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

[evergreen]

@FarmCharm

Your GRE score is pretty good, your undergrad GPA is good, your MBA one is ok.

Your research experience is okay... really at this post what would matter the most is how strong your letters of recommendation will be and also if your letter writers are established in marketing (ie. would the people at stanford, ucla, uta have heard of them/respect them).

 

What type of marketing are you interested in? (consumer behavior, strategy or modeling)

Do you have the necessary background based on your area? Ie. for CB its psych, for modeling it would be math stuff.

If you do, that'll make you a stronger applicant than if you don't.

Do you have an idea of what types of stuff you want to study that is more detailed than simply "consumption behavior in countries and cultures"... you don't need your dissertation topic decided at this moment, but you should have a (very) general idea about the field and where you see yourself in it.

 

I would recommend that you apply to more than 6-10 schools (20 is a good number if you can) especially since you are targeting a bunch of top schools and those schools tend to be much harder to get into.

 

Don't emphasize teaching experience at all. If it comes up, just briefly say you have a lot of experience, but don't go out of your way to brag about your teaching.

[FarmCharm]

@FarmCharm

Your GRE score is pretty good, your undergrad GPA is good, your MBA one is ok.

Your research experience is okay... really at this post what would matter the most is how strong your letters of recommendation will be and also if your letter writers are established in marketing (ie. would the people at stanford, ucla, uta have heard of them/respect them).

 

Whoops, just realized I accidentally switched my GPAs. Went back and edited. Grad school GPA is 3.93 and Undergrad is 3.78 (don't know how much of a difference that makes to your assessment). On my CV it is correct, but on here I switched it. My letter writers publish fairly frequently, but I don't know how popular they are in the community at large. Is there a good (fairly objective) way to figure this out? I have four potential writers, all Marketing professors at my University here in the US. I have a few others that I did Grad work with in Germany, but they may not be as willing to write a letter, since it has been almost five years since I worked with them.

 

What type of marketing are you interested in? (consumer behavior, strategy or modeling)

Do you have the necessary background based on your area? Ie. for CB its psych, for modeling it would be math stuff.

If you do, that'll make you a stronger applicant than if you don't.

Do you have an idea of what types of stuff you want to study that is more detailed than simply "consumption behavior in countries and cultures"... you don't need your dissertation topic decided at this moment, but you should have a (very) general idea about the field and where you see yourself in it.

 

I don't have any Psych background, just a fair handful of Marketing/CB courses from Grad school. Yea, I've given it a fair amount of thought already, but I'm in the process of refining my desired focus so I can start writing SOP drafts. I've always been interested in how factors like corporate social responsibility affect brand loyalty within different cultures, so that's one potential area. I have also been interested in the vast differences in Healthcare marketing methods between different cultures, especially among developed nations. Are those too specific? Too vague? That's just two examples, there are some other half-formed ideas I have for areas of interest, but those are the two that most often come to mind. Thanks!

[HorsesInVA]

I've always been interested in learning more about consumption behavior in other countries and cultures

 

This remark caught my attention because I didn't realize you were applying to marketing. In fact, I'd say you came across more like a cultural anthropologist or sociologist. This is relevant only in so far that, not being a marketing person and only knowing the marketing people at my school and the school I used to work at, I've never come across a marketing person interested in comparative cultures. This is a good and a bad thing, like everything else in life. Good, because you have a chance to come off as unique, but bad if you can't find a program that is going to know what to do with it.

 

Here's where you have to make specific choices about which track you're going to go in. If you go quant side, know you pretty much have to explain your ideas through the lens of economic analysis and economic modeling. 'Cuz that's what they do. Heck some of the marketing people in my school did marketing because they couldn't get into the Econ program. And, they aren't all that impressed with my attempts to talk about cultural meaning and symbolic value. (Note, I'm using a data size of N = 1, i.e. me, to illustrate this case so read it with some skepticism) While there is econ literature about culture, it's usually done in a game theoretic lens that illustrates its utility in resolving ambiguity around decision making procedures, and that's the state of the art presently. Good news is they love studying what people buy in super markets and retail stores, so if you can get cross cultural or national shopping data, there's a lot to write about.

