Off to the Races

Let the speculation cease.  Since January 4 at  5:00 PM CST applicants to U of Chicago's Booth School of Business have been wondering when interview invitations would start.  An email sent to a limited number of applicants announced that invites would start on February 25, 2012.  The only problem with that info is that the mid decision deadline by which ALL interview invites (and outright rejections) would be announced is February 15, 2012.  Obviously, Feb. 25 is a typo.  But what's the real date?  Let the GMAT Club forums be set ablaze with theories.

I figured Feb. 25 was really supposed to be January 25.  Others tried to determine the Round 2 invite window based upon the Round 1 window.  In Round 1 invites went out for 1 week so many thought that Round 2 would have a similar time frame, making January 25 too soon.  Some said Feb. 5, but I highly doubted the admissions committee would take a break from watching the Super Bowl (GO GIANTS) to send off invites to a bunch of eager beaver applicants.  Because key dates tend to land on a Wednesday some speculated that Feb. 8 would be the day.  And of course questions about the day invites would start eventually delved into the minutia of what TIME the invites would go out.  Of course there was someone who had actually compiled the email time stamps that R1 applicants had shared from their invites.  Some people thought all of the questioning was a bit neurotic and crazy.

Since all of the theories had merit I didn't know which one would prove accurate.  When Booth sent me a "You're Invited:" email at 10:09 AM I briefly thought that my initial conclusions were correct.  Upon realizing that I was only invited to have lunch with Booth's student affinity groups, I figured that my assumption was wrong (and also wanted to curse out Booth's email marketing guru for the horrible timing).  Alas, at 2:09 PM EST the proof of my deductions showed up in my inbox. 

Dear Cheetarah1980,

Congratulations!  We have evaluated your application and are extending an invitation for you to interview with us in the next phase of our admissions process. 

So we are off to the races! Announcing that the invites have started to my fellow applicants on GMAT Club set off the inevitable shit storm of paranoia and premature pronouncements of defeat.  I will say here what I said there:

WHEN YOU GET THE INVITE DOES NOT MATTER!

I am 99.99999999% sure that Booth releases invites in random order. They do this to not overwhelm interviewers with a ton of requests at one time. Considering that interviews must be complete by Feb. 24 it is reasonable that they would release invites in waves. I am positive that the admissions committee has not finished reviewing even half of the apps yet. People who got invites today were simply beneficiaries of the luck of the draw (i.e. our apps have already been reviewed).

Since interview invites started today that means there is 3 weeks of invitations. There is no reason for anyone to feel rejected and defeated at this point. There is no way to know or even guess the percentage of total invites that went out today. But remember, your invite isn't dependent upon anyone else's. Even if there's only 1 left to go out, if it's yours it's yours. But we're nowhere near that point.

So for the sake of everyone on this thread please pace yourselves on the paranoia and crazy. Let it out gradually when there's more reason to start freaking out and over analyzing things. If you start at a level 10 now you won't make it to Feb. 15 (because I might kill you). It will make this a much more pleasant 3 weeks for everyone.

Congratulations to everyone who was put out of their misery today with an invite.  To those who are still waiting, best of luck! I hope your invite comes in the next wave, but if not I'm hoping that it comes, period.

ODE TO THE HATERS

To my sorority sister who told me that the Cowboys would beat the Giants in the regular season finale, I say, "SUCK IT!!'

To that Cowboys fan on facebook who said, "Good luck. U get the honor of losing in the first round," I say to you, "KISS KEVIN BOOTHE'S GIANT ASS!"


To falcondevil on GMATClub.com I say, "Two points? Really?! I'd respect your Falcons more if they'd simply goose egged."


To any and everyone who said the Packers would beat the Giants I say, "Your defense and O-Line are TRASH!! You Roger those SACKS Aaron?"


To my 2010, 2008, and 2003 neos who were talking all that shit about the 9ers knocking out my Giants I say, "The Giants shoved that candlestick up your ass!"


To Pats fans I say, "Ya'll don't want NONE of the GIANTS!  18-1, BITCHES!"


