I'm a week out from my Darden interview and I must admit, I'm a bit nervous. For some reason, I have a strong feeling about Darden and things working out, but I can't explain it any better than that. Of course, it could be a false sense of security and simply hope on my part. Ever since I walked into the San Francisco information session, I've had a comfort feeling when it comes to the people at Darden and I'm hoping it works out. I still have yet to hear from Ross and although they say Ross can still request an interview, my outlook is glum. I await a decision from Georgetown as well. I have confidence in my essays, but don't feel as strong about my interview. Definitely something I would have changed in my process...interview after essay completion.
I have my flight booked to BWI on Friday and I'll be hanging with Mack in DC this weekend. It should be a blast, but I have to make sure I don't go overboard with the alcohol on Saturday night (not that I ever do). Sunday, I pick up my rental car from the DCA airport and drive the supposed 2 hours to Charlottesville. As of this moment, I have yet to book a hotel, which is my goal today before I head out this evening. Sunday, I don't have plans and Monday, I plan on exploring Charlottesville and the UVA campus (any suggestions would be greatly appreciated). I figure on Monday night, I'll find a local pub and watch the national championship. Tuesday, I have down time in the morning and then my interview is at 11 am. Finally, my flight home is out of the Charlottesville airport at 4 pm.
My interview preparation has been nonexistent. Yesterday, I printed all my essays and added them to my packet of Darden information I had printed a few weeks ago. After some searching, I found the Darden brochure mixed in with a stack of brochures I haven't touched in months. I've read through all my correspondence with Darden staff, students, and alum. Next up, review notes I took at the information session and start writing down MY story. What do I want to say about myself in the 20 minutes or so I am given to talk? Of course, this depends on if the interview is blind or not. I shouldn't cover similar topics to my essays if they've already been read. At that point, I need to disclose 'additional' information. Time to prepare for both scenarios!
Happy 2008!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Misc Update
And so it goes… 4 applications submitted, 2 interviews, 1 interview invite, and 1 silent. 1 DING, 1 completed, 1 plane ticket purchased, and 1 silent. This has been my world for the last 10 months. I’ve written more essays since September than I did in 4 years of college. After careful consideration and the realization that I was “done” with applications, I did not apply to LBS. The excuse of the weak dollar was easy to announce, but it came down to this, I didn’t want to write another six essays, do you blame me?
Everything I have planned for the next 8 months is banking on acceptance to business school. When people ask which school I’d like to attend, I tell them, whichever one lets me in. It’s true, I’d be happy at any one of the schools to which I’ve applied and currently, I’m crossing my fingers. By February 1st I will know if I’m matriculating to business school next year. If I am, it’s time to find a replacement for me at EC Mgmt so that I can travel the world over the summer. Sounds glorious huh? I suppose there’s the alternative as well, if I don’t get in… hmmm, I’ve tried not to think about that fact. I wish I could say I’d start this process again from scratch, but after consuming my life for so long, that’s not exactly a horse I want to get on.
Everything I have planned for the next 8 months is banking on acceptance to business school. When people ask which school I’d like to attend, I tell them, whichever one lets me in. It’s true, I’d be happy at any one of the schools to which I’ve applied and currently, I’m crossing my fingers. By February 1st I will know if I’m matriculating to business school next year. If I am, it’s time to find a replacement for me at EC Mgmt so that I can travel the world over the summer. Sounds glorious huh? I suppose there’s the alternative as well, if I don’t get in… hmmm, I’ve tried not to think about that fact. I wish I could say I’d start this process again from scratch, but after consuming my life for so long, that’s not exactly a horse I want to get on.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Business in the Philanthropic World
Most of us as MBA applicants know how important it is to be a well-rounded individual and as this type of individual, many of us participate in various forms of philanthropy and charity outreach. I consider myself lucky because I'm not only a participant in philanthropy, but I also help with the tactical design of an individual's philanthropy. During the time in which I have been a member of my firm, we have launched a philanthropic platform which helps individuals structure their charitable giving so that the individual receives greater tax benefits and their gifts provide greater impact to the nonprofits they support. Win-Win situation if you ask me.
My boss keeps a slightly personal/slightly business related blog called Tactical Philanthropy. It's a great source of education for many philanthropic vehicles and a melting pot of ideas from the philanthropic community. Every so often, I read posts from his blog and this post reminds me why it is important for business to be in the philanthropic world. Granted, charity is about helping a cause, but it seems too often that people forget how important it is to effectively help the cause. The repost on his blog is from a thread where he posed this question:
Is the Red Cross Effective? I don't mean do they have low overhead
expenses or some silly measure like that. I mean do they take donor
dollars and use them to fund an organization that produces high levels
of social impact? If the answer is yes, I'd love to know about any
data that backs this claim up.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
The response to the question in my opinion missed the point. The question was simple, essentially, how you measure success as a nonprofit? In the for profit world, we often discuss numbers, increased client retention, sales etc... But we don't measure the nonprofits on the same level and perhaps we can't. However, we should be able to measure nonprofits on some level - whether it's appropriate to measure the number of people they help with a certain amount of money, or do they effectively increase the number of people helped either with the same level of money or perhaps the same duration of time. I'm not sure what makes a good comparison, but there should be one. There are too many nonprofits that essentially cover the same realm of causes, the ones that are inefficient should be overlooked, so those that are efficient may thrive.
