whatodowithphd

Okay...this is freaking depressing......I am supposed to sit for GRE today......I drove for 1.5 hours all the way to the test center to find out that they won't let me take the test since I only brought state ID (not my passport) which should be acceptaable. Those guys are super mean!!! :sorrow: I don't think I will be able to ask for refund. :( Now, with final exams looming within 3 weeks, I am wondering whether I should just choose not to take the test again altogether or whether I should exert all remaining energy and time on this exam. First time I took in 2007, I got 620 V (89%) and 750 Q (84%) and 4.5 (54%) - the equivalent GMAT score should be 680. With this score, do I have a shot at a top business PhD program? Should I really try to re-take the exam?? My concentration is Organizational Behavior. Please let me know your opinions and suggestions.

Okay...this is so depressing......I am supposed to sit for GRE today......I drove for 1.5 hours all the way to the test center to find out that they won't let me take the test since I only brought state ID (not my passport). THIS IS SUPER MEAN!!!!!! Now, with final exams looming within 3 weeks, I am wondering whether I should just choose not to take the test again altogether or whether I should exert all remaining energy and time on this exam. First time I took in 2007, I got 620 V (89%) and 750 Q (84%) and 4.5 (54%) - the equivalent GMAT score should be 680. With this score, do I have a shot at a top school? Should I really try to re-take the exam?? Can I ask for the refund? Please let me know your opinions and suggestions.

Okay...this is so depressing......I am supposed to sit for GRE today......I drove for 1.5 hours all the way to the test center to find out that they won't let me take the test since I only brought state ID (not my passport). Now, with final exams looming within 3 weeks, I am wondering whether I should just choose not to take the test again altogether or whether I should exert all remaining energy and time on this exam. First time I took in 2007, I got 620 V (89%) and 750 Q (84%) and 4.5 (54%) - the equivalent GMAT score should be 680. With this score, do I have a shot at top10 (Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, Stern, INSEAD) or top 20 (Minnesota, Michigan, UNC, Utah)? Should I really try to re-take the exam?? My concentration is Organizational Behavior. Please let me know your opinions and suggestions.

UTD Top 100 Business School Rranking. Are there any other rankings I could look into? I want to get into schools I apply to. I don't care much about my research ideas now....since I am sure they are gonna evolve once I am in the program. But still I want to show that advanced side of my research interests while appealing to a number of faculty. It is a tricky balance to step on. I have 25 schools......I need to eliminate some of them.........mentioned above are the ones I am debating whether I should apply or not. Anything about career prospect??????

I am interested in strategic management and organizational theory with a bent on entrepreneurship. My brain tells me to apply to schools with faculty expertise in my areas.....but my heart tells me to focus on schools within top 100. Would schools possibly admit students whose interests overlap with those of faculty members but no faculty is working on his focus area? (Like for example, if I mention that I propose to study entrepreneurship of food production firms but no entrepreneurship professor is working on that industry) How do they take into account that students could change their interests later during the program? Could you also please comment on career prospects and etc? Additional Questions: Should I scale back my interest statement and just say I am interested in entrepreneurship of firms? (no mention of food production firms or whatsoever??) At the same time, how do admissions committees appreciate the advanced nature of applicants' research ideas that could easily translate into dissertation topics???? OR Do they prefer applicants with broad interests which overlap with several faculty members'???? OMG....there are a lot of IFs and this is a freaking guessing game!!!! My head is gonna explode!!!!

I am trying to narrow down the list of schools I am applying to. Have you ever heard of the following schools? Any reputation? good or bad? University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Northern Texas University of Oregon (Rank 75) University of Colorado at Boulder (Leeds School of Business) (Rank 64) University of Oklahoma - Price College Georgia State University (47) Should I target only schools within top 100? The thing is that those schools within top 100 have people working on related areas while those outside 100 have faculty expertise in my main focus area (1/2 profs working on my niche)...... How much of fit should I have with faculty when I apply to schools? I have limited amount of money to spend on applications.. I don't want to waste any of it....And I like to apply only if I am sure I have a good level of fit. :( What are the careers prospects for someone who graduated from state universities outside 100? Any input would be much appreciated!!!!

Hi cnrnld, could you please elaborate on why OB seminar is tough? Do I need to prepare really hard for the verbal section? I got 620 (89%) in V and 750 (84%) in Q back in 2007. What kind of score range should I be targeting?

where can I find the concordance table? I got 620 (V), 750 (Q) and 4.5 writing first time around back in 2007. I need to get my Q score as close as possible to 800! :O not sure I can do this.

Hi, I am taking GRE for the second time this month. The first time I took GRE was back in 2007. I would like to clarify one thing - If I send the score reports to school, will they see both scores (from 2007 and 2011) on my report? OR do I have to choose which score I want to report? thanks.

Hi Indus, I just wrote up my research ideas in details. Is there any ways that you could please give me some comments on it? Can I PM you? I decided to apply to schools this year thanks to your encouragement........Should I try to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton or not? I guess my profile wouldn't be as competitive as other applicants and I could spend $300 on other t-20 schools.

Hi Indus, thank you so so much for your helpful suggestions!!!! Should I try to take an organizational behavior course here at my current school in the spring? or should i just focus on my econ classes? Suppose if I have spring and fall semesters to improve my profile, what should i do?

I just found out last year that ob is what I am passionate about. it will be so hard to tell a coherent story in my personal statement though. I am curious how those people with engineering and life science degrees (both BA and Masters) mention why they want to pursue ob.

1. I am using maths in the place of Mathematics. I am not pluralizing it. 2. This year would be too late. most schools have deadlines in dec/jan. I am already busy with freaking core econ classes, and I don't think I have time to prepare personal statement and take GRE. 3. I took GRE back in 2007 when I was applying to Masters programs. I wasn't focusing on any particular section like phd applicants. I got 620 in Verbal and 750 in Quantitative. I believe my scores would go up a lot higher if I take it next summer. 4. I am now 25. Some PhD programs admit people who already have PhD in business and other science areas. I hope I am not too old. 5. Would admission committees would look favorably the grades from Phd econ classes? would they think like If I get a B without sufficient background, I would do better next time around? 6. Any more tips/advice? Thanks!!!!!

Hi, I have an unusual background. I am now in my second-year Geography PhD program at an ivy league, focusing on urban economics (currently taking core micro and econometrics sequences). I have a BA in architecture (GPA 3.71) and a Master of City Planning from an ivy (GPA 3.71). I have done independent capstone research projects both for my BA and MCP. But, as you can guess, I don't have a strong maths background. Undergrad Maths and Econ classes I have taken include one year of calculus(A/A-), intro to probability and statistics(B+), econometrics(A-), intermediate micro and macro (B/B). I want to get out of my Geography program and apply to the Business PhD (Organizational Behavior) program next year. If I give GRE, I could get >650 in Verbal and >770 in Maths. I think I have pretty good research ideas. I am interested in "organizational wholeness" and its implications for the sustainability of the firm. The thing I am worried about is that I am not doing well in my current core econ classes. I think I have to settle for Bs in both advanced micro and econometrics classes. Do you think I have a good chance at top 10? How should I explain my poor performance in econ classes? I realize that most students in the organizational behavior track have come from all sorts of background. How I should leverage my architecture and planning degrees in my application? If I apply next year, I will be already in my third year. I am taking GRE in the summer. Should I be taking any relevant Organizational Behavior classes here at my school in the spring and fall to improve my profile? Any advice would be much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!