pre-mba: facebook

Everyone admitted into the Oxford MBA program is immediately granted online access to the incoming-student intranet site. As time passes, more content is added. The intranet site is the primary way that administration communicates with us regarding scholarship winners, college availability, and student Q&A. It is also the best way to learn what Facebook page(s) have been created for each MBA class, so that students can begin to network, and get to know each other more informally.

Roughly two-thirds (158/240) of the incoming Oxford MBA class is on Facebook. Over the summer, many students have posted pre-MBA “meet-up” events in London, Mumbai, and New York. In fact, I helped organize the event in New York where I met two other Oxford-bound MBAs. Between the three of us, we worked at Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and Smith Barney. In addition to working in finance, two of us owned our businesses (one of which has secured a patent). From meeting other alumni I have learned that there will be two others joining us. That makes five of us from New York, which is about 10% of the US intake!

Make good use of the networking while you can. Many good schools offer solid MBA programs, and some students even skip the MBA altogether, and instead study for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. The difference lies in the people you meet, and the relationships you build, especially at a school like Oxford, which sets a very high threshold for admission.

In some of my earlier posts I mention that Oxford is divided into three terms (Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity). The first term begins on October 5th, and consists of six mandatory core courses: Finance I, Decision Science, Financial Reporting, Strategy I, Managerial Economics, and Marketing. MBA Students, however, must arrive on September 30^th for compulsory orientation. Unfortunately, college accommodations usually don’t start until October 1^st, which means that early-arrivers will have to pay a modest £18 per diem to move in earlier.

Come Hilary term, students get to choose three electives, and six more electives for Trinity term. To give you a flavor of the different electives available, the following classes were recently posted on the intranet site for Trinity term (I’ve highlighted the ones I’d like to take). If you feel like a kid in a candy store, then maybe you should apply to Oxford:

Business History, Business in China, Capital Raising, Cooperative Strategy, Corporate Valuation, CSR & Ethical Marketing, Customer Insight, Derivatives, Design Leadership, Environment Organizations & Sustainability, Financial Risk Management, Leading Strategic Change, Managing Complexity, Managing High-growth Companies, Managing the Project Portfolio, Marketing Innovation, Mergers Acquisitions & Restructuring, Negotiations, Private Equity, Real Estate, Retailing, Social Finance, Social Enterprise Design, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Taxation Finance & Business Strategy, and Trading & Market Microstructure.

pre-mba: oxford grading system

Lately I've been posting a lot of blogs about studying for the CFA. After all, I do mention that the goal of my blog is to guide you through "admission strategies to surviving the core curriculum to securing your dream job," and I cannot think of a better review for the MBA core curriculum then the CFA, which focuses on accounting, economics, and finance. While I will continue such posts, I thought it would be nice for a change to talk more about the Oxford MBA grading system.

Schools like Oxford are brimming with over-achievers. The average undergraduate degree earned by an applicant entering into the Oxford MBA is a "second first class degree" (also known as a 2:1, or a 3.50 GPA). The highest class degree awarded by Oxford University is the coveted "first class degree" (also known as a 1:1, or a 3.80+ GPA). For MBA students the class of degree that you graduate with is ultimately determined by your number score.

Distinction level:
80-100 Superb work
75-79 Excellent work
70-74 Fine work

Pass level:
65-69 Strong pass
55-64 Good pass
50-54 Pass

Fail:
45-49 Marginal fail
0-44 Outright fail

The World Education Services boasts a wonderful website where you can get a good approximation for converting grades from any country. For example, a student studying at an American college might earn a 88% in a class, which translates into a B+ grade, or a 3.50 GPA. The process is somewhat similiar in British universities, except there is not as much grade inflation, so a 65% might be considered a B+, which is good enough to earn you a 2:1. As students scramble for the top of their class, what exactly makes the grade & perhaps more importantly, does it even matter?

Oxford MBA students will take approximately 18 courses during the three terms they are there. In practice, the range of grades earned are from 40% to 80%. Students must score a minimum passing grade of 50%. Most strive for a 70%+ mark since this begins the various gradations of "distinction." The average mark achieved by students is a 63% "second class degree" (also known as a 2:2, or 3.33 GPA). Students who score a 70%+ grade in at least one class during any of the academic terms makes the Dean's List, and are often invited to a special dinner hosted by Colin Mayer (SBS Dean) and Stephan Chambers (MBA Director). Anyone looking to graduate with overall distinction must get a 70%+ in at least 6 of their 18 courses. Only 10% of Oxford MBA students achieve this feat. So, what is the good news?

