SEEKING A PROFILE EVALUATION (for FALL 2016 ENTRY)?? (PLEASE POST HERE)

[efust001]

Efust001

 

Test Scores (GMAT): 660 (Q 45, V 36, IR 5, Writing 5)

Age: 26

Undegrad GPA: 3.87 (Bachelor's in Accounting at Florida International University)

Graduate GPA: 4.0 (Master's In Accounting at Florida International University)

Research Experience: None

Teaching Experience: None

Work Experience: 1 year (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as an Assurance Associate - Auditor)

 

Concentration Applying to: Accounting (Preferably empirical financial accounting research)

Number of programs planned to apply to: Around 15

Dream Schools: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and University of Houston

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: My passion to read research papers during my Master's program and discuss those papers after class with my professors (drawbacks of the paper, further areas of research, contribution to the research community, etc.). I also enjoyed and excelled at class presentations. Finally, I provided accounting tutoring for a friend that was failing his accounting courses. He learned how to properly study for his accounting courses and received his diploma a couple of years later.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: My GMAT score is not so high. However, I spent a year and a half preparing for the GMAT. I also have no research experience.

 

Any additional specific questions you may have:

 

1. What type of schools would I be competitive for based on my profile? (Thinking about some local schools as well like Florida International University and University of Miami)

 

2. Are there any specific courses I need to take to BEFORE entering a PhD program that falls outside the range of a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting?

[YaSvoboden]

FIU may be a good school to target. 660 is low and that quant score worries me.

 

The desire to read and discuss academic papers is a great thing though.

 

UNC is not realistic with that score, but that shouldn't stop you from pursuing this.

 

You need Calc 1,2,3, linear algebra, econometrics, stats classes, and up through intermediate micro economics. Of course you can apply with less and be successful, but I would strongly recommend these courses. I bet doing this may will help that gmat score a little too.

[obhrphd16]

Does anybody have any thoughts on bobthebuilder's profile or mine? Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

[evergreen]

OBHR:

Your undergrad GPA is a bit low and will hurt you.

Your GMAT score is decent (not outstanding, but it does pass the bar), should alleviate some concerns about the low undergrad GPA.

Your research experience sounds good, better if the working papers are in your area of interest.

 

I think your dream schools might be a bit of a stretch with your undergrad GPA, but still if they are your dream schools definitely still give them a shot.

 

Strong LORs will help you a lot, especially if those writers are known in your field.

[evergreen]

BobtheBuilder:

GRE score is okay, usually you like to see either the V or the Q (or both) in the 90th percentile or higher.

Age is fine, shouldn't be a concern either way.

Undergrad GPA is obviously good.

Your research experience sounds good! 6 years of research experience...!

 

I think overall you have a good profile (up that GRE and I would say "very good").

You're young, I would recommend you up your GRE score or write the GMAT, it could make a significant difference.

I think your targeting of schools is good.

 

Not in OB Micro so can't recommend specific schools.

[obhrphd16]

OBHR:

Your undergrad GPA is a bit low and will hurt you.

Your GMAT score is decent (not outstanding, but it does pass the bar), should alleviate some concerns about the low undergrad GPA.

Your research experience sounds good, better if the working papers are in your area of interest.

 

I think your dream schools might be a bit of a stretch with your undergrad GPA, but still if they are your dream schools definitely still give them a shot.

 

Strong LORs will help you a lot, especially if those writers are known in your field.

 

Evergreen,

 

Thanks for the feedback. The papers I am working on are in my area of interest. My undergrad GPA is low because I was an apathetic journalism major my first two years before switching to Accounting and getting all A's until my last semester where I performed poorly again because I was already working almost full time at my post grad job. There is a clear pattern on my transcript. In your experience, do ad coms look that closely at transcripts? Or will they simply discard the application before getting that far due to the low GPA? I was planning on trying to explain but not make excuses for the low undergrad GPA and I was hoping my grad GPA would offset it some. Any additional feedback is appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[HorsesInVA]

Depending on the school and depending on your rec. letters they might help. Most GPAs are used as threshold cut offs unless you have a great rec. letter explaining the situation. But the thing is you're switching from Accounting to OB, which raises some question marks. Most micro-OB applicants come out of psych programs or behavioral lab experiences which is what might have boosted your application. None of this disqualifies you, but it does make it harder. I'd recommend getting your letters to do some of this background explaining for you.

