No safety schools for me
I've been meaning to write this post on safety schools for a couple of days now...
The concept of safety schools itself is sort of crude. A safety school is one in which you have a very good chance of (still not 100%) getting admitted with your credentials. But it does not stop there. You should still love the program and you should still be able to get where you want to be after you graduate. So you should be spending the same amount of time for shortlisting a safety school as you would for a dream school. Be it researching the school, talking to an alum/student, making a school visit or attending an info session, a safety school is as important as a dream school.
Personally, I am of the opinion that you should consider a safety school only if at least one of the following situations applies to you:
This is the thought process I went through before deciding that I don't want safety schools this year. I am willing to wait another year, or as long as it takes, or till I feel I have to get into B-school that year no matter what. I guess this explains my highly ambitious list of schools. I want to give it my best shot this year before I think of safe options. Yes! Ever the optimist, that's what I am :D
Essays Update:
All my 5 schools (for round1) have released their essay questions :) And guess what? Looks like my story fits in pretty well in each school's set of essays! Cool huh? :D
As for my progress, HBS' "Career Vision" essay and "3 Achievements" essay are ready for review by friends. And as I promised in my previous post, I started on the Significant Leadership Experience essay and have completed the first draft. So I can goof off tomorrow:) !!!! I love being on schedule. This is turning out to be a great weekend already.
Oh yeah, gym routine is on full swing ***Grin***. I totally love myself now.
The concept of safety schools itself is sort of crude. A safety school is one in which you have a very good chance of (still not 100%) getting admitted with your credentials. But it does not stop there. You should still love the program and you should still be able to get where you want to be after you graduate. So you should be spending the same amount of time for shortlisting a safety school as you would for a dream school. Be it researching the school, talking to an alum/student, making a school visit or attending an info session, a safety school is as important as a dream school.
Personally, I am of the opinion that you should consider a safety school only if at least one of the following situations applies to you:
- You absolutely hate your job and simply have to escape the grind this year to keep your sanity.
- You have a plum job waiting for you (at your current employer's or elsewhere) and they don't give a damn which school you are from as long as you've got an MBA.
- You are a rich(or not so rich) already successful entrepreneur and just want to learn stuff, you don't care about the school's brand, the alumni network etc.
- You are just looking for a refreshing change for a couple of years while you pick up a cool degree. You have no clue what you want to do with the degree.
This is the thought process I went through before deciding that I don't want safety schools this year. I am willing to wait another year, or as long as it takes, or till I feel I have to get into B-school that year no matter what. I guess this explains my highly ambitious list of schools. I want to give it my best shot this year before I think of safe options. Yes! Ever the optimist, that's what I am :D
Essays Update:
All my 5 schools (for round1) have released their essay questions :) And guess what? Looks like my story fits in pretty well in each school's set of essays! Cool huh? :D
As for my progress, HBS' "Career Vision" essay and "3 Achievements" essay are ready for review by friends. And as I promised in my previous post, I started on the Significant Leadership Experience essay and have completed the first draft. So I can goof off tomorrow:) !!!! I love being on schedule. This is turning out to be a great weekend already.
Oh yeah, gym routine is on full swing ***Grin***. I totally love myself now.
10 comments:
Coolio! :)
Agree, the whole concept of safety schools goes right by me now. As I must've mentioned earlier, I am a reapplicant. Last yr, I got into a top 20 school, my safety school, but as is obv I didnt go there.
As u said, a safety school has to be one where ur chances of adm r bright and u wanna go there too. But somehow that combo is hard to find. So no safety schools for me either this yr.
Say NO to safety schools! :)
U
uday: good to know someone agrees with me :)
good ! i have been cautioned with your categories. I'll need a second thought.
Safety Schools!!! I dont have any safety schools too :) I dont wanna end up in some school and then think "why the heck did i come here".
As i said - i dont even want to look beyond my R1 list.
Completely agree w/ your comment on safety schools. Why would you want to waste time and money if you don't really want to be there and the place isn't right for you?!
Am I to understand that if you are not accepted into any of your choice schools that you will abandon the MBA altogether?
With that said, I disagree with your opinion of safety schools 100%.
Unless you know for certain (which you don't) that you are going to be accepted to at least one of your choice schools, you need a safety school.
You also should have a safety school in mind as a matter of course.
Things happen and if you do not prepare appropriately, you will be regretting it.
I do not particularly care for my safety school, but, in the event that I am not accepted into my choice schools, my plan is to attend my safety school at night or on the weekends.
Your comment "I love myself right now" cracked me up. I was thinking the same thing about myself this morning :-P! And regarding safety schools I 100% agree with you!
anon: (if you ever come back to read this) no you are not to understand that.
When i decide I want to start my MBA next fall no matter what, i will have a couple of safety schools and will attend them if i have to.
Right now, i have time :)
@Anon, why cant u app the next yr?
I feel the same way about safety schools! I was initially thinking of applying to INSEAD and Kellogg in R1, but decided that I wasn't 100% sure of resigning and studying in both schools if I got accepted so I nixed them and will be concentrating on 4 schools instead. =)
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