Sweet Deal, But...

I did well on my GMAT not because I was gifted or anything, but it was only a matter of practice.

Nevertheless, it's just nice that all these universities starts giving me these offeres to enroll in their MBA program, even though I've been snubbed by some Ivy League schools. I don't really care. Ivy league schools are like Louis Vuitton handbags - overpriced because of brand, with the product itself not being much different than a handbag from Wal-Mart.

So U of California Irvine delightfully sends me this offer for prestigious offer for a fellowship if I apply for their MBA. Read it for yourself to see how sweet it is:

Congratulations! I am delighted to inform you that based on your exceptional GMAT score, our awards committee has prescreened you for consideration for a prestigious Merage Fellowship, pending your successful application to our full-time MBA program by February 1, 2006. Among other benefits, as a Merage Fellow you will receive a $35,000 scholarship distributed evenly in your two years at the University of California, Irvine. The Merage Fellowship is awarded to a select few individuals who we feel have exceptional ability and the background to pursue a highly successful career in a management leadership role.

The MBA program at UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business is distinctive for its focus on providing you with the capabilities and skills to succeed in the Global Innovation Economy. Located in Southern California, we are the gateway to prosperous and cutting-edge career opportunities. We will help you create powerful personal connections with business leaders and hiring professionals in firms that embrace change, technology and thought leadership in the Innovation Economy. The school is highly recognized for its faculty and the success of our programs. The faculty was recently ranked 14th in the world by the Financial Times and our Information Technology area was ranked 4th by the Wall Street Journal. In addition, we are always recognized among the top 5% of all MBA programs globally by Business Week and US News.

Excellent academics, a vibrant business community and highly recognized programs combine to make The Paul Merage School of Business a school of choice for many top students globally. Our program offers a unique blend of classroom, extra-curricular and experiential learning. All students can participate in an applied research project with one of our corporate partners, thus applying what they have learned to a real-world environment.

As a Merage Fellow, you will be provided with the following support:

1. A $35,000 scholarship ($17,500/year),
2. High priority for a research or teaching assistantship in the second year,
3. An executive mentor from a leading company in the Orange County community,
4. The opportunity to meet monthly with the Dean and other Merage Fellowship recipients to discuss the strategy for the Merage school and to review your own career objectives, and
5. Guaranteed housing in an on-campus apartment (you will still pay the rent for the apartment; however, on-campus housing is very difficult to obtain and much less expensive than off-campus housing).

The application deadline is quickly approaching but you can easily apply on line at http://www.embark.com/. We strongly advise you to complete your application promptly as seats fill quickly and again, these prestigious awards are limited.

I would like to encourage you to learn more about what our program offers and the Merage school difference. The most effective ways to do so are to visit our school and enjoy a campus tour/class sit-in, contact current students or alumni and attend an information session. You can schedule all of these by contacting us directly at mba@uci.edu or visiting our website at www.merage.uci.edu.

The Paul Merage School of Business has a long list of successful alumni at major corporations throughout the world, including: Boeing, Conexant, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Honda, IBM, Ingram Micro, Mattel, Mazda, McKinsey, PIMCO, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Taco Bell and Toyota to name just a few. It is with these contacts that you will develop valuable business contacts during your stay here as well as an Alumnus.

I invite you to become part of our family and join us for a remarkable experience and a life long relationship.

Sincerely,

Andrew J. Policano
Dean

Sweet deal isn't it? So sweet, in fact, that it should have been brought to my attention TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO!!!