Thursday....redemption?

As noted, I received my first ding yesterday, Kellogg. Although not unexpected, that sort of decision is never welcomed. In my head, the thought was simple, "ok, moving on", but here is where my dilemma arose. How do I tell my parents? I know it is silly to worry about how they will react, but I'm quite close with them. Additionally, it was not exactly their reaction I was worried about as much as it was what they would say. I didn't want many words, a simple "ok" would suffice. So with that in mind, I took the passive approach and emailed my mom, within minutes the office phone was ringing, she said I'm sorry two or three times, told me she loved me, and that was the end of our conversation, but reality struck. All of a sudden, I comprehended what just happened and returned to a slight freak out mode. What if I don't get into any of the schools to which I have applied? A realization I almost try to keep at the forefront of my mind when everyone else tells me not to worry about it, but of course, a general concern nonetheless.

I consider myself a qualified candidate as many other people applying would. My GMAT is solid, not quite a stellar 760 like other bloggers, but I definitely was not disappointed. Furthermore, my score is evenly distributed with a slight tick to the quantitative. My undergrad GPA is acceptable, but nothing to write home about. Next, my work experience is quality, though it can be hard to articulate because I work in such a small company. Over the last three plus years, I have been handed many projects and tasks that were once the responsibility of the firm principal. Basically, I make the company run - in portfolio management, the only aspect of the business to which I am not involved is stock picking. My extra-curricular activities are spread between avid soccer player and wannabe philanthropist - both in which I have been involved over many years. Finally, I consider myself personable as I am constantly meeting new people and building friendships with them. So there it is, a gist of my candidacy, no numbers. When I think about my applications, I try to remember each of these facts, and with that, somehow my day pressed on and turned out positively, however, I'm a bit tired from having only 4 hours of sleep.

I grabbed dinner at Rex's on Polk in San Francisco with a fellow candidate. (If you ever get a chance to go, get the Fried Chicken and Waffles... heaven.) He had already received his Kellogg ding, so it was a quick mention, and we moved on. It is interesting to talk with other applicants about their future aspirations and why they want to attend business school. Granted, our entire conversation did not revolve around that, but it is not to say it didn't take up a large chunk. Dinner was fabulous, the company was good, and I wrapped up my night with a stop at a friend's Christmas party. I danced a little, but made myself head home as it was a little after one in the morning and my alarm starts blaring at six. Unfortunately, my hip flexor was a bit sore on the drive home, so hopefully it isn't a problem for my last two outdoor games of 2007 on Sunday.