G-MEN

Am I Invited Too?

I have not worked on a b-school application in over a week.  Although I am finished with applications I am a long way from through with the application process.  I now await my fate with three schools: Wharton, Booth, and Stanford (California, you must be dreaming!).  Waiting on these schools is different than waiting on Kellogg because Kellogg allows applicants to initiate their interviews, but this second crop of schools handles this part much differently.  They have a don't call us, we'll call you policy.  So now I get to experience the b-school ritual of stressing over interview invites.  Yay for me! (?)

The Fall 2012 Booth Applicant thread on GMAT Club is abuzz with anticipation.  Upon receipt of the application Booth sent some (apparently not all) applicants a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of their app along with a decision timeline.  According to this email interview invitations will be sent on February 25 and continue through the mid decision date February 15.  I highly doubt that Booth will be sending interview invites for nearly a year so this has led to speculation that invites will either start on January 25 (because it's a Wednesday and all other important dates such as app deadlines and final decision notifications are on a Wednesday) or February 5 (because R1 invites were extended over a 10 day period).  Since February 5 is a Sunday I'm thinking that January 25 is the right date.  If I am correct then we are less than a week away from the epic meltdowns sure to be posted all over GMAT club when folks aren't invited by the end of the first day.

"Well it's 11 a.m. CST on the 25th.  Ten people have already reported being invited to interview.  Surely Booth will send no more invitations between now and February 15.  It's all over for us now.  Just prepare to be dinged."

Thankfully, Wharton's message was much clearer. Interview invitations will start coming out on January 26 and will continue until February 28.  For both Booth and Wharton I will have an inkling of where I stand with them no matter what by February 15 and February 28, as both schools outright reject applicants they do not intend to interview on their respective mid decision dates.  Stanford on the other hand is not so kind.  According to their application confirmation email interview invitations can go out at any time up until a week before the final decision (March 28 for R2).  Even at that point you won't get the official "thank you, but no thank you" until the notification day.  Yep, Stanford lets applicants twist in the wind for 2 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days if they are not being interviewed.

At the moment I'm not dwelling on getting an invite.  While having the Kellogg admit secured definitely gives me a bit less to worry about, that's not the reason for my current state of Zen.  I'm calm because there is nothing for me to be freaked out about right now.  I'm soaking up the calm before the storm.  I'm reveling in the no news territory.  I am not watching other applicants get their invites while my inbox remains conspicuously empty.  Check me out again in February if I haven't received an invitation to see if this steady state remains.  I highly doubt it.

Round 2 feels like the true test of my candidacy.  My Kellogg application already had interviewer comments when the admissions committee cracked it open for the first read.  While I cannot be sure that my interviewer's feedback glowed with praise, I have a feeling it was pretty darn good given my perception of how the interview went.  I won't have that benefit with Wharton, Booth, or Stanford.  With these schools I will see if my essays, recommendations, resume, GMAT (damn sure NOT my GPA), and application can work on their own to compel an admissions committee to want to know more about me.  What if what I'm offering only appeals to Kellogg.  While I would be satisfied with that, I can't say that I would be happy.  So I join the masses en wait.  And if the days pass sans invitation I will wonder if leaving my part-time work experience as a 9 West sales associate in 2004 (I had a shoe habit) off my Stanford application was the right move.  I will fret over the small mistake on my Booth application where I forgot to give the basis for 2 of the awards I earned at work.  But for right now I will enjoy the safety zone and will luxuriate here until I actually have something to worry about.

Consultation

I have a confession.  Two years ago I don't think that I was aware that the consulting industry existed.  MBB could have stood for Making Butts Bounce for all I knew.  I remember classmates in undergrad who recruited for Deloitte but for some reason I always thought they were going to do something related to finance or accounting.  I did not know that there were companies devoted to giving other companies advice (and pretty power point decks).  I learned about this wonderful world of frequent flyer miles, black suits, and power point prowess when I embarked upon the b-school path.  I briefly considered it as a potential post MBA career but immediately let the idea go upon hearing about the hours consultants worked.  I'm not built for 70-90 hour work weeks.  Once introduced to consulting I soon learned that there's a consultant for everything.  And when talking MBA there is none more prevalent than the admissions consultant.

