GMAT here I come!

Alright, so after countless hours perusing around at the U of Google, and blogstalking MBA reviews, I have finally buckled down and handed over 1390 smackers to the makers of Manhattan GMAT. I swear this better pay off...or else..well, I don't know what the heck to do. I'm not a fan of standardized testing, much less shelling out big bucks for the mere prospect of acing them, but I have to admit that when it comes to increasing my odds of being admitted into my top MBA programs, I had to bow down and put aside my otherwise biased and unsettling views of the test-prep companies. One reason being that I CANNOT afford to NOT get into any MBA program for Fall 2009.

Another reason? Well, after nearly a year of contemplating long and hard over my future career prospects and where I see myself in a decade or so from now, I realized that although my heart lies in education and access, I don't see my financial security lying there as well. And then I began to ask myself: "Is being immersed in higher ed the one and only way of impacting change OR (lightbulb over my head) can I create change and generate greater impact elsewhere in a more propituous sector of society?" As I ruminated over my response to this question, my dear friend, JC was on the verge of completing her MBA program at Davis and she, like me, had her stint in the non-profit world for quite some time and please believe, you don't go in wishing to be a millionaire when you enter this arena. So, as much as she loved her job, she also marveled at the idea that she could one day comfortably afford to rent in the highly-overtly priced bay area, drive her car without having to calculate the horrendous price of gas to whatever destination she decided AND low and behold, have the liberty of shopping for organic (oftentimes costly) and sustainably-harvested food items that help us lead a greener lifestyle. Now is that too much to hope for? She encouraged me to see the business world as a channel for affecting change in the social sector, but also as a means for people like us to afford the everyday necessities we oftentimes are compelled to deem as luxuries given the state of our economy nowadays. So, eventhough I have never endeavored to consider applying to any MBA program, I realize that maybe it's time for me; that maybe, there must be a good reason why I haven't applied to any graduate programs to date and that maybe, my future lies in an MBA program that will take me 3 years worth of my life to complete.

I begin my first GMAT prep course this coming Saturday, so I'm excited to see what my 1K and then some has brought for me. It better be good. Stay tuned.