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iwantaphd · 2009 July 2nd, 11:31 PM

HI! I need some advice on how to improve my profile. I want to pursue a phd in Finance, but my profile is not nearly as competitive as many that I have seen in this forum. I'm a D1 student-athelte graduating next spring from a top 30 public school. My undergrad GPA isn't nearly as hi as I wanted it to be. The difficult part of being a wrestler is that I have to lose about 8 pounds every week for competition...and staying focused in class is hard to do when extremely dehydrated (that's how just about every wrestler loses weight). I screwed up big time my freshmen year w/ my gpa, but i've been doing alright since then. But here's my profile so far...

Undergrad: overall gpa 3.35, BA Math & BS Econ
GMAT: 720 W5
Math courses: Calc I-III(B+,B-,A), Linear Algebra(A), Differential Equations(A), Probability and Statistics I (A-), Complex analysis (B-), Abstract Algebra I (B-), Number Systems (B+)
Econ courses: Mathematical Economic Analysis (B+), Econometrics (B), Intermediate Micro (A), Interediate Macro (B+)
Other courses: Financial Management (A), few physics courses
Research Experience: none
Teaching: tutor student-athletes in pre-calc, calc 1. also tutor high school students.
Awards: dean's list, scholar-athlete, academic all-american honors, academic all-conference team.
Other notes: I have taken a lot of classes...i'll be graduating with 165 credits. (don't know if that's relavent?)
letter of reference: I know I can get 1 strong one from a math prof, and 2 good ones from a math and econ prof

Classes I will be taking next year: probability and statistics II, real analysis I&II, partial diff eq., forecasting, financial math, financial economics, linear algebra II, and another econ course. After I graduate, I plan on getting a summer internship as an RA. I want to apply to a phd finance program, but as a back up, I will appy to ms statistics program. I am confident that I can do pretty well in the MS program, since I'll be done with wrestling.

I know that I don't have any chance at a top 20 program, but where do you think I should apply? do you think I would have a chance at UC Irvine? will an MS Stats improve my profile? should I be changing anything up in my undergrad classes?

any advice will help me. thanks

shootermcgavin7 · 2009 July 6th, 09:18 PM

My undergrad GPA was similar to yours, and I was a student athlete (baseball, which is virtually year-round) so I feel your pain.

Doing well in your master's program is crucial. If you can maintain a 3.7 or so in grad school until application time, and nail the GRE, you should be competitive for a top-50 program.

Obviously, there are at least eighty top-50 programs if you go by university websites.

longshot · 2009 July 7th, 05:42 AM

I'd say you'll be a solid applicant without a masters degree. Dual bachelors degrees in math and econ are really the best you can do (without grad school) and your GPA and GMAT are solid. Work on an statement of purpose and get the LORs down and I'd say you'll be very competitive for schools in the 25-50 range (UC-Irvine would probably fall into that category, if not lower).

Try to squeeze in some research if you can. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but if you could squeeze in some RA gig this summer or maybe in the fall, that'd go a long way.

shootermcgavin7 · 2009 July 8th, 05:00 AM

Longshot and I differ in our levels of risk aversion. Longshot has an usual background (which includes a top military academy) which helped tremendously in entering a PhD program with little-to-no professional or graduate-school experience.

Most of us (including myself) are not this talented or lucky.

Of course you might get lucky and land in a school you like out of undergrad. If so, fantastic. I don't think anyone here is telling you NOT to apply to a school you'd like, on the off-chance you'll be admitted. I'm simply suggesting that if you are a risk-averse, or do not have the background which screams "maturity" like Longshot's, you take the top master's programs and add some meat to your profile.

Trust me, the extra year may be worth it in 6 years when you're on the market. It isn't too early to think of that.

longshot · 2009 July 9th, 06:12 AM

Shooter is correct on all points, hopefully our differing opinions haven't confused too many. I'd suggest applying to BOTH PhD and masters programs. If you get a doctoral offer you like, run with it, if not, take a year or two and knock out a graduate degree.

In hindsight I was foolish to focus solely on PhD programs. I lucked out, but wouldn't recommend others to take the same approach. Cover your tail, apply to multiple types of programs; nobody ever complained about having too many offers.