I am often asked whether I used a consultant to prepare my applications.  Although my initial answer used to be, "no," I am gradually coming to the realization that I most certainly did use a consultant.  In fact, I used several.  I just didn't pay them (well not all of them).

I am sure that at some point in the application process most people consider employing a consultant's services.  This process is overwhelming and the idea of having someone to keep you on track and help assemble all the moving application parts into a coherent "story" can be very comforting.  Personally, the comfort of having this assistance did not outweigh the cost.  I'm not going to say that I could not afford a consultant, but I did choose not to afford it (if that makes sense).  While I used to be staunchly anti consultant because I felt that they provided an unfair advantage to people who could afford them (and also packaged applicants to within an inch of their lives), I have softened my stance in recent months.  I am not a fan of all consultants, but there are several who I do think are worth their weight in gold (check out Essay Snark!). 

Although I chose not to hire a consultant (well, mostly), that did not mean I was opposed to using their services.  When it came time to write essays I was all over sites like Clear Admit, Amerasia Consulting, and Adam Markus trying to find tips on how to begin to answer seemingly impossible questions like, "What matters most to you, and why?" All of them provided an analysis of this year's essays by school and shed insight into what each program was looking for through each question.  I spent months trying to figure out how to write Kellogg's career goals essay.  "Briefly assess your career progress to date.  Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 words)" Sounds simple enough.  My first attempt resulted in 1400 words detailing my penchant for selling friendship bracelets from my front lawn in elementary school and the first three years of my career.  When I hit 1450 words and was nowhere near discussing what I actually wanted to do with the MBA I got the distinct feeling I was doing something wrong.  It was the Essay Analyses on Precision Essay's website that showed me how to structure my answer.  It was really difficult wrangling 9 years of career into approximately 225 words (the suggested target for the "briefly assess your career progress" portion of the question), but it gave me a great framework within which to work.  I wound up using their guidelines for all of my Kellogg essays.

While Precision Essay helped me write my drafts, Essay Snark was instrumental in creating the finished product.  Essay Snark flies under the radar of MBA admissions consultants.  Everyone applying to b-school knows about Sandy Kreisberg(HBS Guru), Stacy Blackman, and Alex Chu (MBA Apply).  Essay Snark is like the hidden gem of consultants.  You may not be looking for Essay Snark, but once you find him/her (ES is anonymous) it's like finding buried treasure.  I found out about the Snark from another GMATClub member who mentioned him in a thread about essay editing.  I followed the link provided to Essay Snark's blog and I have been hooked ever since.  ES's blog (or blahg as it is affectionately dubbed) is teeming with advice on everything from essays to the GMAT to resumes and more, all delivered with heaping doses of SNARK.  It was love at first read.  However, the best thing about ES's blog, beyond all the advice, was the essay critiques.  Yep.  Public critiques of real b-school essays for all your favorite schools.  Everything from CBS's career goals essay to Kellogg's "People would be surprised to know that I..." essay.  The essays were stripped of identifying details and then ripped to shreds.  Essay Snark pointed out each and every flaw in the essays and then doled out ways to make improvements.  Harsh? Maybe.  Helpful? Hell to the yeah!  So much so that I sent off my Kellogg drafts for critique.  One essay was deemed "too good for the blahg," meaning it was in such good shape that posting it would pose a temptation to other Brave Supplicants (BSers as ES likes to call applicants) to potentially pilfer my work.  However, not all of my essays received that seal of approval.