Oxford proves the old adage that the hardest part of getting an MBA is getting into the school. It's true. Almost no one fails. In a recent MBA class, 231 out of 234 students graduated with their MBA. Out of the 3 that did not graduate, one outright failed and the remaining two left the program. While the exact reasons for the three that did not graduate are unknown, we can be reasonably confident that 99% of students who begin the course will pass. Further, past Oxford MBA students tell me that often the most interesting jobs went to those students who may have even had to "re-sit" an exam because they failed it the first time. Grades only matter for a few top employers, and also for those students wishing to land their top choice "Strategic Consulting Projects (SCP)" during the summer.


So by all means work hard, and for heaven's sake, hand in all your assignments on time and show up for your final exams! But when you feel that the stress is piling on top of you...sit back...take a deep breath...imagine the dreaming spires that surround you...and relax. Realize that in time all things will pass (including you and the MBA course), and you will get a good job.

CFA study session #2: quantitative methods: time-value

Now it begins; quantitative methods is worth the price of admission! I intend for these posts to be helpful to not only CFA candidates, but also to MBAs looking to brush up on their quant skills (aka poets). Before you go any further, however, you MUST invest in a financial calculator. I use the HP-12C (Hewlett Packer); it is one of only two calculators recognized by the CFA Institute (the other being the Texas Instruments BAII Plus). The majority of calculations will involve no more than 5 buttons that are nicely placed next to one another on the very top of the calculator:

n (number of time periods)

i (interest rate per period)

PV (present value)

PMT (payment for a series of cashflows)

FV (future value)

Mastering time-value questions helps to build the foundation for more difficult calculations, such as "internal rate of return (IRR)" and "net present value (NVP)," which are critical for classes in Finance and Private Equity.

The simplest of time-value questions might ask you "what $1,000 invested today in a CD for 5-years compounded annually at a rate of 3.00% would be worth at maturity?" All you need to do is type $1,000 (press "PV"), type 5 (press "n"), type 3 (press "i"), and then press "FV" and within seconds it will give you the correct answer of $1,159.27. Of course this problem could have been made more difficult by telling you that the interest compounds monthly (rather than annually), but this only requires the slightest of adjustments (i.e. adjust the number of periods for "n" from 5 to 60 (5x12 months) and for "i" from 3.00% to 0.25% (3/12 months).

They can also ask you the question in reverse by requiring you to choose between two payment options by calculating PV. For example, say "you won the lottery and your two options are to either receive a lump sum of $1,000,000 today, or receive $2,000,000 at the end of 10 years with a interest rate of 4.00% compounded annually over that period. Which is the better option?" Begin by figuring out the PV of the future lump sum by typing 10 (press "n"), type 4 (press "i"), and type $2,000,000 (press "FV"). Then press PV and you will discover that it is worth $1,351,128.24 in today's dollars, and therefore the better option. Of course, good luck, postponing your purchase of a Ferrari for 10 years! With practice you an easily master time-value questions. After all, I majored in Political Science (minor in Philosophy) in college and now look at me crunch out these numbers!

You can also solve for the number of periods ("n"), or interest rate ("i"), provided you are given the PV and FV, as well as a third variable. For example, you may be asked the question: "What is the yield to maturity (YTM) on a corporate bond that was bought for $980 and pays a semi-annual 5.00% dividend, which will mature in 10 years at a face value of $1,000?" To solve: type 20 (press "n" 10 year bond x 2 annual dividend payments), type -$980 (press "PV" negative sign to signify outflow), type $1,000 (press "FV positive sign to signify inflow), type $25 (press "PMT" signifies semi-annual 5% dividend inflow based on $1,000 par value). Once you've input these 4 variables, press "i" and after about 10 seconds (btw this is a harder calculation) the calculator will tell you that the answer is 2.63%, which you must then multiple by 2 to get the annual rate (after all, we were working with semi-annual payments), giving you a final YTM answer of 5.26%. Predictably, the YTM is greater than the 5.00% dividend rate, because the bond was bought at a $20 discount ($1,000 - $980), which must be included into the overall investment return. In contrast, if the bond was bought at a premium to face value, say $1,020, then the YTM would have been lower than the dividend rate. One last point, to avoid future aggravation for why your HP-12C is not processing properly, you MUST follow the convention of using the negative sign to signify cash outflows (money-out), and the positive sign to signify cash inflows (money-in). Otherwise, in the previous example, you would have seen the "ErroR" sign if you used positive signs for PV, PMT, and FV. Again, this will be critical later when accounting for cashflows when solving for "IRR" and "NPV."

