Twisters -1 !


Yeah....absolute twisters...both tornadoes and life-twisters !

Weekend started with the registration to the Admitted Students weekend at Wash U.
The nature of class I met was what I expected. Their corporate experience ranged from 12 to 48 months. Some of them were really good. Some of them had already committed.

Those committed had great amount of fun...others like me were asking ppl.....trying to validate what if they made this choice. So, the Fri evening started with a Speed Networking game ...similar to Speed Dating game.

Met quite a few ppl there...notable was Bijal. She was American born Indian gurl. I think she was from Ohio. Gujju ! She had admits from Stern and Wash U. The latter offered her a scholarship and she wanted to think about them since she already had 6 years experience and didn't want to take up a debt for a Masters degree.

That made me think....that would it make sense to do an MBA after MISM ???
Unnecessary waste of money and time !
Moreover, those who wanna make it...make it without a degree...esp, in today's era...we have something known as a EMBA :)

So, later I met Susi ....Susi Allison from Wash U.
Her hubby was from Nepal. She was planning on setting up stuff in India someway.
She knew quite a few things about Indian culture.

btw, India is a big brand name in the United States by now!


Fri nite...I tried getting hold of Bee.... ran around frm pillar to post for 2 hours...and lack of cell phone caused this ridiculous situation. Darn it !

Sat ...I started off early with Wash U....Faculty panel....then a Class followed by an Alumni panel.
btw, they gave us an iPod too.

Later, I got to visit St Louis.....some of the most beautiful parts...nobody ever took me before. Now, that's what I call a city.

Pedestrian neighbourhoods....I wonder why Bee did not choose to buy a house there....later she explained me that the Mo taxes were way higher than the IL taxes.

By now, ...the committed students were making plans on checking out housing by May or June or July. They planned to take pre-programs too.

Rodney, Finance club president, explained to me that for Finance...one is definitely at a slight disadvantage due to location...however, one does get face time with the regular recruiters since Dean and others take the students to NY for roadshows after which placements are far better.

Their Finance club is arranging a trip to Omaha to meet the legendary investor Warren Buffet.

Frankly speaking, I feel Wash U would be the best environment to study. Students are hard working...non-pretentious. It has a typical midwestern feel to it. Also, being a small program, the alums are really do care about their batches. Wherever they are...they try to push the resumes of their juniors as much as possible.

This made Wash U very very attractive to me.
Also, I know St Louis and hence, I can easily settle down here.
Moreover, I would get to meet some of my very close friends I made here...
However, that's not a major point to consider. After all, I have left my home to come here.

What might lack is that if in year 2008, I discover that due to a slump they are unable to place me ..then I shall be in a bad position. For CMU, placements would start pretty much by Sept and hence, that uncertainity would be less...but the tuition is ex-fuckin-pensive.... 40k (after scholarships)

However, it would gates of star univs for MBA, if I would wish to do it later. Mostly, I shall do an eMBA. Harshad's gotta come to US. Gotta bring in dad n mom too.

I dont know why but sometimes I feel that had I been in India, for me the potential to network and make friends would've been far higher than it is now. Here, due to my dark skin...at first, ppl are overawed or they are simply curious. It takes time to convince on various factors. Amongst Indians, it doesn't take much time.

Anyways, continuing about the weekend, we headed to the Boathouse in Forest Park on Sat night....which was wrecked completely in Sun evening wrath of nature. Boat house was a nice event..met the Chinese gurl who is in consulting and lives in NJ and works in Kansas..and is mostly out of Kansas. I asked her if she liked her job and she mentioned, it sucked :)).
I knew this answer since the lives of consultants are miserable due to the constant travel involved. Mon-Thurs is a big pain in the butt.

Comparing it to Bee's life, Bee is a Queen !

I also met Shanti. Now, at first glance, I felt she was American. However, I figured out that she was an Indian. Her mom is an American I guess, for the looks she possesses. She had an admit from Stern too. However, she had an aid from Wash U and mostly wanted to attend Wash U.

So, that brings me to square one.
Spending money on education vis-a-vis doing hardwork at work and making smart moves to get what one wants.

If I do my Wash U MBA, I would not require any other education pretty much. So, by 2008, I would be in debt of 60k which would be paid off by 2010 or 2011.

If I do my CMU MISM, I would require an MBA very much ...later. So, by 2008, I would've paid off my debt for MISM. Later, I can make savings for MBA till 2011 and then get an MBA in eMBA form....i.e. if I dont land with a travelling job.

letsee...right now, MISM seems to be the way to go !