One day in early December I logged on to the blog to find my 2 months in the making career goals essay torn to shreds.  All the things I loved about that essay, ES hated or just didn't get.  However, his feedback was invaluable because he pointed out inconsistencies, red flags, and issues that I never noticed.  I took several shots at revising the essay for clarity before I finally broke down and hired the Snark to do a formal critique.  The service for that one essay was insanely cheap (way under a Benjamin).  That bought me three pages of detailed feedback on everything from my intro, to the content, to the writing style. Those pages of critique left me feeling so frustrated because ES just wasn't getting my point.  He (maybe she) was commenting on ideas that I wasn't even trying to convey.  I wound up writing ES a lengthy email to explain myself.  Something interesting happened in that email.  I actually wrote all of the things I THOUGHT I was saying in my essay in my response to Essay Snark.  When ES responded that none of what was in my email was actually in my essay I finally realized that I was being unclear.  Essay Snark did not write my essay for me, tell me what I should write, or try to package me.  Instead, the Snark helped me get at the heart of what I want to do with my MBA and why.  Two days before Kellogg's R1 deadline I scrapped the draft I'd sent to ES and started from scratch.  However, this time a question that once took me two months to answer only took 24 hours.  Because I finally had clarity the essay practically wrote itself.  When I finished the last revision I knew I had written a winner.  Nearly two months later that was confirmed when the Kellogg adcom who called to admit me said, "You wrote a very compelling application."

While Essay Snark and Precision Essay played a large role in helping me apply to business school, I found most of the services that consultants offer through my friends.  I worked with two friends to get my resume ready.  I kept sending it to them and asking if they thought it made me stand out.  I incorporated their feedback, changing certain action verbs to convey greater impact and clarifying my achievements without industry jargon.  When my best friend, who I spend the majority of my days emailing, said, "Wow! This actually makes me think you do work!" I knew that my resume was ready.  Essay Snark wasn't the only person reading my essays.  I had a team of friends, those who know me well and others who don't, reading my essays.  I asked those who do not know me as well to read my essays without the benefit of the question.  I then requested that they identify the question they think I am answering based on the content.  This let me know if I was actually answering the question.  For the people who do know me I asked them to evaluate whether or not the essays sounded like me.  Both of these perspectives were invaluable.  I do think I went a bit overboard when it came to readers.  3-4 is fine, 8-9 is too damn many.  Some of the feedback started to conflict so I had to make a judgement call on what to leave and what to take.  Two of the best resources I had were two friends who both graduated from top MBA programs, one from HBS and the other from Sloan.  They were able to see the full picture my essays presented and identify the gaps.  They read with an eye that went beyond style and made sure that my essays covered the main aspects adcoms are looking for (fit, clear goals, and desire to go to their program).  Honestly, I had an army supporting me.

Although I did not anticipate the help from Essay Snark or finding Precision Essay's website when I first started my applications, I was very sure that I would have all the help I needed when applying.  I guess I never saw the need for a consultant because I have friends who would do what a consultant does for free.  I would not dissuade anyone from using a consultant, but I will say that a lot of the benefits they offer can be obtained for free or at minimal cost (an Essay Snark critique is well worth the price).  Applying to business school is expensive.  Between app fees, travel to schools, GMAT prep and test fees, and more you're likely to shell out anywhere from $2500-$5000.  Adding an additional $1500-$5000 for consultant fees isn't feasible for many applicants and even those who can afford it shy away from spending that kind of money.  The resources are out there for everyone to use.  You just have to decide if you want to put in the legwork to find them.  For folks with limited time, shelling out the dough for the convenience of having everything you need come from one person makes a lot of sense.  If that isn't you then I strongly recommend getting all of the advice/tips you can from the internet (http://www.gmatclub.com, http://www.precisionessay.com, http://essaysnark.blogspot.com).  Then assemble your team.  Be strategic which friends you seek help from.  If you have friends who are either in top schools or are recent alums (within the last 5 years) ask them to join your team. Fellow applicants are also great resources.  Bounce essay ideas off of people and don't be afraid when people push you to dig deeper.  "Why?" is the best question anyone can ask you.  This will help you craft workable drafts (at the very least).  If at that point you want to bring in a pro then purchase services from a reputable consultant a la carte (not all consultants are created equal so do NOT just hire anyone who claims to be an expert).  With or without a professional consultant just be sure that you have someone (or multiple someones) who can and will help you create a compelling package.  They will be the first to celebrate with you when you get the long awaited admit.