[HorsesInVA]

(GMAT/GRE): GRE: 160 V (85%) 162 Q (83%) 5 Writing (93%)

Age: 22 by the time I would start

Undegrad GPA: 4.0 in Psychology, with a management minor from large top 40 university

Research Experience: By graduation: 3+ years with one professor, plus independent thesis. 3 years with applied/research based projects with second professor. 3 years with a third professor from different institution.

Work Experience: Human Capital (or related) Consulting Internship with Big 4. Performance Management internship with another large company

 

Concentration Applying to: Org Behavior (Micro)/Management

Number of programs planned to apply to: 15.

2-3 T10, 5-7 T 25, the rest T 50

 

Interests: emotions, ethics, leadership (no particular order)

Also, power, trust, motivation

Concerns you have about your profile: GRE scores, age, no large conference presentations (albeit still an undergrad)

 

Any additional specific questions you may have: What kind of schools should I be targeting? Any suggestions of specific schools to look at?

 

Honestly, if you can just get the GRE score up, you'd be a super strong candidate in the coming year. Assuming your score does go into 165+ range, I'd focus exclusively in T25 programs or better. Also the age thing isn't really an issue for micro folks.

[evergreen]

@obhr

I echo what Horses said; before anyone looks for deeper trends, you need to make it past the rough cut, and there you might have some problems with a 3.2. However, at most schools your GMAT will get you past that initial round, and if your letter writers can make some calls, at other schools, their recommendation will help, too.

Your MBA GPA is nice, but at the same time, most schools know that grad level GPAs are really inflated, so it's not as good of a signal as undergrad GPA.

At this point, I would just apply widely, and where your letter writers know someone, I would have them reach out and explain your situation.

 

If you make it to the list of people who are being considered for interviews, then there, an explanation for your grades, might work, although I echo Horses in that it might be better coming from one of your letter writers.

[bobthebuilder]

Honestly, if you can just get the GRE score up, you'd be a super strong candidate in the coming year. Assuming your score does go into 165+ range, I'd focus exclusively in T25 programs or better. Also the age thing isn't really an issue for micro folks.

 

I really really appreciate your feedback. Quick question, when you are referring to T25 programs, is that by the UT Dallas business school rankings, Texas A&M management productivity rankings, or a different source? Some schools on these rankings can vary fairly dramatically from what I've seen. I've seen users on this forum use both so I'm not quite sure.

[XanthusARES]

I really really appreciate your feedback. Quick question, when you are referring to T25 programs, is that by the UT Dallas business school rankings, Texas A&M management productivity rankings, or a different source? Some schools on these rankings can vary fairly dramatically from what I've seen. I've seen users on this forum use both so I'm not quite sure.

 

Most people on here who use terms like T25 and such, don't actually mean a physical literal ranking. What it means is that there are a list of about 35 or so schools for each major which people would consider to be the top 25. We don't (or at least I don't) have UTD's list memorized, nor do I reference it when making recommendations. Rather we use terms like T50, T25, T10 as proxy's for your profile strength.

 

For a more thorough explanation of what I mean (and a few of my fellow urchins agree with) please check out this link (http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-business/153608-school-rankings.html).

 

The short version is this. If you are questioning whether a school is in the T10, it isn't. Everyone has at least heard of the universities in the T25, although they are not as prestigious at the T10. In the T50, there are some programs which not everyone knows, but everyone within your field will know them. In the T100, there are some schools that a few people will be surprised to hear have a PhD program.

[XanthusARES]

Quick aside for those applying. Every program, every single one, that is AACSB accredited will provide you with a great education and training required to get you a shot at a TT position in your field. There is no shame in going to a lower ranked program. While there are certainly benefits to going to higher ranked programs, any AACSB accredited institution will get you where you need to be. Don't let us, or anyone else, make you feel anything less than extreme pride and overwhelming joy for getting into a PhD program. It's a huge accomplishment at any level.

