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Been awhile since I've been here, but I had amazingly got admittance and joined a PHD a few year back. Unfortunately I left after a year due to many issues including family illness but also issues with some faculty and having my desired research area changed. While I was excited and loved the program I was not fully prepared for what it entailed and when I started getting pushed into a different research area I wasn't in a position to fight or adapt so I left. I did not get close to any professors while there or keep in touch with them sadly since I was so stressed. Quitting the program was ultimately for the best since I was able to help care for my guardian and be with them when they passed 8 months after I left but going back has been on my mind ever since, I want to reapply and try again for a PhD but I'm not sure how to handle the fact that I left one already and also how to get new LORs. I had already struggled the first time and now I'm almost 10 years out of undergrad. I was wondering if I can ask my previous recommenders to be one again or if it would be weird. Also how do I address my leaving in my SOP and is it bad I don't have a rec from my prior program.

I drafted this letter by myself for my teacher. I have low grades in my theory classes in college. Can you please assess the strength and authenticity of this LOR? --- I will never forget how S solved a security problem in a poll application using bar security as an analogy. It was then that I discovered S's mental capabilities. It felt invigorating to find students engineer solutions through non-technical analysis. His tools were a pen, a piece of paper, and penetrating questions. That triggered an interest within me in guiding him to cultivate such skills. I believe every student needs a hook to pull themselves into the skies. So, after he solved the issue, I directed him by giving him technical concepts designed as purposeful problems to solve. As I had calculated, he could grab on to the solution rapidly. I have encountered him being fixated on an issue several times, forgetting the world outside. Looking at his approach to solving each problem, I knew S had creative thought processes. As I expected, it was not long before he started challenging me with concepts he had discovered. I decided to guide him for his final year project on captcha technology. I directed him to choose the project through self-exploration by asking himself what problems frustrated him and how he would solve them had he been the developer. Again, it was not long before he returned to me with his answer, but he brought along with him the POC. I remember the project inspectors highly appreciating the topic because of its common-day problem-solving nature. S always had an eye for the business perspective. He could swiftly find a use for any particular concept. He always comes up with the right questions, which I find challenging to invoke within the students. I am confident that S has astounding capabilities to achieve anything he sets his mind on. I'm proud to have been one of the hooks for S, and I'm sure you will be too if you admit him.

Hello, I'm in a bit of a trouble as of now because I haven't gotten any answer from one of my letter writers. Long story made short; I did an MSc in Econ at a top European department, I didn't excel in everything, but I managed to get some really good grades in a few classes. Because of this, three professors agreed to write LoRs for me for the PhD application process. I talked to them in April, and then tried re-confirm and set up the details in August. Two of them already said yes, however one of them hasn't answered any of my e-mails (I'm not in Europe anymore, which obviously complicates things). Now, this last professor is fairly famous and therefore really busy, so it might very well be that he hasn't had time to read any of my e-mails. However, since I didn't get any answer back, I contacted his assistant, who in turn forwarded my e-mail to him. So I can almost be 100% certain that he read it and actively decided to ignore it. His assistant also told me to call him at one particular time, because he would be at his office, but I couldn't reach him via phone either. Now naturally, given that he is the most famous one of my recommenders, I really need his letter. What baffles me is that he was super nice when we spoke in April and said he'd gladly write the letter. And, while I understand that he is insanely busy, an answer of the type: "I've read your e-mail, I'm pretty busy atm, we'll arrange the details later" would be enough. I would like to know if anybody has been in a similiar situation or if anybody has some suggestions about what course of action to follow. I don't want to pester him with e-mails and calls, in case that makes him say he won't write the letter anymore. But I also don't want a lot of time to pass and then two weeks before deadlines, have him say he doesn't have time to do it, or he'll simply won't do it. Any advice/comment is welcome. Thanks a lot! Cheers!

Hey everybody, I am thinking about applying to the master program in finance at BGSE. I have an undergraduate degree in Math, and will have a masters degree in Economics in July.(two years masters degree in a European country) The university where I did my masters is one of the best in my country but not well known in Europe, but my profesors all graduated from USA. I still have the feeling that I am not ready for Phd in the Usa. I have a good mathematical background, also programming skills. My courses in the master program: micro, macro, econometrics, time series, international trade theory and politics, International Monetary Theory And Policies, Growth Theory, Development Economics and my thesis subject is about USA. I am interested in macro, econometrics, development, growth, financial economics. Since I will have a degree in economics, I will apply to the finance program. But I still want to take some courses from economics program. How many courses can I take in one semester at BGSE? I am planning to take 4-5 courses per semester. Besides the core finance courses, I want to take macro or econometrics or growth courses. Do you guys think it is manageble to take 4 or 5 courses in a semester? My other question is about applying to Phd programs in the USA. Most of the programs have deadlines in December. So can I take letter of recommendation in December, in three months? I will be 25 years old when I finish the program and I do not want to wait for a year! Have you guys heard anyone who succeded to get an admission after there months at BGSE? It seems that I would even not get the results of the exams in December. The other problem is that there is almost no time to apply the Phd programs whose deadlines are in January. I have the felling that my profile is not enough for a top-30 school. By the wayI can get good lor at any time from my profs now. I may do like this: I may begin the BGSE (if I am accepted!), use its reputation and lors of my profs now. I do not waht to do! I am looking forward your comments. Thanks

Hello all, Letters of recommendation is a very important part of your application. I already know that you must choose someone who knows you very well and can write a good letter of recommendation for you. I already decided one of the professors who will recommend me, he is very well known in the area (strategy), has a good CV, and I had a good performance on his class. I am positive that he is willing to write the recommendation letters for me. I was very sure about which other professors I should choose to get a recommendation letter, however I am scared that I might be choosing the wrong professors. Can you please give me an advice if I should pick them? There are the profiles: The second professor: I attended two classes with her during the second semester (I had a personal hardship during that period) and wasn't able to perform well. I got a B and B- in her classes, however in the fourth semester after talking with her she picked me to work as a research assistant. I worked with her the entire semester, and she said I had a good performance. I spoke with her, explained my situation in the second semester and I told her about my plans of getting a PhD in 2013. She was very keen while giving me advices and she said I could always contact her if I needed something. I am sure she will be willing to write me a recommendation letter however I am concerned with the grades I had with her. The third professor: She is more connected with marketing rather than strategy (the area where I pretend to specialize). I had an average grade with her (B) since I missed three of her classes (I missed my flight and had to wait, she said she understood but she was still going to deduct from my grade). I had an excellent performance in her class, was always active and had very good grades on my written assignments. I believe she has a good impression over me, but I am not sure she will be willing to write me a recommendation letter. I have other options, however they are not connected with the field (one is a psychologist studying family business, I got a very good grade with him and he has a good impression over me, however I didn't have too much face-to-face interaction) and I am not sure if this will have an impact over my applications? What should I do? Thank you