mindrew

Hello again everyone. I decided to take a break from my econometrics brain bashing to chime in on this interesting topic. On my first day, the other students told me "Grades do not matter... just don't do bad", which obviously made me raise an eyebrow and ask "What do you mean?". My current thought is that grades DO matter only to signal to your department that you are learning what you are supposed to learn. Beyond that, my GPA doesn't seem to matter and nobody seems to care. Expanding on this, I think getting good grades shows that you are putting forth a high amount of effort which makes you a little more deserving of the references you ask for when you hit the market. After all, we should have to earn our references.

I think the fact that you're taking econometrics next semester helps, as long as you do well. I think it's important for you to not only identify your research topics of interest (seems like mostly managerial topics), but your overall preference in methodology as well. If you read enough of the papers that some of the faculty are publishing, you might get a natural sense of what is exciting or boring to you. Some schools do great work in managerial topics, but are very focused in terms of method. Stanford does a lot of analytical and archival studies, but no experimental studies. So if you are interested in doing experiments, then don't apply to Stanford. Emory on the other hand is also highly ranked in managerial topics, but does alot of experimental and some archival studies in managerial topics. So if you're interested in doing analytical work, then don't apply to Emory for managerial topics, or else finding an advisor may be difficult. Remember, you're not only applying to the school/program, you're applying to the faculty who have their own individual interests. Convince them that it's worth it to work with you.

Hello and welcome, Obviously, any increase in GMAT is helpful. I would focus on quant as much as possible since that seems to be your weakest on the GMAT. I hope you took plenty of math courses as undergrad/grad. That seems to help application success as well. For your LORs, I would not be comfortable with just one letter from an academic. Just reach out to your professors and you might be surprised. I certainly was when I contacted my previous professors and can safely say it is the only reason why I am in a program today. Stay away from letters from professionals as much as possible, or have at most one from a professional (I applied with one). Having 2/3 or all of your letters from non-academics for acceptance into PhD program just doesn't sound like it would work. Don't worry too much about the academic research experience. Having research experience does set some applicants apart, but from what I hear most applicants don't have much research experience or the experience is so minimal that it doesn't make that much of a difference. There are of course some outliers, but not much you can do about catching up with them anyways at this point. If you can't fix it, then you can at least focus on fixing other parts of your application. Another thing to improve your profile since you don't have research experience: make sure you expose yourself to major publications in your field of interest. That way you can better communicate in your SOP and you know what you are getting yourself into. I see nothing wrong with reaching out to a coordinator before applying. Receiving communications from future applicants is just part of their job. However, I wouldn't reach out to PhD program coordinators till you know enough about your research interests, and till you can hold a conversation regarding why you are interested in their program. PhD coordinators tend to be busy, and you don't want to be the applicant that wastes their time. They will remember conversations and names. Fall 2015 is still do-able if you have the motivation. GMAT would need to be taken fairly soon. Start thinking about your SOP. Start reaching out to professors like... right after you read this response... go go go.

I agree with Yas on everything. If after checking out the BYU wiki you still want to focus on teaching more than research and still go for a PhD, then I would avoid all top-tier programs since they all focus on research. You would likely be miserable for 5+ years if you end up at a research oriented school when you care more about teaching, and graduating would be difficult, which is a waste of your time. This is why it is a good thing that admissions match you up to the goals of their program. Read up on some recent academic accounting research to get a feel for each major area (Financial, Managerial, Audit, Tax) and for each major method (Analytical, Archival, Experimental) and see which ones you like. If none of the academic research suits you, then from the feel I get when reading research topics you listed, you might want to consider staying in Big 4/Industry in a research related role. Typically there are positions in nearly every large company in the capacity of accounting standards interpretation.

I think this post is interesting. I think one should always consider the negative aspects of nearly any long term decision before jumping in, and imadeit pointed out many things I myself thought of before I applied to programs. Then I asked myself, "How badly do I want this?", and I knew I would try everything I can to make this work before I give up, and probably reach a new level of trying my best, so pretty badly. Definitely don't walk into a PhD program thinking it is going to be a walk in the park. Unless if there is a park on the walk to school... HAHA I kid... "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well" - Theodore Roosevelt

I agree and don't see much value in going for another masters if you know you want to pursue a PhD. I would just apply for PhD programs, especially if your contacts are ready to recommend you to PhD programs.

