A Day In The Life of Me...

The Next Episode

2006-01-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

1 Quarter, 5 more to go...but I have a feeling they're going to fly by. Well, the next chapter- recruiting. At the GSB, interviews for summer internships begin at the end of January. Of course there are all of the company cocktail receptions, dinners, coffee chats, and all of the networking you do on your own initiative. This is the last week of my break and it damn sure doesn't feel like one. I'm reading a book called "Case In Point" to assist with my case preparation for consulting interviews. And because according to my colored-coded Outlook calendar there will be no time for homework during the first week of classes, I'm doing homework this week as well. I still don't feel rested, but oh well. Anyway, more to come...

One more final to go!

2005-12-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the day of my last final for Fall quarter- Thank goodness!! It's been an extremely fast-paced quarter and I'm so glad it's finally over. They say it's the toughest. I hope that's true. Most of my classmates have made plans to go to South America for the holidays- Argentina and Brazil are the big favorites. For those looking for a more productive trip, MBA1 and MBA2 students are venturing off on more organized study trips- this year's locations are Israel, India and Pakistan, the Philippines, and Washington, D.C. for some of the international students. For two weeks, students will meet with CEOs of the largest corporations and top government officials of those regions. For next year, there is talk of going to South Africa. Definitely something to consider if you're applying to the GSB.

In other news, I'm saddened by the announcement from HBS' administration to no longer support the grade non-disclosure policy. Of course this has prompted questions around whether or not other schools, Stanford included, will follow suit. First, let me share some background on this from a Stanford GSB perspective, and then get to that question.

I don't know how other schools have implemented their grade non-disclosure policies. Here at the GSB, it is a student norm. That means that the grade non-disclosure policy is not owned by administration (I'm not sure what the case is for HBS). This is a student policy. We have discussed the policy at length with administration who have shared both sides of the argument with us. As a class, we continue to support grade non-disclosure and we're very passionate about it. (VERY!). So anyway, I feel as though the norm will continue, but that's only up to future classes.

It'll be interesting to how the students at HBS will react and if they will join us in making grade non-disclosure a student-owned policy.

If I don't get a chance to blog again for a little while, Have a safe holiday and good luck to the prospectives still waiting to hear from schools!

Long time no hear from...

2005-11-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

School is rough. People told me, I didn't believe it. I've never been busier in all of my life. I haven’t blogged in a really, really, really long time. And it seems that I’ve finally found the time floating 30,000 feet in the air returning to school from the Thanksgiving Holiday. But to be honest, there really isn’t time now. I was supposed to be studying Data & Decisions on this flight, but the sheer thought of statistics causes an intense pain in my jaw and temple. Statistics and I have a love-hate relationship minus the love. In any case, I guess now’s a good time to update the world on what I’ve been up to…

First, midterms, midterms, midterms….

So we had them, and no I don’t want to talk about them. Just know that Stanford is intense. In three days, I had three midterms and a final- D&D, Economics, Financial Accounting, and the Organizational Behavior final. OB is only a half quarter class and I miss it. Modeling was a take home. So midterms were Mon-Wed. and then classes just kept right on going on Thursday and Friday. With one new addition….Meet the Company sessions.

Now it’s nice to go to a school where the career management center has to keep potential employers at bay. Companies can’t present to us until after midterms, just so that they and we know that Stanford is about academics first. Meet the Company sessions or MTCs are held pretty much every day during lunch and at 5:15pm. Not that Brown Bag Lunches and other club meetings are happening during the same time. Every day, I wake up, look at my Outlook calendar and have to figure out all over again what matters most to me and why. I simply can’t go to everything.

The week before Thanksgiving was pretty cool. Former Secretary of State and Retired General Colin Powell spoke at the GSB and I had the opportunity to shake his hand and take a picture with him. For many of us in the Black Business Student Association, the experience was surreal. Mr. Powell was one of the biggest role models that black youth had in the 80s and 90s and to meet him was….something I never expected to experience while in business school. Really makes me wonder what other unexpected surprises are around the corner.

