for all of the times...

It's not easy for me to explain why Stanford and not Kellogg or Haas. I did quite a lot of research before I started my applications. It was enough research to know that the schools on my list had enough of what I needed across the board to help me become a better leader. So beyond small perks that make one school slightly more attractive than the other, I felt good about a future at all of them, and that the program offerings, by and large, were more than sufficient at all of the schools.

Some compelling and not-so-compelling factors in my choice:

1. If I went to Kellogg, I'd be going alone. My husband is closing the deal on a major career move that would mean that his research could continue to be on the cutting edge of his field, and he could afford to pay the mortgage, too. I wouldn't want him to pass that up for two years at a day job, which could be potentially disastrous at this pivotal point in his career.

2. I probably will end up staying in the Bay Area in the long term, so a Stanford MBA would give me an edge in that regard.

3. It turns out that I value a small school environment over a big school environment, even though that means a smaller network. I think this is the one thing I understimated when I was applying to schools--that it would make such a difference in how I felt. I tend to like the independence of finding/going my own way. Something about being herded around in Evanston made me feel like one of very many instead of some one special whose might be missed if she weren't there. I guess this explains why I've chosen to work in small companies instead of big ones!

4. I have a lot of good memories at Stanford, and they came rushing back when I opened the red binder and read the acceptance letter, then again when I set foot back on campus as a prospective student. Even holding hands with my husband and walking on the Quad to church was nostalgic. The last time we did that (prior to admit weekend) was on our wedding day.

5. The way the GSB talks about itself, its goals, its values, and (yes this is corny) what matters most fits me just right. It's aspiring to do great things, and so am I, and somehow I feel like I can contribute more.

So perhaps this is not the most rational and clear-cut of reasoning. It's what I've come up with so far, though, and it comes down to my gut.

Edit: the title of this post is a reference to the admit folder I received as a Stanford undergrad. I still have it. It's a simple light brown folder with words scrawled all the front and back of it. Somewhere in there was "....For all the times you stayed up late to get it right...." then it said something like "we salute/thank/congratulate you." It was a little thing like that personal touch then and a personal touch now that have made me believe that I'm going to the right place--the one that fits me.