Continuing with the trend of asking increasingly difficult (but solvable) questions, see if you can answer this final question: "Your oldest child is currently 22 years old and just completed their undergraduate degree, when she mentions to you, that in 6 years (after they gain some work experience) she would like to study for an MBA at Oxford University. Currently, tuition for the Oxford MBA is £31,000, and has been steadily rising at 5% per year. How much money money do they need to invest per month now to have enough money to pay for the MBA assuming an annual 9% investment return?" You must first calculate the FV of the price of tuition, by typing £31,000 (press "PV"), type 72 (press "n" 6 years x 12 months), and type 0.417% (press "i" 5.00% inflation rate divided by 12 months). The FV is £41,819.55. Now start the second calculation by storing the £41,819.55 (press "FV"), type 72 (press "n"), and type 0.75% (press "i" 9% investment rate divided by 12 months). Once you press "PMT" you will see that you need to invest £440.17 each month in today's pounds for 6 years to afford tuition at tomorrow's inflation adjusted price. Stayed tune for more MBA boot-camp!

next stop...cfa

Now that my fiancée and I have decided to book our flight to England on September 23rd (orientation begins Sept 30th and classes begin Oct 5th), I am left with roughly 2-months to finish sorting out my pre-MBA plans. You don’t have to be Gary Kasparov to know that the people who are successful in life plan several moves ahead. Of course even Kasparov can lose to IBM’s Deep Blue, so it’s always important to maintain some perspective and humility. Nevertheless it won’t stop be from trying to tip the odds for success in my favor!

First, you need balance. In a previous post I mention having joined a gym, and putting some much needed work into my tennis serve, to better prepare myself physically for the endurance challenge that is the Oxford MBA. Of course I’m also motivated by the fear I’ll be the largest person in the boat rowing for Exeter College in Oxford! Incidentally, I’ve heard from another classmate who swears that yoga is such great exercise that afterwards “you would have felt that you sweated off the equivalent of a small baby!” Regardless of which way you decide to shape-up, it's imperative to find some release for all the stress.

Second, to prepare for the coursework, I’m taking several steps, including brushing up on my personal finance by inching closer to completing my CFP® certification. With over 350,000 people claiming to be financial planners in America, only 10% have actually gone through the rigorous qualification process that I am currently going through. As a brief aside, most financial professionals in America widely agree that the following designations mark the highest of achievement in their respective fields: the CFA for financial analysts, the CFP® for personal finance, the CPA for public accounting, and the MBA for general management.

Now to become a “Certified Financial Planner” you must satisfy five principle qualifications, which are: 1) a minimum 3-years of qualifying financial planning work experience, 2) a bachelor’s degree, 3) completion of additional education requirements [typically 6 courses covering the financial planning process, insurance, investments, retirement, income tax, and estate planning], 4) an ethical background check, and 5) pass the 10-hour national Board exam. Currently, I’m waiting for my test results from the Certified Financial Planning Board. Roughly 50% of test-takers pass. I won’t know until I leave for England, however, but I’m optimistic. Nothing left to do but wait.

I believe holding both an Oxford MBA and the CFP® will help me during recruiting season. It would nicely qualify me for a job as a “private banker” on Wall Street. This would be very similar to what I do now as a financial advisor, except I would be swimming “upstream” by dealing with a wealthier clientele who face more sophisticated financial issues like how to finance their G5 private jet! Luckily, despite the recent financial market turmoil, private bankers are still very much in demand by both an aging population in the developed world, and by the increasing wealth of those in the developing world. I'm also excited to apply this background to opportunities in investment banking, private equity/venture capital, or management consulting.

Why relax!? I’m never one to slow-down, or rest on my laurels. So, now that I have the summer off and things are finally winding down, I’m looking for other ways to busy myself, and make my stay in Oxford a success! All the logistics are accounted for: my financing is in place, my accommodations confirmed, my college selected, my Visa applied for, and my post-MBA job search begun. After careful consideration, I have now decided that the best way for me to prepare for the MBA in these last 2-months is to register and study for the CFA Level 1 exam in December! Frank Sinatra has got nothing on me when he wrote "that he bit off more than he could chew" in the song "My Way."

