pre-mba: pre-departure planning

I can't believe how fast the time has gone! I remember flying to Oxford with my fiancee Lisa for my Round 2 interview back on February 20th. It seemed to take forever as I waited for their admission decision that was emailed to me on March 27th. After discussing the opportunity with Lisa, as well as with my friends and family, everyone agreed it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It was also a dream come true, especially because I had studied abroad at Oxford in 2000 while an undergraduate. I remember walking to the train station with my sister to catch a train to Morton-in-the-Marsh in the Cotswolds, and passing by a construction site where the new Saïd Business School was being built. That day I pledged to myself to one day return, and to take a proper degree - that is, to be permanently etched into the matriculation books at Oxford.

Life, however, does not move in a perfectly linear fashion as economics might otherwise suggest. Undetered by what challenges life threw at me, I persevered, and after a lot of hard-work, can now count myself as one of the lucky ones who will earn an MBA from Oxford University. I use the term "lucky" loosely. Of course I believe that: success = preparation + opportunity, but just because you work hard doesn't mean that you're guaranteed anything; you just simply tip the probability for success in your favor.

Even probability is a relative term, however, as anyone who watches ESPN's "Texas Hold'em World Series of Poker" knows. Time and gain you see a player dealt "bullets" down (the best possible starting hand in poker), he bets strategically, and winds up "flopping" yet another Ace for "trip Aces". His probability for winning skyrockets to over 90%. Nothing else is showing on the green felt table except a scattered mess of cards, until the final card is revealed on the "river." Your opponent miraculously makes his "inside straight draw," and clutches victory from the jaws of defeat even though they should have folded at the get-go. Those challenges, and how you react to such an improbable defeat, reveals a person's character. At times like these you have to stick hard-and-fast to the belief that over time there will be a "reversion to the mean," and that your best bet is to continue to play the percentages. And have enough liquidity to see you through!

You might be surprised to learn that I actually don't watch much poker. I had too much other work to accomplish before leaving for Oxford! Most importantly, Lisa and I bought our plane tickets to Heathrow yesterday. Fares were up to $700 each round-trip on Virgin Atlantic from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR), compared to $500 when we last flew in February. We'll be arriving a week before mandatory MBA orientation, and a full two weeks before the start of Michaelmas term. This should give me ample time to open a bank account and buy a cell phone. We managed to get a reasonable £16 per night room through Exeter College. The next best price I found was £55 at the Saint Michael's Guess House (across from the Oxford Union) for a double room. Fancier places, like the Buttery on Broad Street and the Randolph Hotel on Beaumont Street, charge £120 and £156 per night for a double room, respectively! This should give you a good idea if and when you book temporary accommodations in Oxford (or have family visit).

The only other thing remaining is my Visa. I suggest that everyone stay on top of this early. I proactively requested my Visa letter by emailing the business school administration. I had a wonderful experience. Their turnaround time was top-rate, and they were extremely responsive to me. As soon as my "hard copy" arrived in early July, I booked an online appointment to get my biometric fingerprints taken at the closest US Federal Office to me in New York City. I had to wait nearly one month for an available appointment! I finally had my biometrics taken on August 19th, and immediately overnighted my entire Student Visa (Tier 4) application to the New York British Consulate. And I was thorough! You will want to include the following: Passport (original), Student Visa application (filled out and printed online), Biometric fingerprints (original), MBA Admission letter (original), Oxford College Admission letter (original), Proof of Oxford Housing Address, Student Transcripts (original), and Funding Documents (student loans, bank account balances, etc.). It took the British Consulate eleven days just to confirm by email that they had received my application, and would take a further 5 to 10 business days to process. I suppose this won't be too bad provided I get my Visa by next Friday.

My biggest recommendation would be to book your biometric appointment ASAP, and to put together a very complete and legible application (read above). I don't know how later Round applicants get this done in time since some aren't notified of their admission until July! Good luck, and feel free to write a comment if you have any problems/questions with preparing to move to Oxford.