 

The CB/psych side has the benefit of having more work on how culture shapes decision making. The down side again is they're really micro, so to speak. So there's a lot of laboratory experiments with undergraduates or MTurkers about what people like etc. It seems like that might fit with your background a bit better. However, you don't always get to do the grand sweeping treatises about comparative national differences. Take your time to go through google scholar with your interests and see who pops up and then identify if you see more CB or quant people pop up in the results.

 

As for GRE, it's a threshold cut off for most places. You'll be doing high level econometrics and game theory if you go quant in marketing and the GRE doesn't test your ability in that material. On the CB side they may take it as a proxy for how you'll do in their methods classes, but the bias is toward lab experience or experimental testing. In your sales/marketing capacity have you run an A/B test on some promotion? If you have that's going to look good for a CB application.

 

GPA is relevant in what it sales about the courses you've taken. This means a high GPA in French or German is frosting not cake. MBA GPAs are always down graded a bit because of the perception of grade inflation.

 

The final thing to be aware of, is that schools look at grades and GRE as an indication of your ability to consume knowledge. The purpose of a PhD is to find someone who can produce knowledge. If you have no sense of taste, then you probably can't cook all that well, especially if you've never been in the kitchen until now. That's what the subjective aspects of your profile are trying to communicate or signal. If you can't give the impression that your unique flavor of whatever you're preparing is going to claim a Michelin star, then no one's going to sample what you have on the burner.

[evergreen]

@farmcharm

I would say your undergrad and grad gpa's are both good. (compared to whatever i wrote earlier)

 

You can determine how well known your letter writers are by checking if they've published any in the top 4 marketing journals (JCR, JMR, JM, Marketing Science). It's an imperfect proxy, and there are more journals that are of interest, but that should give you a starting point.

 

So it sounds like you're interested in self-construal.

This is a huge area and a lot of work has been done in this area, and there's been a lot published on this topic in recent years.

So you should do a search in JCR and journal of consumer psychology to start and see what types of work has been published recently. Then, expand your search to the psychology journals (I would start with psych science and JPSP), because there has been a lot done there, too.

 

Good luck!

[pistacchio]

any opinion to poor @pistacchio :)

[XanthusARES]

I don't have any Psych background, just a fair handful of Marketing/CB courses from Grad school. Yea, I've given it a fair amount of thought already, but I'm in the process of refining my desired focus so I can start writing SOP drafts. I've always been interested in how factors like corporate social responsibility affect brand loyalty within different cultures, so that's one potential area. I have also been interested in the vast differences in Healthcare marketing methods between different cultures, especially among developed nations. Are those too specific? Too vague? That's just two examples, there are some other half-formed ideas I have for areas of interest, but those are the two that most often come to mind. Thanks!

 

This sounds like you would be a great candidate for a field in marketing called CCT. This is exactly the types of questions they answer. It's a much smaller, but growing field and if this is what interests you, definitely what types of articles you should be reading.

[sajeevvk]

Hi,

 

 

Please evaluate my profile.

 

 

Test Scores (GMAT): 750 (98%ile), Q50 (90%ile), V41 (93%ile)

Undergrad GPA: 3.5(India)

Graduate GPA: 3(India), 4(US, currently pursuing MS in Marketing)

Research Experience: Research assistant since Feb 2015, co-author of a paper that is under review by leading marketing journal, planning to submit a paper that I wrote for my current degree requirement in a suitable journal

Teaching Experience: None

Work Experience: 10 years in sales & marketing with top MNCs (consumer goods and telecommunications)

 

 

Concentration Applying to: Marketing Quant

Number of programs planned to apply to: Max 15 programs

Dream Schools: HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Stanford

 

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: Strong inclination towards a career in academic research, especially due to my current academic experience, and the belief that my professional experience can contribute significantly to quality research

 

 

Concerns you have about your profile:

I am approaching the wrong side of 30s, so is it a disadvantage? I mostly see much younger people among current students.

 

 

 

 

Any additional specific questions you may have:

 

 

1. I am yet to figure out a specific area of research that I would like to focus on, though I have few choices in mind. Is it okay to sound a bit general in the SOP rather than be very specific about the focus area?

 

 

2. While I am inclined towards quantitative stuff, the professor with whom I am working feels Marketing strategy is a good fit given my experience. So, again, is it okay to keep options and interests open when I state my preferences in the essay? The key is to get an admission in a leading school, so for that if need be, I am willing not to restrict myself to a specific sub-area. And I understand from various posts here that final research areas mostly change as we go through the PhD program.

