arcenciel

Admission Year: 2015 Test Used for Admittance: GRE Test Scores: [ Quant 169 (97%), Verbal 164 (94%)] Undergrad GPA: 3.7 Graduate GPA: N/A Industry Experience: 4 years, market research & sales strategy Research Experience: No academic research experience, but extensive industry research experience Concentration Applied to: Marketing - behavioral Range of Schools Applied: 4 in top 10, 4 in top 20, 2 in top 30 (according to UTD publications) Total Schools Applied To: 1 accepted (1 in top 10); 3 rejected; 2 waitlisted; 4 withdrawn Final Remarks: I think I'm an outlier in that I only began to prepare for PhD in August, took my one and only test in November, and applied to a very narrow range of schools. I do not recommend anyone to prepare the PhD in such a short time... Reasons for acceptance (IMO + Professor Response): 1) High Scores on GRE despite 1 attempt 2) Relatively high GPA at a top undergrad business school 3) Recommendations from 3 Marketing Professors (3 tenured professors- 2 well-published behavioral, 1 quant professor) -I visited them personally and spent half a day discussing about PhD etc. It was a valuable and important time. 4) Specific and well-revised Statement of Purpose -Received advice and feedback from current Marketing PhD students (high school classmates who are in top marketing PhDs currently) 5) Related industry experience -The professors and even current PhD students were very interested at my work experience, as it related to marketing research and direct observation of customers -I highlighted a specific research outcome and additional questions I retrieved from a study I did at work 6) Positive attitude and engagement at interview -I think anyone who would want a PhD would do the same. Though, I really did read 9-10 published journal articles before the interview... To this day, I'm very grateful and humbled for my one and only acceptance.. I remember reading on this forum that it only takes one to make it! I did notice that a lot of applicants received interviews if their GRE/GMAT scores were near perfect, regardless of some shortcomings in other areas. Good luck to all the future applicants... this forum is an awesome community to receive material advice and mental appeasement!

I sat down and spoke with a tenured marketing professor in a top US public university, and he gave me some advice that I feel inclined to share: He told me that during my PhD years and even in assistant professorship, it is important to find collaborators on research. While all PhD students are academically gifted, he said that each person is talented in certain areas (particularly he pointed out three): 1. Great Thinkers - People who are exceptional at coming up with research ideas 2. Great Writers - People who are exceptional at conveying what has been found (Russell Belk as an example) 3. Great Analyzers - People who are exceptional at crafting statistical analyses He said all three are very important but #1 and #2 are more scarce. I've noticed some great writers on this forum though :D Thoughts? :) I wonder how you can find such people though...especially during PhD.

Hello knight44, Apart from needing academic recommendation letters, because of your relatively low undergrad/grad grades, you may get some interviews with over 90 or 95 percentile scores... Many candidates (such as myself) without serious research experience seem to have received interview requests if scores were exceptional. Good luck!

Lol!! My wife told me to buy Godiva chocolates and I turned her down (which didn't go well).. maybe I should re-consider? Well, I have to buy something- only have 2 more days. Thank you card and a gift card of a local restaurant maybe!?

Hello Guys! I've planned to head down to my alma mater and thank my undergrad professors in person for their recommendations. Last time I visited them, I gifted a bottle of red wine from a local vineyard.. it wasn't too expensive. This time I'm thinking about a thank you card, and a gift (nothing extravagant). I don't want them to feel like they're being "paid" for their recommendations or gifted too much as to be a psychological burden, but feel like some thought was put into it. Unfortunately I don't know what they like.. Could somebody help me out on what an appropriate gift would be??? The interesting decision difficulty of gifting to someone you don't know what they like.... haha Or at least share with me your experiences.

I second going for a start-up. You will have your "thrill" and extreme challenges everyday. Been there done that, and actually in the progress of doing one.

Thanks guys- I've been re-thinking about sending in my resignation letter in May, but I think preparing for a PhD and having some fun family time (and grandma/grandpa time for my son) will be better. It seems, the more I learn, the less I know what to do :playful: And advice from those who walked ahead is always assuring.