In other news, I was elected to the Career Management Center Student Committee. And, as if the MBA program isn't keeping me busy enough, I just got accepted in the Joint Degree program with the School of Education here at Stanford. So I'll (hopefully) graduate with and MBA and an MA in Education.

That’s it for now. Two more weeks of classes and then a week of finals. Then I’m off to Costa Rica and DONE with first quarter!

1 more week until midterms...

2005-10-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's still on, popping, and crucial here at the GSB. By now, the first years are mentally split into two categories....one group is still sacrificing every evening and weekend locked down on the books, and the other group has decided that what will be, will be- the GSB is bigger than understanding that average cost equals marginal costs in a perfectively competitive environment where firms can freely enter and exit, and that in other cases usually marginal costs equal marginal revenue. Sorry, that was for my own studying purposes. If you're wondering, I'm a proud, card carrying member of the second group....

Now that doesn't mean I'm not studying. We have a take home midterm on Thursday for modeling, Accounting midterm on 10/31, Data & Decision and Organization behavior midterms on 11/1, and Economics on 11/2. And did I mention that my birthday is 10/30??? Hell yeah, that sucks.....

Two weeks ago I made the decision to attend the National Black MBA conference, which was phenomenal!!! I'm so glad I decided to miss classes to go. The most disappointing thing was that most companies have already figured out what work an MBA should do in their respective organizations, and when your career interests lie outside of that, they a) want you to conform, or b) look at you as if you have two heads. As if MBAs couldn't be interested in anything beyond management consulting, investment banking, supply chain, or brand management. Yes, it's that specific. Ridiculous....

Anyway, back to studying. Congrats to all the R1 applicants for getting your application submitted and good luck. I know the wait can be painful. Spend some time with your family and friends while you wait b/c (hopefully) next year you'll be incredibly busy and won't be able to.

Many Voices @ the Stanford GSB

2005-10-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

The date for Stanford's Diversity Event has been announced- Saturday, November 5, 2005 here at the GSB. If you're interested, visit the link below. Applications must be submitted by October 10, 2005. Hope to see you there!!

This, btw, is the view from my room in Schwab.

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/mk/manyvoices/index.html

So, it's been a while...

2005-09-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks...

Just completed week one of Fall quarter, and anybody who ever said "Stanford is a country club school" or "Stanford's program isn't quantitative" or whatever is a damn lie and you can tell them that LadyRattler said so. Fall quarter is part 1 of the Core- classes that all MBA1s are required to take unless you exempt out by exam or choose to take a turbo version of. We have Modeling, Data & Decisions (Stats), Managerial Economics, Financial Accounting, and Organizational Behavior and I'm tired as hell.

The class that's been the most difficult for me to grasp is Modeling. Primarily because I'd never seen it or heard of it (The GSB makes the error of assuming that you've had some exposure or something- don't worry though, my comments about this are going in my feedback and I definitely will be talking to my professors about how difficult it was for me to start modeling not understanding its purposes, uses, or the concepts).

It's amazing to think this is only week 1 and midterms start in exactly 4 weeks. How the hell.

Gotta mention this: I don't know if it's a Cali thing or what, but people here like to begin responses with "so", i.e. Question- What are you studying in D&D? Response- So D&D is similar to Statistics.....I personally this is one of the worse ways to start an answer, and I've heard speakers, professors, everyone do it. I hope I don't pick up that habit. I can just see an interview:
Question: Tell me about yourself.
Answer: So, I'm LadyRattler,....

Anybody else just think that sounds ridiculous?? Maybe it's just me. So, I'm headed out now...

How to Study

2005-09-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Studying is not like riding a bike. You forget how to do it. Seems like in the professional world, you're only required to retain in a small portion of your job. But mostly, you work on one task, one project, one program, and then you can forget most of it- the new project is completely different and doesn't really relate to the previous one. But studying requires learning, understanding, and- the most difficult part at this age- remembering. I need to figure out where they sell that Gingko Biloba stuff.