 

 

Thanks

[YaSvoboden]

Sajeevk, it is fine not to be tied to a specific area. Your current level of narrowing down seems good for entering a program.

 

I am not in marketing, but my guess is that you should find your 15 favorite schools and apply to them. This is assuming your quant background is good enough.

[evergreen]

@sajeevvk

Great GMAT

Good GPAs (assuming you went to good indian schools)

When you say leading marketing journal, are you talking about a marketing A (ie. like marketing science or journal of marketing)? If so, you should do super well.

 

Yes, your age will be a bit of a disadvantage, but your profile seems decent, so you may be able to make up for it.

 

I echo YaSvoboden, assuming your quant background is good enough, you should apply to 15 schools and you should do quite well!

Good luck!

[sajeevvk]

Sajeevk, it is fine not to be tied to a specific area. Your current level of narrowing down seems good for entering a program.

 

I am not in marketing, but my guess is that you should find your 15 favorite schools and apply to them. This is assuming your quant background is good enough.

 

Thank you YaSvoboden for your comments!

[sajeevvk]

@sajeevvk

Great GMAT

Good GPAs (assuming you went to good indian schools)

When you say leading marketing journal, are you talking about a marketing A (ie. like marketing science or journal of marketing)? If so, you should do super well.

 

Yes, your age will be a bit of a disadvantage, but your profile seems decent, so you may be able to make up for it.

 

I echo YaSvoboden, assuming your quant background is good enough, you should apply to 15 schools and you should do quite well!

Good luck!

 

Thanks @evergreen for your encouraging views. Yes, it is one among the top 4 journals in Marketing. And I went to one of the top MBA schools in India for my graduate program. I will shortlist my target schools soon and go ahead with the application process.

[divya2403]

Hi, would love someone's opinion about my chances (freaking out a little after reading other profiles)

 

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE 335, V167, Q168, AWA (awaited)

Undergrad GPA: Graduation in Psychology with specialization in OB, 65.7% (first division in my country)

Graduate GPA: MBA in HR (from a good college in my country), 6.63/10 (Among top 15 students in my class)

Research Experience: Zero, apart from a few projects and assignments as part of my education - no publications in journals etc.

Teaching Experience: None

Work Experience: 6 years in Strategic HR - a lot of projects/ assignments in my area of interest

 

Concentration Applying to: OB (Micro Track)

Number of programs planned to apply to: 15 (is that on the high side?)

Dream Schools: Stanford, Harvard

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: A keen interest in academics - I like to observe trends, ponder on issues, study and analyze them. I also have a keen interest in teaching - I feel that I owe my interest in Psychology to a brilliant teacher who was able to help me appreciate the subject in so many ways. I want students to be able to connect to the subjects that I go on to teach in a similar way.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: No research experience, not very good GPAs

Things that I think go in my favor are my GRE score and my academic background and work experience which are aligned to my concentration area

 

Any additional specific questions you may have: Stanford has been a dream for long, is there anything I can do to be considered for admissions?

 

Thanks!

[evergreen]

@divya2403

The biggest question I have is what country, and does this school have recognition in the USA? That is, does this school have a reputation of feeding students into PhD programs in the USA? (For example, if you look at individuals from India who did their PhD in the USA, you'll notice that a disproportionate number of them came from IIT/IIM, to the extent that now admissions committees recognize the brand name of IIT/IIM)

If it does, and if your grades are indeed good (there's rampant grade inflation in the USA, so the grades you listed would not be good in the USA) relative to the other people in your program, then that would help.

 

With you having zero research experience (especially with a psych undergrad where research experience is quite common), I'm wondering who will be writing your letters?

Will your letter writers be able to speak to your potential as a researcher, if you haven't done any research for/with them?

 

15 schools is about normal... a lot of people apply to around 20 also.

 

Also, your dream schools of Stanford and Harvard... I know there are a lot of other amazing OB programs out there, and you picked two that are huge brand names... I would be careful targeting schools just because they are prestigious brands

[divya2403]

@divya2403

The biggest question I have is what country, and does this school have recognition in the USA? That is, does this school have a reputation of feeding students into PhD programs in the USA? (For example, if you look at individuals from India who did their PhD in the USA, you'll notice that a disproportionate number of them came from IIT/IIM, to the extent that now admissions committees recognize the brand name of IIT/IIM)

If it does, and if your grades are indeed good (there's rampant grade inflation in the USA, so the grades you listed would not be good in the USA) relative to the other people in your program, then that would help.