[HorsesInVA]

I really really appreciate your feedback. Quick question, when you are referring to T25 programs, is that by the UT Dallas business school rankings, Texas A&M management productivity rankings, or a different source? Some schools on these rankings can vary fairly dramatically from what I've seen. I've seen users on this forum use both so I'm not quite sure.

 

The guy with the pipe has the right idea. I've actually not looked at either of the Texas measures for a long time and basically when I say top 10, top 25, or top 50 it's more like, top 10 = Your dream schools, top 25 = top 10 + schools you consider good, Top 50 = top 25 + schools you may have to think for a moment about who they are, top 100 = top 50 + schools you end up googling. The only difference between this standard and Prof. X's is top N is whatever you think it is. In all likelihood, if we had to poll people here, there's high correlation among of the top 25 since there's a lot of self-selection issues for people applying to PhD programs in B-schools, but we all have our quirks.

 

Personal example, that came up at an awkward AOM discussion. Someone mentioned Yale SOM as a top 10 program and Michigan State is a top 25, I thought they got it backwards. Silence ensued...

[obhrphd16]

Thanks for the feedback horses and evergreen. It's very helpful to get honest feedback as opposed to the standard information on the university websites.

[efust001]

FIU may be a good school to target. 660 is low and that quant score worries me.

 

The desire to read and discuss academic papers is a great thing though.

 

UNC is not realistic with that score, but that shouldn't stop you from pursuing this.

 

You need Calc 1,2,3, linear algebra, econometrics, stats classes, and up through intermediate micro economics. Of course you can apply with less and be successful, but I would strongly recommend these courses. I bet doing this may will help that gmat score a little too.

 

Thank you very much for your advice. I had posted my profile on another website, and had not received a single reply for over a month. I have been spending my time reading research papers and developing my research topic(s) for the statement of purpose. I do realistically believe that targeting a lower ranked program like FIU is a good idea, and I plan to do so. Thank you for your advice. However, a couple of dream schools like UNC are not bad to apply to. Never hurts I think.

 

If possible, can you specify what type of stats classes I would need to take? I remember taking Stats for Business, and an Advanced Statistics class as well.

 

Also, I would like to know if I would need to take all of those courses BEFORE starting a PhD program or are some courses higher priority than others? I did take Calc for Business and Intermediate Macro. Maybe linear algebra as well.

 

 

I ask about the courses because I have about a year before August 2016 (the start of Fall 2016). Thank you again.

[efust001]

Quick aside for those applying. Every program, every single one, that is AACSB accredited will provide you with a great education and training required to get you a shot at a TT position in your field. There is no shame in going to a lower ranked program. While there are certainly benefits to going to higher ranked programs, any AACSB accredited institution will get you where you need to be. Don't let us, or anyone else, make you feel anything less than extreme pride and overwhelming joy for getting into a PhD program. It's a huge accomplishment at any level.

 

I really appreciate your words. It means a lot to hear that a lower ranked program is not such a bad thing. Any program I will apply to is AACSB accredited, and it is encouraging to know that I will receive a valuable education from these schools. It is honestly what I really look forward to. I will take your advice to heart.

[sirhawk]

Hi guys, I'd like to apply for a Phd in Finance this year and I was wondering whether you could evaluate my profile. I would also consider applying to some Ms in Finance in the US if that were to improve my chances of being admitted into a top program the following year.

 

Type of Undergrad: B.Sc. Finance from a top Spanish University. I also studied abroad in the US for a year.

 

Undergrad GPA: 9.4/10, Ranked 1st. GPA from my year abroad: 4.0/4.0

 

Type of Grad: 2-years Ms. in Economics and Finance at a top European School.

 

Grad GPA: 14.2/20, Magna Cum Laude.

 

GMAT: Will take it in a couple months, I'm hoping to get around 700-750.

 

TOEFL: Scored 107 a couple years ago, so it should be in that range.

 

Letters of Recommendation: They are from three professors that know me really good and will speak great about me, but they aren't well known. The three of them are from my undergrad; two from my home university and one from the year I spent in the US.

 

Research Experience: Not very common around here, so I would say I have none. I got an scholarship from the Ministry to do some research with my recommender though, which eventually turned out to be my senior thesis. Nothing impressive.

 

Teaching Experience: Just graded some tests for a professor while in undergrad, so it does not really count.