Long considered the “gold standard” on Wall Street (besides the MBA), the “Chartered Financial Analyst” designation has come to symbolize the ultimate cerebral achievement for financial “quant jocks” around the world. In fact, studies show that individuals who hold both an MBA and CFA with 10-years experience earn an average of $250,000 per year! So, while CAPM and the Treynor ratio are still “Sharpe” in my mind from the CFP® exam, now is the perfect time to polish my HP12C financial calculator, and ready myself for the mental gymnastics needed to take-on the CFA and catapult myself ahead of the curve for such upcoming core MBA courses as Finance 1, Decision Science, and Financial Reporting. Keep checking in if you want to re-connect with your own inner quant-jock, as I will continue to post info on the CFA, as well as the Oxford MBA.

consolidated list of info on oxford mba

I remember when I first decided to apply to the University of Oxford. I spent days scouring the Internet for as many articles, interviews, and blogs that I could find. I was interested in learning as much about the program as I could, to make sure that I was a good fit. I also felt that the more I knew, the better my chances for admission would be, since I could more clearly articulate my reasons for wanting to attend the Oxford MBA program. So, as I come across new resources, I will post them on my blog so that you easily access all relevant information in one place! Keep checking in, as I will continue to modify and add new resources to this post.

BUSINESSWEEK:
June 8, 2009, Oxford SBS admissions manager Anna Farrus:
"Oxford's Saïd: Admissions Q&A"

THE ECONOMIST:
February 9, 2009, Oxford SBS dean Colin Mayer:
"Saïd and Done"

FINANCIAL TIMES:
December 4, 2006, by Linda Anderson
"Oxford's Saïd Aims to Compete with Harvard"

PAGALGUY:
2009-2010 Admission Blog
2008-2009 Admission Blog

video: interview with colin mayer, dean of saïd business school

pre-mba: preparing for oxford

One of the most quintessential Oxford experiences is to row for your College. The ultimate, of course, is to be good enough to compete against Cambridge in the annual "Boat Race" for the chance to win a "Blue." But to put things into perspective, this year's boat (2009), which beat Cambridge, had 8 rowers, all of which were affiliated with the Saïd Business School at Oxford, and two of which actually rowed in the last Olympics! Regardless of age or ability, roughly 1 out of 3 Oxford students row at some level for their College. To succeed, even the amateur rowers wake-up for practice by 6am, and regularly run 4 miles to prepare themselves to compete.

I more modestly aspire to condition myself to pull my own weight in the boat. Although I have always played sports, even at the collegiate level, my greatest fear are the curses and mumblings I'll hear from my teammates as they see me try and squeeze into our tiny boat. Therefore, I decided last week to take fate into my own hands, and join a gym. Every day this week I've been jogging 3-miles on the treadmill, and then hitting the weights for another 30-minutes. Plus, I've been working in some tennis. For just $10 per/month I joined "Planet Fitness" to begin my quest to lose 15-20 pounds within 3-months before shipping off to England.

During my admissions interview at Oxford in February, I attended an "Open House" where the MBA administrators told us all about what to expect during out MBA course. At one point, they neatly presented a bar chart on the wall that clearly laid-out our day-to-day schedule: 3 hours of outside study, 3 hours of job search, 1 hour of sports, and 1 hour of debauchery. The rest of the day was presumably spent eating, sleeping, traveling to and fro, and actual class-room time. They recommended finding a balance between the very serious work at hand, and a chance to network with the larger university. According to their recommendation, though, it would be unwise to partake in more than 2 outside activities. So, after deciding on rowing, I had just one more arrow in my quiver before having the next year planned out exactly to the minute. 

In addition to rowing I thought I'd take up tennis. I've been playing tennis for 13 years now, and although I'm rusty, it's perhaps the best sport I have a chance to "really" compete in. During my undergraduate years I played for one year for my college team. Currently, I play in a Mens 3.5-4.0 USTA League in New York, but I've got a lot to work on! I would recommend anyone interested in sports, even at the recreational level, to find the appropriate contact at the Oxford University Sports Club page. 

In conclusion, no one disagrees that attending the Oxford MBA will be a hugely transformational experience, both professionally and personally. Part of that experience is to immerse yourself in the sporting tradition of the University, particularly rowing. But just as you would start preparing for your classes by brushing up on your math, it is also a wise idea to prepare yourself physically for what is sure to be an immensely mentally and physically grueling year!

pre-mba: exeter college

On 06/02/2009 I learned that Exeter College at Oxford accepted my application! It took them about 8-days to make their decision, however, I didn't find out until a week later, and it would've been longer (no doubt) if I had not contacted the b-school to inquire! As a newly admitted grad student I become a member of the Exeter MCR (Middle-Common Room), as opposed to the JCR (Junior Common Room), which is reserved for undergraduates. Technically, MCR students may also benefit from all the JCR activities, as well, so it's a no-lose situation for MBAs!

