Darden

I have burned the candle at both ends for the last week. I think I may have gotten some sleep on Friday night, but since then, I have been up late writing and up early for work. I feel a bit hungover or maybe it is simply drunk. Either way, I often wonder if I'd be more productive going to bed early one of these nights, however I do not see that on the horizon. Bummer.

We had prime rib for dinner last night, which was absolutely fabulous. One of my besties joined us and it was good to finally catch up with her face to face. I talk with her everyday and sometimes multiple times a day, but we never seem to connect for quality time. Unfortunately, I had to "kick her out" at 8 pm so that I could return to my Darden essays. Darden shares a deadline with Michigan and thus, I have decided to alternate writing days for the two sets of essays.

The Michigan essays were generally not difficult because I already finished the Kellogg essays and a lot of the questions overlap. The Darden essays on the other hand, although not as difficult as I anticipated, all had to be written from scratch. The general thoughts and principals are similar, but Darden asks less about what you can contribute and more about who you are. It is an interesting paradox. The reception I attended a month or so ago for Darden was all about the people. It was not about how great the school is, but how extensive the network is. In the end, that is what is important anyhow, right? The network. The phrase, it's not what you know, but who you know that matters, is incredibly true in our society.

Specifically with Darden, I approached some of the questions from a non generic direction, in my opinion. It should be interesting to see how my reviewers react and more so how the adcom reacts. Every time I focus on a school profile, I realize how fantastic each program is. I would be happy to attend any one of the schools to which I am applying, but I would also like to be granted the choice. One week plus a few days and these applications will be done. It's a scary thought.

Draft one - DONE! Back to Michigan essays.