 

Work Experience: Two Interships: One month as a Fixed Income Fund Manager Assistant at a BB; eight months as an Intern in the Ministry of Economy (not very finance related though). I've been working full time for around 15 months in risk management and asset pricing for a small company (our clients range from small insurance companies to the largest banks).

 

Interests: Mostly Corporate Finance, but I like to keep an open mind.

 

SOP: I believe my story is kind of unique so it should be very strong.

 

Others: I received several awards and scolarships: three years in a row one of the best students in the State; 10 best students in the University; an important 2-years fellowship similar to the Fulbright scolarship for my Master's degree.

 

Concerns: Where do I start... No research experience, no letters from my graduate studies, relatively few formal math courses (although to be fair all the graduate classes that I took have a heavy math component)

 

 

What schools do you think I should aim for? I would like to study in the US, but I'm open to staying in Europe as well. I really appreciate your help, you guys rock!

[YaSvoboden]

Thank you very much for your advice. I had posted my profile on another website, and had not received a single reply for over a month. I have been spending my time reading research papers and developing my research topic(s) for the statement of purpose. I do realistically believe that targeting a lower ranked program like FIU is a good idea, and I plan to do so. Thank you for your advice. However, a couple of dream schools like UNC are not bad to apply to. Never hurts I think.

 

If possible, can you specify what type of stats classes I would need to take? I remember taking Stats for Business, and an Advanced Statistics class as well.

 

Also, I would like to know if I would need to take all of those courses BEFORE starting a PhD program or are some courses higher priority than others? I did take Calc for Business and Intermediate Macro. Maybe linear algebra as well.

 

 

I ask about the courses because I have about a year before August 2016 (the start of Fall 2016). Thank you again.

 

 

I absolutely think you should apply to UNC. If you have some sort of connection there, you may have a chance. The little you have said about research so far makes me think that you will have very good letters and probably go somewhere a little higher than your GMAT would suggest.

 

My biggest concern for you is quantitative ability. Considering UNC is your dream school, I assume you want to do empirical work, either tax or financial. Both of these require a good understanding of microeconomics and econometrics. I just don't see anything in your profile that really shouts that you have strong quantitative skills. I am not saying you don't, I just don't see how to come to the conclusion that you do.

 

Business calc is nice. It kind of condenses Calc 1-3 and leaves out a fair amount. IT keeps a good amount of what is useful to you. However, it is definitely easier than the standard calc sequence. Business stats tends to be quite easy. Advanced stats probably means you did a little more, but the stats class that I am talking about would be through the math department and all three calculus classes would be pre-requisites. This could be called mathematical statistics, intro to statistics (but be an upper division math or stats class), or something like that. A course in probability theory through the stats or math department usually goes along with it.

 

If you are planning to apply this fall, you won't have time to do everything that I recommended. That is fine, people come from public accounting all the time with just the normal bachelor's coursework. I would still encourage you to take calc 1-3, linear algebra, intermediate micro, and econometrics if you can. This is still a lot to expect in a year, so get done what you can. I would prioritize calc 1, calc 2, intermediate micro, linear algebra, calc 3, econometrics, probability, then stats in that order.

 

There is a very good chance the stats courses can be taken during your program.

 

Finish the CPA exam if you haven't yet. Mid-ranked programs tend to like a little work experience and the credential.

 

Finally, I know you said that you have studied extensively for the GMAT. My quant score improved after taking math classes. Doing that much math will help. After you take a few of the math courses, consider retaking a practice test and see if your quant score is higher. If not, that GMAT score will work for you and set you up just fine for an academic career.

[efust001]

I absolutely think you should apply to UNC. If you have some sort of connection there, you may have a chance. The little you have said about research so far makes me think that you will have very good letters and probably go somewhere a little higher than your GMAT would suggest.

 

My biggest concern for you is quantitative ability. Considering UNC is your dream school, I assume you want to do empirical work, either tax or financial. Both of these require a good understanding of microeconomics and econometrics. I just don't see anything in your profile that really shouts that you have strong quantitative skills. I am not saying you don't, I just don't see how to come to the conclusion that you do.

