I am getting more comfortable the more I talk with students, alumni and professors. I recently attended an alumni event for women where we discussed your personal "brand image". I felt like it was a small taste of classes without the homework. There were definitely two camps; one felt that you must be true to yourself, while others felt that it is an advantage to adjust with the situation. It had me thinking about how others see me. As I’m leaving soon, I’m finding it much easier to gauge how others view me!
I have to get my apartment organized! I have finally set up my home office and spent over $100 at Office Depot last week. I bought my first set of GSB business cards and have also been shopping for suits. Everyone talks about tuition being high, but these extraneous costs really add up.
Many of the pre-MBA deadlines are approaching. At GSB, we are asked to complete personality tests and have other people assess you as preparation for the LEAD program (Orientation). I have been pretty diligent in getting these assignments in over the summer, but I still have to get immunization records to prove I’m not contagious. I’ve also started putting together my MBA resume.
I’ve been invited to attend two presentations in New York from Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston. They have information sessions for minority students who are interested in investment banking to learn about the company and the different positions. I’m pretty excited, as I also plan to attend a GSB Diversity Reception for prospective students.
I am frantically trying to keep myself calm. (Oxymoron?) I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. I’m working up until the end of August, and I’m down to my last three paychecks! (Gasp!) I remember thinking at Admit Weekend in April that I wanted to start immediately. I needed this time just to absorb the magnitude of what I was getting into.
My name is Natasha Walker. My background is pretty eclectic. I was born in Detroit, Michigan, but lived for eight years on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. I then attended Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering and Management Institute), a small engineering school in Flint, Michigan. The program is based on co-op work experience. We would go to school for three months and then work for three months, year-round for five years. I also started a business doing event planning. I graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering and 2-and-a-half years of work experience with EDS/General Motors.
I’d had my fill of cars and computers, and decided to change industry. I ended up at Pepperidge Farm, outside of Chicago. I pursued a Masters’ degree in Industrial Engineering while working full time, and felt ready to make a change. I’d applied to business school right out of undergrad and was encouraged to get some work experience and reapply, so I did. The whirlwind has begun. I’m attending the Chicago GSB in the fall and in the midst of the excitement and anticipation are the subtle hints that you are already behind.
I’m filling out financial aid forms and taking personality tests to help guide me to what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. It is overwhelming in light of the fact that there are hundreds of things I’m only now realizing are options. It seems an absurd prospect that I should pick something and commit to it before I’ve taken the first class, but everyone rings a chorus that you don’t want to arrive on campus trying to test everything out. Ultimately the point of this is to get a job.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my classmates who are from diverse backgrounds and points of view. GSB is known for producing superior finance graduates and a highly quantitative program. So we have a lot of engineers and finance undergrads.
I’ve just returned from MBA Jumpstart 2004 at Duke University. It was the inaugural year of the program and it was an excellent introduction to the finance and consulting industries. But more importantly, it allowed us to network with other students. Incoming minority students at Stanford, Wharton, Fuqua, Columbia, and U of Chicago were invited to attend. It was a welcome first peek at the industry for some and a great opportunity to solidify career plans for others. We also got to meet recruiters and high-level people at some of the most well known finance and consulting firms.
Not having any finance experience, I was not prepared for the recruiting process, which is not only intense, but also very structured. It is very easy to hurt your chances of getting into a firm by botching it before you know the process. It appears the key is to be prepared. So I’m doing my homework. Combing industry guides and researching on the Internet. I’ve also been invited to attend some summer information sessions on Wall Street at the end of the month.
We start a little later than some of the other schools. Orientation begins on September 7, and we start classes on the 23rd. The time is flying by and I wonder if I’ll be ready by then. Overall, I’m just beginning to realize what I’ve gotten myself into and it is both exciting and scary. I really don’t know where I’ll end up, but I’m excited to get started!