How did you feel when you received the admission decision from Vanderbilt-Owen and how has life there added to your personalities thereafter?

Here is another great question from a prospective MBA student:

Hi Owenbloggers,

I am from India, an applicant to the Full-Time MBA Program at Owen school.

I would like to share a very funny incident that happened with me last night. I had a dream, and what a sweet dream it was!!! Right in front of my eyes, there sat a mail in my mailbox, containing the golden words 'Vanderbilt Owen: Accepted'. My excitement was so intense that I woke up from my sleep, still unable to comprehend whether I was actually dreaming or not. I quickly signed into my mailbox just to be disappointed. If a mail containing an invitation can cause heartbreak, imagine what this would have done to me.

I want to take this opportunity to ask the alumni and current students at Owen school, how they felt when they received the admission decision from the University and how has life at Owen added to your personalities thereafter?

I wish GOOD LUCK to all the applicants to Fall 08 batch.

Thanking You,
MBA Applicant - India

Response From Matt: The most excited I couldn't be

In response to an inquiry from India, I wanted to relate the story of when I received my notification from Owen that I had been admitted.

My situation is one that I thought was unique before I got here, but later discovered to be quite common. I did not like my boss. Even now, I am hesitant to disclose my real feelings, but I think it's safe to say that if my boss was not that interested in how I felt when I sat ten feet away from him, he probably won't be checking up on this blog, which he doesn't even know exists. Anyway, I digress. I "didn't get along with" my boss. (Feel free to insert your preferred euphemism in the quotes.)

Much like our anxious applicant I imagine, I was checking my personal email almost twice a minute in the days leading up to the decision deadline. I received mine at work, while I was busy with some other projects. I managed to excuse myself and read the email in private. It's been a while, and in the time since I have received that notice I've been distracted with numerous other projects. But as best I can remember, I was so excited that I squeezed my eyes shut. In my head I was imagining what curse words I would use while I dramatically stormed out of the office. In reality, I sat back down at my desk and tried to wait until the end of the work day to get a well-deserved beer.

I think my story highlights an important aspect of business school, and even business in general. There will be many times that your own aspirations will not coincide with the aspirations of your employer. You must strike a very delicate balance between the two in order to make a self-interested transition like leaving work to go to business school. There is no better example of this than having a supervisor, who relies on your contributions, write the letter that will facilitate your departure. I found that the best way to bridge the gap is with with honesty, and assurances that as you manage your departure for better opportunities, you will not abandon your current duties. I even drew out a timeline that mapped my life through my expected departure date.

There's no right way to leave a company, but there is definitely a wrong way. In an ideal world, you leave a company with a strong network of colleagues intact who are delighted that you are moving on to such an opportunity as business school--but that's just one example. Depending on the company, there are any number of other intangible assets you can take with you as you leave. The key part is that you avoid burning bridges and wasting all of those assets you could have carried with you to school.

I wish you the best of luck in the next few days. Business school will open many doors for you when you get here. Just remember not to slam the doors behind you before you arrive.

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Comments

[Ankit Choudhary]

Hi,

Thanks for your advice. Your points have been well taken.

I hope that if I do happen do get THE dream decision, I am not stuck in a situation like yours. I should be locked in my room at that time, so that even if I start banging by head on the walls (with excitement of course) no one gets to hear it.

Cheers to all and All the Best once again!!