True story, but me being me, I’d have 10 thousands things opened at the same time, cluttering my screen, just to get things done. Some people need order to focus, some thrive in chaos, I seem to do best in orderly chaos…
A quick update on my Rd 1 application…
I tanked HBS again and interviewed at Kellogg. But then again, Kellogg interviews anyone who requested to be interviewed, so it was really not an indication of how strong my application was. I have mixed feelings about tanking HBS for the 2nd consecutive time. On the other hand, I should’ve learnt enough from the previous experience to submit a better application but the application pool itself is super hyper competitive – HBS is a stretched to everyone (unless of course, your whole family goes there and made tons of donation to the school…). And because of the hyper competitiveness of their pool of applicants, a rejection from HBS does not automatically mean that my application was weak (at least, that’s why I’m telling myself to mend this broken heart!).
An interview with Kellogg…
I thought it went well. I clicked with my interviewer. It helped that we both came from the same industry, so the lingo was not lost and I don’t have to de-jargonise my resume all that much. At one point, I thought I was doing the interviewing since we were trading questions, back and forth – he asked me why Kellogg, I asked him how was his Kellogg experience etc. All in all, it felt more like a conversation between 2 people who shared the same passion (for Kellogg).
But here’s the thing; being too comfortable during the interview could also give you false signal. Maybe, just maybe, he was such a great interviewer that he immediately put me in such comfortable state that my answers came unfiltered. I knew that I could’ve answered some of this questions better… but alas, what’s done is done.
Round 2 strategies…
I guess not getting in HBS was actually a great thing – I wouldn’t have researched Wharton at all, had I gotten an interview invite with HBS. Initially I was a bit put off by Wharton, mainly because the school’s reputation as the “finance school”. I did not see myself slaving away at any financial institutions in the near future.
But that all changed.
After all the research, reading student’s blogs, the s2s boards, watching the available lectures, seminars etc, I finally GET Wharton and ironically, Wharton is the school I felt most connected to now.
I personally feel that the fit come from the fact that Wharton, out of all the other schools (that I’ve researched), is the most quant-driven, in a good way. I think a lot of people get easily intimidated by any quant-heavy subjects, and Wharton makes no qualm about how quant-heavy their program is. But here’s the thing, they make it more than just about crunching the numbers but giving greater emphasis on what the data tell you about a problem. This mind-set, this way of approaching a problem, so analytical and methodological – speaks highly to the engineer in me. I guess that’s why I’m gravitating more and more towards Wharton!
Plus I now find a newfound appreciation for PE… ha ha ha. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll write about a PE specific goals in my career essay for Wharton.
I’m still applying to Stanford’s GSB…
As off now, I’m searching my soul to find what matters the most to me. There are many things that matter to me, some matter more than others but to nail what matter the most and why – let me tell you my friend, it’s gonna be a long and arduous journey (till new year).
But right now, let me enjoy The Expendables 2 first!
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