Choosing Stern

I'm out my hometown today. I have come over to visit some of the friends I shared my life with for nearly four years, from 2002 until 2006. Those years have been the best in my life to date. During my life in this city I had to work pretty hard but I also had the chance to party a lot and have great times. And looking back now, I am quite sure that the main reason for such a great experience was the people I met. It's important to live in a place where one may have many opportunities at all levels but if one doesn't find the right people the place itself means nothing.

This city is a great place. And I am sure that NY is amazing too. As the departure date for NY comes closer (less than 3 weeks now!), I feel a little bit in the same way that I felt in 2002 when I was about to arrive in here: new city, some references about some people, great expectations....but a certain doubt about whether the choice made was the right one. One cannot say ''got it'' until some personal evidence proves it.

When I decided to quit my job and start the application process for a top-tier MBA I had not a very clear idea about the specific school I wanted to join. There is a pretty big bunch of top schools and making a decision is not easy at all. Let's say, why Stern and not Kellogg? Is Wharton a "better" option than Harvard? I guess you understand what I mean. I think that unless you have very particular motivations to choose one school, most of them (I refer to top-tier ones) offer pretty much the same things: great faculty, international drive, broad alumni network, career services and so on... I went through websites, I requested brochures, I attended some informative sessions...but in the end I made my first choices basically based on sensations and feelings.

I ended up choosing seven schools. I had quitted my job and, although I was quite confident about the strength of my future applications, I did not want to take the risk of being dinged and waste an entire year. Therefore, following the advise of some friends who had study MBAs (and after applying some basic statistical reasoning) I decided to apply to seven business schools, four in the US and three in Europe. This may be a little weird (in fact an officer told me at the admission interview at one of the schools that he had never come across a guy who had applied to so many schools!) but I think that it is also reasonable.

Due to the fact that I started the application process pretty late (i.e. January) and that I was applying to a relevant number of foreign schools, I didn't have the opportunity to visit the schools in advance, I mean, prior to choosing them. I read many comments on websites and blogs about the importance of visiting the schools or meeting people from them. And I must say that it is true. I only discovered it through the application processes but it was definitive for me. So, if you can afford it - basically in terms of time and money - arrange for a visit to the schools in which you are more interested; it will shed light on your doubts.

And this is the point where my decision about Stern was made. Once my Stern application was processed and I made it through the interview phase, I was quite shocked when I realized that it wasn't possible for me to be interviewed in my country by a Stern alum or so and that I had to go to NY for a half an hour interview. At that time, I thought that such a trip was an unexpected cost rather than an investment, it made no sense to me. Looking back now, I may say that it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

I organized myself to spend four days in NY visiting both Columbia and Stern, meeting the people, attending lectures and so on. I had almost decided at that time that if I was to leave for an MBA in the US, NY was the place for me. But both Columbia and Stern are great places and I wanted to be in a position to decide properly if I was finally offered a place at both schools.

Once in NY I definitely realized that both schools offered very similar things and their main gimmicks to attract students were kind of similar. At each school I remember myself asking "and what's wrong about (the other school)? And nobody told me a single bad thing. In fact, several people told me that nothing wrong could be said, that it was up to me to decide....and that such a decision would probably made based on personal perceptions and sensations.

And that's why I chose Stern. Since the very beginning I was (positively) shocked about how people treated me. First, some days prior to my visit to Stern I was contacted by a second year student who acted as my host there. It was not anything official, I mean, such contact wasn't within the context of a school's program for visitors. He contacted me by himself, just to help a potential future student. Once I was in NY he took me around the school, he introduced me to a lot of his friends, he took me to a couple of lectures and he even invited me to go to the beer blast that takes place every Thursday at the school's cafeteria. Everybody was laid back, they all were really nice to me, showed interest about my application and made me feel like I was at home. Secondly, I also had an "official" informal lunch with a student and such lunch did nothing but confirming what I have told before. Finally, the admissions interview was a relaxed and friendly one (although I was not pretty sure about the "right" answers to some questions) and it gave the impression that the purpose of the interview is mainly acknowledging if the candidate may be a nice "Stern guy". The strictly academic/professional selection is made based on the application. The interview's goal is knowing the person.

This is not any kind of advertising. It's up to you to decide. I'm just telling how comfortable I felt at Stern.I was just a foreigner coming to Stern for a short interview but I felt like I was already a student. When I came back to my country I was sure that Stern was the ideal place for me. And what made me feel that way? It's clear: Stern's people.

I have started this post talking about people and how people may determine one's happiness. It happened to me 4 years ago and it seems to me like it's gonna be pretty much the same thing in NY, at Stern. Everything I have come across concerning Stern to date points in such direction. In any case, what may have been suitable for me may not be so for some of you. Every single person has her own personality, values, etc and, in my case, I think that the Stern community and myself will match in a perfect way. And this is not just a matter of sensations but rather my own experienced evidence. Thus, it's my advice that you look for it when choosing your future school. Academic excellence may be given for granted at top schools. However, finding the right atmosphere and idiosyncrasy is up to to every applicant.

I thought that this personal insight could be interesting at the very beginning of the application process, which is nothing but choosing where to apply. I will tell you some other day about essays, GMAT and so on.

Ciao!

Now it's definitely for real

Saturday morning. I have woken up early since today, like every 22 July, my favourite "fiesta" takes place. It is an uncommon one since it doesn't take place at night, but in the daylight. Thousands of people gather in a small fishermen village to drink, eat, dance and partying 'til dusk. I am listening to The Invisible Band, the third LP by Travis, one of my favourite bands.

