Needed - Some Humbling

[standard2785]

I am applying to the Class of 2009 for a Finance PhD. The reason I am picking Finance over a Econ is because I would get in easier at a Finance school where I can use my real world experience and it is less theoretical than Econ. Though I know it is easier in general to get into an Econ program, and finance does want math but not to such a degree as Econ schools. Anyway, here are the schools I am applying to and I would like a few more safety schools in the Northeast so any additions would be great.

My Profile to help gauge what a safety school would be

Finance Major at a top liberal arts school

GPA = 3.8
GMAT = 760
2 years of RA work
3 Good LoR

NYU
Wharton
HBS
Duke
Columbia
Kellogg
MIT
Stanford
UNC
Rochester
BC
BU
Maryland
Yale
Carnegie Mellon
Penn State
Rutgers
Princeton
Darden
BU
Bentely

[Teazer]

I'll let you know in a month or two when all my results are in.

[standard2785]

Anyone have some safeties off the top of their ead so i can research some programs and by 2009 i mean i would enter then

[standard2785]

bump....thanks

[shootermcgavin7]

Originally Posted by standard2785

The reason I am picking Finance over a Econ is because I would get in easier at a Finance school where I can use my real world experience and it is less theoretical than Econ.

Everyone professor I've spoken to, at a variety of schools, have stated that "real world experience" may give you some additional perspective....but it is not particularly useful for admissions purposes to a Finance PhD.

Additionally, I've spoken to PhD co-ordinators for about ~20 schools and they all noted Real Analysis as being very helpful for admissions. I don't think it is has gotten to the extent of Econ Phd admissions, where nearly every applicant has Analysis on their transcript, but it is certainly getting to that point.

[standard2785]

well i plan on having calc I-III, lin alg, Diff eq, and Real Anal done...but what are some northeast safety schools

[standard2785]

or reply with what you thought YOUR safties were along with your profile...that would really help a lot of people

[bauble]

I'm not in finance, so I'm making an educated guess here.

I don't think your stats would exclude you from the top places. Not sure what they are in finance, but I would guess Stanford and Wharton, and of course Chicago, which you did not list. At those places, I think that you'd need a differentiator to make your case strong -- strong recs, which you have, and perhaps more importantly, a distinguished statement of purpose.

The one just below the top (Duke, Kellogg?) are probably safeties for you if you have the recs and SOP in great shape.

This may be a little outside what you want to know, but I got traction in top 10 programs by having a strong SOP. I laid out some interests that the school knew were genuine since they were interests that various profs had that were too new to be reflected on their web pages.

[shootermcgavin7]

Here's a relatively good set of rankings (although there are others out there):

http://wpcarey.asu.edu/finance/rankings/

Another good one:

http://academic.udayton.edu/CarlChen/Chan%20Research/moveup.pdf

From there, pick out some schools in the Northeast. On most of those schools' respective websites, they will have the expectations required of applicants to their program. You should be able to work out some safeties based on what the department looks for.


Because finance departments tend to be very small; the application process is a bit more of a crapshoot.

[Teazer]

Originally Posted by shootermcgavin7

Because finance departments tend to be very small; the application process is a bit more of a crapshoot.

No truer word was spoken.

I think there is no such thing as a "safety" in finance, just a wishful belief in the law of large numbers!