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2017 Ph.D. Business Administration Sweat Thread


zanelabw

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So I noticed the 2016 PhD Business Administration Sweat Thread is closed.. Understandable. Now, I'm creating the 2017 thread. Let's talk about our applications, interviews, rejections/acceptances?

 

 

I am sure you're all busying working on your apps. Where is everyone applying?

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I'm applying to T50 (UTD ranking) programs in Management/OB, and a few psychology PhD programs. I'm concerned with the fact that my deadlines are all over the place - if interviews start in January for some schools, but other schools' deadlines aren't until January 15th, or even February 1st, it seems like one would have a tough decision if an acceptance is received before all applications were considered (not that that's a bad position to be in, if you receive an early offer). Still, my top 2 programs are on opposite ends of the range of deadlines. So I guess it'll be interesting to see how things play out.
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I'm applying to T50 (UTD ranking) programs in Management/OB, and a few psychology PhD programs. I'm concerned with the fact that my deadlines are all over the place - if interviews start in January for some schools, but other schools' deadlines aren't until January 15th, or even February 1st, it seems like one would have a tough decision if an acceptance is received before all applications were considered (not that that's a bad position to be in, if you receive an early offer). Still, my top 2 programs are on opposite ends of the range of deadlines. So I guess it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

 

This isn't as big of a problem as you are thinking. First of all, all graduate programs give you until April 15 to decide and shouldn't really pressure you to decide before then. (That said, it is a good idea for a number of reasons to decide and commit as early as you reasonably can.)

I was admitted to my current program in December. I still had several applications that I hadn't finished at that point. I decided not to finish some of them and still finished others that I thought I might choose over the given offer. I got admitted to one of those later schools and still chose to go with the school that admitted me early.

If you get an early offer you can choose to withdraw from some schools or not finish the application if that is still an option. Otherwise, you simply tell the school that you are excited about the offer (you should be) and that you will wait until you know what your choices are before you make your final decision. They may be curious about which schools you are waiting on, I think it is best to be candid with this information.

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This isn't as big of a problem as you are thinking.

 

If you get an early offer you can choose to withdraw from some schools or not finish the application if that is still an option. Otherwise, you simply tell the school that you are excited about the offer (you should be) and that you will wait until you know what your choices are before you make your final decision. They may be curious about which schools you are waiting on, I think it is best to be candid with this information.

 

It's not a bad situation to be in. All of the reasons that Yaz gave are right. You'll have until April 15th to make a decision. One thing to add to this advice is that if you are open with schools that made you an offer and say you want to know all of your options before making a final decisions, this can actually be a huge help. I did this with my current program and my adviser sat down with me (via Skype) to look at my offers and gave me extremely candid advice about programs (and specific professors at those programs). It was literally because of this advice that I came here. There were better schools who made offers to me, but I knew that if the profs were willing to work this closely with an applicant they would be great with me as a student (side note: I was right, I love my adviser and co-authors!). Not everyone would want an environment like this, but I definitely wanted that.

 

Another possible advantage is sometimes the school will try to make themselves more attractive with a better package if they know you are looking around. This is rarely the case however. One final thought. Sometimes people get concerned that if they have an offer but don't accept it immediately the school will rescind it, but this is not the case. Also if a school gets upset that you want to take your time, this should send a signal to you about the type of program it is. I wouldn't want to be at a program that pushy, but that's just me. Good luck!

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That sounds like a really great experience. I would love to have that kind of relationship with an advisor.

 

I didn't think an offer would be rescinded, but I was concerned it would seem like I was less interested in the program, or that they were a last choice if they ended up being the only program that accepted me. It's great to hear these are not valid concerns, or if they are, it's probably not meant to be with that institution.

 

Funny how feelings change once the applications are out. I didn't expect to feel so nervous since I have a good job to fall back on if I'm not accepted, but now that a few applications have been submitted, I'm definitely feeling the anxiety.

 

 

One thing to add to this advice is that if you are open with schools that made you an offer and say you want to know all of your options before making a final decisions, this can actually be a huge help. I did this with my current program and my adviser sat down with me (via Skype) to look at my offers and gave me extremely candid advice about programs (and specific professors at those programs). It was literally because of this advice that I came here. There were better schools who made offers to me, but I knew that if the profs were willing to work this closely with an applicant they would be great with me as a student
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I applied to a dozen top 20 finance programs. I think my profile is unusual but competitive. I'm not really sweating the upcoming interviews and admissions decisions because I have attractive options if I'm rejected by every program, but I'm excited about the future. Stanford is my first choice but I would be happy with admission to any of the programs to which I applied. Duke is also highly desirable partly due to its location near family. Although excellent programs, it's hard for me to be overly enthusiastic about living in the cold winter climates associated with the Chicago or Boston schools.