I think your GPA is fine to apply. By that I mean, I don't think you will be rejected just for your GPA. I know of someone with a GPA similar to yours that got into a top 20 program. Just keep in mind that you will have competition with higher GPAs from top undergrad/grad programs. Either way, nothing you can do about it now. It is best to focus on the other parts of your application to round out the total package. Mostly your GMAT, SOP, and your letters. I think 1 year of work experience is irrelevant. Also, I don't think your participation in CFA and work experience would be seen as a supplement/indicator to quantitative ability. A higher quantitative score on your GMAT is a better indicator compared to CFA/work experience. Even if you have a good quantitative score, a lack of math courses and a low stats grade would still be a hurdle. Be prepared to either catch up or explain to admissions if asked. I don't really know about financial aid/stipend applied to international students. Hopefully someone else does. Other general advice: 1) Obviously, study hard for the GMAT. Obviously the higher score the better. There will be plenty of candidates with 700+ you are competing against. 2) Get great letters of recommendation from professors. Avoid letters of recommendation from work, family, friends, etc. 3) Start thinking about your research interests and statement of purpose if you haven't done so already. Your research interests will greatly impact your application strategy in terms of which programs to apply to. For example, University of Pennsylvania is generally considered a top 20 program for accounting, but would not be highly recommended if you were interested in researching audit topics. It is also typically recommended to apply to schools outside of top 20 as well. A lot of the forum members here are of great help, so keep us posted!

I'm not OB, but will be making general statements about US PhD programs in Business overall. There will be forum members that say age is a factor, and some that say its not. I think age can be a factor, depending on the school and program. However even if it was, it shouldn't stop you from trying if that is what you really want, so let's throw out the age factor. My biggest concern is your purpose for applying to a PhD Program, which seems to be teaching. This will probably be a concern for adcoms (admission committees) as well. Please keep in mind that you do not need a PhD to teach at the university level. Nearly all universities hire lecturers that do not have PhD credentials. Your intent for pursuing a PhD should be first and foremost the academic research. If you still would like to apply after reconsideration and knowing a PhD is about research, you might want to change your RL strategy (also referred to as letters or LOR). Most applicants will have 3 strong letters from academics/professors. Some will apply with 2 letters from professors and 1 from their workplace and still get in. I do not know of any applicants getting accepted with less than 2 strong letters from professors. The reason being a professor can speak best on your academic research potential and have the qualifications to do so. The recommendation of managers/supervisors/clients will matter less for a PhD adcom. Those kinds of letters are more suited for MBA applications where the focus is generally on practice, and not academic research. My advice is to contact any professors you know in OB and discuss your situation. They may provide better guidance on if a PhD is really for you, or if you should go the lecturer route.

In this case, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain just by asking your professor. If the professor says he/she can't provide a strong letter then you're fine since you already mentioned you have 3 good letters. Worst case, he/she says no. Best case, you have a back-up letter or a letter that is even stronger than the ones you secured. In my personal experience, even the professors that told me they can't provide a great letter were more than happy to be available to discuss PhD programs with me.

The answer to your question is actually complex. However I will try my best to provide a general/broad response that hopefully gives you some insight. Financial Archival research is generally more popular because of the significance it has in testing our capital markets in terms of asset pricing, the impact of financial accounting regulation and disclosure, and market efficiency. These are huge fields and have a lot of interest in the academic (and regulatory) community. I would say financial research is also more popular than tax/audit/managerial/IS because of the large amount of observations/data points available (market prices, financials, analyst estimates, etc.). Overall, experimental is relatively new when compared to financial archival / empirical capital market research. A lot of the early experimental research was dismissed due a number of things, including a lack of psychological/economic theory to support, and the belief that individual behavior was irrelevant in a market setting. There also was just not a large enough experimental research community focused on accounting issues. It wasn't really until around the mid-90s that experimental accounting research started to pick up more. This is possibly due to an increase in literature on market inefficiencies that led to the academic community to accept the significance of individual behavior, and an increase in academic literature in the area of experimental economics. If you would like more, it would be good to look into a history of accounting research.

Agree with rsaylors and YaS. How to generate the best lifetime income in the Accounting PhD Research Field: be a top ranked researcher in your field of interest. How to increase the chances of being a top ranked researcher in your field of interest: research a field you are actually interested in. There probably are differences in the salary, job opportunities, and chances of tenure. I think it is important to think about these things for your career because lets face it, very few people would vest the time into a PhD program if they knew there was no job opportunities coming out of it. Luckily you won't have to think too much about it! If you get into good Accounting PhD program then the job prospects are good. The money is not CEO/CFO money, but I hope that's not what you're looking for. I'm sure you're asking out of curiosity, and not because you think you can be successful at any/all areas of research and plan on choosing the one with the best lifetime income. If not, then please stop and rethink.

At this point, I wouldn't be concerned if the graduate level econ course builds on topics you may or may not already know. I would actually be more concerned with making good grades in any graduate level econ/math classes during your MAcc. Just my opinion. This might be more of an application strategy issue than long term academic career issue? Can't really put on your transcript "Got an A, and actually fully grasped the material that actually builds upon stuff I learned in other courses" when submitting to the adcoms. Let a good grade in a graduate level econ course speak for itself on your app, whether or not you actually learned a lot, and whether or not you actually fully grasped the material. If admitted to a PhD program and going the archival route, you will absolutely see more economics, econometrics, statistics, probability theory, etc. You'll have plenty of material to fully grasp around then. And from what I have been told, and read in previous posts, during the PhD program is around when you start convincing yourself to worry less about the grade and more about the material... but apparently there's a balance to that too...