 

Business calc is nice. It kind of condenses Calc 1-3 and leaves out a fair amount. IT keeps a good amount of what is useful to you. However, it is definitely easier than the standard calc sequence. Business stats tends to be quite easy. Advanced stats probably means you did a little more, but the stats class that I am talking about would be through the math department and all three calculus classes would be pre-requisites. This could be called mathematical statistics, intro to statistics (but be an upper division math or stats class), or something like that. A course in probability theory through the stats or math department usually goes along with it.

 

If you are planning to apply this fall, you won't have time to do everything that I recommended. That is fine, people come from public accounting all the time with just the normal bachelor's coursework. I would still encourage you to take calc 1-3, linear algebra, intermediate micro, and econometrics if you can. This is still a lot to expect in a year, so get done what you can. I would prioritize calc 1, calc 2, intermediate micro, linear algebra, calc 3, econometrics, probability, then stats in that order.

 

There is a very good chance the stats courses can be taken during your program.

 

Finish the CPA exam if you haven't yet. Mid-ranked programs tend to like a little work experience and the credential.

 

Finally, I know you said that you have studied extensively for the GMAT. My quant score improved after taking math classes. Doing that much math will help. After you take a few of the math courses, consider retaking a practice test and see if your quant score is higher. If not, that GMAT score will work for you and set you up just fine for an academic career.

 

Once again, your advice has been invaluable to me. I have to think a little bit about the potential cost of these university classes, but it sounds like the best way to demonstrate my quantitative skills on paper. Plus, econometrics and microeconomics classes will be very useful for empirical financial accounting work. I will try to speak to a professor before taking the leap to take those university courses, but it really sounds like the right plan. If I will be taking the university courses, I do not think I will have time to work on the CPA exam and get high grades. I will likely focus on just the university classes in the order you listed, but at least I do still have some work experience at PwC. Finally, re-evaluating the GMAT exam with a few practice tests is a good idea after I take some math courses. However, I am not sure about paying for a full Kaplan course again. I prefer just to evaluate my quant section after I buy a few practice tests.

 

I will work hard to reach the dream. Thanks again for your guidance!

[pistacchio]

Hi guys,

 

I would very much appreciate your recommendations on which schools I should target with the following profile:

 

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE: Q:166, V:150, Q:4

Undegrad GPA: 2.55/4.00 in Physics and minor in econ - the best school in a country in Europe

Graduate GPA: 94/110 in Finance - Bocconi

Research Experience: 1 coauthored article on Tier 2 journal, RA for 2 articles (one was published in Tier 1 journl)

Teaching Experience: None

Work Experience: 3 years of IB experience in an emerging country in Europe, Passed CFA level I at the first attempt, if it makes any sense!

 

Concentration Applying to: Finance

Number of programs planned to apply to: Not sure, but i want to aim US programs

Dream Schools: NA, didnt make a thorough search yet

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: I always found that academia fits my personality better. I feel I have skills to be a good researcher.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: low GPAs and GRE Verbal = English is not my native

 

Any additional specific questions you may have: I am not sure which schools I should target? I feel top 20 programs are not in my reach. How do you feel about my chances for top 20-30? or do i have any chance for top 30/50?

 

Many thanks!

[Elax]

Hi all,

Wondering if I have any shot of getting into a program with my scattered background.

 

 

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): haven't taken it yet. Scheduled for early October and am studying like crazy.

Undegrad GPA: 3.3 in English

Graduate GPA: 3.6 in Library and Information Science

Research Experience: none, besides a research course in grad school based around providing research services in a library

Teaching Experience: none

Work Experience: 2 years in Human Resources, Yellow/Green/Black Belt in Lean process improvement, Human Resources Management certification, in a new job now as a Project Manager

 

Concentration Applying to: General Management or Organizational Behavior

Number of programs planned to apply to: 10-15 (do I need more options?)

Dream Schools: super dream of Harvard, other Boston area schools (BU/BC), UNH, Duke, MIT. I really want to stay in the New England area if possible.

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: I love studying people and learning. I already have a lot of training in group dynamics and process improvement, and would like to study motivation in the workplace or something similar. Maybe study how people accept process change, since I am both people and process oriented.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: Low GPAs, possibly low GMAT, no research experience, no standout recommendations,

 

Any additional specific questions you may have:

Are there other schools I should be considering?

