Introduction

That's all it was, actually, just the introduction. Who'd've thought?

GMAT, resume, essays, recommendations, interviews. You spend months running this marathon, going through each straight as if it was the only one, always aware of the yet-unseen finish line. When you finally get there, exhausted, gasping for air, it's all a blur. But soon enough you realize you actually made it, against all odds, you won, and you're thrilled beyond your wits, surprised despite the fact you lived through this moment in your mind's eye numerous times before. You got in.
For me, getting the call from Chicago Booth was just like winning a marathon (not that it's something I've ever experienced, but bear with me here). I was thrilled! After "running" for so long, I felt like I tore through this end-line a winner (I have to admit that after that, the second call, or actually email, from MIT Sloan, felt slightly less mind-blowing).
Once I've gotten past the calls to family, friends and my "coaches" from Kisos, the rush somewhat subsided. That's when I turned to look through the door that has just been opened. I started to realize that maybe it wasn’t a full marathon I had just completed. Maybe, unlike the way it felt, it was just the first part of a much longer marathon. Merely the introduction to the years to come.

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OK, but why a blog? Why now?
From the very beginning it was clear to me that I didn't have any experience in writing essays of the kind the applications required, or the understanding of what I should focus on and how. I therefore chose Kisos as my MBA consulting team. Looking back, I could never dream of a better group of people to complement my adamant approach and enthusiastic nature. Working with them was so much more than just being admitted – it was about exploring this rich, new world of studding MBA abroad. It was about providing me the access to people and resources that helped me gain the clearest possible view of the path I was aiming for. It was mostly about gaining the best tools to look ahead and figure out who I wanted to be at the end of this road. Along the way, I earned a group of friends who would stand by me through future challenges, always.
So when the guys from Kisos came up with the idea to write a blog about the way to and through business school, I was immediately interested. I thought it would be a great way to shed some light on the vaguer part of the MBA process, the one just past the introduction. Naturally, such a blog will be subjective and personal, but I still believe it can come in handy for "future generations". I also hope this blog will serve as a way for my family and friends to learn a little more about what I'm going through (assuming any of them will actually read this) and, of course, help me ventilate when the going gets tough (and it will).

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"So what's in store now? How will it look in just a few months?" I asked.
I was already admitted to Chicago Booth, but I felt even more in-need of answers than ever before. Surprising, ain't it? I continued to talk to anyone who would listen, trying to get a better grasp of what lay ahead. I spoke to an American second-year at Chicago Booth who was trying to give me an honest, clear glimpse of my future.
"It's gonna be intense, I'm not gonna lie to you," she said. "And you probably think applying to schools was like running a marathon. Listen, Chicago is very organized and they're going to guide you through everything and it's going to be tons of fun. But you're going to be overwhelmed with information. Your calendar will be constantly flooded. Classes, homework, tests, networking, interviews. We like to say it's like drinking from a fire hose".

This is my story.