I'm preparing for an exemption exam in Information Management. Stanford allows you to test out of core classes, but not so that you have free time or receive credits before classes start, but so that you can indulge in an elective you'll enjoy. There are exemption exams for Financial Accounting, Economics, Modeling, Data and Decisions (Stats), and Information Management (IT stuff). The only class in the core that you can not exempt out of is Organizational Behavior.

Preterm also begins this week. Stanford GSB starts a little later than most b-schools. Pre-term kicks off this week with two days of Cardinal Cards which is a management stimulation in which we're expected to turn around a failing company. We then have classes in Ethics and Managing Teams. These are wrapped with financial aid and Career Management Center workshops, company visits, sessions on how to do a case, dinners, lunches, and social activities that will take us all over the Greater San Francisco area.

More to come on this later....forgot that I was supposed to be studying.

N.O.

2005-09-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

I have to say that right now, at this very minute, there is nothing more important this....

"Lord, hold the people of New Orleans in your loving hands. Protect them in their time of need and bring an end to their suffering. .. Bless them and their families. And Lord, for those that have not received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I ask that ministering angels be disbursed and the Holy Spirit is released to draw them to a personal relationship with You for their soul's sake. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

I received this as a chain email today and figured I coud spread it best through my blog. My thoughts and my prayers are with those people. As I walked around today buying supplies for school and post cards to connect to friends, I thought of the thousands of people who have nothing right now. If you are in a position to make a donation, do it. This tragedy or a similar one could have happened in your state or city.

To my girl Jiggy, who's aunt right now is unaccounted for in N.O., I remain in constant prayer for her, for you, and for your family.

This morning I listened to New Orleans' mayor Ray Nagin on cnn.com in a radio interview, and urge everyone to do the same. He is frustrated, and rightfully so, with the delayed response in aid to N.O. The man was in tears by the end of the interview. Maybe the rest of the nation didn't realize the severity of the issue. But G.W. should have put that big ass plane he's cruising around in on the ground in N.O. and picked some of those people up and helped take them to safety. And the airlines really should consider the same.

That's just my thought.

Math Camp

2005-08-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so today was the first day of math camp. The best word for it was "wow". It's been about 8 years since I plotted a graph and so I spent several hours during the day wondering if I'd made the right decision (of course I have, but this can be a bit overwhelming at times). Anyway, huge props to my study group members -Courteney, Robyn, Michael, and AK- who are phenomenal people. Not only are they smart as hell, but they've done some amazing things and come from some amazing places- AK is from Iceland! But anyway, a little about what we covered today in math camp.

Day 1- Started with introductions. There are about 60 participants and they've got hidden talents ranging from classical trained ballet to being able to wiggle their ears. After intros, we jumped into algebraic inequalities, quadratic equations, summations, factoring, exponents, logarithms and then solving econ problems and graph plotting. And for all you high school folks who are probably thinking "We just covered quadratic equations yesterday and I'm only in high school", so what? LOL. No seriously, it's interesting when you realize you haven't heard the term "natural log" in almost a decade. Damn, I feel old. Anyway, tomorrow it's on to probabilities and stats.

I'm off to bed. Tired already.

I Have Arrived!!

2005-08-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am officially checked into the Schwab Residential Center at Stanford!!! Tomorrow is the beginning of the Quantitative Pre-Enrollment Program (QPEP or "math camp"). More to come later tonight- Then I can write all about how expensive this move is and how I'm on the verge of feeling overwhelmed.

Sorry....

2005-08-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, I apologize. I guess people read my blog- so I'm hoping I'm actually apologizing to someone. I won't promise to do better, but I'll definitely try. It's just that ever since I quit that job, I have really been chilling. I figured out what I really want to do with my life after b-school- sit on my behind. Anyway, I have done a few things this summer and I HIGHLY recommend item number 1.

