Thinking straight

The emotional investment that goes with MBA applications is huge. Some of essays make you come out with your most innermost feelings and passion that I can see how devastating a ding from any school can be.

Given this realization, I can't help but wonder if I am setting myself up for a big disappointment. True, I'm solely to blame for applying to only a few schools and all a "stretch" at that. At the same time, I don't want to spend $$$ on "easier" schools - schools that may ultimately not able to provide for my career goals - just to escape from my current situation.

GMAT scores are valid for 5 years and I am being asked to wait out another year if I don't get in this time around. Here's an interesting POA suggested by one of my seniors -

1. Apply to 4 schools this year.
2. If no success, apply to a new set of 4 schools next year
3. If still no success, apply to the same 4 schools you applied to in step 1 explaining how well you've addressed your shortcomings in these 2 years !!

Seems like a plan, but the problem is I don't want to wait for a possible 3 years to go to business school. I have been mentally playing the leaving-the-company scenario so many times over in my head that I can't imagine a single day beyond Aug '06 at my job.

So, should I get rejected at the few places I'm applying to, I'm considering packing my bags and serving in the third world countries for a year. The suckers for community involvement and stand-out applicants that bschools are, this may not such a bad idea after all. Opportunity cost - one year of engineer's salary. That can't be much, right? ;)

If you are starting to fancy this idea and you also happen to be from the "Indian IT" category, do feel free to drop me a line. We could volunteer together and then apply together as well. Wait, Am I digging my own grave by taking in my potential competitor onboard this masterful plan ?

No! Imagine this - hordes of Indian IT workers flocking to Africa to serve for an year in hopes of getting into HBS!! (all lured by the evil me!). What they won't know of course is that I've already struck a deal with the volunteer organizations in Africa to bring in lots of hardworking and intelligent volunteers at no cost.

So, while I give my interview to the Time magazine and go to HBS as the guy who inspired more than half of the bangalore techno park population into volunteering, the rest rot in the still-not-so-exclusive "Indian IT ; served in Africa for a yr" category. Brilliant!!