So eager! First I'd see if its even a possibility for you to enroll in a graduate level econ class as a MAcc student. Then consider doing the extra work :P

As ready as you make yourself out to be :P I'd pick up a typical graduate level micro book and just do your best to work through it. If you can grasp it without instruction then you should be able to go into a class and have it taught to you easily enough. Recommended textbooks are Microeconomic Analysis by Varian, Microecnomic Theory by Mas-Colell, or A Course in Microeconomic Theory by Kreps. All are pretty widely used. I bought an international version of one for about $14 USD. People have their opinions on which is best. I found two professors that teach graduate level Microeconomic Theory 1A at Ohio State and their posted syllabus (syllabi? syllabusses? whatever.. I'll learn it when I'm an actual professor). Their required text is Mas-Colell, and they both list Varian as supplemental. One lists Kreps as another supplemental. But definitely do it only if you can handle it. I think most applicants go in with just upper division undergrad. Graduate economics courses might set you apart a bit if your course load allows.

PHD Comics: PhD Widows [ATTACH=CONFIG]6962[/ATTACH] hehe

I think a 3rd score is not worthwhile unless if you magically break into the 51+. It also depends on which programs / research interest you have. If you're going for Analytical research at Stanford, MIT, etc. then you're going to have some tough competition. If you're going for Archival research anywhere, then I think you are fine as long as you supplement your MAcc program with good math courses as you are planning to do. There were members here that got into good Archival research schools with a Q48. Just be aware that you will compete against people who probably did get higher Q scores, but you could put together a better overall application. So write a great SOP and start getting faculty at Ohio State to like you enough during your MAcc to write you letters! If you're going for Behavioral research then you're fine with a Q48. I wouldn't worry too much about your GMAT. Your total score is good. Maybe reading Blackwell's post on test scores will help put you at ease, or stress you out more depending on how you read it. :) http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-business/150634-percentiles-tier-1-program.html Your overall profile seems pretty solid. If available through your MAcc program, I would attempt to do a graduate level eco course or just something extra that is out of the norm. I think any school, no matter the research area, would appreciate a strong economics background. The undergraduate intro mico/macro and undergraduate intermediate is pretty standard for applicants.

I agree. I would look at next year and focus on putting together a good application package. Also zerohour, I find some humor in your name and the fact that you're trying to apply for Fall 2014 at this point. Can't help it.

I used the default 2011 - 2014 period. Also agree with myndfood that the more recent timeframe should be used for the same reasons.

FYI. Austin is weird. But in a "Oh my Gee... did I just see that?" good kind of way.

UT! However, I am biased as Alumni. I think both are close enough in finance rankings, at least in my opinion, to not matter in your decision. The UT Dallas rankings has them ranked 12th (Rochester) and 13th (UT) when selecting the three finance journals their system uses. ASU rankings includes a fourth journal (Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis), and has them ranked (through 2012) at 13th (UT) and 23rd (Rochester). I think that is close enough to say okay, they are both research productive enough. I suggest you make your decision based off of research fit and how well you connected with their faculty rather than placement record :)

I agree. Ask and you shall receive. Just beware you may not like what you hear, or it may make the rest of your week awesome.

Thank you for pointing that out! Didn't know the X240 has the better display choices. Definitely a good choice for Lenovo customers.

A useful resource for those thinking about shipping their car: Transport Reviews.com - Ratings and Reviews of Auto Transport Companies - Your Source For Finding a Quality Auto Transporter! It can provide an average cost to ship your car between states. This is done by filling in your origin state and destination state in the area labeled "View Auto Transporters By" on the "Origin and Destination" selection (At the time of this post, its at the middle of the website below the recent reviews section). The information is "customer reported", so not the most accurate, but should provide some baseline. Or at the least, it can provide a solid list of vehicle shipping companies for you to call and get a quote from.

It does have a nice build and a good design, however I personally think it is overpriced. You can get more elsewhere for the money.

Also the T440 and T440s have Power Bridge in case you want something different. Not quite the same battery life as the X240 but close. There are also a few differences between the three. The most notable to me is the displays. The X240 has a 12.5" display w/ HD resolution (1366 x 768) and not IPS which sucks to me. The T440 has up to a 14" display w/ HD+ resolution (1600 x 900) and not IPS. The T440s has up to a 14" IPS display w/ FHD resolution (1920 x 1080). For Mac users, the Macbook Air is pretty darn good. Even the Macbook Pro is sufficient for most users. The exception is if you have the go the entire day without being able to plug in somewhere.