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smalishah84 · 04-18-2008, 12:42 PM

Dear All,

I would be really grateful if you guys could give some feedback. I am planning to give GMAT early June and hope to get about 700. I would like to apply to a decent PhD Marketing Program. I have uptil now a one year experience and continuing in The Nielsen Company (Previously ACNielsen) as Research Executive. I should be able to get two good recommendations from Professors from my undergraduate college and one from my supervisor at the Nielsen Company. My undergraduate GPA though was 3.16 (quite patetic I know but I did not want to go into academia back then but now I do and so never was very serious in undergrad.....which of course is not an excuse but the truth). Now with this "Stellar" GPA do you guys think there is any chance of securing admission into a top 50 marketing program? Any advice????Somebody???

asianeconomist · 04-18-2008, 12:58 PM

1. Consider a Masters degree initially - doing well there will offset your UGrad record partially.

2. How is the reputation of your UGrad institution ? Do they regularly send in good students to PhDs ?

3. Do you have any research experience (not job-based) ?

4. Try to maximize your GMAT i.e. >720.

smalishah84 · 04-19-2008, 02:30 AM

Thanks asian for your suggestions.

My university sends a decent amount of people to PhD schools.

No I do not have prior academic research experience. Only job based.

I believe I can get an RAship though.

desimba · 04-20-2008, 03:04 AM

Two other suggestions for you:
1) Carefully arrive at a list of 15-20 schools, say, based on the match with your research interests and then mail 2-3 faculty members per department with whose research you identify the most closely. See their responses and use that as an input variable in narrowing down the list of schools to however many you apply to. You would want to apply to a school where you get very enthusiastic responses back from the faculty members who are willing to set up time to speak with me (has actually happened to me once) and maybe stay away from a school where you get extremely lukewarm/ tepid responses.
2) As far as your current job is concerned, I am not sure if your present work can result in any publications or not but if with some effort, you can get a publication, that would be very useful. Other than that, you should certainly explore the possibility of taking up a RA-type position as asian has suggested.

moomber123 · 04-20-2008, 10:21 AM

Hi,

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you don't mind program ranked around 50, your GPA is actually not going to be far below the typical admitted profile there. Of course, this needs to be offset by your GMAT score. GPA profile changes a whole lot once you move down the ranking. At the top 10 program, almost everyone has top GPA and GMAT score, but at top 25, you'd see people getting in with only a decent profile, not excellent profile. And at top 50 level, I wouldn't find a 3.1 with 700 GMAT low at all. Don't let the published profile scare you, because those are "average" number, and at top 50 level, the profile is based on a huge huge range. I personally know people with a 3.04 and a GMAT 670 studying at a top 40 program.

However, I would remind you to consider the value of a 50th ranked program. If you want a PhD and don't mind teaching anywhere, then it's not a problem. But if you have any desire to teach at top research university, conduct leading edge research, then a PhD from those programs might not get you there. Not all PhD degrees are born equal. In this market, pedigree matters. You usually find schools hiring around their own tier, and graduates usually move down the tier when they find job. This means if you get a PhD from a top 50 program, you are likely to find job at 100, or even lower program. That isn't a bad thing in and of itself. The pay is still going to be decent, but some people might not want that. Just a reminder.

darth · 04-20-2008, 03:58 PM

Fwiw, I see elsewhere that someone with a 2.5 undergrad GPA and a 680 (42q, 40v) GMAT was accepted at Michigan State this year. It wasn't marketing, though - it was accounting - and they did have a 3.7 graduate GPA.

Someone got into Temple w/ a 640 (39q, 38v) GMAT (strategy).

Colorado admitted a 680, 3.4 undergrad gpa, 3.6 grad school gpa into their marketing program last year.

Arizona admitted a guy w/ a 2.5 undergrad gpa and a 690 gmat. He did have a 3.9 grad school gpa, though.

I'd think a very good GMAT score and strong SOP would give you a chance at getting into a school ranked around 50. (And, of course, if you were willing to get a master's and graduate with a high GPA, RA experience, and stellar academic LORs, you could easily get into a top 50 program in spite of your undergrad GPA.)

smalishah84 · 04-21-2008, 06:49 AM

Thank you so much guys. Desimba is always a big help on this forum. Also THank you very much moomber123 for really really motivating me when I was down. Your post has really given me a lot of hope. Thirdly Darth I must thank you for bringing a reality check to the post when moomber123 had managed to pump me up so much ......thank you so much guys I am really grateful....anyone else please??????????

