Research

The Wharton website has proved to be a treasure-trove of information. It is amazing that every time I visit it, I learn something new about the school and the process or gain more insight into something specific. This in turn leads to me kicking myself for not taking the time our earlier to incorporate this research in my essays. I am not sure if this is a universal feeling felt by all applicants out there, but what is it about revisiting information that leads to these epiphanies? This new information just validates my decision to apply to school here and makes me feel even better about my fit. The sad thing about this is if I don't make the cut it will be like losing a near and dear friend. I truly admire the people who haven't lost sight of their dreams. Who despite failure to garner an admit from a school on the top of their list have applied again the next year. This calls for commitment and passion, so it surprises me that schools don't view these candidates as obviously stronger for it as compared to a "we don't encourage/discourage reapplicants".

So I have been having fun talking to myself in front of the mirror these past couple of days. With the validation of my basic story over several interviews and interview invites I am confident about my story. The only bit I am not confident about are the esoteric questions that come from the left field that could leave me scratching my head or clutching at straws. With 30-45 mins for an interview I hope that those questions are very limited in scope and don't play too huge a role in my interview.

Not sure if I reported it earlier, but I have finally managed to schedule the interview, and have pinned down a time and place. Both a little inconvenient to me, but those are the breaks. Definitely one of the things I want to do if/when I get to Wharton is in the true spirit of co-production, try and improve upon this process. I believe there are several opportunities for improvement and considering the strain that it puts on the applicants, needs to be addressed.

Today I have a dry run of a presentation that I will be making to senior management tomorrow. Which brings forth two interesting points, one good the other bad. The bad part is that the timing for the presentation on Friday is not fixed which means it could lead to a possible clash with my interview slot and offcourse I won't get the time to prepare for the interview the way I would like too. But the good part is that I can actually wear my business casuals to work and not draw more than an amused smile. Presentations to VP's are usually done in jeans but business casuals are not discouraged. I can tell you I was getting a little tired of the quick change thing in the parking garage. With the Mercury dipping, it gets pretty cold outside and that process is not fun. Besides I have never had the opportunity to ensure that I have my clothes properly tucked in and my hair combed in a proper mirror. Instead I use the windows of my car which isn't notorious for being clean. On the other hand, I have become comfortable with that routine and use it to test the scales (to borrow a phrase from the stage).

Ah! Well it is onward and forward, time to get on with the busy schedule in front of me. Here is a shout out to Da Raver LA, BritChick and Durba, fellow bloggers who have their interviews scheduled for today, and considering they are all in timezones way ahead of mine, should be getting ready to step into the ring even as we speak. Also wanted to wish onmyway for an important release at work. I have some experience of the process and while it can be the sweetest feeling in the world if everything you have done pans out as expected in production, all too often there are teething issues and they will make you pull all your hair out.