One good thing about Exeter is that it offers grad student housing at the newly renovated Exeter House on  Iffley Road. Although it's located a little further from the b-school then I would like, it gives me a chance to get some exercise by riding my bike. Plus, I'll get to live with 50+ other grad students studying all different subjects, which will allow me to make life-long friends independent from the b-school, which is good. It also saves me the additional airline flight (and frustration) in finding my own apartment, and flatmates to share it with. Plus, at about $500USD per/month for my own room, it's a steal!

Having been founded in 1314, Exeter is the fourth oldest College at the University of Oxford. As one of the three "Turl Street Colleges," the other two being Jesus and Lincoln, Exeter is centrally located on the Turl Street, which links the High Street with the Broad Street. From what I hear, Exeter has a fierce rivalry with neighbor Jesus College as they hurl more than just insults across each others' medieval walls. Of course, Exeter has a reputation for being laid-back. We're known for possessing a quiet confidence, yet without the pretension, so it's unlikely that an Exeter student would ever instigate a fight. 

Exeter most often makes it into the Travel Guides, because of its chapel spire that was constructed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, a famous British architect, who based this design on the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The chapel, perhaps the most well-known in Oxford, also boasts artistic designs by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who attended Exeter in the 1850's with friend, and writer, William Morris. But besides its fair share of Nobel Prize winners, statesmen, and Rhodes scholars, Exeter is perhaps best know for having been the undergraduate College of J.R.R. Tolkien, expert on Anglo-Saxon history, and writer of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. More recently, contemporary writer Philip Pullman, another fellow Exonian, returned to Oxford to film the movie, "The Golden Compass," which was based on his popular "Dark Materials" book series. I'm proud of my College, and hope to add to its distinguished history! But even more important, I can't wait to invite my family and friends who visit me to sit at the "High-Table" for a candle-lit dinner in our medieval hall pictured above! 

Admission tip #3: I've read at least one other blog of an MBA student who created an intricate Excel spreadsheet featuring certain characteristics of each College to help him determine which one he should choose. I must confess that before reading his blog, I too, created my own spreadsheet, which included such variables as: date College founded, academic ranking (according to the Norrington Table), number of MBA students in attendance, selectivity of college, and notable alumni. 

Once I narrowed down my list from 38 Colleges to my "top 8," I researched who the MCR student President was on Wikipedia and emailed them my interest in their respective College. I asked them to refer me to current MBA students so that I could get the inside-scoop. The responsiveness and comments of these MBAs also influenced my decision. I should note that normally this would be a moot point because you "pre-select" your top 2 College choices in your initial application. However, after acceptance, all students are allowed to change their choice although this is generally frowned upon. I had no choice, because my first College choice (New College) had already been filled during application Round 1. 

Anyway, I actually went a step further by searching the Oxford homepage for the Management professor at the my next College choice (Balliol). I found a hyper-link to his working papers, and I proceeded to read the abstracts for all 100+ of his articles (etc.). I then pro-actively emailed that professor indicating to him that I had applied to his College, and that I thought I would be a good fit based on his research and my background. I proceeded to briefly state the true relevant areas of overlap. The professor was very kind, but informed me of the limited number of students that that College accepts. It's true. The b-school told me that this College accepts only 1-3 students, and that they had already accepted 3 and rejected 5 others. Donald Trump is fond of saying that it never hurts to ask, because the worst someone can say is no. So, although my efforts were in vain, I can rest easy knowing that I did everything within my power to try and influence events. After Balliol rejected me, of course, I had my application forwarded on to Exeter where I was happily accepted.

video: intro to oxford mba

Oxford University MBA - Studying at Oxford - The best bloopers are a click away

"adam smith was incomplete!" - john nash

Many people unfamiliar with Oxford are surprised to learn that the University is not actually a physical location, but is rather comprised of 39 colleges and 5 halls that are semi-autonomous.

Finding the University is like finding the key to the "batter's box" - it just doesn't exist. This means that Oxford students, like myself, not only belong to the University, but we also matriculate and graduate from one of these many Colleges.