1) MBA Jumpstart- Started by two Fuqua alum who did a WONDERFUL job putting together this event for African-American students who will begin an MBA program at several top b-schools this fall. Jumpstart focused on two primary areas- finance and consulting- and gave students an opp to learn about careers in the fields and to network (and we got some free stuff). Elton and John pulled together some huge sponsors for the event - JPMorganChase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Banc of America Securities, BCG, and Merill Lynch. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

2) I've been working on the Exce Skills Accessor that Stanford requires, completed my career assessment tests, registered for some pre-term social activities (which, as a heads up, typically have a cost associated with them. School is sucking me DRY and I haven't even started!!), worked on my resume, and paid for math camp. Still have to finish the accounting and get my passport photo for the facebook.

3) And I dropped my car off yesterday to be shipped to Cali.

So that's what's been up with me.

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

2005-07-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

(Intentional) unemployment is wonderful!!! I really wish someone had told me about this sooner. I can sleep in, I have no where to be- it's great. I do feel a little purposeless and don't have much of a conversation at the moment, but oh my goodness it's wonderful!!! I highly recommend taking a decent amount of time off before b-school. You deserve it.

Last Trips in Cincinnati- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

2005-06-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

So for the past couple of weeks, I've been visiting the few places in the that I really wanted to go to before I left the 'Nati. For people who don't know, I can't stand this place, but there are few special places in Cincinnati. Two weekends ago, I went to a baseball game at the Great American Ball Park (which is named for the Great American Insurance Co. located in the city, which is a nice coincidence considering it's America's sport- which raises the question about why it's the world series and nobody else is in it, except Toronto I think.) But anyway that was cool- it's a beautiful stadium with no obstructed seats and a beautiful view of the Ohio River looking into Kentucky.

The most important trip that I needed to take was to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which sits on the banks of the Ohio in Cincinnati. The museum has special meaning for me- not only because I am African-American, but also because my great-uncle is senior historian at the museum. The museum is part of the Smithsonian and is humbling, informative, and brilliantly done. One of the most memorable aspects of the museum is that the 4th floor is dedicated to the continual struggle for freedom by people of all races and nationalities. There is a wall that illustrates the sacrifices people have made to end hunger, communism, racism, and genocide. It's one of the few things that will probably bring me back to the city. If you find yourself traveling through Cincinnati, take a moment and stop in or take a few moments to visit the museum's website at www.freedomcenter.org.

Math Camp Here I Come!!

2005-06-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

I got my invite to the Quantitative Pre-Enrollment Program at Stanford's GSB, affectionately known as math camp. My guess is some people would feel remedial about receiving an invite to the program, but I'm glad to be attending. My GMAT quant score was crappy and my stats class in college was a joke. Math camp last approx. 1.5 weeks prior to the start of pre-term and costs $400, and of course I have to pay for the extra days at Schwab. But considering my current math skills, it will be well worth it.

Purpose

2005-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, a fellow co-worker passed away. While I didn't know him well, I admired him from afar for reaching back and pulling people up the corporate ladder as he climbed up in the rankings. Lonnie was both a mentor and advocate to several of my friends, working diligently to ensure diversity at all levels of the company. His death was unexpected, but about a week before he died, Lonnie sent an email titled Purpose to the African-American Leadership, his manager, fellow co-workers and friends. One statement from his email really stands out to me:

Success will come when you are aligned with your PURPOSE. When you are inside GOD’S intended PURPOSE it will be easy and natural to do the RIGHT thing. If it is not natural, then, this is not your PURPOSE!
I'll admit- I've hated my job and IT profession for several years now. I've felt pigeonholed, unchallenged, and unappreciated. So I'm moving on. I know I'm fortunate to not have children and be able to make my own decisions without really having to think about how they impact another individual. However, there are people who have children, who have spouses, who have homes, and careers and all of these additional responsibilities make change that much riskier. But nothing worth doing is easy, not even for me.

I don't have the financial resources at home to fund this or back me up if I miss a car note. I have myself, my savings, and my $98,000 in loans. I'm taking a chance because I'm unhappy. But I'll be one step closer on the path to understanding my purpose.

