Profile Evaluation- Management 2016

[midwest2016]

Hello everyone!

 

A couple of months ago, I decided I really love the study of business

and am looking to enter a PhD program in the fall of 2016. Since I still

have a year to go, I would really appreciate any feedback you guys could give

me on what I could do to improve my application before applying next year. Thanks for your

time and good luck with your applications!

 

Age: 20 (junior in undergrad)

University: Top 20 US, Top 5 Undergrad Business

Majors: Systems Engineering; Entrepreneurship

Minor: Computer Science

GPA: 3.70 (3.8 in Engineering)

GMAT: 730 (49Q/44V); 8 IR: 5.5 Writing

Work Experience:

2 summer internships. One with investment firm and forthcoming

internship as a strategic analyst for a credit card company/bank.

I also started an ATM business that I am running while in school. I have

multiple locations and am profitable. It's been operating about 18 months.

Research Experience: Currently 4 months with Strategy Professor from UC

Berkely. I am hoping to have published something by the fall of next year.

Research Interests: Entrepreneurial Innovation and gaining Competitve Advantage.

specifically how organizational structure, leadership, incentives, and culture play into

these. Also scaling growth effectively.

 

I am really interested in programs like NYU, Michigan, and Duke right now.

 

Any advice or feedback would be much appreciated!

[eventualprof]

I think you got hosed on that overall score of 730. A 49Q, 44V should be higher than that. In any event, it's good that you are starting early. More time is better. I'm in the first year of a program and I have felt behind ever since accepting the offer. Continue to hone your research interests while simultaneously matching them with scholars that could help you develop those ideas into top notch papers. The best school targets will emerge in this process. And if you take the time to do this, you should land at a good place with your competitive profile. It could be Stern, Ross, or Fuqua, but your preferences might change as you develop what you will write about. Be open to that. Best of luck.

[XanthusARES]

I think you got hosed on that overall score of 730. A 49Q, 44V should be higher than that. In any event, it's good that you are starting early. More time is better. I'm in the first year of a program and I have felt behind ever since accepting the offer. Continue to hone your research interests while simultaneously matching them with scholars that could help you develop those ideas into top notch papers. The best school targets will emerge in this process. And if you take the time to do this, you should land at a good place with your competitive profile. It could be Stern, Ross, or Fuqua, but your preferences might change as you develop what you will write about. Be open to that. Best of luck.

 

^This sounds like great advice. As has been stated before we all start with our initial lists containing only top 10 schools, but that changes as we do more research into who is studying what and where. What would really help to set you apart is more research experience. Since you are early in the process, keep on getting involved with research. That is the best thing you can be doing right now. You should also start looking more seriously at schools and finding out what schools offer what you are looking for. This will, hopefully, become more apparent as you read more literature for the previously discussed research. Write down any names that keep on popping up that you find interesting and figure out where they are at. Make a list of schools and go from there. Good luck!

[midwest2016]

Thanks for the responses guys!