Night Owl's Revenge

I can think of a few words to describe my life since getting admitted to Kellogg from the waitlist last month - Joyful, crazy, and exciting are the first that come to mind. My path from working professional to business school student is outlined below.

Step 1. Miss acceptance call from admissions committee member while shopping - Go to Costco during lunch with a co-worker to shop for household appliances. Check cell periodically for texts and see a missed call with an Evanston, IL area code. Proceeded to ask your friend endless questions about what this could possibly mean…

Step 2. Freak out - After you finally get the courage to call the admissions office back, the next step is to go into temporary shock upon hearing your acceptance…all that hard work actually paid off!

Step 3. Gain an education in strategic planning - Determine if the shortened time frame and personal finances will allow you to attend. I wasn’t expecting this at all and started the re-application process for a seat in the class of 2014. Complete financial aid paperwork and wait for approval (pretty quick). Compute cost analysis of moving to Evanston. Determine if you will ship or sell your stuff and car. Contact current students, friends, and friends of friends in the Chicago area for advice on all things Northwestern, Kellogg, and Evanston. 

Step 4. Quit job. Hyperventilate or celebrate this step as it applies to your personal situation. My heart was racing as I typed my resignation and walked to my managers office. She was very happy for me and wished me the best. After handing in your resignation the realization sets in that you are now jobless in a shaky US economy…Scary stuff for me as I provided financial support to family through the “great recession”.

Step 5. Experience work “senioritis”. Perhaps it’s a good thing that I was accepted late. I’m not sure how my friends who were accepted in round 1 survived on the job without being fired before they left for school! Spend this time envisioning your new life in school- friends to be made, clubs to join, and classes to take. Take caution though - you don’t want to burn any bridges with your co-workers, so work with your manager and co-workers on a transition plan. Whoever takes on your work will appreciate it.

Step 6. Pack up and move - I’m in the middle of this now. It’s not fun.

Step 7. Thank everyone who helped you along the way - This is crucial. Show people that you appreciate them and the time they took out of their schedules to help you. It’s an amazing feeling.