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Sometimes we get the best suggestions about life from the places that we are least expecting from. I am talking about movies and comics. Well! we watch movies to get entertained and not gain insight about life, right?

I watched ‘The Pursuit of Happyness” the other day. The movie is going in my list of ‘my all time favourite movies’ list. Why I loved it so much? For one, it was a Will Smith movie. Every time I watch his movies, I am left amazed by the greatness of his talent. Apart from that the movie is based on a true story. It leaves you wondering about the kinds of struggle people go through to achieve their dreams. There is a dialogue in the movie which says:

Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. …You got a dream, you gotta protect it… If you want something, go get it. Period.-Christopher Gardner

I frequently see a lot of aspirants who are uncertain about whether they would get into X Business School or not. They are uncertain about their goals. I say if you want something in life, work hard to achieve it. In a recent Stanford Business School session, the presenter said that they admitted a student a few years back who wasn’t even a graduate. I am sure if that guy had taken opinion from admission consultants, he would have got a strict no. But he did believe in his dreams, he worked hard on his application, and he proved to the admissions committee that he would be a good contribution to the class. You, as an aspirant can have loads of flaws in your applications- low GPA, low GMAT, modest extracurriculars but wouldn’t you take an extra step to overcome the obstacles ?

If you think you have a weak profile for this year admission season, then I suggest that you wait for another year, work on enhancing your profile and then apply. Give your best shot whenever you do.

People who read comics regularly know how the cartoonists use their characters to tell the real stuff about life.

Woodstock was Snoopy’s best friend in the Peanuts comics. His speech is rendered almost entirely in “chicken scratch” marks, with Snoopy either directly translating or allowing the reader to deduce Woodstock’s meaning in the context of Snoopy’s replies.

It’s too late to crawl back into the egg. - Woodstock

Isn’t it true? What you did in your college, you cannot change that. You cannot go back to college to improve your low GPA. But you can take some classes at a community college to offset your low scores, you can work hard to score high in GMAT, you can work hard at your job to get good recommendations and you can use your optional essay to address your low scores.

A lot of candidates are also concerned about not having grandstand extracurricular activities. Why don’t you pick one today? Your involvement in extracurricular activities show the lighter aspect of your personality. Also, that you are a balanced person and would be able to balance work, clubs, requirements etc. at school. You don’t need to have 10 different activities to show. you just need one activity that you are truly passionate about. It can be anything from musical instrument, sport, travel, singing, dancing, painting, writing -just anything that you love to do. Pick up something that you would enjoy doing. This would help you prove that you are a well rounded person. Admissions Committee wants to know more and more about you through different components of your application, your extracurriculars would let them know your commitments, motivations and time managements.

Another quote from peanuts:

“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don’t worry…I’m here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you. -Charlie Brown to Snoopy”

Life is not sunshine and roses all the time. Each individual has his own obstacles and own weaknesses to overcome. Your weaknesses make you real. Time doesn’t remains the same all the time. What you learn during your difficult times and how you handle it matters. Everyone has setbacks and obstacles in life , schools want to know what have you done to overcome your shortcomings or what have you learnt from those obstacles. If you lost the job last year because of bad economic conditions, how did you utilise your time? If you were weak in quant, did you take up a course to overcome it? Bill Gates was a college drop-out but does that make him any less of what he has achieved today? I was watching this episode where Hrithik Roshan says that he stammered and had a weak back. Doctors told him that he couldn’t become an actor because the profession would require him to dance. His passion and strong will made him what he is today. No one has reached the stars without overcoming the hurdles.Neither would you. So rather than hiding your weaknesses, take responsibility for them and show your real strength of character to the admissions committee.

As the first deadlines for most business schools is approaching, we want to wish each one of you good luck. Work hard on every bit of your application. Put your heart in writing your essays. Your application would be read by human beings, so write in a way that touches their hearts.

Good Luck.

Following is the Full List of Upcoming MBA Application Deadlines for Round 1

Upcoming MBA Application Deadlines 2009

• Sep 30,2009 : INSEAD September Intake Round 1
• Oct 1,2009 : HBS Round 1
• Oct 1,2009 : Penn-Wharton Round 1
• Oct 6,2009 : Duke-Fuqua Early Action
• Oct 7,2009 : Columbia Business School J Term
• Oct 7,2009 : Columbia Business School Early Decision
• Oct 7,2009 : Stanford GSB Round 1
• Oct 8,2009 : Yale SOM Round 1
• Oct 9,2009 : Oxford-Saїd Round 1
• Oct 10,2009 : Michigan-Ross Round 1
• Oct 14,2009 : Chicago Booth Round 1
• Oct 14,2009 : Dartmouth Tuck Early Application
• Oct 14,2009 : UCLA-Anderson Round 1
• Oct 15,2009 : Kellogg Round 1
• Oct 20,2009 : Berkeley-Haas Round 1
• Oct 23,2009 : UNC-Kenan-Flagler
• Oct 26,2009 : CMU-Tepper Round 1
• Oct 27,2009 : MIT-Sloan Round 1
• Oct 28,2009 : UVA-Darden Round 1
• Nov 2,2009 : UT-Austin-McCombs Early Deadline
• Nov 15,2009 : NYU-Stern Round 1

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