Back to Life

On Wednesday January 11, 2012 at 7:42 PM EST I submitted the last business school application I will ever complete! Cue the "Hallelujah" music and release the doves! As God is my witness, I will never apply to b-school again!

Dramatic? Yes. Justified? Hell freaking yeah! As I come out of the fog that was application season, I realize that I have been at this MBA game in some way, shape, or form since January 2011 (actually August 2010, but not in earnest).  Hmm...let's see. It's January 2012 now, so that would be one full year of my life dedicated to getting my arse into school.  One year of GMAT studying, school research, essay writing, recommender prep, school visits, avoiding essays with hours of Bejeweled, and countless hours of worrying about NOT getting in.  Damn, that's a shitty way to spend an entire year.  Don't get me wrong, I am so glad that it all resulted in an admit (and hopefully a couple more), but on the real, I miss my life!  Like, my actual life.  I know this may be hard to believe because all I've talked about for the last year is applying to business school, but there is so much more to me than the pursuit of an MBA.  Not for nothing, but I am a kick ass chick and I really haven't kicked ass the way I like to kick ass all year.

So what wasn't I doing while I was devoting my life to the application process?  Well, I was NOT running marathons (which is probably the reason why these 20lbs seem stuck to my ass and thighs).  I was NOT taking tae kwon do classes.  I was NOT exploring my no longer new city.  I was NOT making new friends (unless they were on GMAT Club, and that's a damn shame).  I barely dated and even that received a half hearted effort on my part.  I barely shopped.  All in all I just wasn't me.  And I miss me.

Well that's all over now.  I am resurrecting my life for the next 7-8 months before an MBA takes it over again for two years.  I am signed up for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI on May 26.  In fact, I'm signing up for a crap load of races this spring.  I will find a weekend tae kwon do class and get my back roundhouse back to being the lethal weapon it once was.  I am going country line dancing.  I taught myself the "Fake ID" line dance from the updated Footloose movie and I'm test driving it on someone's dance floor ASAP.  I am accepting all invitations for social events.  I'm talking fundraisers, parties, live music, poetry nights, happy hours, and more.  I will find new friends in this city and stop insulating myself with the same folks I've known since college.  No longer will I feel guilty for not working on essays 24/7.  No longer will I forgo an evening run to revise an essay about the time my coworker was a stubborn fucktard and the ways I navigated through his tomfoolery.  No longer shall I send unrelenting emails to my recommenders "nicely" reminding them that the application is due in 5 hours and they need to get their shit together and submit their recs.  Nope, never again.  All of that is in the past.  I've got tiiiiiiime on my haaaaands since you've been away, boy! I ain't got no plans, no no no!  But unlike Mary J. I'm not going down.  I'M GOING OUT!!

One Down...

It's been 8 days, 12 hours and 22 minutes since I got the admit call from Kellogg.  I'm still walking on sunshine, but I've started to come down a bit from my euphoric high.  There are still Round 2 applications to complete (too many of them since I procrastinated through most of November and December).  What's that you say? Why am I applying in Round 2 if I'm already in at Kellogg?  Aren't I set on going to Kellogg?  Isn't Kellogg my first choice?

The simple answer to the last two questions is, no.  I'm not set on going to Kellogg and it's not my first choice.  However, I don't have a first choice.  When settling upon my final school list after extensive research, I chose schools to which I'd be happy to go, no matter what.  I chose different schools for different reasons.  Some schools offered classes that directly related to my career goals, others had student groups that appealed to my interests. A couple of schools offered unique experiential learning opportunities, while others had cool fellowships that warmed the cockles of my CSR driven heart.  And maybe I might could have been drawn to a certain school's ski trip.

