An NYU Invite vs. Chicago Waitlist: Inspiration from The Simpsons

As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.” -Kodos from The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror VII

Though it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, there’s an element of truth in the above Simpsons line, one of my favorites. For me, it means envisioning a potential great two years in New York, as well as keeping my options open by trying to get off the waitlist at Chicago Booth. Everything else that is in the recent past and out of my control – the rejections, the what-could-have-beens, etc., are only worth considering insofar as I can learn something from the experience.

So, with that in mind, I’ve booked my flight and am really look forward to meeting potential classmates and getting an even closer look at NYU Stern at its admitted student weekend in mid-April, as I continue to evaluate whether going back to school is my best next step toward Doing Something That Matters. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the sudden freedom from expectant anticipation, primarily in the form of being at peace with my generally silent phone and any incoming emails.

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.

“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”

“A ‘Yes” from NYU Stern. A ‘No’ from MIT Sloan”

“Kellogg Gets His (Likely) Final Application”

“A Rejection from Columbia B-School”

“Prepping for a Kellogg Interview”

“Doing the Analysis on the Pros & Cons of Going to B-School”

“The Road Not Yet Taken & What Motivated Me To Apply to B-School”

“Waiting for An Invite from Chicago’s Booth School of Business”

“In the Nick of Time: An Invite from Chicago Booth to Interview”

“The End Is Near”

“Two Years of Hands-On Work Experience or Two Years at Stern?”

“Reflections on the GMAT for the Next Generation of MBAs”

“Rethinking the MBA”

“Sitting, Wishing, Waitlisting”