Planning around MBA Application Disruptions

Another weekend is here for MBA candidates to work on your business school applications. This should be an interesting weekend, with a hurricane approaching the East Coast and Halloween parties that promise a good time. You will likely have a lot of disruptions this weekend. Plan accordingly! You have no time to waste with second round application deadlines less than 10 weeks away.

Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Sandy: while others in your community may be making a run on water, batteries and canned goods at the local Stop & Shop, you should be running through how you will continue GMAT study and application preparation if you lose electricity. Time is precious – make it count.

Halloween: The festivities for All Hallow’s Eve kick off tonight and then tomorrow and continue until the actual holiday on Wednesday night. Can you afford three plus days of debauchery? Dare I say, no! If you just can’t skip the Halloween parties, then pick one party and have a good time. Don’t have so much fun that you can’t be productive the next day, and don’t fret the decision to go to the party (put business school out of your mind and have some fun).

With all of the potential distractions, it’s important that you work smart this weekend:

(1)    determine your MBA application priorities for the weekend (be realistic)

(2)    identify potential disruptions and make a plan to manage them

(3)    execute the plan and knock out your work

(4)    don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done, but evaluate how you can do a better job of completing your priorities next weekend

Nicole’s Halloween pet peeve: Questionable (read: inappropriate) Halloween costumes. Gentlemen: pimps, really? Haven’t we gotten past this? Ladies: the overly sexed-up version of something not sexual (i.e., the devil in 4 inch heels or sassy Snow White). If you want to show them what you are working with go as catwoman…then you by definition you have to where a skin-tight body suit!

Have a great weekend!