In my quest to find a good grad program, I submitted requests for information from many different schools, including some of the top programs. Or so I thought they were top programs... I got an email from MIT today:

Dear Mr. Priestley:

Thank you for your continued interest in MIT Sloan School of Management. We have enjoyed hosting you in our Ambassador's Program, meeting you at an MBA Fair or Forte Forum and hosting you at a MIT Sloan on the Road presentation. Hopefully we have been able to answer all of your questions and give you a glimpse into what we feel is so special about MIT Sloan.

We hope that you are well underway with your application and that you have taken your GMAT test. The Round I deadline is November 2, 2005. Below is a short check list to help you stay on track with your application:

1. Please focus your essays on specific examples and share with us your thoughts
and feelings. Answer our questions and focus more on process than outcome.
2. Please remind your recommenders about the application deadline date.
3. Remember your cover letter is your introduction of yourself to us. Be
succinct.
4. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

If you have had technical difficulties with the application, email: i-support@applyyourself.com. If you have other questions you can contact our admissions office at: adcom@sloan.mit.edu

We look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

MBA Admissions Committee
MIT Sloan School of Management

Um... When the heck did I meet you? Here was my first response:

Actually, I never came to any of those things that you mentioned. Do you keep track of who you host at your functions? I was not one of them.

Thanks, though. Clearly a school who runs a business like that deserves my time and money.

-Matthew

I revisited the email again a few minutes ago to give a more thorough response than that. I'm over the top sometimes, but I think I have a point:

Committee,

In addition to my previous email, I'd like to point out that I also have not received any mail correspondence from you in the form of, say, a viewbook. Yes, I did, in fact, order one. So as far as my questions, no, you have not answered them. For that matter, you've raised a few more questions:

1. How does a business school with such unorganized marketing, gain such high ranks among the nation's most credible ranking systems?

2. Is there another Matthew Priestley going to these functions of which you speak, or worse, is someone posing as me?

3. Should I just get my MBA online at the University of Phoenix since perhaps people choose MIT for the name, and the University of Phoenix is a heck of a lot cheaper?

The only reason I'm bringing up any of this is that it makes people feel extremely average and overlooked when you claim that you've met them, and while I'm glad you spelled my name right, my first impression of MIT is that you really do not connect with your prospective students, nor do you communicate with each other behind the scenes to effectively market your program.

If you'd like to offer an explanation and redeem yourself (unlikely), feel free to email me here, or call me at (602) 515-****.

Regards,
Matthew Priestley (the one and only)

So do you think that was too much? Because I don't.

Listening to: Audrey Assad: Let Go
Mood: "I love the way you hold me anyway."



I took this in Tempe on Mill Ave, where most people climb these steps to a restaurant that I've never been to. The sky is painted onto the ceiling with the best clouds ever, and strategic, blue lights create an aura.

It's random, but I like it.

By the way, if you click the link above, there's information in the blogs section about purchasing Audrey's cd, which I think you should all do. Amazing...

Listening to: Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Mood: The distance is quite simply much to far for me to row, it seem farther than ever before. I need you so much closer.

Most days I wish I was shorter. Today I wanted to be someone else completely.

Listening to: Matisyahu - King Without a Crown
Mood: "What's this feeling? My love will rip a hole in the ceiling."

Bob and I were talking about starting a graphic design business, mostly in passing, but what if we did? He's actually quite amazing with graphic design, and I can take some okay pictures. Here's my first attempt at a page layout from one of my photos from last night. What do you think of the name ®SVP?

And would buy jeans as a result of this ad?

Listening to: Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Mood: the dust has only just begun

My grandfather has lung cancer. He's a silent anchor in my family, the trunk of the tree. Without him there's just a pile of branches, drying up and becoming brittle.

Part of me wants to remind all of us about the advances of technology and the amazing skill of doctors in this country, but... he's 77. He mows the lawn once every two weeks. He eats food and reads the newspaper. He sips his coffee under his reading glasses.

There's a pair in every room just in case.

(I'm not sure any of us knows him.)

Listening to: All American Rejects - Move Along
Mood: your hands are mine to hold

So who knew that Barnes & Noble had such awesome lighting? Last night turned into a really fun photoshoot after Bob and Joel showed up in jackets to the bookstore. We are the awesomest.

The one and only Bob Roman ladies and gentlemen (impeccable fashion sense):


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Joel and his multicolored hair:


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Swing swing swing from the cables:


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This girl said I could keep the picture I took of her. She said it made her look like she wasn't fat. I don't think she was fat at all (and she had amazing glasses):


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Can this get more dramatic? No:

Listening to: Jamie Cullum - High and Dry
Mood: two jumps in a week

Last weekend, I woke up and realized that on my next birthday, I will be 23 years old. This has been one of the most productive weeks of my life.

I'm tired of not being good with money, of being a procrastinator, of not investing time into reaching goals. I started and finished my application to ASU this week, including all supplemental paperwork to prove residency, transcripts, etc.

I also worked 58 hours this week because my boss wouldn't let me work more than that. It feels good to work, actually. Not that work is fun, nor should it be. I am just beginning to think that procrastination and laziness are the cause of at least some depression, at least for me, and since that hasn't been me this week, I'm feeling pretty great.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I'm going back to business school. You know my thoughts on film school, not that I don't adore film, and not that I don't intend on writing something someday, but A) it's a waste of time with very few helpful people, and B) I'm pretty close to finishing my business degree anyway.

I want to do both, see. Who says you can't do 100 things with your life instead of just one? Condensing my interest into just one thing scares me, and I think it's unnatural. People always wait until some big feeling washes over them to "know" exactly what it is he or she is supposed to be or do, but I think in all practicality, you will do many things in your lifetime. One thing I will do is try to make some sort of substantial difference that will be beneficial to society. I hear about circumstances that people are in in other countries, and I can't help but think that my goal to become strictly a screenwriter is somewhere between shortsighted and downright selfish.

So my new goal is to get an MBA in nonprofit organization and strategy, and it's actually not a new idea of mine, but this is the first time I've actively pursued it.

Active pursuit feels great.

Oh, and here's a random, slightly scary picture of Joel.

Listening to: crickets outside and four very different voices upstairs
Mood: sad, extreme, hated, loved, unbalanced, crazy, neurotic, melodramatic, overboard, calm, contained, annoyed, unjust, hypocritical, critical, tired, satisfied, antsy, just ok, just ok.

I think I'd rather just leave it at that.

Last night I got to Papago Park just in time to take some sunset pictures. I think was one of the better ones.