World MBA Tour at Mumbai.

OK. I am lil nervous right now, since now onwards there will be two persons who know me in person will read my blog. Till yesterday there was nobody. I met these guys at World MBA tour.

I was saying NO NO to the tour till the day before the event. (Even to-day I think its bit early for me to visit such forums. As of now I am planning to apply for class of 2011.) But on last day I said OK. My cell phone was on repair & had to fo to city to get it; also I wanted to meet an online buddy, coincidently he was going to attend the fair. These reasons were enough for me to come to the city and attend the fair. But there was one more and rather important reason to attend the event.

All these days, months, I have been reading about these b-schools was checking their websites reading numorous blogs and various online forums, I was contented with the stuff I have about this GMAT and international MBA industry. But the knowledge (information) I have (had) is 2^nd hand information. I never attended such event before; never visited any b-school and never a seminar or as such. Never seen a person in flesh; how she walks, talks, presents. That’s about it. So this was the time & it hought to visit the fair.

I got a VIP pass from pagalguy.com. I appreciate this and I promise the forum ( here in public) to help and contribute, intellectually any way I can. Thank you pagalguy.com!

Since I decided to go ot fair on last day, I was not prepared neither mentally nor logistically or materialistically. I asked Iday the other day what to wear. I know it’s a stupid question, but I think, this comes to everybody’s mind when he’s nervous or visits such events for the first time. ( ane therefore I discuss about it in detail later in the article) I thought a tie + shirt & trouser would be OK.

The day started and I realised that I don’t have the list of the schools attending the fair. I requested in forums to provide the link. Apurv sent me the link. Thanks Apurv. I printed the list, invitation & VIP pass.

Oh! Did I mention that my home is three hours away (by train) from the city? It was noon & I missed 3 trains already. I was bit tensed since it was 6^th dec. the death anniversary of one of the founders ( principal fouder) of constitution of India, Dr. B. R Ambedkar. People from all places of India come to the city and gather at a place called Chaitya Bhumi.

Train had already travelled more than 1500kms (1,000 miles) and was ultra crowded as expected. I had no space to move my hip by an inch! ( why the hell you wanna move your hip johny?) I went to city STANDING all the way. Apparently the local train in the city was not that crowded I managed to get a window seat!

HOW I APPROACH TO THE FAIR (READ: PREPARE)

Then, in local train, Aim-WSC had some time to check the printed list. I shortlisted some schools. The main attraction was the Columbia. (Yeah! theres C in my userid!) I went to library @1725. checked ‘www’, checked some websites of the schools I shortlisted. I didn’t check Columbia’s since I knew already what I wanted to ask. After checking the websites I gain shortlisted the schools. The no. of schools were very small then.

Whn I checked the websites, I checked the tuition fees, living expense, fin. Aid & scholarship school can offer, & approx ranks of the schools from say BW & FT and lastly ROI. Now what( /all) I wanted to ask there at fair is ‘alumni network and demographic distribution of alumni’

By 1800hrs I was out of library heading to the fair. Am I late? Event started @1700.

The attire.

From the reception counter on the way to the Hall I received many leaflets that I blindly put into my purse.

Purse? No it was a jute hand bag actually, which some people including myself sometimes think it as awful. At least when you go to such ^posh^ area, you become even more concious. I didn’t wear a tie. I had thought to wear it in library; ( library is my second home in the city) but on the way, in local train I met a college kid who was also going to fair wore scrappy shirt and pair of jeans. I said heck! I don’t have to wear a tie. The reason: I am not gonna make any impact there or something I am just gonna sort of window-scan the school counters that’s it. So no tie for me, it’s still in the jute bag. A plain shirt, trouser with belt and leather shoes. A hand bag in hand & a pen in a pocket. That’s it. Perfect.

The Fair

The first counter I saw in the hall was Columbia’s. I nodded assertively and smiled.

By the way did I tell you Dr.B.R. Ambedkar was from Columbia University. (probably the first Indian!!) It was bit crowded so I moved on without stopping @CBS. I checked entire hall (two halls actually). You can gain a lot just by overhearing the conversation, provided you blindly jumped in such forums without doing your homework. I checked U at Buffalo, state U of NY. Enquire about financing option. I shortlisted few more state colleges which I cancelled to visit once I was in the hall. Most of the answers the rep giving I knew already.

I would have been happy if Kellogg had come to the tour. The Kellogg site disappointed me big time (and maybe that’s why theres no K in my userid :D)

Some other big schools came, like Chi GSB, Tuck, Darden. But I am not interested. Thankyou.

Now remains wharton and Columbia.

I just looked at W’s stall, the most crowded one. Sigh! I never wanna go there. I know A to Z of W’s website. Heck I have been checking the site since I got the internet connection @home. I know I am crazy. But there are many crazy people around here, reading my blog :p

I had a healthy talk with one of the CBS alumni. ~20mins I was @ CBS stall.

Asked some q about blogging ( yeah that’s right. You wanna hear it?) also whether adcoms do investigative job & check applicants other online activities? @ forums or @ blogs et al.

The answer is NO. unless you specify about it in you essay. The other alumna also gave me strat on how to deal with such situations. Haa haa though I have no bad record in cyberspace…it was for my other online buddies :D

Overall the visit paid off.

Met Rohit and Sonam, these guys work for pagalguy.com thumbs up once again thanks for the pass fellas.

My online buddy was in seminar which I missed. I attended some of the last part of the seminar which was cool. No regrets though, since I was talking with CBS people then.

I met the online buddy there were two of them. And together we complete a round in the hall. On return I saw a familiar face at the other side of the counter. I greeted him and asked whether we have met earlier? Yeah! the person has done MBA from of that particular school. I am so happy, Now. I was not aware that this guy is one of the alumni of my one the fav. School. THIS IS A BONUS.
And the best part is he’s in the same industry that I am interested in.

BONUS BONUS BONUS.

Things I regret for:

• Not attending seminars, they were good and boy it was Matt Symonds. And yet was free of cost.
• Not taking down the address/ visiting card of alumni with whom I talked. But I know I will meet him sometime in future.
• And most importantly for not asking question to alumni about the total expense in MBA education. What I mean is, is there some truth in Forrest gumps BW finding?
• You can discuss about it here. Is really Harvard or to say any top notch school’s that expensive? $345000?

I think alumni are best persons to answer this.

So all you readers/ bloggers out there please tell me the answer, sicne I forgot to ask about it in the fair.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ATTENDANTS:

• Do good homework.
• Bring a pocket notepad.
• Check with alumni & if day is good ask for visiting card.
• Believe in yourself attire is not that important afterall, the place’s always crowded.