Yale Winter Break Social

I managed to close out the SOM social tonight. This isn't an extraordinary feat, as it only went from 6:30 to 9:15 or so. I had a great time. SOM bought us each a drink, which I didn't expect, and of course I got to meet some great people. I met another admit, a waitlist, and some folks who were planning to apply next year or later (three years from now!?!). I did manage to infect some of the future applicants with knowledge of the BW forums and blogs.

I have to say that the SOM people and applicants are great. I really like Business school applicants (and students) in general. What's not to like? They're ambitious, driven, intelligent, thoughtful, and generally a lot of fun. And when you get to meet them at a happy hour, at a good bar... solid. I have also firmly convinced myself that for most of the top schools, the decision comes down to culture. You're going to have similar opportunities (ok, HSW will give you more in Private Equity, Venture Capital, and perhaps some other fields) regardless of the school, so the rest is up to you. The thing to focus on is where you most like the people and culture. The Columbia vs. Wharton, or Chicago debates on the BW forums seem to miss the point, by assuming that there is one ranking for everyone.

Whatever, I've had one free beer, and several that weren't. I have to be at work early tomorrow, so...