cardinal_s

Good points. Thank you. What I've learned is that you have to somehow take control of your own research agenda(s). My advisers are great people who would never intentionally screw me over, but incentives are incentives... I was just curious if anyone has heard of such problems and possibly had any advice. The more senior faculty at my school are not publishing work-horses, so I had to align myself with a couple of juniors (but my 3rd adviser is tenured). Thanks for your posts, and happy to hear more!

So, my adviser is "pushing" me to stay 5 years (I'm in Finance at a decent school - not top 20), but I want to go out in 4 if the job market is ripe. I have modest ambitions in that I would like to be placed at a good school, but I'm not shooting for top 10/15. I really just want the option to out in 4, and if for some reason 5 years is better, then I'm cool with it. I'm currently a 3rd year student and recently passed my comps. I fear that my good track record with my adviser(s) creates an incentive problem and wondered if anyone else has been in the same boat (or heard of others in a similar situation). The possible incentive problem is basically that I proposed a solid idea that has traction for a research agenda, I did most of the work (which is completely fine with me), we've been accepted at the AFA's and "we" are continuing with another paper. My advisers are up for tenure relatively soon, so these papers will reflect well on their reviews. They have a work-horse who can help intellectually and functionally get a paper done quickly. When/if I hit the market next winter (2012 - 2013), I should have: A forthcoming in a top journal (I'm fairly confident that we will) Present at the AFA's in Chicago (I will present) Another solid paper with even better potential in the works with my advisers Discussant at the FMA's Potentially referee a low a ranked European journal (waiting to hear back) A solid job market paper on a similar topic (albeit subtly different) as the above papers (my advisers believe it has good potential) I'm in my mid-30's, so I think that's a bit of a problem. If I was younger, I wouldn't care so much. My adviser has mentioned on numerous occasions that "building a portfolio" in your 5th year helps you, which is of course the case. But, I'm concerned that the marginal benefit of having one or two more papers in the pipe might not offset another year I age, especially in light of what I'll likely have on my CV in 4 years. Advice needed: 1) Have you heard of professors wanting to hold back certain students (perhaps against their wishes) to further their careers? I don't mean this in an evil way, but if incentives are misaligned, then I believe it can happen. 2) If you were to have a relatively solid CV at 4 years, where you have at least 3 solid papers in the works, how much more benefit do you gain when hitting the job market for generating one or two more? Thanks for your help!

DiDaDi - I haven't heard from UT-Austin or Michigan. I've written both schools asking about my status, but I haven't heard back. I've been accepted to another program, but I want to wait until I hear back from these schools before deciding. If I get an update, I'll post...

Have there been any further updates on Tepper? My applyyourself continues to not show a decision link and the Tepper website is down, so I don't have the email contact info. I'm sure they're just taking their time... Thanks!

Hi everybody. I recently found this site, and I appreciate the valuable information shared among all of you. Like many of you, I have not heard back from *any* school yet (Finance), so I've gradually become more and more anxious as the days roll along. To reciprocate information about myself: Program: Finance Nationality: US citizen GMAT: 740, 97% - 50Q (94%), 42V (92%), 5.5 AWA. Undergrad: Engineering from a top ranked US school in the US. Grad: MBA from a decent US program focusing in corporate finance (GPA 3.8, finished top 3 in my class). Courses Taken (Undergrad): Calc BC in high school, Multivariable Calc, ODEs, Linear Alg, Calc based Prob & Stats, Micro, Macro, Macro Theory and all of the quant classes associated with engineering. Work experience: Two years at a boutique corporate finance consulting firm. I'm still employed and doing well, but it's just not my cup of tea. I enjoy using math skills that I learned after the 8th grade. I have learned enough to know that I want to learn much, much more... Teaching experience: Little to none - I tutored calc, finance, accounting, physics and chem to undergrads while an undergrad and an MBA student. Research experience: No formal experience, just the research included in my routine work. I drafted a "thought piece" on an industry in the current economic environment, but it hasn't been released yet. LOR: Perhaps the weakest aspect of my app. One MBA assistant professor who urged me to pursue a PhD and one industry leader and business founder(not a prof). The head of finance at my MBA program (with several publications and text book chapters) continues to urge me to attend that school, so it was difficult to ask him for an LOR to other schools. Research interests: Capital Structure Decisions, Asset Valuation and Options Pricing. Schools in consideration: Not diversified... 5 of top 10, 3 of top 20, and no more. I look forward to hearing positive results for all of us on the board. If I hear anything, I will certainly post... Good luck!