cezar9 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Hi All, I need your help in evaluating my chances of getting accepted at a Phd program in the U.S. I have a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from a top 100 university with a 3.98 GPA and associate's degree from a comunity college (3.9 GPA). I have also completed the course work for another bachelor's degree in Europe where I've taken some higher level math classes. Unfortunately, this was a while back and since I got credit for these math classes, I didn't have to take almost any advanced level math and stat classes in the U.S. Also, I am a CPA and CFA level II candidate. I also have almost 3 years of public accounting experience and 1 year of experience as a Research Assistant at my university. I think that I will get good recommendations from my professors. I don't have the time to study full time for months for the GMAT but I am hoping to score in the 650-700 range. My interest is in Finance and more specifically, in Capital Markets. I would settle for Accounting if I don't get accepted in a finance program. Do I stand a chance to get into a top 60 Finance program with my credentials? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evergreen Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 If you're aiming for Finance, you should be aiming to score >700, and really as high as you possibly can, with the goal of maximizing your Q score. How did you do in the math classes? Which classes did you take? You were a research assistant for a finance/accounting prof who will be providing you a LOR? I think if you score well on the GMAT, and if you can get those good recommendations from your professors that you stand a pretty good chance to get into good schools... but Finance isn't my area so take my advice with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAmazingSteve Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 GMAT will be the key. Put your other activities (CFA) on hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finance1989 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 A Finance PhD requires a lot more math, so unless you want to take 1-2 years of math before applying, I would recommend going for the Accounting PhD. Some Accounting and Finance research overlap, so you will be able to keep your research interests (although I would suggest thinking about what actually interests you, Capital Markets is about as vague as it gets). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraderJoe Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Yeah, I think you may need more math. Finance requires quite high level Math. Even the Accounting PhD students take Micro 1, 2 and Econometrics 1,2,3 and sometimes Game Theory 1,2. So you would at least need Calculus 1,2,3 and a few courses on probability and statistics. A good test is to take the Mascollel-Winston textbook and try to read it. If you are having difficulty then you need more math. You can also try Fudenberg and Tirole for Game Theory and Kreps for Micro just to make sure that you have the Math prerequisites covered. If you have Math deficincies reading these books will make you aware of them before you start the PhD program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Thanks for all the responses so far. What's the general consensus on online classes? I noticed that UC Berkeley has some interesting Stat classes online at a very reasonable price. I don't want to pay a ton of money for random classes that I may or may not need and I'd rather take any required Math classes once I enroll in the Phd program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hi All, I need your help in evaluating my chances of getting accepted at a Phd program in the U.S. I have a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from a top 100 university with a 3.98 GPA and associate's degree from a community college (3.9 GPA). I have also completed the course work for another bachelor's degree in Europe where I've taken some higher level math classes. Unfortunately, this was a while back and since I got credit for these math classes, I didn't have to take almost any advanced level math and stat classes in the U.S. Also, I am a CPA and CFA level II candidate. I also have almost 3 years of public accounting experience and 1 year of experience as a Research Assistant at my university. I think that I will get good recommendations from my professors. I don't have the time to study full time for months for the GMAT but I am hoping to score in the 650-700 range. My interest is in Finance and more specifically, in Capital Markets. I would settle for Accounting if I don't get accepted in a finance program. Do I stand a chance to get into a top 60 Finance program with my credentials? I just took the GMAT and my unofficial score is 660 (44Q and 36V). I also decided to focus on PHD in Accounting. What are my chances with this score and the above profile? What schools should I target with my profile? Ideally, I would like to get into CMU or Pitt (distant second) but I would settle for almost any accredited program. I am also going to take the GMAT again and try to get closer to 700. