A life-changing phone call

“Hello Mr. Saif Ahmed, I’m calling from the MBA Admissions Office from the Kellogg School of Management. We are delighted to inform you that you been accepted for the 2Y MBA Program!”

I received this phone call while I was grabbing some not-so-healthy food at Pizza Hut. Thankfully, my fiancée (then-girlfriend), Farah, was with me, so she was able to confirm that it was actually real, and not some caffeine induced day-dream!

That day was March 25, and now that we are in early November, I can’t help but feel amazed at times when I think how dramatically my life has changed in the last six months.

I graduated from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka in Bangladesh with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Finance. My four years at IBA were amazing and shaped me into the person that I am today. Post-undergrad, I joined HSBC Bank as a Management Associate in the Corporate Finance business and was there for almost four years. I had a ton of great experiences in my job, but I knew that to augment my skills as a professional, I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

Among other things, self-development has been THE driving force in my life. I always knew I wanted to get an MBA at a top business school. There were many good reasons for this goal, but the one that really stood out for me was the opportunity to interact with some of the best and brightest students and faculty in the world. That would be a transformative experience for me. Given my very specific requirements, Kellogg was inevitably on that list.

Coming to Kellogg was an easy choice to make. The cost of leaving your family and friends, and losing the economic security of a great job is steep, but when you get accepted into a place like Kellogg, you pack your bags and make the journey (29 hours in my case!).

I came to Evanston on August 18, and I think I already have enough stories to write a new blog piece every day for a year! But for the time being, I’ll keep it short and start cracking on the huge pile of assignments/recruitment prep work that seems to keep piling up!

I’ll end my first article with a picture of me with President Barack Obama in the background. No big deal, just the President of the United States coming to visit Kellogg and inspire us. Waiting for more amazing things to happen in the next two years!

Saif Ahmed is a first-year student in Kellogg’s Full-Time Two-Year MBA Program.