This is all about CHANGE

Yupe.. I just started doing some work on my app..

First step. Talk to people and research the b-school website..Surprisingly, every school looks good for me. I started talking to some folks (mostly b-school grads from my undergrad alumni list)..

No doubts, they are helpful..After lot of shuffling, my list looks something like this

1) LBS (will remain my no.1) - R1
2) Insead (after I found Toefl is not mandatory!!) - R1
3) Cornell - Will try for R1
4) Contemplating on Ross or Sloan - R2
5) CEIBS - R2 Might be pushed out if I get some bad feedback from a student entering this year

Couple of mistakes:
1) I didnt do this before taking GMAT..So, I have to shell out some extra money to send scores to atleast Insead and Cornell !!
2) I have to push out Chicago GSB - looks like it would have not fit my bill even if I had a 750+ GMAT score !!

But, to exactly predict where you are gonna app you gotto be a super intuitive (or an astrologer?). GMAC lets you send score before you take the GMAT. So, you always tend to be very optimistic or super pessimistic..And I was...

Between, I started reading some books..first one is Freakenomics..sounds intresting :)
!!

10 days of GMAT prep !!

Huh..What a relief..!!

I just made a decent GMAT score of 7xx...I know its not a great score. But, with just ~10 days of prep (not full time) it is not bad !!

A lot of credit goes to this EXCELLENTforum (http://www.beatthegmat.com/)

It was the single most resourceful GMAT forum I found. I am sure there would be lot folks like me who just could not dedicate 2-3 months of effort. This blog is just for them.. JUST..KEEP THE FAITH

I decided to give my GMAT sometime in January, 2007. But, work kept me busy. With loads of travel, I just couldn't give any time for GMAT prep. I had to work crazy (in China 14-16 hours/day) is normal I bought a OG 11, but I would have gone through may be 5% of the excerscise

Finally, I decided to take the plunge. This was more of a gutsy decision than confidence. May be over confidence!! I got an appointment on July 23rd. I scheduled this only on July 13th

Beleive me, I started my prep on 13th 10.30pm. I am giving this info just for people to take confidence.

1) Dedicated 5-6 hours on 6 weekdays

2) 16 hours/day on weekends. Ya, I had 2 full weekends

3) Decided to postpone several tasks at work. Just didnt give my 100% at work

4) Utilized every moment for GMAT prep. While I was commuting, lunch break, late night, every moment

5) Luckily, hit this forum. Took every bit of advice from here

6) Started with OG Verbal. Started from the back. Did around 50/section.

7) Intially, ignored Quant Took 2 GMATprep CATs in the first weekend - 640 and 630 - Not encouraging at all. I was thinking if I am being stupid here !!

9) Didnt give up. Concenrated more on my time management. Read every document on verbal in this forum. It was reall GREAT

10) Found a amazing way I could do it http://www.litesee.com/

11) Just took around 50% of the tests there

12) Realized I was making careless mistakes in Quant Last 2 days

13) Took another CAT (crackgmat) and made a 650..Definitely, not what I wanted.

14) Took another 20% of the test from litsee.com

15) My timing as well us accuracy improved in verbal

16) Decided Math is going to be my stronghold. I found doc with 175 problems in this forum. Just went through them patiently. This was a great decision

17) Thats it..my 10 days are over !!

G-day

10 days went like a blaze. But, I kept faith in myself..Thats the key.. Just relax and face whatever its going to result in.. I was tensed and nervous. But, I liked the adrenalin. I feel GMAT is just a small component of MBA admissions. If I could not manage it with work pressure, I would never be able to apply for MBA. I realized it !!

Living through..

Ya ya...I did kick off my GMAT prep sometime in Feb, 2007..
meaning..I bought a OG11..thats it..

But what I was doing with it..absolutely nothing..
briefly about my profile
- undergrade from a top engineering school in india (EE)
- started of interning at most sought after semiconductor company. Did a pretty good job there..
- 1 year of taxing experience with a company almost in a startup mode
- joined the same semiconductor company (where I interned)..and will have 5 years experience by Fall 08
- great experience..yupe..almost 2 years of international experience working in US, China and Taiwan..best (also worst) of east and west..!! Semiconductor customer product definition and ramp management is intresting and challenging..
- Squeezed my time to earn myself a MS degree (again from my same undergrad top univ) while I am working..

Above all..
- I work crazy..may be 14-16 hours/day..with absolutely no complaints..Frankly, my job demands (not complaining here)

ya..thats me..

In between all these...I had to prepare for GMAT...I really had to..