Thurston

Thank you all very much for the feedback. I think the right thing to do now is put some time into reading the academic journals in different specialties, and see which disciplines and sub-disciplines spark the most interest for me. If I have a pretty good answer to that by application time, I can focus on MS programs in that specialty. If not, I'll have to just apply to MBA programs, and use those two years to refine my interests and push for research experience. Thanks again.

In all honesty, I am still feeling that out, which leads me to believe that I should spend a year or two on a Masters or as a research assistant before I bite off a PhD in a field that I don't fully understand. Given my background, Management, Strategy, or OB would probably make the most sense. Having majored in Econ, either Business Economics or Finance seem pretty natural as well. I have zero experience in Marketing or Accounting, but am still reading through some journal articles before I rule them out. So in short: I don't know yet. I recognize this is something that I need to sort out, and that advice will be somewhat more limited until I do. Thank you for the help.

First off, I would like to thank everyone in advance for their time and their consideration. I have been lurking on the forum for a few months now, taking in as much information as I can, and I have to say that this is one of the most helpful and civilized corners of the internet. I am finishing up my time in the US military within the next year, and looking to apply to Business School for Fall 2015. I've spent the last 6 years in a very selective and technologically advanced branch of the military, including two years stationed overseas, where I have managed to pick up decent skills in the local language. I will have spent the last year working for a General/Admiral who knows me personally. He can write one of my letters of recommendation if that would be helpful. The problem is that, while I believe I could put together a very solid MBA application, I think getting a PhD in Business and going into academia would be a much better fit to my personality and interests than becoming a consultant or going to work on Wall St. Details below: Age: 30 Undergrad: double major, BS in Econ (theoretical track) and BA in Political Science, minors in Math and Business. Went to a middle-of-the-road state school. Undergrad GPA: 3.37 overall, 3.79 in Econ courses GMAT: 760 overall (99%), Q 50 (89%), V 41 (93%), IR 6 (67%), AWA 4.5 (45%). I clearly put more time and practice into the Quant and Verbal sections, and messed up the pacing on IR. I'm considering retaking it to raise the AWA grade, but I also think that my essays submitted to the school will count for much more than random essays submitted to GMAC and graded by a computer. Undergrad-level Math: Calculus 1, 2, and 3, Linear Algebra, Intro to Rigor, and Real Analysis I. 3.16 Math GPA (got a D in Multivariable Calculus, everything else B or above) Recommendation: I've kept in touch with some of my professors, but I've been out of school for 7 years now, and none of them are widely known. Can get some impressive professional letters, but I don't think they will help that much. Teaching/Research/Publication: None. Currently taking courses through UIUC's Netmath program, partly to raise my Undergrad and Math GPAs, and partly to show that I am a much better and more mature student now than I was before entering the military. Plan to take at least Calc 1, 2, and 3. I definitely need to show that the D in Calc 3 is not representative. I'm only halfway through Calc 1 so far, but have been maintaining a 4.0 in it. The obstacles I see are the following: -Mediocre GPA from a mediocre school. I am hoping that the UIUC Netmath courses will dilute the influence of this. -No research experience, and no real prospect of getting any outside of a formal program. -Academic LORs will not be from anyone widely known in the community. -Research interests are not clearly defined yet. I have started reading articles from various journals to narrow this down, but so far I'm still in the, "Hey, this all seems pretty interesting" stage. All of that said, would it make more sense to apply directly to a PhD program for Fall 2015, or to do a Masters of some sort beforehand and apply two years down the road? Obviously an MBA doesn't prepare you for a PhD, but it would put me in contact with professors who can vouch for me, particularly if I get into a top school, and thus get me much better letters of recommendation than I can muster now. It would also give me the chance to clarify my research interests, refamiliarize myself with the world of business, and give me a consolation prize in case I can't make it into a PhD program. Alternatively, would there be more value in trying to go with something like Stanford's Research Fellows Program? This would be much more similar to a PhD, would give me research experience, and even-more relevant LORs, but wouldn't really give me a backup plan if I can't get into a PhD. Or is there some other Masters program that would be a more useful segue into a PhD? Thank you for any information you are able to provide, and I appreciate all of the help.