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Well I went through a period where I was extremely productive - pumping out apps for Darden, Yale, and Cornell - also finishing most of Duke (80% complete) and Kellogg (80% complete) but those will be in for round 2 so I can improve them.

After going through almost a week of feeling lazy, focusing on work and the accounting course I am taking, I have finally hit the applications again. Today I worked on USC (95% complete) and decided to drop McCombs from my list. I need to find a school to replace it now. I will prbably submit USC sometime in the next week. 

The thing I hate about applying to so many schools is the application fees. They are EXPENSIVE. I understand why but still, it definitely adds up - along with the school visits etc. By the time I get accepted (god willing) I will have made a major investment in getting an MBA, and thats before getting the big loan lol.

Hope everyone is doing well on their apps.

AshikaP · Answer

You're telling me... i finally was able to stop applying... i applied th chicago and northwestern part time and are waiting for those and got my NYU admittance this tuesday so I worked on essays for cornell, g-town, and USC and luckily i got my NYU application and saved some money... now my dilemna whehter chicago schools will reply before i have to put that $1000 deposit down for NYU eeeeeek!!! i called the schools and they're trying so i'm crossing my fingers

Oasis are u applying to all the schools full-time? are u located out of LA?

rhyme · Answer

My envy for your pending decision remains.

I can't wait until Dec 1. By then, I'll have finished my Cornell interview, Darden interview, and if I get one, my GSB interview. Since HBS is a crapshoot anyway, I probably wont have to worry about an interview for them anyway. At that point, this will all have come to a close and I can finally do nothing but wait.

pelihu · Answer

I hate you guys.

I just started and have not produced a single finished essay yet. I have 8 apps (10 if I can't stop myself) to do, all during the second round. I still have a lot of work ahead of me.

Must feel great to have the NYU admit in hand. $1000 is a small price to pay to continue the waiting game at the Chicago schools.

rhyme · Answer

I bet you change that 8 number once you realize just how much work each is. I'm doing 5 and barely finding the energy to finish this fifth one

pelihu · Answer

Definitely a possibility. I just don't know why I'm so pessimistic about my chances. I'm hoping that by applying to 8 I will get in to 2-3; hopefully at least 1. If I do 8 and end up being admitted to 5-6, then I will know that I was just chicken and wasted a lot of time and money. If I get in to none of them... well let's not talk about that.

Sometimes I'll come across some information and think wow, I think my chances are really good. Other times I'll see something else and think, d@mn it, I can't get in to this place (like when Berkeley rejected 75% of applicants with 750 or higher GMATs last year).

If I was really confident I would get into 1, then I know which 5-6 I would limit myself to. But I just have a bad feeling, not sure why. I've actually been cutting from the top of my list rather than the bottom; I will not be applying to Harvard. I'm actually pretty convinced that Stanford doesn't want someone like me either, but I believe I will still apply.

rhyme · Answer

With your profile, writing style, and GMAT score, I honestly believe you'll have yourself a pick of the litter.

In six months you'll be saying "What the heck did I drop all that money on all those apps for?"

AshikaP · Answer

It does feel good to have a admit I have to say that much... just hoping to get into chicago... maybe it'll help me that they know i got into NYU

... i definately will pay the 1000 bucks... partly i feel like i got into the westchester campus because they need to fill the spots hahaha... but leave it to me to be negative natalie

hahaha i think im just in shock.... i should ask for feedback as to why I got accepted LOL... or not!

Pelihu and Rhyme u guys both have awesome profiles i'm confident u'll get in and ur not like others jst sitting around u guys are actively seeking feedback on websites and finding out everything and anything for interviews.... i'm interested to see the many places u get offers at...

helg · Answer

I feel being extremely naighty applying in the R1 to the Ultra Elites only. I still feel pretty confident, but to kill the time waiting for the feedback from the Mighty Ones and as a kind of the contingency I want to apply to 2-3 Elites in R2. And at least in two of them (Darden&Tuck) the deadline is oh-so-close already...
So far my investment was:
~USD 800 - GMAT prep courses
~USD 500 - the usual GMAT&TOEFL test/score reports fees
~USD 700 - the app fees for 3 b-schools
~USD 70 - courier mail with transcript to Kellogg
Time invested/nerve cells destroyed - invaluable
Geez... it's pretty expensive! :shock:

pelihu · Answer

I hope it works out that way. I looked through the admit experience forum here at GMATclub and it was good to see that people got in to Wharton, Kellogg, MIT last year. That gave me some confidence, but then I looked at how many admit reports there were, and tried to compare them against an estimate of the number of GMAT score reports there were from last year. Not that promising.