The collegiate system represents the defining characteristic of the "Oxbridge" (Oxford and Cambridge) experience. Ever since the first Colleges originated during the 13th century (Balliol, Merton, and University) to protect students from suspicious townsfolk, Colleges continue to look after the welfare of their students by providing a central location for dining, housing, praying, and teaching. All four functions are conveniently located among the four walls that comprise the quintessential Oxford "quad."

Once accepted into the MBA program, the businesss school forwards the student's "dossier" (application) to their first College choice. Only 1 College can review your application at a time, and the process takes 3-4 weeks. Rejected applications are then forwarded onto the student's 2nd choice (etc.) until a match is found. All admitted students are guaranteed College membership.

The pecking order is in large order determined by academic performance, as calculated annually in the popular "Norrington Table": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norrington_Table. However, the practically minded take into account other qualatative factors such as quality of life (food and housing), as well as the history and identity of the College.

The "Oxford College Pros and Cons" article at the http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/ offers good anecdotal advice. For example, Balliol College is considered politically liberal, while neighbor Trinity College is known to lean more conservatively. Oriel College developed a reputation for rowing, while Merton College is popular with the Japanese because Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan studied there. As a Round 2 admit, I'm considering Balliol, Brasenose, Exeter, and Queens.

I loved studying "game theory" in college (A+ grade!). The whole College selection process reminds me of John Nash's equilibrium (cue "A Beautiful Mind") where, in this case, you must calculate the expected "pay-off" of getting accepted into a particular College (your 1st choice, 2nd choice, etc.), as well as the probability of getting accepted into your top choices...

...meanwhile, the College is busy at work making its own calculations and decisions independent of you. On top of all of that, the student has imperfect information regarding accurately calculating both the pay-off (unfamiliarity with the different Colleges) and the likelihood of acceptance (lack of transparency). Bring on those decision tree matrices...B-SCHOOL HERE I COME!

"24" (and I don't mean the tv series)

With about 4 1/2 months to go before I leave for Oxford, I'm doing everything I can to ensure that the brief year I'm there for is as productive as possible. I want to leave as little up to chance as possible. I've already begun my post-MBA job search, including pre-filling my job applications online to save me time later in the year when I'm buried nose-deep into my macroeconomics textbook trying to figure out the relevance of a logarithmic function when constructing a marginal utility curve.

When not solving quadratic equations, I always thought it made good business to model your behavior after others that you admire, or aspire to be. For example, after businesss school, I thought about returning to Citi to work as an investment banker at Citi Capital Strategies. Since all of their "I-bankers" were previous financial advisors with their Series 24 Principal license, I decided to muster up some courage last week, and ask my boss to sponsor me for the Series 24 exam, which he did!

While not as glamourous as a guest role on the TV series "24" with Jack Bauer, within the world of Wall Street, it is impressive. I have to climb-up 3-wrungs on the corporate ladder before I find another person who holds the Series 24, so it's a big honor, even though right now there are few jobs to be had.

So, now I'm busy studying. I plan to take the 3 1/2 hour exam in 4-weeks so that I can clear the way for studying for the CFP exam in mid-July. Thankfully, Lisa agreed to look the other way when I posted up my white board near our computer desk to help organize myself. I'm going to need to make the most out of my 24-hours over the next 4 1/2 months!

tribute to my fiancée and family

On March 27th, earlier this year, I learned that after my second application attempt, I was finally accepted into the MBA program at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. It was truly a dream come true. Nearly 10 years earlier in 2000, I had studied abroad at Oxford while an undergraduate student at the State University of New York. That was when I first heard of the business school as they had just started breaking ground on their new state-of-the-art building. I immediately knew then what it would mean to me to return to England one day, and earn my degree from "the city of dreaming spires."

However, a lot happened during those intervening years. For one, I finally finished my undergraduate degree! I also transitioned careers from managing my brother's beucolic Hamptons cafe to investing other peoples' money as a financial advisor for some of the top Wall Street investment banks. But most importantly, I finally woke up and smelled the coffee, and realized that the love of my life was right in front of me all along. After 10 years of due diligence I am happy to say that my now fiancée did not hold it against me, and she agreed to marry me.

Of course, this made the prospect of leaving to do my MBA nearly 3,500 miles away in blighty ole' England problematic. Thankfully, I have a very understanding fiancée, and as long as I bring home the bacon I will have a very happy household to return to. That is why it is my great pleasure to thank my fiancée and family for all of their understanding, and continued support, as I take one great leap into the unknown with the hope of making a difference, and improving our family's fortunes. Wish me luck - I look forward to sharing my journey with you!