My boss keeps a slightly personal/slightly business related blog called Tactical Philanthropy. It's a great source of education for many philanthropic vehicles and a melting pot of ideas from the philanthropic community. Every so often, I read posts from his blog and this post reminds me why it is important for business to be in the philanthropic world. Granted, charity is about helping a cause, but it seems too often that people forget how important it is to effectively help the cause. The repost on his blog is from a thread where he posed this question:
Is the Red Cross Effective? I don't mean do they have low overhead
expenses or some silly measure like that. I mean do they take donor
dollars and use them to fund an organization that produces high levels
of social impact? If the answer is yes, I'd love to know about any
data that backs this claim up.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
The response to the question in my opinion missed the point. The question was simple, essentially, how you measure success as a nonprofit? In the for profit world, we often discuss numbers, increased client retention, sales etc... But we don't measure the nonprofits on the same level and perhaps we can't. However, we should be able to measure nonprofits on some level - whether it's appropriate to measure the number of people they help with a certain amount of money, or do they effectively increase the number of people helped either with the same level of money or perhaps the same duration of time. I'm not sure what makes a good comparison, but there should be one. There are too many nonprofits that essentially cover the same realm of causes, the ones that are inefficient should be overlooked, so those that are efficient may thrive.
Frosty the Snow Man Could Live by Me
We look ridiculous in parkas, hats, gloves, and scarves! After all, it is California. Even if it is Northern California, there's some sort of taboo because to all the East Coast transplants, 31 degrees is not THAT cold. However, to me, even after living in Colorado for 4 years, 31 degrees is cold, so I walked out of my house this morning with a 3/4 length down winter coat (and that's not the sleeve length). You'd probably think that I had been picked up and set down in Boston, but no, I'm just slightly south of San Francisco.
My favorite Christmas present this year is probably the overly expensive earmuffs my mother gave me. Granted, she paid for the label, but they are adorable. Actually, I probably should have worn them today.
Yesterday, I had to fight the wind coming off the Bay when I arrived at work. First thought, maybe not getting into Kellogg was a blessing. This morning, my thought was, what's the weather like in Virginia? I never got around to checking, until now, a calm 51 degrees to my "feels like" 42 degrees.
Where's the hot chocolate and fire place when you need 'em? I'm preparing for snow. ;)
My favorite Christmas present this year is probably the overly expensive earmuffs my mother gave me. Granted, she paid for the label, but they are adorable. Actually, I probably should have worn them today.
Yesterday, I had to fight the wind coming off the Bay when I arrived at work. First thought, maybe not getting into Kellogg was a blessing. This morning, my thought was, what's the weather like in Virginia? I never got around to checking, until now, a calm 51 degrees to my "feels like" 42 degrees.
Where's the hot chocolate and fire place when you need 'em? I'm preparing for snow. ;)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Family and Friends
Please excuse any scatter brained ideas as I presume I had one too many glasses of wine last night.
The holidays are slowly coming to a close, although for whatever reason, I haven't felt like they were here. Of course with 2 Christmas trees, packages galore, a 20 pound turkey, and holly hanging with our staircase, it's difficult to say that it doesn't look like Christmas.
Yesterday, my brother and I rolled out of bed sometime sub 11 am. My parents had been up for hours making stuffing and getting our gigantic turkey ready for the oven. We opened presents as a family, which is always fun because we concentrate more on the laughter than the actual gifts. However, I scored big with the capri length hot chilly's I got dad for Christmas. My brother's gift to each of us may have been the best yet, a picture of him, at 23 years and 6'3", in a red shirt and Santa hat, sitting on the "real" Santa's lap. PRICELESS! Next, we cleaned up and made breakfast as a family. Dad manned the bacon, I made pancakes, mom picked up the wrapping paper, and my brother shuffled bags downstairs to the garbage. Great group effort! For a quick second, my brother and I argued over who would peel potatoes and who would cut green beans, but the time ended up being about even, so I suppose it didn't matter. I must admit, it was fun working together. Specifically entertaining to watch my brother inspect the green beans and trash the ones that HE wouldn't eat.
Dinner was at an early hour of 4. We had a friend's family of three join us and my straggling friend AA. Invitations were accepted by a few other friends, but at the last minute, they decided not to join us, which was a bit rude in my opinion, but it still worked out well. After dinner, with beer and wine in hand (depending on the individual), the younger generation took to the pool table for what became multiple games. Definitely a grand time! Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas with family and friends! Next up, NYE, for which I haven't currently solidified plans.