 

With you having zero research experience (especially with a psych undergrad where research experience is quite common), I'm wondering who will be writing your letters?

Will your letter writers be able to speak to your potential as a researcher, if you haven't done any research for/with them?

 

15 schools is about normal... a lot of people apply to around 20 also.

 

Also, your dream schools of Stanford and Harvard... I know there are a lot of other amazing OB programs out there, and you picked two that are huge brand names... I would be careful targeting schools just because they are prestigious brands

 

 

I am from India but not from IIT or IIM, so the admissions officers may not know the name of the institute. Some of the projects we did were research based but none of them have been published as papers or in journals, so I don't know if that means anything. The LORs are two academic and one professional since I've been away from academics for a while. The professors I've chosen may not be able to comment on my actual research skills since I haven't worked with them, but they will be able to vouch for my research potential, academic performance etc.

 

My reasons for targeting Stanford and Harvard are not just because they have a prestigious brand name..but because they have equally strong business and psychology programs and their PhD allows for a fair bit of interdisciplinary learning. That being said I am applying to 15 schools and would be happy to get into any of them.

[HorsesInVA]

I am from India but not from IIT or IIM, so the admissions officers may not know the name of the institute. Some of the projects we did were research based but none of them have been published as papers or in journals, so I don't know if that means anything. The LORs are two academic and one professional since I've been away from academics for a while. The professors I've chosen may not be able to comment on my actual research skills since I haven't worked with them, but they will be able to vouch for my research potential, academic performance etc.

 

My reasons for targeting Stanford and Harvard are not just because they have a prestigious brand name..but because they have equally strong business and psychology programs and their PhD allows for a fair bit of interdisciplinary learning. That being said I am applying to 15 schools and would be happy to get into any of them.

 

The thing about OB programs in places like Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley, Michigan, Wharton, Chicago, Columbia, etc. is that they rarely, if ever, take someone who has no research experience. This research experience can include working in a behavioral lab or writing a great senior thesis. Above all the research background is supposed to reflects familiarity with the current trends in research methods and literature. In addition, their intake are students who are often young, with their work experience being experience running or helping to run a behavioral lab.

 

If OB is something you're dead serious about and a certain tier is what you want, then you may want to think about spending a year doing some RA work for a prof. If that is not possible in a realistic way, then you may want to read up a bit on some of the current trends popular in OB (skim the papers in psych science, JPSP, OBHPD, PSPB, Personnel Psychology if you want a sense of the field), and in your current capacity run an OB experiment of your own on mechanical Turk. This is actually somewhat feasible. It'd be a pretty strong signal of commitment, but it'd require you skipping this application cycle.

 

GRE scores last 5 years, so you can strategize more if you want. But just be aware a lot of these "elite" OB applicants enter not from an HR or even OB perspective but from one of cognitive psychology, in other words, from a very disciplinary perspective. The result is, as one of my professors is fond of pointing out, OB is more like oB. Big on the behavior, weak on the organization. It's unfortunate but business school PhDs train academics not business leaders. This means, they're looking to accept academics not business leaders. This also means, they hate teaching, the more prestigious the school, the more likely the faculty are terrible at teaching. (Seriously) So you want to avoid talking about being inspired to teach, but instead talk about being inspired to investigate, and investigate in a certain very specific way.

 

Should you get in, this will not be the most paradoxical thing you learn about getting a B-school PhD.

[divya2403]

@evergreen and @HorsesInVA

 

Thank you so much for your perspective, it really helped. I must confess that I am a little disappointed, but I got a much needed reality check! :-)

 

One last question, if I were to go ahead and apply this year and don't get in, I plan to get some RA experience and reapply next year. Are reapplications frowned upon? Or if there is a considerable change in profile, it is justified?

[HorsesInVA]

@evergreen and @HorsesInVA

 

Thank you so much for your perspective, it really helped. I must confess that I am a little disappointed, but I got a much needed reality check! :-)

 

One last question, if I were to go ahead and apply this year and don't get in, I plan to get some RA experience and reapply next year. Are reapplications frowned upon? Or if there is a considerable change in profile, it is justified?

