side effects of MBA application process?

Question

Is this what usually happens when one starts applying for MBA schools -

My manager heard about my MBA plans, and he did not take things "lightly". He blamed last night's power failure in the office building as my fault. I literally saw my bonus and promotion twittering out of the window. Thankfully I got the recommendation letters from him, but I dont think I will be the next hot candidate for promotion - time to look for a new job as well as for a school. 

The app essays keep revisiting and crawling into my brains - my girlfriend woke me up yesterday from sleep after she heard me sleep talking (in her words) "My long term goals? What should my long term goals be - a kidney shaped swimming pool filled with money?"

I am logging on to this forum every 20 minutes to read every snippet of information - I know where rhyme will go for honeymoon, which Indian IT applicant gave his GMAT the 7th time to get a 790+ score, and the odd sermon saying partying in MBA school is a sin.

I am listening to Timbaland bleat out "I got no money" while I work on my apps - Timbaland's The way I are is my new apping anthem - very inspirational song. He talks a lot about not having Mastercard and Visa; neither do I. 

I can hear the saracstic laughter and the whoops of schadenfreude errupt as every ad-com reads the introductory parapgraph of my essays and then dumps the essay paper into "to use as toilet paper" bin.

I find that my short term and long term goals end up sounding the same - find a job, keep the job, earn moolah and bring some mamacita calientes on my 100 ft yacht - not appropriate material to put on my essay.

Every applicant profile I read is better than me - every one has climbed Mt. Everest, slept with Adrian Lima, worked with Bill Gates in charities, raced with Michael Schummacher and teed off with Tiger Woods. I have only managed to play soccer with some 12 yr old Mexican kids who showed me who the real "papi" is.

I am so screwed.

I just hope I manage to complete this apping stuff before I die of frayed nerves, a loose bowel and constant itching and perspiration.

riverripper · Answer

HAHAHA, you are ahead of me in one respect despite your fears. I haven't even informed my supervisor or department head that I am leaving. That is the only thing I am dreading, though I am sure to them its better than me leaving for a new job since I will be giving a years notice and can train up a replacement somewhat. The people I work with are great, its like in high school when you really like this girl and she likes you but you have a shot at the hot girl so you of course choose the cuter girl. So what I am saying is my job is the boring girl I know and like but the MBA is the hot chick. 

At least I don't have to worry about it costing me a promotion since I just got one and thats half the reason I have been keeping this pretty quiet. Though a few people do know, just not the people that are in charge.

forcefeed · Answer

Don't forget Timbo has no red american express :lol:

. I find myself not focussing on work much and just thinking about the apps. I am constantly thinking about what stories to tell in essays in order to portray my "fit" with each school. My manager keeps telling me that 12months down the line we will have these monster issues, I keep thinking "I don't give a damn, I'll be out of here by then"

. Everyone around me tells me I worry too much about the essays. The Kellogg and GSB alums are saying I take the process to seriously, but they went PT and I think that app process is less competitive. My direct manager automatically assumed I am looking at PT programs when I told him I am taking the GMAT. Hopefully he doesn't find out about my full-time aspirations until I get accepted somewhere. Thankfully I have past managers that are very willing to write solid recs.

aviroop · Answer

Informing my supervisor was seeing 4th of July fireworks in action.

The saddest part is the bast@#!@# is an alum of a southern california MBA school. He should know atleast how the whole MBA process works. Right now my company has been having their "round table" talks, although I have never seen a single round table in any department or any office of my organization. So promotions are being talked about. Which means my name rose and fell like a trash can when its being hoisted by a garbage truck.

Hope I remain sane...

zakk · Answer

Awesome post. Talking in your dreams is classic. I'm laughing with you. I'm sure all of us have stories of time we were studying and our S/O walks up and suggests spending some time "together" and we're thinking so hard all we do is look up and ask if than or then is right in this sentence... Or is that just me?

Really, this is completely normal. Everyone save the true elite thinks that they are John Q. Public. Everyone has a story. Everyone has had huge successes and huge failures in their lives. Some are truly epic, and we read them, but each and every one of us has a life with a great story.

Praetorian · Answer

May I suggest a complement to the author's post. It is a classic. The 7 phases of B-School Application https://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=42452

aviroop · Answer

I read the classic and its so true. I decided to apply to 5 schools, toyed with the idea of adding 2 more, looked at my meagre bank balance and dropped the idea straight away.

dabots · Answer

i am so addicted to this forum. i get rss feeds to my phone

rhyme · Answer

Game over. You win...

aviroop · Answer

OK RSS feeds to your phone...now thats pure dedication.

GMATT73 · Answer

Who wrote your LORs?

rhyme · Answer

Oh my god.... CLAP CLAP CLAP... 

You are an absolute riot. I love your sense of humour and your eloquent intellectual multicultural jokes. Please PM me... I promise I can help you find the Mt Everest story, or if not, I can show you how to turn the mexican kids into a Tiger Woods tee off. 

I know your post is meant as humour, but if you write your essays with even one tenth the passion and character you display in the above prose, you'll do just fine. 

Worry not my friend... you shall be fine. PM me for help if you want it.

kryzak · Answer

aviroop, you are a riot! 

Like rhyme said, you have a talent for humor, and your personality shows through clearly in your post! It makes me want to be your friend! =)

I think you have a leg up on me for this app process:

- you're a much better writer than I
- You can infuse humor into your essays
- You already started the process, while I'm still stressing over GMATs

I think you'll be fine, more than I would be. Great post btw!

mNeo · Answer

I concur. Great post. Great use of (Not over-use of) humor. aviroop, if you use this talent of creative writing this well in your essays, you have a foot in your favorite schools already.

riverripper · Answer

I begin applying this fall...oh they will know it just hasn't happened yet.

aviroop · Answer

Hey,
Thanks guys for your positive comments - I am just humorous by nature, (did want to be a stand up comedian - but my parents thought otherwise). I am sure all of you will contribute differently to your essays and get into your dream schools.

BTW - the essays gave me insomnia yesterday. I couldnt sleep the whole night.

bsd_lover · Answer

Get used to it. My all nighter count is up to two digits

. Its the nature of the beast...

sm176811 · Answer

It is just the start. Wait till u get through into the program!

mNeo · Answer

Okay, it's 2am and I can't sleep. So I have also joined the insomania-club.

aviroop · Answer

Its Saturday - anybody got fat juicy steak like plans????

Mine is wrestling with the essays all day and evening and then a lil bit of partying and then some insomnia.

side effects of MBA application process?

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