Since I haven't taken the GMAT yet and need to study, does it make sense to spend all time studying or should I be finding programs and working on applications concurrently?

What would be a minimum GMAT score to make me a decent candidate? I think I'd have a lot to offer OB programs from my HR background, but I know I still need to get a great score to balance my GPAs.

 

 

Thanks!

[evergreen]

@Elax

Your undergrad and grad GPAs are fairly low (generally want >3.5 for undergrad and >3.7 for grad)

You're lacking in research experience

Also it seems that you're also lacking in the appropriate background for management. Are you interesting in micro or macro ob? And based on that, what academic background do you have in that area?

And also problematic is you're location picky.

 

To answer your questions, yes there are a ton of other schools you should be considering. Being location sticky for your PhD severely limits your potential in the future

You need to do extremely well on the GMAT in order to alleviate concerns regarding your grades.

Depending on the types of schools you're going to be targeting, I think you need at least a 730.

 

Not in OB so this is speculation: I think if you get >720 on the GMAT, you might be able to land in a T50 program, however someone in OB can probably confirm if that would be accurate or not.

[HorsesInVA]

@Elax

Your undergrad and grad GPAs are fairly low (generally want >3.5 for undergrad and >3.7 for grad)

You're lacking in research experience

Also it seems that you're also lacking in the appropriate background for management. Are you interesting in micro or macro ob? And based on that, what academic background do you have in that area?

And also problematic is you're location picky.

 

To answer your questions, yes there are a ton of other schools you should be considering. Being location sticky for your PhD severely limits your potential in the future

You need to do extremely well on the GMAT in order to alleviate concerns regarding your grades.

Depending on the types of schools you're going to be targeting, I think you need at least a 730.

 

Not in OB so this is speculation: I think if you get >720 on the GMAT, you might be able to land in a T50 program, however someone in OB can probably confirm if that would be accurate or not.

 

For what it's worth, the OP comes across as more of a meso person or a meso-micro person. Ironically enough, most people who get interested in becoming a "management" professor are interested in the meso, even though meso is one of those positions that has been increasingly difficult to place or slot effectively. (My definition of meso is someone whose research interests are bigger than then individual mind but smaller than an industry or field) I'd personally put myself in the meso-macro camp, but work with meso-micro people, even as I'm being trained by macro-macro folks. Meso is definitely the most "fun" of the divisions out there, because we're in the middle of people's lives, but we suffer for our lack of intellectual purity. So courage fellow traveler, just know the future is twisty and full of terrors!

 

The other thing, Elax, is you sound kind of like a consultant, and that has the following consequence. Consultants often have an engineer's bent toward optimization and technocratic meritocracy, with a soupcon of faith in data. This is probably good if you go into operations but kind of bad if you go into "management", because quite frankly a huge chunk of our literature is skeptical of this attitude. Pretty much the entire field of neo-institutionalism is all about skepticism toward these practices and curiosity as to why they've become popular. Even the schools that are sympathetic to "process improvement" have to wrestle with the neo-institutional critique. So when you apply being aware of this literature will strengthen your ability to stand out from all the other candidates who write about wanting to help people and improve processes because of their background in HR or consulting, especially if you discuss it in your personal statements.

 

Also, schools like BU, BC, Duke have a number of institutionalists working in them, so saying you know the work they've done makes it seem like you want to go there for the research opportunities, not just the geography.

 

Harvard and Wharton would actually be ideal for your interests because they are more "applied" but to be honest, I don't see you having a good shot with them based on your undergrad or grad. GPA. Unless you get a new masters in econ or stats and get a 3.9+, they are just not going to be serious about you and probably won't look at your application. You're GMAT would have to be 750+, to get a blip on their radar, just long enough for them to look at your profile and then file it away. That's just the brutal nature of competition at these schools. That said, schools like BU, BC, Duke have produced strong graduates who have done very well in the field, including getting faculty positions at places like HBS.

 

So here's an exercise I recommend you do. In addition to getting a 750+ on the GMAT, take some time to think, what was the most interesting thing I've come across that I felt was a research interest? For example, I'm studying a work place setting undergoing a change process, and what I've found surprising is how much conflict has erupted between individuals in the teams because of these changes. Now ask, why is that surprising to you?

