retaining issues. I was ticked off about it but what can you do. Life happens. I live in the midwest where most people don't know about Columbia and think of NYC as hell on earth (I am from NYC so I beg to differ). I really look forward to meeting all of you guys because I have spent a year surrounded by people (my spouse's family particularly) who think I am making a huge mistake because the economy is going to hell in their opinion and that I should keep my safe government job. They think I am arrogant and naive to think Columbia will open doors for me.
I tell you guys this because I want to express how excited I am to finally start meeting my classmates that I had to wait a year to meet, and be around people who are as excited as I am and realize how amazing this experience is going to be, rather than have to defend my goals and decisions to people who don't understand what a top MBA means to a person's potential career impacts.
I live down the street from Amsterdam Ale House but NEVER tried it! Based on your recommendation though, I think I may have to! Sweet potato french fries sounds delicious and I too agree that fries taste much better with mayo.
Its a good thing you'll be leaving the midwest! Doesn't sound like you fit in there anyhow. People at my current job have a similar mentality (they don't know about my bschool plans)...they are completely risk averse and satisfied with a stable, average job that pays the bills, keeps them out of unemployment, and allows them to live a basic, comfortable life. To call them unambitious is an understatement. But being in that environment everyday made me realize that I want more for myself and that I am so much more driven than I originally thought, thus why I applied to bschool (there is something to be learned from every experience). So I definitely understand what you're saying!
I am often told that bschool is as great of an experience as you make it out to be. I'm sure that you'll do just that and more! I look forward to meeting you too (it'll be so refreshing to finally be surrounded by ambitious people in one of the world's most vibrant cities

).