one year ago...

Last year on Dec. 19th 2007 I got the offer from SAID Business School to be a member of the class of 2008 with this email:

Dear Sebastian

I am delighted to confirm the decision of the MBA Committee to offer you a place on the 2007 – 2008 programme. Dr Blackmon was very impressed when she spoke to you for your interview and the MBA Committee has agreed that you meet the very high standard expected of an Oxford Student.

We hope very much that you will accept the Committee’s offer and join the 2007-2008 class. We aim to welcome another class of around 220 to the next MBA, allowing each student to benefit from close supportive and constructive relationships with Faculty.

We look forward to watching over the next few months how the profile of our incoming class develops. To give you an idea of the profile structure, the current class is made up of 214 students from over 40 countries, confirming the School’s reputation as a truly international centre of learning.

You will shortly receive your official offer letter >from Colin Mayer, Dean of the Said Business School, and Stephan Chambers, MBA Director. These, along with your offer pack, will be sent in the post by DHL Connect to the address on your application form; if you prefer for your pack to be sent to another address please let me know as soon as possible.

The offer pack will contain details of your log on to our Class of 2007 - 2008 website, and discussion forum. The website is designed to help you with the practicalities of coming to Oxford. This has information from the next steps of securing your place onto the programme to traveling to Oxford. You will also find details of what is happening at the School and hopefully you will get a sense of what an exciting year is ahead of you. The discussion forum is a chance for you to get to know your new class mates straight away and chat to some of the students on the current programme.

We very much hope you will become a member of the 2007 – 2008 Oxford MBA class and look forward to welcoming you to Oxford and the course.

Please feel free to contact me directly by email or phone should you have any queries or questions.

I look forward to talking to you soon.

Sally

Sally Webb

MBA Admissions Coordinator

Wow, I remember the feelings: pride, fear, gratefulness, excitement, confusion, eagerness...

Now, one year later and after the first term gratefulness is the prevailing feeling. Gratefulness especially that Klaudia is such a strong and encouraging wife, supporting me from the very first second of the MBA idea and for sure the big reason I finally made it into the program.

Thank you so much for being the pillar of strength for me, for keeping me committed, working, learning, for having an open ear and a good advise and for joining me on this trip.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
** Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922) **

In addition to that a big thank you to our families and friends who are interested in what we are doing and who support us in completely different ways. I feels good to know there is someone who really cares!

Furthermore I am grateful for all the great experiences I had so far: with great lecturers, prominent speakers and classmates from more than 40 nations, some of them with the potential of becoming good friends.