But this year I am feeling in a slightly different way. Why? Well, since yesterday and for the very first time, a bank has become my forced friend. Yesterday I executed the credit facility that I needed to finance part of my MBA adventure. I decided to subscribe it in my home country rather than in the US given that the interest rates are lower and assuming that borrowing in euros will still be a good option vis-à vis the dollar in the following years. I cannot say that the terms of the credit are bad; however, taking a look at the three pages of the repayment table is depressing: 24 instalments paying only interest and 96 (?) for real repayment. In aggregate, 10 damned years with an unwanted - although unfortunately necessary - friend. This MBA thing is definitely true and serious.

Before yesterday I had completed many different tasks to get everything ready. However, getting engaged with the bank is the very definitive milestone. Now there is no way back (although I never thought about it!).

Now I may say that I am a kind of average indebted national. Most of twenty somethings and early thirties nationals from my country, given the country's particular culture focused on owning - rather than renting - a house, have a mortage. Before yesterday I could say that I did not owe anything to any bank. Not any more....

I felt a little weird yesterday. I have been advising corporations and closing deals valued biillions $ at notary publics' offices. However, when it comes to execute something on your own behalf (for an amount that is ridiculous when compared to what I was used to) the feeling is different. Maybe due to professional de-formation, I discussed some points of the credit facility I was about to sign. However, it is sad to see that you cannot even negotiate a word and that you have to "adhere" to the contract you are offered. Take it or leave it, they say!!! That's the reality.

Well, maybe some of you are lucky enough to avoid going through this. But if you are in a position like mine, let me give you a a good recommendation: research. Every facility is not suitable for every single student. Check fees, currencies, interest rate (fixed or variable), term, whether your assets must be deposited with the lending bank, early repayment, etc... Once you have made up your mind go for it....and good luck!! Anyway, we all hope that, if the data provided by top business schools are true, we will be paying the debt back in a few years after graduation. Let's hope they are right.

Getting started

Is a top MBA program worth it? What is the experience like? Will it be as good as most of alumni say? Will it be such a different and amazing experience? I am sure that every single applicant or admitted student has asked himself these kinds of questions. I still keep asking myself about them. Once admitted, and after lots of research from a variety of sources, I’ve somehow persuaded myself that I’m doing the right thing. However, I want some evidence – my evidence – about it. I’d like to tell you all about this and that, about my expectations and achievements, about my academic and personal life, about my joy and sadness, about having fun and feeling stressed,… In short, about becoming and living as an MBA student of a top MBA school. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to record all this for myself and, who knows, it may also be useful for other people like you, who are facing or about to face what I was going trough nearly a year ago.

Before introducing myself, let me apologize for my English. Speaking or writing in a foreign language is not easy and, even if I try hard, I won’t be able to tell you all about things as English native speakers would do. I will do my best, though. And you all will hopefully realize that I will be able to learn new expressions and sayings as time goes by. I don’t mean to write an academic journal, but rather something closer, more personal…and I am afraid that there may be some times when I won’t be able to say things in the way I want. Don’t worry, I will ask for your advise!!

I studied law and economics. After graduation I worked for a small local law firm for around a year and a half and then I had the opportunity to join one of the main law firms worldwide, primarily focused on merger and acquisitions transactions, where I spent around three and a half years. Following such experience I temporarily joined a small corporate finance services firm to get a flavor of the world that I knew from a different perspective and to get some further skills for my MBA adventure.

That’s my professional life so far…Ok, Ok, I have said above that I would like to give some personal insight about this MBA experience, so I think you will need to know a little bit about “me”, not the “professional me”. Damn, it feels weird to tell about oneself and post it on the internet…, Anyway, I’m 28 years old, single, straight, sociable, open minded and great friend of my friends. I should try to be a little more patient, I hate traffic jams and the unreasonable sounding of cars’ horns drives me mad. I love sports and I practice soccer, golf, surfing, skiing,… I also love going out partying with my friends, going to the movies, listening to music and I also like reading a good book. Well, I also enjoy playing with the Playstation (although I am not playing much lately). Now you have the whole picture!!!

It’s been enough for a presentation. Let’s move to the point. In less than a month I will be leaving for The City, for New York City. In particular, I will be heading to the very downtown of NYC, to the east side of the Village, to Washington Square…, still in need for more clues? Don’t think so, it is clear now, I guess. My final destination is the New York University and, more precisely, the Stern School of Business. My target? Stern's full-time MBA.

I have almost - thanks God - finished preparing all the stuff to leave for the US. It is amazing how many things must be done. It may sound silly but, in addition to purely academic requirements (which are quite a lot) I have had to do quite stupid things ranging from buying big enough suitcases to getting a blood analysis to evidence that I am immunized against mumps, rubella and measles (NY state law...no comments) . As the final prize, I will hopefully be executing the credit agreement to finance my studies by the end of next week and then, yes, I will be done.

Today I was lying on a couch waiting for a storm to come (it's been bloody - and uncommonly - hot in my city lately) and I have finally decided to go for this blog thing. It was not in my to-do list but I had been thinking about it for a while. And this first post is the outcome of such determination. I was thinking that this post is quite long and I do not know whether I will be able to write so long posts in the future (due to lack of time or due to lack of things to tell!!) but, well, I am gonna try.

By the way, my nick is a small tribute to my city friends. It is like if I was their representative in NY. One day the name "Rubeo" was made up to name our gang, so I am the Rubeo Boy.

It's enough for a presentation. I am sure I will be coming back to explain many other things. Hope you are coming back too. That would be a good sign.

Ciao!!