I just wish it wasn't such a crapshoot. The positive thing (for me) is that the GMAT is a hard number right there in black and white - no need to interpret that. I just hope that my essays find the right audience at each school.

rhyme · Answer

I did the same thing, and came to a similar conclusion. Lots of GMAT reports, few posts about admits. But... I honestly think that it's a function of this site and how it was structured before I argued we needed a B-school forum like this one. Prior to this, after you finished your GMAT, the only place to go was "Ask Hjort" or "Ask Accepted" etc, which was fine - but wasn't the right place for a general discussion about b-schools. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if people hung out on here for the GMAT and then likely dissapeared over the next month as they moved onto applications. So only a select few I think would stick with the site long enough to actually post in the admit sections. Even in the GMAT results section you see people who post with 3 or 4 posts under their name. There's a few that jump in with 2 posts under their name and a 760 score, and I just want to bury the thread. 

By the way, I know someone who just recieved an HBS interview invite. They are going out now... still waiting on GSB myself. Oh the agony!

rhyme · Answer

~ 1800 GMAT Prep
~ 750 Gmat exams 
~ 1000 Application fees
~ 150 GMAT order fees 
~ 50 Transcript ordering fees 
~ 1500 Trip to Boston, flights for 2, hotel room, food. 
~ 750 Trip to Darden (estimated, well see)
~ 750 Trip to Cornell (estimated, well see) 
------------------------
$6,750 in core expenses
 
And thats only part of it. If you count unpaid time off work - time I didnt have to take so it was unpaid - like 2 days for Chicago fall preview - time for HBS visit, every time I took a GMAT exam - etc, the true total cost so far --- lost income and expenses -- is well over $20,000.

helg · Answer

You must be really, really, really... motivated. :-D

rhyme · Answer

It's more just a question of necessity. I mean, I cant do anything about GMAT scores or application fees, I needed the GMAT course to pull the 730. I had to visit HBS because I knew I could get a connection to put in a good word if I did (and they did with the Dean). I have to go to Cornell because I need the campus visit to show that I'm serious - and I have to go to Darden because, well, they don't give me a choice. I had to go to fall preview because frankly, being a local and not attending struck me as ridiculous and I knew I could get something out of it if I did (which I did). 

Discretionary expenses? Maybe, maybe not.

helg · Answer

Yeah, I guess that it's actually easier for internationals to save the money on campus visits. If you do not visit, it may be understood in most cases.

OasisNYK · Answer

I am applying to all my schools for full time - and I am located in NY. I will have to make a trip out to LA to visit USC, but I just dont want to swallow the expense yet - I would prefer to go if I was invited for an interview. 

I have done a Yale visit and planned a Cornell visit both prior to being invited in order to show how serious I am - but these are relatively close and not to expensive for me to get to. A school in california is another story.

pelihu · Answer

Yeah, I hate it when people just stop without every having contributed to the forum and expect everyone to congratulate them on their successful GMAT result.

I was thinking along the same lines as you regarding people reporting their acceptances. This is the GMATclub after all, so it would make sense that a lot of people would move along after taking the exam. Maybe we can jump start this applications section for people next year and beyond.

Still, you'd think with the dozens and dozens of 700+ scores reported each year that there would be more than just a handful of people reporting successful apps to the elites. I hope things work out well for everyone this year.

gmatmba · Answer

Guys...do you think it is ok to visit schools after you have submitted your application (but have not heard back re. an interview) if you have not had a chance to visit prior to applying? Or will that not look too good?

Thanks

OasisNYK · Answer

I think it is ok to go after you submit - but I would probably only do that for round 1's and maybe a round 2 that has an early deadline. Otherwise you should make an effor to go see the school before you apply - if nothing more then to help you market your essays to the program.

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