None of my reasons for choosing one school superseded my reasons for choosing another so I never ranked them in my mind.  If I liked a school less after visiting I simply took it off my list (RIP NYU). So while I have grown to love Kellogg, I'm also quite fond of several other schools.  My application strategy was to apply to Kellogg in Round 1, four Consortium schools in R1 (deadline 1 month after Kellogg), another school by Dec. 15, and 3 for January R2.  Didn't quite work out like that (too many schools). I lost interest in one Consortium school and also realized that I didn't like the December school enough to pay full tuition if it was the only school I got into and they offered no money.  For me, the biggest factor in deciding whether or not to apply to a school is, "will I go?" If this is the only school I get into and they didn't offer me a red cent, would I happily sign my life away in loans and go spend two years there on a running tab?  If the answer was yes, then that was that.  I really didn't differentiate between schools once they met that criteria. 

I only applied to one school in Round 1 (missed the first Consortium deadline and wouldn't have heard back from those schools til March anyways). I got in. YAY!! (that was a totally sincere YAY, I swear). Getting into Kellogg did not eliminate my interest in other schools.  However, now I am only applying to schools that I would realistically choose over Kellogg.  Mind you, if I was to gain admission to one of these schools that doesn't mean I would say bye-bye Kellogg.  However, these schools could at least make me consider turning down Kellogg.  Basically, if after attending some admitted students weekends I still love all schools equally I can and will go to the highest bidder. No matter what happens I know I'll be going to an amazing school where I'll be happy.  My gut simply tells me that if I take the Kellogg admit and run with it I will always regret not at least trying to get into a couple of others.  I realize that I can only go to one, but it would be nice to have some options to weigh.


Ultimately, all any applicant needs is just one school.  My philosophy is if you only get into one, make damn sure it's a place you want to go.  I have no interest in ever applying to b-school again.  Once I got my Kellogg admit I knew I'd never have to.  I've seen too many people get into several schools one year and reapply the next year to get into the schools they really wanted. This process sucks so much why apply to schools that you don't want to go to.  Getting an admittance should elicit celebration, not indifference. I think this is why I never designated a first choice. I know myself and I wouldn't have been satisfied with any school other than my #1.  I would either begrudgingly attend my second or third choice or scrap all other admits and reapply next year.  Neither option is appealing.

I got my one and I'm definitely celebrating.  Congratulations to my fellow applicants who also got their one (or two or three).  Mazel Tov!  And for those of you who caught an acceptance but would rather throw it back for something "better," good luck in Round 2.

Along the Yellow Brick Road.

When Dorothy got caught in a twister, hit her head, and woke up in Oz, she couldn't have fathomed the characters that she would meet along the way.  There was Glenda, the Good Witch of the North who gave her ruby slippers and gave her the simple instructions to, "follow the yellow brick road."  There were the Munchkins who welcomed her to Munchkin land.  And we must not forget the friends Dorothy made on her way to the Emerald City: Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion.  All of these characters (including the Wicked Witch of the West) are instantly recognizable and I'm sure we could all identify them with either pieces of ourselves or people we know.

So along my personal yellow brick road to b-school, I too have come across a colorful cast of characters.  See if you recognize any of these people.

Paranoid Over Achiever - The annoying person who worries over every aspect of the application process even though they are the one person with NOTHING to worry about. You can spot this person asking questions like, "I have a 3.8 GPA. Should I address the B- I got in freshman writer's workshop in the optional essay. I know it's a total red flag." This person also wants to submit their application 8 weeks before the round deadline because, "every advantage matters," (even when there isn't one). When in this person's presence you suppress the urge to shout, "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND CALM DOWN!" while shoving a Xanax down their throat.


The Prestige Whore - This person wants an MBA and only a top school will do. In fact only one (possibly two) top schools will do. Their motivation to get into the world's most selective MBA programs would be commendable if they weren't such a condescending douchebag to everyone who isn't aiming for those schools.  The smug arrogance they exude when saying, "It's okay to go to a bottom tier school like Ross" makes it all the more satisfying when they get dinged by the only top school there is and wind up justifying how they can still get to MBB from Ross.


