A “Yes” From NYU Stern. A “No” From MIT Sloan.

As the Yiddish would say – well, that was a mishigas. The past few weeks didn’t go quite the way I thought it would, but here I am, still in one piece, and things are looking just fine.

To recap: During the holidays, I took a longer-than-expected break from working on my remaining applications, got a bad case of writer’s block and then was only able to complete one out of two planned applications that had their Round 2 deadline earlier this week. And that one, for Chicago Booth, I worked on right up until the deadline, submitting it with not a moment to spare. I usually finish projects well before their deadlines, but this was not one of those times.

Just before the holidays, MIT also rejected me without an interview. I was disappointed, but can’t say that it was unexpected. It was the first application that I submitted, so there were weaknesses that I subsequently addressed in other applications that would likely have helped. Perhaps a different application strategy, where MIT was not the first application I submitted, would have resulted in a different outcome. C’est la vie.

On a happier note, I got accepted by NYU a couple days ago. I had just submitted my Booth application and was checking my email, when I unexpectedly saw a message from NYU, saying that my online status had changed. That didn’t sound very promising. After logging onto the NYU system, I was informed that I could access my “status letter” online. “That can’t be good,” I thought, experiencing a bit of deja vu from similarly checking my MIT status online. Fortunately, I got good news, and Everybody Dance Now played in my head. I also appreciated the congratulatory call from my interviewer a few moments later.

Now, I am catching a second wind of sorts, working on my application for Kellogg, which I should be able to submit by their January 11th deadline. That will be my final business school application, unless I submit any Round 3 applications (doubtful). Even after submitting my last application, the business school process isn’t over yet, as I will have to prepare for at least one more interview (since Kellogg interviews all applicants) and will need to (happily, of course) decide on at least one admissions offer.

If this experience has shown me anything, it’s that the letter “V” is an appropriate shape to describe my recent business school application experience. I’m just glad that I’m on the positive slope now. In the coming months, that same letter might represent the different paths I might take. In any case, the new year is starting off quite nicely and I am very excited at the opportunity to attend Stern.

This post is adapted from Just Ship, a blog written by an anonymous MBA applicant who has a GMAT score above 760 and is targeting six or seven of the top ten business schools. You can read all of his posts at Just Ship.

Previous posts by Just Ship at Poets&Quants:

“Just One of 4,653 Applicants Trying To Get Into A Top B-School”

“Why I’m Not Applying to Harvard Business School”

“The Deafening Silence Is Broken: An Invitation to Interview from NYU’s Stern School”

“Why An Applicant Interview Requires A Different State of Mind”

“All Is Quiet on the MIT Sloan Front”