 

For me it was because I'd assume they all just uniformly hate the consultants or managers for pushing the change or that at least the elites would. Turns out all the middle ranked staff hate it, low status and high status liked it. The conflict has been between the middle and low status folks.

 

Then ask what is going on? What explanation can I whip up to explain this? In my case, the two primary factors I would say are status threat by the middle status people and variations in translating the process change. Middle status people see the change as a threat to their positions, low status people see it as a chance to rise, while high status people see no change in their positions. Also, everybody has a different image in their mind of what the change process means to them and their group, so there's a lack of coherency. This in turns, exacerbates communication.

 

Here's the crux. Ask yourself, how is this worth academic study? For my setting, I'd say it shows how the presence of external change or agents, i.e. consultants, can expose differences in understanding and fault lines in perception by individuals with different roles on the team, relative to their position in it. This is because the prior level of stability merely reflected stable misunderstandings that were not robust to external perturbation. The conflict taking place is merely an extended repair process that is taking place as the team must organize a new stable, though probably not entirely shared, reality. The result is probably going to be vulnerable to later misunderstandings but they will be stable for the time being.

 

The last part is, how could I study this better? (aka Why I need to go to grad. school) I suppose in my case, I'd need to think about how tasks, roles, and status relate to one another, and why they perpetuate misunderstanding. But I think you get the point.

 

So in short, get the GMAT to be 750+, think about a good research issue that warrants academic study, one that only an institution of post-graduate higher learning can provide, and then with some good rec. letters, express that in a statement as you apply. If you can't get good rec. letters think about delaying your application for a year and do some part time RA work for a professor. If you're already in the Boston Area, that shouldn't be too hard. You just have to ask.

[FarmCharm]

Hey everyone, I just found this forum and have already gotten some really great advice. Decided to create a log-in and post my info here to get some input. I'm looking to apply this Fall 2015 for 2016 admissions. Trying to figure out how strong of a profile I have so I can be more strategic about which schools I apply to. Let me know what you think and don't hold back! Cheers.

 

Test Scores (GRE): Verbal 166 (96%); Quant 168 (95%); Writing 5.5 (98%)

Undegrad GPA: 3.78 --- small private University, major in Foreign Languages (German and French), minor in International Studies

Graduate GPA: 3.93 --- University of Memphis International MBA (we have a PhD Marketing program here, though it is not very well known)

Research Experience: A small bit of research here and there. I did some unpublished research for a professor in Germany in 2011 on global consumption patterns. I also worked as a Graduate Assistant during my MBA with both an Accounting professor and a Marketing professor, but again no publications or anything, just some help here and there.

Teaching Experience: A lot. I spent a year teaching English in Germany under the Fulbright Program. I have also tutored and taught classes on the ACT and GRE for the past 4 years. I also taught at a small school for learning disabled kids for 6 months. All of this is random, I know, but I definitely have experience in front of a classroom.

Work Experience: 2 years in Sales for a Fortune 500 company, another 2 years in Marketing with the same company. Also interned with a small medical device company in Memphis for a year, helping them with international Marketing and Sales.

 

Concentration Applying to: Marketing (Consumer Behavior)

Number of programs planned to apply to: 6-10

Dream Schools: Stanford, UCLA, UT Austin

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: I love being challenged academically, and I really enjoy doing research into thought-provoking questions and cases. I've always been interested in learning more about consumption behavior in other countries and cultures, and I've also always had a knack for quantitative subjects (though not a huge amount of formal training, other than some courses in grad school).

 

Concerns you have about your profile: Mainly I'm worried about the research experience. There's nothing tangible to really point to as a great example of my work, and most of the schools I'm applying to are on the competitive side.

 

Any additional specific questions you may have: How much does a great GRE score matter? I know that a bad score can pretty much kill you before you start, but once you make that initial cut, do they really care anymore about GRE and GPA, or do they start to look at the other, more subjective aspects of the profile? Other question is, how much should I emphasize my teaching experience? I hear it can kind of be a double-edged sword (i.e. you don't want to seem TOO eager to get into the teaching side of things, because mainly they want you to focus on the research side).

Edited August 17, 2015 by FarmCharm

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For what it's worth, the OP comes across...

 

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