I've typed all of this to say, don't wait around for something to happen, make it happen. Life is too short to wake up everyday, put your feet on the floor, and then think "damn". Get started on a plan, hibernate for a while if you have to, get a hotel room for a weekend and leave the cell phone at home. If kids are involved, really consider if stability (with you coming home pissed off daily) is better than them seeing you grab life by the horns and step out on faith. My God says that faith can move mountains.

In the words of 2 Live Crew, move something.

It works!

2005-06-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Just an update..I finally got my new PC's wireless card to connect to my router. I had to upgrade the firmware on my router (thanks Darius!!). Apparently, the previous version was not compatible with Centrino-based systems. Just a little FYI....

New Toy!!!

2005-06-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

I got my new laptop yesterday!! I've named him 'Slick'. Slick is a Dell 610 Latitude- silver case. He has the volume controls on the keyboard and is Bluetooth-enabled. I have two complaints- 1) The ethernet card is designed to not power on if the computer is not plugged into the AC power. So if I'm not plugged in, I can't get an internet connection even though I'm hardwired into the cable modem (I did find an option to change this, and i selected the option, but that didn't do the trick.) 2) My internal Dell wireless card doesn't seem to be compatible with my Netgear router, and I've tried almost everything, even reconfigured the wireless router, checked to be sure the ACL on the router is off, checked the drivers, and rebooted the cable modem. Other computers in the house are connecting fine. The new wireless card sees the network, and the router sees the MAC address, but it's not connecting. I'm going to try to see if Netgear has any updates for the router, and then I guess I'll buy an external wireless card if that doesn't work. I'll keep you posted.

April Showers bring May Flowers

2005-05-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to sit down and focus on making a blog entry for weeks now - but what I've found is that my mind continues to move at a pretty rapid pace. April was pretty rough for me...some friendships and acquaintanceships had some hardships, and quite a few folks tried my patience and nerves. However, spending some time around my family-friends and a lot of time praying has resulted in a wonderful month of May. Let me think- what's new:

1) I was a P4D Finalist, but didn't get the fellowship :(. Stanford GSB has a fellowship known as the Charles P. Bonini Partnership for Diversity fellowship. This fellowship is full tuition but, depending on the company, requires a pre-MBA internship or summer internship. The company that selected me was Eli Lilly & Co. for a position in marketing. I felt pretty good about being selected considering the competition. Out of the 50 Stanford admits who applied for the fellowship, I was one of 10 selected for the first round interview with Lilly. I'll have to put in some work to make sure in the fall, I make it to round 2 for other opportunities.

2) We've received our academic updates (aka homework, recommended readings, summer work, pre-MBA prep) from Stanford. Some is required, some is "it would really be in your best interest to do this so that you can have some kind of clue about what the hell is going on in class". I was surprised that they've included some old exemption exams for students interested in passing on some classes. Anyway, I've ordered the recommended texts. I thought I was going to rest this summer....yeah, ok.

3) I'll be attending MBA Jumpstart in July at Chicago's Graduate School of Business. MBA Jumpstart is an opportunity for 105 minority students from 7 top b-school to learn about opportunities in finance and consulting.

30 days left at work and counting....

More to come....

From which cometh my strength...

2005-05-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I can say that the past few weeks have truly tested me. I'm not perfect, but during these tests my faith has grown and I've found comfort in my God. I admit that I've turned my back on Him occasionally, but what continues to give me the strength to love through the obstacles is knowing that He loves me in spite of myself.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it does not get puffed up. Love is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. Love is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Congratulations

2005-04-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to send a quick congratulations to all the MBADiversity members who were accepted by Stanford in R2...eeryit, tad961, alwaysnupey, and FreeKobe08. Congrats to Skymiles, too, for getting into Cornell and justdoit for receiving the Consortium fellowship to Indiana.

Running a tab...