2009 July 2nd, 11:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
iwantaphd I JUST got here. Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1	future phd finance applicant seeking advice! HI! I need some advice on how to improve my profile. I want to pursue a phd in Finance, but my profile is not nearly as competitive as many that I have seen in this forum. I'm a D1 student-athelte graduating next spring from a top 30 public school. My undergrad GPA isn't nearly as hi as I wanted it to be. The difficult part of being a wrestler is that I have to lose about 8 pounds every week for competition...and staying focused in class is hard to do when extremely dehydrated (that's how just about every wrestler loses weight). I screwed up big time my freshmen year w/ my gpa, but i've been doing alright since then. But here's my profile so far... Undergrad: overall gpa 3.35, BA Math & BS Econ GMAT: 720 W5 Math courses: Calc I-III(B+,B-,A), Linear Algebra(A), Differential Equations(A), Probability and Statistics I (A-), Complex analysis (B-), Abstract Algebra I (B-), Number Systems (B+) Econ courses: Mathematical Economic Analysis (B+), Econometrics (B), Intermediate Micro (A), Interediate Macro (B+) Other courses: Financial Management (A), few physics courses Research Experience: none Teaching: tutor student-athletes in pre-calc, calc 1. also tutor high school students. Awards: dean's list, scholar-athlete, academic all-american honors, academic all-conference team. Other notes: I have taken a lot of classes...i'll be graduating with 165 credits. (don't know if that's relavent?) letter of reference: I know I can get 1 strong one from a math prof, and 2 good ones from a math and econ prof Classes I will be taking next year: probability and statistics II, real analysis I&II, partial diff eq., forecasting, financial math, financial economics, linear algebra II, and another econ course. After I graduate, I plan on getting a summer internship as an RA. I want to apply to a phd finance program, but as a back up, I will appy to ms statistics program. I am confident that I can do pretty well in the MS program, since I'll be done with wrestling. I know that I don't have any chance at a top 20 program, but where do you think I should apply? do you think I would have a chance at UC Irvine? will an MS Stats improve my profile? should I be changing anything up in my undergrad classes? any advice will help me. thanks

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2009 July 6th, 09:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
shootermcgavin7 TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 571	My undergrad GPA was similar to yours, and I was a student athlete (baseball, which is virtually year-round) so I feel your pain. Doing well in your master's program is crucial. If you can maintain a 3.7 or so in grad school until application time, and nail the GRE, you should be competitive for a top-50 program. Obviously, there are at least eighty top-50 programs if you go by university websites.

2009 July 7th, 05:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
longshot Within my grasp! Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 248	I'd say you'll be a solid applicant without a masters degree. Dual bachelors degrees in math and econ are really the best you can do (without grad school) and your GPA and GMAT are solid. Work on an statement of purpose and get the LORs down and I'd say you'll be very competitive for schools in the 25-50 range (UC-Irvine would probably fall into that category, if not lower). Try to squeeze in some research if you can. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but if you could squeeze in some RA gig this summer or maybe in the fall, that'd go a long way.

2009 July 8th, 05:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
shootermcgavin7 TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 571	Longshot and I differ in our levels of risk aversion. Longshot has an usual background (which includes a top military academy) which helped tremendously in entering a PhD program with little-to-no professional or graduate-school experience. Most of us (including myself) are not this talented or lucky. Of course you might get lucky and land in a school you like out of undergrad. If so, fantastic. I don't think anyone here is telling you NOT to apply to a school you'd like, on the off-chance you'll be admitted. I'm simply suggesting that if you are a risk-averse, or do not have the background which screams "maturity" like Longshot's, you take the top master's programs and add some meat to your profile. Trust me, the extra year may be worth it in 6 years when you're on the market. It isn't too early to think of that.

2009 July 9th, 06:12 AM	#5 (permalink)
longshot Within my grasp! Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 248	Shooter is correct on all points, hopefully our differing opinions haven't confused too many. I'd suggest applying to BOTH PhD and masters programs. If you get a doctoral offer you like, run with it, if not, take a year or two and knock out a graduate degree. In hindsight I was foolish to focus solely on PhD programs. I lucked out, but wouldn't recommend others to take the same approach. Cover your tail, apply to multiple types of programs; nobody ever complained about having too many offers.

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