Simma

Just several thoughts off the top of my head. - Your corporate experience would definitely help, but I am worried that the lack of any calculus / linear algebra background would raise a red flag. That background is needed not just for getting admission, but also for your survival in the program. You are highly likely to struggle in the first-year econ sequences without that knowledge, and even more so in high-ranked schools. - The schools on your list are, without any exception, within top 30. Admission to these schools is very competitive. Although your profile looks solid, there are still some weaknesses in your profile. Thus I strongly recommend broadening the list of schools. - Once you get accepted at somewhere, you should make sure that you study the math and, if time permits, some basic statistics / econometrics. I can assure you that it will pay a long dividend. My advice is not comprehensive. I hope someone who is more experienced and knowledgeable can chip in.

I am so sorry to hear that. As a fellow applicant in this season, I can totally sympathize with your frustration. I second the two points made by YaS. With regard to the first point, I would like to share my own experiences. About a week ago, I sent status update requests to several schools from which I had heard nothing. Two of them kindly informed me that I was on their shortlists and that they would consider me if their first-round offers be declined. In fact, one of the PhD coordinators wanted to have a phone call with me, so we talked for about 15 mins--he said that I was very high on his shortlist and thus that he was happy when he heard from me. My bottom line is that you might still be on the shortlists at some schools and that it can help boost your chances if you email them and show your interest. I also agree with the second point. I am an international as well. I am from a country where English is never a medium of daily conversation. This language barrier is very frustrating, but we should neverthelss keep trying to hone our English skills. Their importance cannot be too emphasized. It can only help when we improve our English, especially spoken English.

Thank you for the information. I was curious because it's one of the schools I am enthusiastic about.

Does anyone know if BC Accounting has sent out interview invitations?

Thanks. It's just over, and I think it went okay. It was a short one--only 15 mins. The email said that the purpose of the interview would be to answer any questions I might have about the program, so I focused my preparation on coming up with informed questions about the program. The interview, however, ended up me answering the questions they had on me, so that was a little embrassing. Nevertheless, I think I did fine :) Now I gotta wait and see if they also liked my interview hahaha

Hi guys, I am applying to the accounting PhD program this year, and today my first interview is scheduled. This is kinda scary but at the same time super exciting! Although I still do not know what the future holds for me, I just wanted to thank those Urchians who helped me through this application process. I benefited tremendously from their help. Thank you guys!

Accgirl and Xanthus, Thank you for your answers. I knew that there exist some cultural differences between the U.S. and my country, so I wanted to check. Again, thank you for the answers!

tm_associate, Thank you for your quick and friendly answer. I am afraid, however, that my question was not about holding an offer all the way until April. I was asking about holding an offer just for a relatively short period of time (e.g., one week) and then declining. I was wondering if it might upset the committee members of the school I rejected and make them develop a bad impression of me. I am an international, so my point might not have been very clear on my initial post. Or what if I withdraw early from a school? Would it hurt their impression of me?

Hi. I am an applicant this year, and I have a question regarding the admissions process. I am wondering if there is any possibility that declining an offer from a school might leave a negative impression of me on the faculty at that school. I know that this would be the case if I, for example, receive an offer in late January and hold it all the way until early April before I finally decide not to go. What I want to know is whether declining an offer can still be harmful if I notify the school promptly (e.g., within a week after receiving the offer). Thank you, and hope you all enjoy your New Year's Eve!

Hi. I am a fellow accounting applicant this year. Probably I am not as knowledgeable as other more experienced people on this forum, so please take my comments with a grain of salt. Answers to your concerns 1. Methodological prepration appears to be your biggest weakness. Also your GMAT quant score is not good enough to alleviate this concern. You definitely want to address this issue somewhere in your application package. I am not sure if that somewhere necessarily needs to be your SOP, but it sounds okay. 3, 4. IMHO, you look somewhat peculiar compared to other candidates. You worked as the CFO in a start-up company. It sounds cool to me, but I wonder if business professors will view it as a really strong and meaningful work experience. You also have some research experience, but they do not look very solid. My hunch is that a lot depends on how you weave them altogether in your SOP. If you can convincingly elaborate on what you have learned from your work and research experiences and how they can help you produce better accounting research, then I believe you have a shot at most schools except the top-tier ones. You already have the required GMAT score and GPA to pass the initial cut-off at most schools. The remaining part of the admissions process is determined by your more qualitative aspects. Those schools you listed look okay to me. 2. My answer to this question relates to my previous answer. Your choice of the third letter writer can be a way for you to put emphasis on a certain part of your past experience over the other. My suggestion is that when you are applying to the type of schools that value work experience more, you can get the letter from your boss. Other times when you are applying to the schools that solely focus on research potential and capability, you can land the letter from the marketing professor. The marketing research experience apparently does not bear much relevance to accounting research, but if your professor can explain in more detail your responsiblities such as reading financial statements and disclosures, then I feel it does convey some meaningful signal. Again, please take my opinions with a grain of salt. Hope other experts on this forum can point out any wrong comments that I made and give you more helpful advice. I just wanted to help you at least a little because there were no comments yet. Good luck on your application!