04-18-2008, 12:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
smalishah84 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 9	Is there someway to offset this bad credential..Do I have a chance? Dear All, I would be really grateful if you guys could give some feedback. I am planning to give GMAT early June and hope to get about 700. I would like to apply to a decent PhD Marketing Program. I have uptil now a one year experience and continuing in The Nielsen Company (Previously ACNielsen) as Research Executive. I should be able to get two good recommendations from Professors from my undergraduate college and one from my supervisor at the Nielsen Company. My undergraduate GPA though was 3.16 (quite patetic I know but I did not want to go into academia back then but now I do and so never was very serious in undergrad.....which of course is not an excuse but the truth). Now with this "Stellar" GPA do you guys think there is any chance of securing admission into a top 50 marketing program? Any advice????Somebody???

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04-18-2008, 12:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
asianeconomist Loving the game Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Where the grass is greener Posts: 672	1. Consider a Masters degree initially - doing well there will offset your UGrad record partially. 2. How is the reputation of your UGrad institution ? Do they regularly send in good students to PhDs ? 3. Do you have any research experience (not job-based) ? 4. Try to maximize your GMAT i.e. >720.

04-19-2008, 02:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
smalishah84 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 9	Thanks asian for your suggestions. My university sends a decent amount of people to PhD schools. No I do not have prior academic research experience. Only job based. I believe I can get an RAship though.

04-20-2008, 03:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
desimba Within my grasp! Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 206	Two other suggestions for you: 1) Carefully arrive at a list of 15-20 schools, say, based on the match with your research interests and then mail 2-3 faculty members per department with whose research you identify the most closely. See their responses and use that as an input variable in narrowing down the list of schools to however many you apply to. You would want to apply to a school where you get very enthusiastic responses back from the faculty members who are willing to set up time to speak with me (has actually happened to me once) and maybe stay away from a school where you get extremely lukewarm/ tepid responses. 2) As far as your current job is concerned, I am not sure if your present work can result in any publications or not but if with some effort, you can get a publication, that would be very useful. Other than that, you should certainly explore the possibility of taking up a RA-type position as asian has suggested.

04-20-2008, 10:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
moomber123 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 25	Hi, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you don't mind program ranked around 50, your GPA is actually not going to be far below the typical admitted profile there. Of course, this needs to be offset by your GMAT score. GPA profile changes a whole lot once you move down the ranking. At the top 10 program, almost everyone has top GPA and GMAT score, but at top 25, you'd see people getting in with only a decent profile, not excellent profile. And at top 50 level, I wouldn't find a 3.1 with 700 GMAT low at all. Don't let the published profile scare you, because those are "average" number, and at top 50 level, the profile is based on a huge huge range. I personally know people with a 3.04 and a GMAT 670 studying at a top 40 program. However, I would remind you to consider the value of a 50th ranked program. If you want a PhD and don't mind teaching anywhere, then it's not a problem. But if you have any desire to teach at top research university, conduct leading edge research, then a PhD from those programs might not get you there. Not all PhD degrees are born equal. In this market, pedigree matters. You usually find schools hiring around their own tier, and graduates usually move down the tier when they find job. This means if you get a PhD from a top 50 program, you are likely to find job at 100, or even lower program. That isn't a bad thing in and of itself. The pay is still going to be decent, but some people might not want that. Just a reminder.

04-20-2008, 03:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
darth Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	Fwiw, I see elsewhere that someone with a 2.5 undergrad GPA and a 680 (42q, 40v) GMAT was accepted at Michigan State this year. It wasn't marketing, though - it was accounting - and they did have a 3.7 graduate GPA. Someone got into Temple w/ a 640 (39q, 38v) GMAT (strategy). Colorado admitted a 680, 3.4 undergrad gpa, 3.6 grad school gpa into their marketing program last year. Arizona admitted a guy w/ a 2.5 undergrad gpa and a 690 gmat. He did have a 3.9 grad school gpa, though. I'd think a very good GMAT score and strong SOP would give you a chance at getting into a school ranked around 50. (And, of course, if you were willing to get a master's and graduate with a high GPA, RA experience, and stellar academic LORs, you could easily get into a top 50 program in spite of your undergrad GPA.)

04-21-2008, 06:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
smalishah84 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 9	Thank you so much guys. Desimba is always a big help on this forum. Also THank you very much moomber123 for really really motivating me when I was down. Your post has really given me a lot of hope. Thirdly Darth I must thank you for bringing a reality check to the post when moomber123 had managed to pump me up so much ......thank you so much guys I am really grateful....anyone else please??????????

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