 

It will be fun posting and reading here when people begin receiving interview notifications and acceptances/rejections. Best of luck to everyone (except my competition).

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Hi Guys,

 

Curious: do you think the application portal will crash on the deadline date due to too many people submitting their applications at once? Just wondering when I should submit mine or if I should wait until the day of it's due.

 

No, but I would plan a day or two early. I had one deadline that was 5pm when that threw me off and I missed it. Had to email a few people, but I was able to get the app in.

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I'm applying to 20 marketing PhD programs. Usually among the 40 best programs in the US, but a few below that. I have already submitted almost all of my applications, there is only one left because it declined my credit card for some reason.

 

Can someone tell me about the next steps in the process?

 

There are always interviews before being admitted to a program? When interviews are usually conducted? Who interviews the applicants?

 

I also heard about applicants who are invited to visit the campus. Since I'm a foreign applicant, it would not be so easy for me to visit a school in US.

 

If I'm admitted, when I must move to the US?

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I'm applying to 20 marketing PhD programs. Usually among the 40 best programs in the US, but a few below that. I have already submitted almost all of my applications, there is only one left because it declined my credit card for some reason.

 

Can someone tell me about the next steps in the process?

 

There are always interviews before being admitted to a program? When interviews are usually conducted? Who interviews the applicants?

 

I also heard about applicants who are invited to visit the campus. Since I'm a foreign applicant, it would not be so easy for me to visit a school in US.

 

If I'm admitted, when I must move to the US?

The next step is to wait. It is not a fun step. Here is some reading to help you through that.

 

Schools generally contact students starting in mid-January up through mid-March, with the bulk being in February. You can usually expect a Skype interview to start with. They tend to last about half an hour and are with the professors on the PhD Committee or others that may be interested.

 

I don't think that visiting campus is mandatory for foreign applicants. Most schools won't pay for that flight. However, if several schools are interested, they may be willing to share the cost somehow of having you fly to the states and then to a few schools over a week or so.

 

When you move depends on a few things. Some schools will let you take summer courses before the fall to get oriented with the town. This is awesome and more schools should do it. Otherwise, you will want to show up a week or two before classes. This can be tough if you don't have the savings for it.

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Adding on to YaS' point: Moving also depends on if your program has a math camp of some sort that you need to take before classes. I will say that since you are an international student, the earliest you are allowed to move to the US is 30 days before the program start date, so roughly around the first week of August. :)
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  • 4 weeks later...

Hope everyone is having a great start to 2017!

 

Was just wondering if anyone has heard back from programs: interview, admission, rejection, or otherwise...getting a little anxious reading through posts of interviews and acceptances for PhD programs in other disciplines on gradcafe.

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Hope everyone is having a great start to 2017!

 

Was just wondering if anyone has heard back from programs: interview, admission, rejection, or otherwise...getting a little anxious reading through posts of interviews and acceptances for PhD programs in other disciplines on gradcafe.

 

Most universities/business schools are on a break now and hardly anyone will be looking at the applications before the middle of January. Don't worry about it for a few more weeks :)

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Hope everyone is having a great start to 2017!

 

Was just wondering if anyone has heard back from programs: interview, admission, rejection, or otherwise...getting a little anxious reading through posts of interviews and acceptances for PhD programs in other disciplines on gradcafe.

 

Yes I have. I got all of my 13 applications out by December 10th. Most of the deadlines are not until January 15th for my schools. I got contacted by two schools only a few days later and had two phone interviews the week before Christmas. (one skype) :distracted:

I think both went well. UNT invited me to visit their campus at the end of January and will pay for my visit. I don't live too far away from there so I can actually drive, spend one night there and then drive back the next day. No need to fly.

I know that UNT is not a top 10 or top 20 school, but it's still an attractive program for me.

I did not apply to any top-rated schools but I am very happy about the selection of my schools and was working closely with an an advisor when I picked my programs.

 

I think my application is pretty strong with a few weak points. I have a pretty low GMAT score, but perfect undergraduate and graduate GPA.

I am older than most PhD students, but I hope that the right program will look at this as an advantage because I bring life and work experience and have a bit of a "unique" background.

