MBA on the Horizon

Two interesting things happened simultaneously (or nearly so) this week. First, I had decided categorically that I would tell my boss Monday - two days ago - about my plans to apply to business school and my need for her recommendation. I initially wanted to tell her earlier considering the fast-approaching Oct 1st deadlines, but the last few weeks have been terrible timing. Two weeks ago we lost a member of our team to lung cancer, which was a sad and difficult time that was highly inappropriate for any kind of announcement. The following week was before a wedding of one of our colleagues that we would all attend, including my boss. She has a tendency to loosen up on secrets after a couple of drinks, so I decided that sharing the news just before a drinking event with co-workers was a bad idea.

So, Monday it was. I spent the weekend a little nervous because after I tell my boss, it really becomes real. It started to feel real after the GMAT, more so when I first started writing essays, but now that I've shared my plans with my boss, I've really set things in motion.

I'm pleased to report that it went very well. When I walked into her office and closed the door, I had to quickly alleve her look of horror by assuring her that I wasn't putting in my notice, or at least not anytime soon. At first she thought I meant that I wanted to attend b-school part-time while working, but she was still excited for me when she figured out that I meant full-time which = my departure.

I mentioned that it's certainly not for sure, and it was nice to hear her say that she had no doubt in her mind that I would be accepted. Nevertheless, it was a bit of a leap of faith for me - kind of a no-turning-back moment - to tell her.

The simultaneous, and much appreciated, lift came from an entry on the accepted.com website about my blog. Believe it or not, I stumbled across it via Hella's list before I found the comment directing me to it on my blog, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading a very complimentary article about my own blog this morning. Although family and friends tell me that I'm doing well, I do take it with a grain of salt because of 1) their obvious bias and 2) their lack of intimate knowledge of the MBA admissions process, requirements, and quirks.

Because of that, it was wonderful to hear an "atta girl" from such a knowledgeable outside source. I'm sure that my moments of doubt will return throughout the essay writing process, but I'm told by others who have gone through this that it's a roller coaster of pride and self-hatred, so I plan to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

I do hope you all read the article, particularly the last portion with the STAR tip for essay writing. It's a very concise and simple way of hitting the important points, and a good place to start for those essays that leave you staring at a blinking cursor on a blank Word document.

Finally, a quick note on this surprisingly close-knit blogging community of MBA hopefuls - I never expected to find such support and vast amounts of knowledge online. I don't personally know a soul who has ever attended or wanted to attend a top business school, so this network is particularly important to my process. In short - I appreciate it!

Posted in: essays, recommendations on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at at 9:59 PM