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evergreen Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Odds of getting into a Top 50 accounting program with a 60-something percentile score in Q is very very low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samil Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I'd recommend doing some serious reading of the accounting literature to get some ideas of the research areas you'd like to go into. It goes a long way to selecting schools that fit your interest. If you have time it would help to do a research assistantship with a business professor, so you get a better idea of business research and further refine your interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wittmic Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 If you apply very broadly to low tier schools that have faculty who share your interests, you will likely land somewhere. However, this is assuming that you have refined your research interests from capital markets into something more specific. That being said, I strongly advise you to re-take the GMAT and get your Q up to at the very least 48. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAmazingSteve Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I just took the GMAT and my unofficial score is 660 (44Q and 36V). I also decided to focus on PHD in Accounting. What are my chances with this score and the above profile? What schools should I target with my profile? Ideally, I would like to get into CMU or Pitt (distant second) but I would settle for almost any accredited program. I am also going to take the GMAT again and try to get closer to 700. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I went from that exact score to a 51Q in a month and a half. Search my post history on specific advice on how to do it. All you will need is motivation and the official guides (ie, I am not selling you anything). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 I went from that exact score to a 51Q in a month and a half. Search my post history on specific advice on how to do it. All you will need is motivation and the official guides (ie, I am not selling you anything). Thanks Steve. I am going to find your post on GMAT prep. I also signed for Knewton's online prep course last night (decided to take advantage of their 50 points higher or money back guarantee). I saw that you also took calculus - I may do the same if I don't get the score I need to get into a good program. That's a good move because it enhances your profile and helps with the GMAT. I am also starting to think that I'd rather waste a year and go to a good school than going to a very low ranked program (I also sent my score to U of Houston, UT at SA, U of Arizona) just for the sake of getting a PHD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) post deleted Edited November 1, 2012 by cezar9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 I just re-took the GMAT and my new score is 650 (Q 45, V 35). I actually thought that I nailed it this time and I was picturing a 700, so I can't describe the shock when I saw 650 on the screen. Anyway, I decided to apply to the following schools: - Drexel - Bentley - Pitt - University of Arizona - University of Houston - University of South Florida ( I am still debating about this one) Do I stand a chance? I am thinking that if I don't get accepted this year I am going to take calculus I and II (which I am going to do anyway) and try to get a much better score on the GMAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxPhD Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 I just re-took the GMAT and my new score is 650 (Q 45, V 35). I actually thought that I nailed it this time and I was picturing a 700, so I can't describe the shock when I saw 650 on the screen. Anyway, I decided to apply to the following schools: - Drexel - Bentley - Pitt - University of Arizona - University of Houston - University of South Florida ( I am still debating about this one) Do I stand a chance? I am thinking that if I don't get accepted this year I am going to take calculus I and II (which I am going to do anyway) and try to get a much better score on the GMAT. Not sure about the others, but I know that a 650 will not be competitive for Arizona finance, especially coupled with the lack for formal math education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Not sure about the others, but I know that a 650 will not be competitive for Arizona finance, especially coupled with the lack for formal math education. I am actually applying for a PhD in Accounting and I got a decent feedback from Arizona because of my experience, GPA, and professional certification. However, I am not sure if they say this to everyone just to encourage more applicants and get more fees.Here is the math that I have on my transcript: - Higher Math I and II (this is definitely beyond Calculus I and II but I am not sure what's the US equivalent) - Statistics I and II, Econometrics, Quantitative Methods in Management - Microeconomics I and II, Macroeconomics I and II Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Hi All, I need your help in evaluating my chances of getting accepted at a Phd program in the U.S. I have a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from a top 100 university with a 3.98 GPA and associate's degree from a comunity college (3.9 GPA). I have also completed the course work for another bachelor's degree in Europe where I've taken some higher level math classes. Unfortunately, this was a while back and since I got credit for these math classes, I didn't have to take almost any advanced level math and stat classes in the U.S. Also, I am a CPA and CFA level II candidate. I also have almost 3 years of public accounting experience and 1 year of experience as a Research Assistant