 

I guess we will see. Yes, I am nervous too especially since I heard back from those two schools so quickly. Now I am wondering whether the other 11 schools are not interested at all. It's a bit silly I know. Application deadlines are not until January 15th and no admissions committee looked at applications over the holidays.

From what I have been told, we should start hearing back at the beginning of February from most schools.

 

Accepting offers or not before April 15th is a bit tricky. I think most schools would probably want you to accept the offer as soon as they make it to you although officially you don't need to make a decision until April 15th.

I have heard from other doctoral students that there are schools that will pressure you to decide pretty quickly.

 

Where else did you all apply?

Good luck everyone! May we all be colleagues someday! :victorious:

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Yes I have. I got all of my 13 applications out by December 10th. Most of the deadlines are not until January 15th for my schools. I got contacted by two schools only a few days later and had two phone interviews the week before Christmas. (one skype) :distracted:

I think both went well. UNT invited me to visit their campus at the end of January and will pay for my visit. I don't live too far away from there so I can actually drive, spend one night there and then drive back the next day. No need to fly.

I know that UNT is not a top 10 or top 20 school, but it's still an attractive program for me.

I did not apply to any top-rated schools but I am very happy about the selection of my schools and was working closely with an an advisor when I picked my programs.

 

I think my application is pretty strong with a few weak points. I have a pretty low GMAT score, but perfect undergraduate and graduate GPA.

I am older than most PhD students, but I hope that the right program will look at this as an advantage because I bring life and work experience and have a bit of a "unique" background.

 

I guess we will see. Yes, I am nervous too especially since I heard back from those two schools so quickly. Now I am wondering whether the other 11 schools are not interested at all. It's a bit silly I know. Application deadlines are not until January 15th and no admissions committee looked at applications over the holidays.

From what I have been told, we should start hearing back at the beginning of February from most schools.

 

Accepting offers or not before April 15th is a bit tricky. I think most schools would probably want you to accept the offer as soon as they make it to you although officially you don't need to make a decision until April 15th.

I have heard from other doctoral students that there are schools that will pressure you to decide pretty quickly.

 

Where else did you all apply?

Good luck everyone! May we all be colleagues someday! :victorious:

 

I think I've read on some schools' pages that some don't even convene adcoms until after their app deadlines...

I know it's not productive for schools but I wished that schools had set notification dates like undergrad (if not one set date, maybe multiple cycles like they do for MBA notifications) - it would definitely appease all this "unnecessary" anxiety from waiting. Any recommendations for hobbies to keep me preoccupied??

 

Hope that you get good news from the schools you've interviewed at and hear from others soon! I applied to all T20 schools and am starting to freak out that this cycle may not yield good results for me...:sorrow:...but can't give up hope yet. Just have to wait it out.

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Well, if you have a mentor/advisor from your last school who knows someone at the schools you applied to it would help if he/she could get in touch with them and ask them to put your application on top of the stack! :D:D:D

 

Top 20?! Oh wow. Ambitious! :) Not sure how many applications these schools get exactly, but just remember that most of these applicants applied to most of the other top 20 schools too, just like you did, but in the end they can only accept one offer. I think that there is a pretty good chance that you won't get an offer from a top 20 school until spring, unless you are really one of their top candidates.

 

As far as hobbies, it depends on your demographic. Age, gender, location etc... and your interest. If I tell you to start knitting a sweater and it turns out you are a 25 year old guy then my recommendation won't be very appealing to you I bet.

Do you work? If so, then you should already have good distraction.

How about working out? Taking a trip? It's really a tough situation because we only need temporary distraction until we know for sure. Our life may change dramatically this year, so we don't want to make too big of a commitment to anything else right now.

Just my two cents. :)

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If I had those kinds of connections, I guess I wouldn't worry as much...:playful:

 

When I was searching through T50 schools, I found that the professors I want to work with/had similar research interests were in mostly in T20. Also, I filtered my school choices geographically too...I primarily looked at Northeast and West Coast schools since they were in places that had high concentrations of family and friends, which are important to me.

 

I'm a 28yo male living in the Northeast and I actually enjoy knitting very much :D:D:D

I don't like to think about work when I want to do something for leisure...

I really enjoy learning new languages so maybe I'll try that. Perhaps something artsy/creative? I think it may be good to find a new hobby that complements well with the PhD life...hmm?? [dance][dance]

 

Well, if you have a mentor/advisor from your last school who knows someone at the schools you applied to it would help if he/she could get in touch with them and ask them to put your application on top of the stack!