2005-03-28T14:19:00.001-08:00

I've decided to do something interesting on my blog. While there are plenty of people attending/applying to b-school who are able to write a check without blinking, there are a bunch of us skipping on the poverty line to get a better education and open the door to more opportunities. People have said you need to save, but how much should you really expect to spend? So for those other broke people, I've decided to keep a running tab of my own personal expenses (not covered by loans or fellowships), beginning with the application process until graduation for your planning purposes. I haven't decided if I'll just post and update the list, or add the list to the side of my blog. I'll think it over...

Anyway, as of 3/28/05....

9/04 Visit to Stanford (coupled with a cross country trip)....$375
10/04 Application fees to Stanford & Duke....$400
11/04 Visit to Fuqua Ford workshop (hotel covered)....$210
6-10/04 GMAT (3 times).....$675
9/04 Kaplan class.....$1249
8/04 Transcripts from undergrad....$10
3/05 Stanford Admit Weekend....free (skymiles & lodging w/ current students)
3/05 Stanford Deposit...$1000
3/05 Stanford Housing Deposit...$650

...grand total so far = $4569

Next Steps...

2005-03-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

While I was awaiting my admissions decision,I felt like my life (the little bit of one that I do have) was in a holding pattern. And now that I know where I'm headed, it still feels like that. Like I know I'm going to have fun in 6 months but I'm bored as hell right now. You know those rubbery bands you use to tie down stuff in the back of pick-up trucks??? I feel like someone has me tied to some hooks with those things and I'm running in place trying to break lose. Interesting picture, isn't it?

Anyway, planning for this move is obviously the biggest thing on my mind. I have to say that it's a bit discouraging. I've decided that everything must go, as I will be staying in the Schwab Residential Center (paid that deposit too, another $650 gone). So my bed, nightstand, dresser, 2 desks, lamps, couch, coffee tables, dining room furniture must be sold or donated. Not too mention all of my "one day" clothes (one day I'll be able to fit this again- yeah...right.) I'm tagging things in my room as trash, yard sale, or donation. But my car is the drama....

I have a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse that I LOVE!!! So I refuse to sell it. I drove cross-country last year...so driving is my last and final option. I've looked into a few auto transport places including Fedex Custom Critical. Do you know that they had the audacity to tell me it could take a few days to a few weeks to pick up my car.....To Pick The Car Up???? Come on people, there's got to be a better way. So tomorrow I'm contacting the relocation people at P&G. When I worked for them after college, they shipped my car and it was picked up at an appointed time on a predetermined day and delivered to me in Cincinnati 2 days later. Maybe their relo department can give me the name of the transport company they used. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let me know.

Anyway, that's all. I'm off to watch a movie with friends.

Is that your final answer???

2005-03-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so if you've read the rest of my blog, I think this is painfully obvious. I've made my decision about where I will attend school for the next 2 years. I've paid my deposit to one school and sent in my decline of admission to the other. I have to say that I met wonderful people at both schools and I think they both have excellent programs and incredible plans for the future. But really it all came down to fit plus one other factor- which school had already challenged me through their application process and really forced me to understand who I was, what I had accomplished, and what I was capable of? Two years at an institution that can force me to grow that much by asking one simple question is going to be unbelievable!! So...

Palo Alto, here I come!!

The Search for Mo' Money...

2005-03-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

I'm really beginning to wonder if this sh!t will ever end. B-School apps- completed. Financial Aid apps- completed. Now, I'm starting the scholarship apps. Unfortunately it seems that most minority b-school apps are for finance. My promise to up and coming general management and consulting folks- I'm starting a scholarship JUST for YOU!! Anyway, Stanford has a Partnership for Diversity (P4D) Fellowship that covers full tuition, but requires a 9 month internship with the company who sponsors the fellowship. And while I'm not crazy about deferring my admission to Fall 2006 and working another year, full tuition is extremely tempting. We'll see how this goes. After b-school essays, I almost cringe at the thought of writing more essays. Oh well, B&N cafe here I come.

Yet another good day...

