The 5 things you should know

Here's the 5 things you should know if you're sending me an email as a prospective applicant:

1. Tell me where you found me / how you know me / if we've met before. Please. My memory's usually reasonably good, but I meet so many prospective applicants (or at least have done in the past few years) that I can't remember everyone, hard as I try.
2. Do not under any circumstance tell me a) your GPA b) your GMAT (and DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT even explain which math/verbal scores you had) or c) TOEFL scores. I don't give a rat's a** about them to be honest. And they might be interesting to you, to me they're just numbers.
3. Do tell me a little about yourself and try to make it a little more interesting than just 'hi, my name is XXX, can I ask you a few questions?'. I'm a person too. Like everyone I like a good (but concise) story. Make it interesting. Make me interested.
4. Tell me what research you've already done. Do you read the blogs? The LBS MBA blog? Have you already talked to people? Are you thinking about applying or definitely applying?
5. Last but not least DO NOT ask me questions such as 'can you tell me about your experience?' or 'I'd like to know about your MBA'. This whole MBA thing, including the applications-stage, took 3 years. What exactly do you want to know? Be specific. Tell me what you'd like to know. It's kinda hard for guess what you want to know exactly so please tell me.

End of rant.

[image courtesy of RedKit]

[addition: hmmmm. Fran's comment made me realise that I do sound a bit grumpy. Apologies. I'm tired. See, I genuinely want to help when people send me emails. But please, please, think of me too and try and work with me. I'll appreciate it a lot. Think of it as good karma. Or good practice.]

Comments

[fran]

having a bad day? how was Turkey? :)

[Farhan]

Name and shame... please!? What's the best email you've gotten... worst?

[-tvu]

-tvu's deadly recipe to mellow out
Ingredients:
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon (increase bottle to reflect state of mood).
1 box of dark chocolate (recommend Godiva for really upset condition, Belgium chocolate for really really pissed mood).
1 wine glass or any purpose cup.
1 CD of favorite tunes (i.e. Jazz for groovy state, Rock to rock out, or classic 80's pop to cheer up).

steps:
1- pop in the desired tune and crank up the volume to desired level.
2- pour wine into glass and small sip to wet tongue and sample.
3- small nibble into a chocolate piece and cleanse platte w/ small sip of wine.
4- larger bite into chocolate piece and cleanse platte w/ larger sip of wine.
***Repeat step 4 until relaxed***

[RUCHI]

Read my last 2 blogs and tell do i qualify to even consider applying to LBS ?

BTW. I LUV UR BLOG n ur writing style. !!!!!

[Natasja]

Fran: I sounded that bad eh?

Farhan: no kissing and telling from me.

TVU: that's exactly what I needed ;-)