Also on the horizon, Darden interview, for which I need to start preparing. Lately, I have been on the lazy side - both for grad school as well as the gym. Granted, the gym is because of my unrelenting injuries. Conversely, I need to focus on this interview because it would be nice to respond with an "I've been accepted..." when someone asks which grad school I will attend. People seem so surprised when you indicate how long the process is. Furthermore, I fly out to DC on Jan 4th and highly doubt I will get any work done in DC. Thus, I have about a week to prepare with NYE and a weekend in the mix...
The holidays are slowly coming to a close, although for whatever reason, I haven't felt like they were here. Of course with 2 Christmas trees, packages galore, a 20 pound turkey, and holly hanging with our staircase, it's difficult to say that it doesn't look like Christmas.
Yesterday, my brother and I rolled out of bed sometime sub 11 am. My parents had been up for hours making stuffing and getting our gigantic turkey ready for the oven. We opened presents as a family, which is always fun because we concentrate more on the laughter than the actual gifts. However, I scored big with the capri length hot chilly's I got dad for Christmas. My brother's gift to each of us may have been the best yet, a picture of him, at 23 years and 6'3", in a red shirt and Santa hat, sitting on the "real" Santa's lap. PRICELESS! Next, we cleaned up and made breakfast as a family. Dad manned the bacon, I made pancakes, mom picked up the wrapping paper, and my brother shuffled bags downstairs to the garbage. Great group effort! For a quick second, my brother and I argued over who would peel potatoes and who would cut green beans, but the time ended up being about even, so I suppose it didn't matter. I must admit, it was fun working together. Specifically entertaining to watch my brother inspect the green beans and trash the ones that HE wouldn't eat.
Dinner was at an early hour of 4. We had a friend's family of three join us and my straggling friend AA. Invitations were accepted by a few other friends, but at the last minute, they decided not to join us, which was a bit rude in my opinion, but it still worked out well. After dinner, with beer and wine in hand (depending on the individual), the younger generation took to the pool table for what became multiple games. Definitely a grand time! Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas with family and friends! Next up, NYE, for which I haven't currently solidified plans.
Also on the horizon, Darden interview, for which I need to start preparing. Lately, I have been on the lazy side - both for grad school as well as the gym. Granted, the gym is because of my unrelenting injuries. Conversely, I need to focus on this interview because it would be nice to respond with an "I've been accepted..." when someone asks which grad school I will attend. People seem so surprised when you indicate how long the process is. Furthermore, I fly out to DC on Jan 4th and highly doubt I will get any work done in DC. Thus, I have about a week to prepare with NYE and a weekend in the mix...
Monday, December 24, 2007
Stolen Quotes
More to add to the long list of quotes I enjoy:
'No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.' (Aesop)
'There are two ways to lead your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.' (Einstein)
Merry Christmas to all! (And happy holidays to everyone who does not celebrate Christmas, may your dreams come true.)
'No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.' (Aesop)
'There are two ways to lead your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.' (Einstein)
Merry Christmas to all! (And happy holidays to everyone who does not celebrate Christmas, may your dreams come true.)
"Family Business"
Last Friday my older boss was sick and asked me to drop off some reports at his house. Granted, it is not substantially out of my way, but it is out of my way nonetheless. As I was ranting to my mother about getting a call from him saying he was going shopping with his wife and to leave the package underneath his front bench (I figured he should pick up the package), she said something profound. He views this company as a family business and you're part of the family. In that sentence, I understood everything. When we hired my co-worker, it was important to find someone with the right "fit". Not only in skill set or vision, but also in personality and mannerisms. We emphasize customized PERSONAL service. If a client calls, there WILL be someone on the other line and if they wish to speak to their portfolio manager, that person WILL be available. This is simply the way it is and perhaps it is the reason I have difficulty justifying leaving for any reason other than an MBA, even if I am ready.
This fit is the same in the MBA world. Each school constructs a class of diverse people who will work closely together and ideally become lifelong friends. In fact, I chose each school because I perceived there to be a true fit. Not a fit based on stats either, but based on programs, opportunities, culture, and people. As I write, I think it may be possible to incorporate some of these thoughts in my next interview, which means I need to start my research for Darden. Hopefully someone else sees in me what these two gentlemen did many years ago.
This fit is the same in the MBA world. Each school constructs a class of diverse people who will work closely together and ideally become lifelong friends. In fact, I chose each school because I perceived there to be a true fit. Not a fit based on stats either, but based on programs, opportunities, culture, and people. As I write, I think it may be possible to incorporate some of these thoughts in my next interview, which means I need to start my research for Darden. Hopefully someone else sees in me what these two gentlemen did many years ago.
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