2005-03-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

I received my financial aid/fellowship package today from Stanford. I'm very impressed with their turn-around time and the amount of my fellowship. Stanford is different from most b-schools as they provide need-based vs. merit fellowships and ~300 students in each class of ~370 usually receive one. In the spring of your 1st year, you have the opportunity to meet the person(s) who sponsored your fellowship.

Found a pretty interesting calendar a few weeks ago for MBAs and MBAs-to-be. MBACareers.com has a calendar of events. Definitely worth checking out. One small correction though...they have the National Black MBA Conference listed as September 11-16. It will be held October 11-16.

My 2 cents...

2005-03-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, two posts in one day- I really have motivation issues on my job right now. In any case, by now EVERYBODY knows about this ApplyYourself/HBS/MIT/CMU/etc. issue. So I'll share my insights without acting like I'm on some high horse. This is a real perspective from a very real person.

1) Now not just because I've been admitted there, I appreciate Stanford's stance. I hope that they don't change and follow the controversial path that HBS and others have taken. What I've learned in the corporate world that typically the best position to take is to not take one immediately, sit and think about it (you're guaranteed to see the issue from several different perspectives if you give it time), and then make a decision.

1.5) After thinking about it a while, I do understand why the schools are upset. But I also think AY needs to step up to the plate and recognize their part in this. Looks like a discount to me.

2) I consider myself to be pretty ethical. But I have to say I considered using the link to see if it worked. I've already been admitted - I would have only accessed a decision I'm already very well aware of. After all, I'm an IT professional - technical curiosity kicked in when I saw the link, but I stopped short when "oooh, they're gonna get caught" played in my mind. I wanted to see if the back door really had been opened and if the damn thing actually worked. Looks like curiosity killed many cats...

So those are my thoughts...my condolences to the 119 HBS applicants, the 37 MIT applicants, and the other people who have been impacted by this. I say you all go find 'brookbond' and give him some 'unethical treatment'. LOL.

Clearly...

2005-03-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

...I suck at blogging. I keep forgetting to post. My apologies. I think this will probably be a pretty lengthy post as a few things have happened since January.

1) I've completed both my FAFSA and CollegeBoard profile. Stanford requires both. Duke requires FAFSA and a word document. The CollegeBoard profile was another $23 to complete. Stanford's suggested filing date was Feb. 18 so that we could receive fellowship info prior to having to commit on April 1. I was pleasantly surprised by our government - I submitted my FAFSA on 2/17/05 to the feds, and it was sent to Stanford's financial aid office on the 18th. A few things that I learned in this process.

If you plan to submit your FAFSA electronically, you'll need to request a PIN. This takes several days to receive via email. Why I don't know but you'll want to request that early.
Nothing is safe. Money in trusts, stock options- everything will be held against you.
That Estimated Annual Contribution is a joke.

2) This past weekend I attended Admit Weekend and the 22nd Annual Black Business School Association Conference at the Stanford GSB. Definitely had a wonderful time and met some incredible people. Here's a break down by day.

Friday night was the BBSA's LPF (Liquidity Preference Function- PC for Happy Hour). One thing that I appreciated was that even though this function was sponsored by the BBSA, other ethniticies were well represented.
Saturday was the BBSA conference. The keynote speaker was John Thompson, CEO of Symantec and also my fellow Florida A&M alum. Mr. Thompson was an extremely dynamic speaker and entertaining as well. There were panels on entrepreneurship as well as managing and directing your career. Admit Weekend officially kicked off Sunday evening, with a Welcome LPF in the courtyard of the Schwab Residential Center. And that evening we were off to Blue Chalk and a party sponsored by the International Club for dancing and more drinking.
Sunday morning's first event was a Welcome Brunch. The most interesting thing was learning about the people in our class. Without saying names, Derrick briefly listed some of the accomplishments of our fellow admits and some of the more humorous recommendations that had been received - "good leadership is like pornography - I know it when I see it!".
Monday morning was a bit more serious, with breakfast at the GSB Courtyard, a study group, and a core class immersion. We'd been given a case several weeks ago to prepare, and my case was on Seven Eleven Japan. My class was lead by Professor Seungjin Whang who teaches supply chain at the GSB. Definitely hoping to have him as a professor at some point in my GSB career. He was excellent! Very entertaining and extremely knowledgable. Of course, we had one final LPF before we left on Monday afternoon.

