Greenmile

Thanks rsaylors, this is what i am hoping for as well. The specific school i am applying to seems to have the rep for looking at such backgrounds so i haven't lost all hope yet. Also, I believe most english speaking countries in Africa practice common law including the one of my interest. I am planning on enrolling this semester in a certificate program relating to financial economics at a state college which actually has a good finance program. Will be taking grad level quant classes. I also plan on taking some more classes during the summer as well. I am not too sure how this will improve any chances but if anyone has some experience with this, please weigh in.

Thanks a lot Buttermaker. You guys are really nice and helpful in this thread=). The Law school thread I frequented during my application process was really discouraging. I am actually looking into other JD/PhD programs. Not getting into my school's finance PhD really isn't the end of the world. I do have a broader range of research areas and would actively look into other options.

Thanks phdhope. My research interests focuses on developing countries (grew up in 1) with a fledgling legal system. I think my JD will supplement my efforts. In my case, I think it would be useful and its not going to take me an extraordinarily long time to do both (6yrs, I estimate). I am not too adamant about dropping the JD as I actually considered it but I really think it would help. As some of the posters brought up, both programs are rigorous in nature but I thought my background might be able to sway the committee. My GPA might be a bit low but I worked part time in college at a computer lab (20hrs/week) to pay for my living expenses, conducted research which perhaps consumed another 20-30hrs/wk, worked on WB/EU/DANIDA funded initiatives during regular semesters and breaks. I managed to still average 17-18 credits a semester. I also have roughly a year to apply so I could take some classes to not only bolster my chances but for personal reasons as well. In hindsight, I wish I took some more econ/finance classes but was too occupied with research and projects in Africa. I used to miss about 3 weeks of classes to complete projects and rarely had time to take classes outside my major.

Thanks for the feedback. I would like to conduct research which the JD wouldn't allow me to.

thanks imadeit for the links. I am aware of these programs and a few folks that are pursuing both degrees. Its not unusual to finish both degrees in less than six years. Do i need a 800 quant score to even have a shot? I think I have unique story to tell. Then again my background work might preclude any chances of me being accepted.

Thanks rsaylors! I am honestly not trying to max out on degrees here. I actually considered pursuing just a finance PhD at a lower ranked school. Just thought because of goal would make sense if I did both. I also agree with there being more JD/econ programs. I think both fields have more similarities than a JD/PhD in finance. @PhDhope: An MBA or masters in financial engineering isn't an option for me since I want to enter academia.

Thanks guys for the great feedback!! I do admit its rare but there are some specialized programs at certain top schools for this purpose. I began entertaining this idea a while back during one of my projects in an African country where I worked with the finance ministry. My mentor who happened to be the finance minister (was in academia, JD/PhD in Econ and later tapped for the position) introduced the idea to me. Without going into specific details, I am interested in academia and research in Africa and some of my works there overlapped both fields. I think I have a specific goal in mind but then again I might be delusional and thats why I came here for a dose of reality. @ PhDHope: I do have some fallback options but I was really hoping I had a shot at this. Is the biggest drawback in my profile the GRE score or lack of econ and finance? Once again thanks for the feedback

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster. I am applying to a finance PhD program at a specific school and would like to evaluate my chances and any preparation to boost my chances. I gained admission to a top law school (think Harvard, Stanford, Chicago,Columbia) and would like to pursue a joint PhD program at that particular school. I have contacted the school to make sure this is feasible. 1. I have a BSc and Masters in Mechanical engineering from a top 10 Engineering program with a good UGPA ~3.7. I have taken several math classes including Calcs 1-3, DE, PDE, Stats,linear algebra etc but not a class in econ, though some of my math classes had some econ content 2. GRE scores: Quant 780, Verbal:680 3. 4 years of high profile research experience ( 1 year for masters and 3 for undergrad). Research not pertaining to Finance but quite cutting edge. Also served as a TA for 3 undergrad MechE classes. 4. 1 publication in DOE journal and several presentations 5. Carried several humanitarian projects in Africa pertaining to water supply during undergrad. Received grants totalling $74k to carry out projects. Worked in collaboration with some well known orgs on projects. 6. Excellent potential LORs from Dean of College and Professors I worked with 7.Worked part time in college (20hrs/week) 8. numerous awards Since I have already committed to attending this specific law school, It is the only school I will be applying to. Will the lack of any Econ class hurt my chances? I will be applying during next years cycle as I have already deferred Law School. Should I take some Econ classes to supplement my background? I am also African American. Thanks for the feedback!!