at my university. I think that I will get good recommendations from my professors. I don't have the time to study full time for months for the GMAT but I am hoping to score in the 650-700 range. My interest is in Finance and more specifically, in Capital Markets. I would settle for Accounting if I don't get accepted in a finance program. Do I stand a chance to get into a top 60 Finance program with my credentials? After getting waitlisted at 3 out of the 4 schools that I applied to, and ultimately getting rejected from all of them, I retook the GMAT and slightly improved my score to 680 (47Q, 37V). Anyone care to comment about some schools that I could target? I sent my score to U of Miami, Drexel, Pitt, Boston U, U of Toronto but I am flexible as long as there is a Big 4 accounting firm in the area. I will probably try again taking the GMAT. I scored much better on the MGMAT practice test (730), Veritas (690), official GMAT (710) so I think that I could do a little better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XanthusARES Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) After getting waitlisted at 3 out of the 4 schools that I applied to, and ultimately getting rejected from all of them, I retook the GMAT and slightly improved my score to 680 (47Q, 37V). Anyone care to comment about some schools that I could target? I sent my score to U of Miami, Drexel, Pitt, Boston U, U of Toronto but I am flexible as long as there is a Big 4 accounting firm in the area. I will probably try again taking the GMAT. I scored much better on the MGMAT practice test (730), Veritas (690), official GMAT (710) so I think that I could do a little better Did the schools give you any specific feedback about why they waitlisted you or did you get waitlisted after an interview? If so you might want to ask your point of contact some specific questions about why they didn't accept you. Being rejected after a waitlist sucks, but it can show that they truly are interested in you and that there is just one or two things you need to do better in. That being said, I'm not sure how much taking the GMAT again will help you. Obviously raising your score to above 700 is important, but since you've already taken it 3 times and all of those scores will be on the official report, it could actually hurt. At least it is my impression that having more than 3 scores on the report can hurt an application. Particularly if the previous scores are all comparable, then you rock it on the fourth. The school may assume that the three previous scores are your actual ability and the fourth is a fluke. This is just the impression I've got from reading these forums incessantly for the past few years. I'm interested to see if others have different opinions. P.S. Good job looking at schools in Pittsburgh. While I haven't lived there for the past 10 years, it is my native land, and one that I hold dear to my heart. Go Buccos! Edited July 31, 2013 by XanthusARES additional love for the 'Burgh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qayin Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Taking GRE instead could be an option. That way it would be possible to avoid having previous bad GMAT score on the report + some say that GRE math is easier. Admitting someone with a somewhat lower GRE does not hurt school's average GMAT either, that might be a factor for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted August 1, 2013 Author Share Posted August 1, 2013 Did the schools give you any specific feedback about why they waitlisted you or did you get waitlisted after an interview? If so you might want to ask your point of contact some specific questions about why they didn't accept you. Being rejected after a waitlist sucks, but it can show that they truly are interested in you and that there is just one or two things you need to do better in. That being said, I'm not sure how much taking the GMAT again will help you. Obviously raising your score to above 700 is important, but since you've already taken it 3 times and all of those scores will be on the official report, it could actually hurt. At least it is my impression that having more than 3 scores on the report can hurt an application. Particularly if the previous scores are all comparable, then you rock it on the fourth. The school may assume that the three previous scores are your actual ability and the fourth is a fluke. This is just the impression I've got from reading these forums incessantly for the past few years. I'm interested to see if others have different opinions. P.S. Good job looking at schools in Pittsburgh. While I haven't lived there for the past 10 years, it is my native land, and one that I hold dear to my heart. Go Buccos! Thanks, XanthusARES. I always thought that an admin person checks the scores and that adcomes may not even look at your actual score report. Plus I am hoping that they will see a trend not an anomaly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cezar9 Posted August 1, 2013 Author Share Posted August 1, 2013 Taking GRE instead could be an option. That way it would be possible to avoid having previous bad GMAT score on the report + some say that GRE math is easier. Admitting someone with a somewhat lower GRE does not hurt school's average GMAT either, that might be a factor for them. This not a bad idea. I was thinking about taking it anyway for a local Masters in Math program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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