Accommodations: Lease is in the mail

Talked with the landlord of the fully furnished 2 bedroom suite we are hoping to rent. He called me during his lunch break to answer any questions I had and to help move things along. I think he is just as anxious to get this deal done as we are.

After discovering that pretty much everything in the suite was purchased last year and therefor is basically brand new, I told him we would take it. He is going to put the lease agreement in the mail sometime in the near future after finalizing the rental rate for the unit.

Awesome! This saves him searching for a tenant and me from trying to find another place. I will definitely be referring someone next year to help both the landlord and some future candidate.

Hope the lease comes soon.

(Queen's Housing Website)

Acceptance: Confirmed

Got my letter back from Queen's welcoming me to the program and confirming they received my deposit, registration form, and pictures. Pretty quick turnaround as my package, sent by express-post, didn't arrive till last Thursday.

The letter said other material and information would be coming in the future. I'm not expecting anything further until the New Year, but we'll see.

(Update: if you wanted to hear another version of this process, check out a blog by a 2010 Queen's MBA Candidate here. Plenty of information if you explore a bit)

Test: GMAT is Back in Canada

I was just checking up on the GMAT and it is back in Canada. Looks like Pearson-VUE figure things our with a different test center.

Checkout my experience with the GMAT here. Not the most pleasant, but it worked out in the end.

Scholarship: Possible free money.

A friend e-mailed a possible scholarship I might qualify for today. It looks like I might be a good candidate to get this one. I would post it here, but I don't want to hurt my chances by "showing my cards". I will post it once I have found out whether I am successful or not so future people can apply. It is completely separate from the universities scholarship program.

(This deadline has come and gone. It was the Engineers Canada-TD Meloche Monnex scholarship for professional engineers in Canada returning to school to study a subject other than engineering. There is also a scholarship for professional engineers in Canada returning to school to study engineering further.)

Let's not forget the school will consider all students for scholarships after the entrance deadline if Jan. 15th 2008 has passed. I might get some money there too.

Anything to offset the substantial debt load I'm taking on for this degree is more than welcome.

Accommodations: Might have a place.

After a few e-mails back and forth it looks like I may have secured a place to live for the duration of my MBA program. The landlord needs to evaluate the rent, but it should be in the neighbourhood of $1200/month. This includes electricity, heat, parking, and water.

Not bad for a completely furnished 2 bedroom suite. It is the main floor of a house. There are other tenants, but their living quarters are completely segregated. It comes with dedicated washer, dryer, microwave, cooking accessories, cutler, bed, desk, couch, TV, DVD player, etc. NO SHARING. This place is FULLY furnished. Should make the move out easier.

It will definately make my spouse happy as she will be studying via distance education while I'm in the program.

Not included is the are internet, cable TV, or phone. All these bundled would run approximately $130/month, but I don't see any need for cable TV. Perhaps just a phone and internet?

Still have to wait for the lease and to put a deposit before anything is truly secure. That will be at least a month away. Would be nice to have this item out of the way so I could concentrate on other items that need my attention.

(Queen's Housing Website)

Accommodations: Finding a place to live.

Last week I e-mailed one of the students I had lunch with during my trip to Kingston. They had mentioned that the landlord of their fully furnished 2 bedroom apartment would be interested in renting to an MBA student next year.

The address puts it in a really nice area of Kingston. It is definately not in the "student ghetto", which is notorious for it's over zealous undergraduates, especially during "home coming". As I will be in the middle of my program during this massive party/riot I was hoping to live seperate from the "ghetto".

Now that I have contact information for the landlord I just need to wait for a reply to findout if I will be fortunate enough to rent this apartment. Sounds like a pretty nice place.

(Queen's Housing Website)

Financing: Paperwork.

Banker e-mailed me today with the paperwork he needs me to fillout. No rush, but the sooner I turn this around the better. Might be a few weeks as I am very busy at work these days. Feeling kind of exhausted after all the excitement of being accepted. So much to arrange, but it is pretty much running itself now.

Acceptance: Sent Back Form

Today I sent back the required form, two pictures, and check for a deposit on tuition. Hopefully this will arrive before the end of the week and my spot will be secured. Now I just have to wait to see what is next.

Financing: Initiating contact with the banker

After receiving the acceptance to the program I immediately e-mailed the contact at the bank to start getting details about financing. The banker called today at lunch! Yikes, that was fast. They can't wait to chain me to a loan? Just kidding, it's all good. The banker was very friendly and based out of Kingston. They mentioned that about 60% of the students used their services out of Kingston and to date there had been no issues. I will probably just go with the banker based out of Kingston and do things via e-mail and post.

So we discussed what I wanted to set up and what I needed for finances. Apparently Queen's will cover the interest on a line of credit for tuition plus "X" dollars and the interest rate is great too. The remainder of my financial needs will have to be covered by an additional line of credit that I will have to cover. Since I have no real assest I will probably need someone to bond me. That will probably be a parent.

Afterwards I will be able to negotiate the debt into some kind of lump sum financing deal for repayment. Like a mortage, except my brain will be the assest on the line instead of a house...lol.

Anyway, the banker will get back to me in a few days with the required paperwork to fill out. Nice to get this ball rolling since it means someone else will help me with getting the necessary stuff done.

Acceptance: Made it in to the program!

Got an e-mail from Queen's today! I got in! 2 weeks and 1 day after the interview! YES!

They wanted me to verify the details of the letter so they could send out the entire package via courier.

Very excited by this development.



November 13, 2007


Mr. *************
ADDRESS


Dear Mr. **********:

I am pleased to advise that the Admissions Committee has accepted your application for admission to the MBA program for the session beginning May 2008. Please retain this letter as your official permit to register. All MBA students will begin classes on May 5, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. Further information will be sent to you over the next several months.

We recognize the decision to undertake an MBA program is a very important one and that you will need time to give the matter serious consideration. Confirmation of your attendance is required in writing by November 27, 2007 . Please complete the enclosed Personal Data Form and include a non-refundable deposit of $2,000.00 (cheque or money order payable to Queen's University). This amount will be deducted from your tuition.
As well, please include a passport size photograph with your name clearly printed on the reverse. This photo will be used to create a class composite for distribution to students and faculty. It is advisable to arrange for two photos as the University Registrar will require a photo soon for registration purposes. Please be advised that you will be considered for an entrance award after January 15, 2008.

If you require financing, please contact ********** at the ******(Bank)X****** at *****.@****.com to obtain application details regarding the tuition loan plan. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.

Regards,



************
Associate Director
**/**
Encls.

Other related entries in my blog:

• Application: Request for interview!
• Interview: In person, by phone, or wait for a visit to town?
• Interview: Goin' to Kingston
• Interview: Setting it up
• Interview: The Trip Out
• Interview: The Big Day