I'm sure I've left off a few of the events of the weekend, but I have to say that I was sad about leaving so many of the people that I met. I feel as though we've bonded already. Duke's Blue Devil Weekend is after the Stanford's reply deadline, so I'm hoping maybe I can go down and visit one more time before 4/1. Until next time...

2005 is off to a wonderful start

2005-01-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this news pretty late, but it still feels like news to me. On January 17, I received a phone call that started like this - "Hello, this is Derrick Bolton..." I'm in!! I have been accepted to the Class of 2007 at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. I've had a permanent smile since the call- I can't concentrate on anything else. I have to admit - As a Black female, getting the call on MLK Holiday had quite a profound effect on me. Dr. King dedicated his life to fighting for opportunities like this for minorities, and I was told of my acceptance to one of the world's most competitive and prestigious universities on the very day that honors him. Of course, I had to stop and Thank God for getting me through the admissions process. Now, everytime I walk by my Stanford admit binder, I get excited all over again. So why am I having commitment issues all of a sudden? I keep thinking is it too soon to send my deposit in? Am I sure I'll be ok without income for the next year while diving deeper and deeper into debt? The pressure, the pressure. In any case, I've emailed Stanford alum at my job and set up time to talk- trying to get a jumpstart on my networking. And I've picked up a Calc book and a Stat book - time to try to jog the memory, I suppose. I started my FAFSA. But Friday felt wonderful- I made an entry in my calendar- Friday, June 30, 2005- last day of work!!

Give me my money!!

2005-01-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, it really has been a while since I posted. Well, I'm glad to report that part of the wait is finally over. Whew! I was accepted at Duke's Fuqua School of Business (thank you, thank you). Of course, I'll be the remedial MBA student- I have to go to math camp :(! That's ok though, I'm in!!! And what's even better- I was given a pretty sweet scholarship. The money was completely unexpected. I'm still waiting to hear from Stanford though and decision day is quickly approaching. For months, I've been waiting for D-Day (Jan. 18) to approach, and now that it's a week away I'm not sure I'm ready to know. When I left Stanford last year, I had a tear in my eye. I initially thought it was b/c I was leaving one of my best friends out there. Damn that! I didn't want to leave Stanford. So I'll keep praying for Tuesday to bring good news.

Things like this only happen to me...

2004-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

I received a Stanford interview invite...I was so happy, I was shaking. I could barely get the words out to my family. I scheduled the interview and was 'oh so professional and prepared'. Anyway, my interviewer, Matt (fictitional name), and I agreed to meet one morning at 8 at Panera Bread. We decided to sit on the left side of the store so that we would be able to find each other easily. Fast forward to interview day. So I walk in and there's this guy sitting there with that 'waiting look'. So I walk over and ask him if his name, by chance, is Matt. He says yes, and I proceed to introduce myself and sit down. And then I realize he's looking at me a little strange... so, I ask him his last name. And it's not my interviewer's last name. So.... I think "damn"...and apologize. In any case, it crushed my nervousness, gave me something to break the ice with when the real Matt arrived, and I'm so glad. My interview turned into a pretty nice conversation and it confirmed my feelings about the school and the people that I've met who have matriculated through their MBA program. Now for the long wait ahead....

This is my first entry...

2004-12-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

...and what's sad is that I'm an IT person. I've kept a written journal for years, but decided I should go ahead and get with the times. A little intro, I'm originally from the Washington, DC area- Brandywine, MD to be exact. I live in Cincinnati and I'm applying to two top business schools, which explains two additional reasons for this blog- 1) I'm bored as hell, and 2) I'm stressed and need to vent on a daily basis. The wait for an admission decisions will drive any normal person crazy and my life is far from normal. We'll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime I'll try to bore you all to death and make myself feel better.