 

Top 20?! Oh wow. Ambitious! Not sure how many applications these schools get exactly, but just remember that most of these applicants applied to most of the other top 20 schools too, just like you did, but in the end they can only accept one offer. I think that there is a pretty good chance that you won't get an offer from a top 20 school until spring, unless you are really one of their top candidates.

 

As far as hobbies, it depends on your demographic. Age, gender, location etc... and your interest. If I tell you to start knitting a sweater and it turns out you are a 25 year old guy then my recommendation won't be very appealing to you I bet.

Do you work? If so, then you should already have good distraction.

How about working out? Taking a trip? It's really a tough situation because we only need temporary distraction until we know for sure. Our life may change dramatically this year, so we don't want to make too big of a commitment to anything else right now.

Just my two cents.

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Okay, I am pretty excited now.

I received another email from one of the two schools I already had a phone interview with last month. I am going to talk (informally) to another faculty member this week to discuss my research interest.

 

I am REALLY excited about this because this school is one of my top three choices. (nope not a top 10 school, but still a very good school in my opinion.)

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I had a phone interview with one of my top psych programs today :D I'd like to think it went well; I received great feedback about my thesis and research interests. I was asked a bit about whether I was sure I wanted to leave my job and go back to school, but I think I conveyed my goals well. It seemed that my life experience was appreciated. And my application is still missing a LOR for this and 2 other schools, so it's good to know I was still considered.

 

Still haven't heard anything from the OB side. Awesome to hear others are getting interviews! It definitely makes the wait a bit easier when you get that first sign of interest.

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Wow, I can't believe any of you are hearing from schools already. Kudos.

 

I'm applying to Finance, ranking from 1 to 50-ish (ASU Finance Publication Ranking). Many of the schools' websites state that they won't be giving applications to adcoms until after break. Hopefully my thesis research will be enough to demonstrate that I'm awesome, and not just another person with a good GRE quant score.

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I had a phone interview with one of my top psych programs today :D I'd like to think it went well; I received great feedback about my thesis and research interests. I was asked a bit about whether I was sure I wanted to leave my job and go back to school, but I think I conveyed my goals well. It seemed that my life experience was appreciated. And my application is still missing a LOR for this and 2 other schools, so it's good to know I was still considered.

 

Still haven't heard anything from the OB side. Awesome to hear others are getting interviews! It definitely makes the wait a bit easier when you get that first sign of interest.

 

Oh that's great to hear. Did they tell you how soon they would let you know? Are you going to visit their campus?

How many programs did you apply to in total?

 

My anxiety is increasing daily now. I thought I would be cooler especially with having two interviews in my pocket already... but I mean nothing is guaranteed. I think most people should be back from their holiday break next week.

Maybe we will start hearing from programs next week already? I don't know... I am so nervous and find it incredibly hard to distract myself.

:whistle:

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They said they'd get together as a department in a few weeks to review the phone screens and decide who to invite to the formal interview weekend. I'm thinking within 2 weeks or so based on when invites went out last year. I would go for the interview and to see the campus. I applied to 13 programs; 7 OB and 6 psych.

 

I haven't seen a peep anywhere about any of the OB programs I've applied to, so I'm thinking maybe in the next 2 weeks we'll start hearing more. Some of my deadlines were Jan 15th, so I don't expect much from them until early February.

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My first post in this forum. Been reading and found so much useful information to help me with the application process.

 

I am in the same boat. Now that I have completed my applications, it has become extremely difficult to concentrate, due to the nervous wait. Even more than during the application stage. I guess, the only exciting part was to research current work at the schools, identify suitability with my interests, shortlist and contact the professors, whom I am interested to work with. And, I have a tech start-up to run. It has already taken a back seat for the past three months.

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Wow, I can't believe any of you are hearing from schools already. Kudos.

 

I'm applying to Finance, ranking from 1 to 50-ish (ASU Finance Publication Ranking). Many of the schools' websites state that they won't be giving applications to adcoms until after break. Hopefully my thesis research will be enough to demonstrate that I'm awesome, and not just another person with a good GRE quant score.

 

When I emailed all my schools before Christmas to ask if they have received all materials needed for the application, they said my application has been passed on to the department, however, decisions would not be made until after the deadline.

The next few months are going to be tough for us, unless we get accepted by our dream school very quickly. Otherwise we could still be sitting here in April hoping to get in at the very last minute. :livid:

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