This thread really helped me as I was also thinking loans, if necessary, with a wife and kid in NYC... Don't know if my savings will last 5 years even though I'm selling my vehicles... On another note, what is the best way to spend the summer before walking into PhD? 1. Enjoy life, travel, and do a little bit of prep studying 2. Work my rear off to save as much as $$ before entering classes 3. Other ideas? Obviously I can't do 1 & 2...

Have you heard back from Columbia yet?

Amazing. Congratulations!!! Go crazy!!

Thank you so much!!!!! I needed it... my family and I went through an extremely rough time in 2014... this really really helps......

Institution Name: Columbia University Concentration: Marketing CB Date of Notification: March 2nd, 2015 Type of Notification: Email Notification: Accept Posted on GradCafe?: Not yet Happy to be admitted to my top choice!!! Great program and people :)

I agree- but the schools that are not sending formal rejections... I guess this is normal? Wonder if they are just waiting it out till everyone decides where to go- Congrats on the 5 admits! Look forward to seeing you next week :)

Hello, As to your reasons for not taking the GRE again, I hope you did not spell that out in your SOP etc.. I can't be sure but the adcom may think it presumptuous or an invalid excuse for an applicant to mention that GRE is unused / not necessary. While most professors probably will not think that GRE/GMAT can measure a person's ability completely, they need some standard to compare applicants. I've been teaching standardized tests for more than 8 years now, and while I think standardized tests can never determine a person's ability fully, I have seen strong correlations on a student's intellectual ability and SAT/ACT scores.. (although, of course, there are outliers). Anyhow, I would strongly suggest that you re-take the GRE/GMAT and apply to at least 10-12 schools. But it's still very early, and I'm also expecting to hear more from all the schools I've submitted my application to (only 1 formal rejection so far). Good luck!

Perhaps that means there are a lot of comparably competitive candidates than last year? and of course, many other factors too...(perhaps all that snow is keeping the East Coast schools a week or two later than usual).

Thank you for this great advice! I've been invited to an on-campus visit (along with a few others) to one of my top choice programs, but am waiting for 2-3 schools which have yet to announce anything to anyone (so it seems on urch / TGC). On another note, how should I dress for this visit? I'm thinking of business casual, no ties.. Or should I be completely formal? Thank you all for your time and willingness to share your insights!

Is the 2015 season of interviews etc. a week or two slower than last year? Or is it just me? Perhaps I should not believe all that is posted on TGC? :hmm: Last year people were accepted a week before my scheduled on-campus visit... Maybe I'm thinking too much about it... lol :wallbash:

Hey lfollis, I remember replying to your profile, saying it would be great to talk to you as our research interests are similar. I guess we are going to be seeing each other in NYC. I hope they will admit more than 1 person for CB.... :D

No emails on rejection, interview, or anything else... Now going through the painful would've should'ves.... Is it better to have no communication than a rejection? Looks like one of my top pick schools (not necessarily top 10) has started to move but I haven't heard anything :(

Whoa. Did anyone else get an email from USC Marshall that your application is "complete"? I was so excited to see an email (whether denied or interview) but it was just a check email... :D Sweating hard.... 10 day business trip next week, so I hope I won't sweat too much.

............................Just realized that my Yale application status is showing "incomplete" on Applyweb................. I didn't take the GMAT, and just the GRE, and it seems the system didn't allow my application to go through... I thought it said "complete" when I checked it last month..... ....Just sent an email to the admissions head...... Wonder if I'm just too late now...? I see interviews are already being sent.... argggghhhh

Amen. While I remember having more time to do things as a single (not necessarily productive things.......:D) , I just can't bear to waste time or be unproductive.. I only get to spend perhaps 2 hours or so in a weekday with my wife and kid, so if I'm not seeing them, I better be making the most of my time. Not looking forward to a 2 week business trip during the first weeks of February...when its potentially interview time! hopefully.....

So...... when do the first rounds of interviews for marketing start???? Hard to wait.

Same with Xanthus- You look quite solid! What kind of researc hare you interested in? I"m applying to several top 30 schools for CB too-

Wow that's some nice stats- haha I was really shooting for a 170-170 on a GRE too- Best of luck, as your research interests seem to quite coincide with mine :)