Wooo moment of truth! I was rejected from MIT Sloan. Here’s what I felt, did, and learned:
Felt: Initially, bummed, but not surprised. I applied Round 3, the most competitive round, to ONLY MIT. I knew what I wanted. I feel extremely grateful to have interviewed. The acceptance rates were exceptionally low this year, at 6%. Once I realized my disappointment was misdirected (ego), I felt at peace. I’m also no quitter, so if it makes sense, I’ll just keep applying ;).
Did: I was presented with a HUGE opportunity just two days prior to receiving the decision. It’s the kind of opportunity that made me question everything. I felt conflicted. After this offer, I meditated for clarity on the right path forward. I’m taking MIT’s decision as a redirection, not rejection. Sometimes big opportunities don’t align with rejections. Sometimes it takes months or years to have that AHA moment. Stay patient and keep executing.
Learned: I can always access the parts I love about MIT: the welcoming and intellectually invigorating campus and students, my friends in the program, and the open-source content. There’s LinkedIn, flights, and MIT OpenCourseWare.
Did I want it? You bet.
Disappointed? Sure.
Is it a positive redirection? Let’s find out.