The Justifier - Separated at birth, fraternal twin to the Prestige Whore, the Justifier is not applying to any top programs and feels the need to justify this decision to anyone who will listen.  You will often hear this person proclaiming that unranked MBA is just as good as any prestigious MBA and that what matters most is how well you perform in interviews and on the job.  This person likes to throw in anecdotes about the HBS grad who's working as a bank teller or University of Phoenix MBA who now runs their company's finance department.  They tend to project general trends off of these isolated cases, calling into question their critical reasoning skills and ability to get into ANY MBA program anywhere. The Justifier feels the need to justify their choice of business school even though they are never asked to do so because honestly, no one else cares.

The Over Eager College Senior - Although this person has no intention of applying to business school for at least 4-5 years they find it necessary to sit in the front of every admissions event and ask inappropriate questions such as, "What do I have to score on my GMAT to get in?" and "Where should I work after graduation in order to get in?" and "What type of volunteer work should I do in order to get in?" At MBA fairs they hog admissions officers' time trying to get an on the spot acceptance while blatantly ignoring the 30 person line forming behind them.  They do all of this dressed in either khaki shorts and a polo or their favorite Saturday night party dress (with a blazer over it, natch!).

The Woe is Me Over Represented Applicant - Not to be confused with their distant cousin, The Over Represented Applicant, the Woe is Me branch of this family feels the need to constantly seek pity from other applicants because they are part of a competitive pool.  These applicants are constantly working the, "Woe is me, I wish I were a woman/poet/URM then I'd get in easily," spiel. Not only is it disrespectful to these candidates, it also screams "pathetic whiner." Particularly grating are the complaints that women and URMs get so much help when applying to b-school while they are left to twist in the wind.  Newsflash! Women and URMs are under represented at b-schools because an MBA isn't even in many of our orbits. We aren't groomed since Pampers for the MBA.  Many of us stumble upon the business school option much later, putting us behind the 8 ball in terms of networks, preparation, information, and more.  So programs like Forte, MLT, Toigo, etc are around to get us up to speed quickly and get us within spitting distance of where many over represented applicants already are. The Woe is Me Over Represented Applicant can usually be found railing against the "less qualified" women and URMs who supposedly took their spot at ____________ (insert name of top business school).


The Entitled Under Represented Minority - Just as high on the OBNOXIOUS meter as their arch nemesis, the Woe Is Me Over Represented Applicant, the Entitled URM believes that simply being a URM is enough to get them into business school. And not just any business school at that. We're talking top tier all the way.  Never mind their abysmal GPA and low GMAT or the fact that they've been in the same job for 5 years without a promotion.  They're a minority and top schools should be checking for them (not the other way around).  This applicant feels no need to retake the GMAT, enroll in supplemental courses, or do anything to enhance their profile. They believe they will get into school on the wings of affirmative action and exorbitant adcom schmoozing.  The Entitled Under Represented Minority often overshadows their more prevalent cousin The Under Represented Minority, giving the entire family a bad name.  Heavy doses of reality are usually delivered to EURM in the form of rejection letters.

The Posturer - The Posturer likes to intimidate the competition by proclaiming their greatness.  Although you didn't ask, the Posturer feels the need to tell you that they're the top ranked employee in their division.  They name drop constantly and tend to go on and on about how they're so tight with so-and-so in admissions.  Every school wants them and they're just trying to decide who to bless with their application.  The Posturer starts every conversation by asking, "So who do you work for and what school did you go to?" in a transparent attempt to see where they stack up against you. 

The Slightly Paranoid, Sometimes Confident, Very Supportive Comiserator - This applicant has been thinking about getting an MBA for a couple of years and is finally ready to pull the trigger. They hit the admissions events, join the online forums, and study hard for the GMAT.  Once they clear one hurdle along the road to b-school they're more than happy to help the applicants who are a few steps behind them navigate the course.  They sit next to you during admissions events and ask if you're just as nervous as they are (which you totally are).  They celebrate their interview invites and freak out in the days leading up to admissions decisions. They vacillate between self confidence in their candidacy and abject terror that they won't get in anywhere. They handle dings in stride (and with a few drinks) and are totally stoked when the next school on their list says, "YES!" These are the people you encounter along the way that make you say, "I totally want to go to school with you!"