Marketing Phd Profile Eval

[gretta19]

I was hoping that some of the knowledgeable and experienced individuals on this forum would be willing to evaluate my profile and perhaps offer some tips for how to improve my chances of acceptance.

Here's the stat breakdown:

GMAT: 750 (Q46 V47 AWA6)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.6

Here's the qualitative stuff:

My undergrad GPA (in marketing) is low, mostly because I was a hyper-involved student. I worked all through school and paid for 100% of my own education. I was heavily involved in a number of prestigious student organizations, and travelled often to conferences. I was also employed part time as essentially a student lobbyist for the University and lobbied in favor of student interests and funding for those interests at the State Legislature. In addition I served as the student representative for all sustainability efforts at the University. I strongly believe that the experiences that I gained during my time in undergrad are much more valuable than a few more points in my GPA, but I seriously doubt that an admissions committee would see it the same way.

I was the first College of Business student in my state ever to receive an EPSCoR grant (sponsored by the NSF) to conduct independent undergraduate research. My research had to do with applying the study of microexpressions to market research, and was completed successfully.

I initially planned to enroll in the MBA program at my undergraduate University, mostly due to my difficulty finding a good job that would provide valuable experience to carry in to a Phd program at a livable wage. I ended up withdrawing my enrollment once I was hired on as the marketing manager for a firm that serves as the parent company for 5 extremely diverse companies with a focus on sustainable business practices, many of whom operate internationally.

My plan is to continue working in my current position for 2 to 4 years to gain a working understanding of how sustainable business practices are being marketed "in the real world." I then plan to apply for admission in to a marketing phd program (on the consumer behavior/psychology side of things) with the hope of studying how firms can best communicate their sustainability efforts/the overlap between marketing and public policy as it relates to sustainability.

My question is, what should I do in the meantime to improve the academic side of my profile? Take some grad-level stats classes? Ask my former professor if I can help with research on the side? Any other suggestions? I am already reading the relevant academic articles that I find.

My other question what kind of shot do I have at the top programs? I know everyone should apply to a few dream schools, some decent shots and some safeties, but I am not sure where to place myself.

Thanks in advance for any replies, and I am so grateful that I found this forum!

[gregc1213]

Well it seems like you really have done your homework - your profile is very impressive and you definitely have a shot at top programs. I don't think your undergrad GPA will hurt you too much since you did have so much going on - just make sure you tell that story in your SOP plus your GMAT is high enough to alleviate concerns about your ability. The standard answer for what to do are the things that you mentioned - add some more math and stat courses and do well in those - that will help with your GPA and your Quant GMAT score (not that it's terrible but it could be higher), if you get a chance to research, def pursue that - but outside of that your profile seems pretty solid to me.

[gretta19]

Thanks Greg - the Quant portion of my GMAT is what I am most worried about. I really wish that I could swap a few points so that the split isn't so drastic! I am hoping that since my interests are definitely on the psychology/cb side of things it won't be too big of a issue, and that taking a couple of grad stats classes and pulling A's will alleviate any concerns.

[possible_phd]

As someone with both real world experience and an MBA, I can appreciate your interest in how things are done in the "real world." However, as someone currently in a marketing PhD program, I also have to say that a "better" choice might have been a relevant masters, especially since your quant score is on the low end. For CB, that means psych, communications, marketing, stats, etc. I also am pretty impressed with how much you squeezed into your undergrad years, but as you note, a 3.6 in marketing undergrad will probably raise some eyebrows at the top schools. Where did you do your undergrad?

You need what every other applicant needs to be competitive -- strong letters from known professors and a solid SOP that paints you as someone who knows what research is, wants to do it, and is able to do it. And though I know you're just starting to dip your toe into the pool of research here, your research interest is really vague and doesn't really sound theoretical. It's nice to be interested in sustainability, but what about sustainability messages is different from any other message? In other words, why do you think the current literature on persuasion and other communication topics doesn't address communications about sustainability? If you can get to this level of detail and have something of interest to say in your SOP and interviews, you'll definitely set yourself apart.

[gregc1213]

I'd listen to the marketing student myself - but that is a good point, if you are interested in this career path, why wait 2-4 years? I'm not sure about marketing but does experience matter that much or is it more a financial situation? I think the psych path does take a little pressure off the quant score (certainly moreso than if you wanted to pursue a quant path) but perhaps a master's in stats would be most useful to you in terms of skills you would use down the line and improving your profile on the surface.

[gretta19]

Possible and Greg

Thanks for you follow-up. I know that real work experience is not necessary, or even particularly valuable, when it comes to pursuing a phd. I simply felt that I did not have enough overall experience to get the most out of a phd, and also believe from personal experience that when it comes to the classroom professors with real world experience are infinitely more valuable to students. Don't take that to mean I am only interested in teaching, or even more interested in teaching, I just think that your end value and relevance to students should be a consideration.

The other reason why I feel that I need to take a few years before I go in to a phd program is to really refine my area of interest. My undergraduate research focused on microexpressions which are related to the detection emotion, specifically when the sender is trying to conceal that emotion. I am interested in how to most effectively make product claims as they relate to sustainable products, companies, actions, etc. and emotional appeals are certainly a part of this, as are third party certifications and governmental approvals and ratings - which contributes to my interest in marketing as it relates to public policy....and this is where my research interests start to spin out of control and I think I need to spend a few years casually reading current research before I identify an area for myself.

My undergrad was completed at a state school, and not a highly ranked one. The College of Business does provide a quality and well-recognized program, however, and the faculty seem to be producing well-received contributions in the marketing field. One of my recommendations will be golden, and from a recognized scholar. The others will be good, but maybe not carry quite as much heft.

[possible_phd]

Sounds like you've got a pretty good shot! Just don't be too wed to that specific research interest, as you might find that a lot of that has already been looked at (e.g., ELM and persuasion); but the microexpressions approach would definitely be a unique twist. Best of luck!