 

So here's why I recommended skipping this cycle entirely and doing RA work. The application cycle ends in December-January. (Note HBS and Stanford GSB deadlines are during the first 4 days of December) Decisions are all sent by late March. If you decide to apply again, that means you have about 8 months to show how you've changed. But to be realistic, it's more like 6.5-7 months, because you're going to need at least 4-6 weeks rewriting statements and re-asking rec. letter writers or getting new ones.

 

Moreover, you'll probably need to spend 2-4 weeks getting a Prof. to do RA work. Another 2-4 weeks to onboard. That's basically 4.5-6 months to run a project. Which is technically doable, but since you've never done formal research before, you'll need to be real fast. It will require considerable focus and attention to pull it off. But if the project is clever and well designed, that will change how people perceive you. However, if your project is mediocre it won't make much of a difference if you reapply.

 

Where it gets weird is whether or not you make it past the insta-reject threshold. If you don't, then reapplying might not be bad because no one read your first application so you can recycle a lot of the material. But if they have, then you're going to have to come up with some new material, i.e. the research you do in between. And it has to be a quantum leap over your previous profile. You pretty much have to come off like a whole new person. Because all the reasons they didn't like you previously will be still present. That's the hurdle you must overcome.

 

Like most things in life, never underestimate the first impression. You will get a second shot at this, but think of your first attempt as selling a new car and your second attempt as selling a used one with some modifications. That's the difference.

[saeedcpa]

Hi all,

 

I ;for a long time, ignored my desire to seek my PhD and work in academia. During my master studies, I realized how research and teaching can be exciting, and rewarding. And now, I can't deny anymore. It is time to get it.

However, my undergrad GPA isn't that great. I need to calculate my chances of getting admitted to a US school so I can sincerely give it a try. Here is my Profile:

 

GMAT: Currently preparing for the test on October, I am expecting 600 to 650 (it could be more, but u never know with standardized test, right?)

Undergrad major and GPA: accounting with 2.74 / 4 GPA (UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY)

Master: accounting with 5.25 / 7 GPA (UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE - AUSTRALIA)

Research: None

Experience: 8+ years 4 of which as a financial control manager.

desired schools: I plan to avoid tax as I can, I will aim to choose schools that focus on AIS and Financial accounting. But above all, it depends if my profile fits the requirements of B schools.

 

Certifications: I don't hold any now, but I am about to finish the CMA part II, and plan to take the test early 2016.

 

Do you think I have a chance based on my profile above, or is it a long shot and I should save the time and effort?

 

Thanks

[YaSvoboden]

Saeed, the GPA and gmat score definitely work against you. I think there are some aacsb accredited schools that you could get into. Just search for schools that have average gmat scores in your range.

[evergreen]

@divya no problem, glad to help.

I also got my first reality check when I posted my profile on this website, many years ago.

I did exactly what Horses is recommending in this case and took the extra year to improve my profile before applying.

 

Good luck!

[PhD Business]

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): 600

Undegrad GPA:3.7

Graduate GPA:N/A

Research Experience: Academically some during my senior year, but primarily during my professional work as an architect. Always research code.

Teaching Experience: None

Work Experience: For the last 17 years I have been in executive management a few architectural and engineering firms.

 

Concentration Applying to: Strategy

Number of programs planned to apply to: 5

Dream Schools: University of Cincinnati

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: Very much wanting to research why some senior leaders make decisions and why they don't make other decisions, it has been frustrating over the years listening to my bosses' explain why they are headed in a certain direction without any really support to their reasoning.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: Little research experience in the academia environment.

 

Any additional specific questions you may have: No

[stauderj]

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE 164 V, 162 Q

Undegrad GPA: 3.59

Graduate GPA: N/A

Research Experience: Cognitive psychology lab for three years, management strategy research for one year, senior honors thesis, independent research project

Teaching Experience: No teaching experience, but I have tutored

Work Experience: N/A

 

Concentration Applying to: Organizational Behavior (Micro)

Number of programs planned to apply to: 7-9

Dream Schools:

Northwestern Joint OB/Sociology Program, Harvard, USC

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: My goal is to be a lifelong learner. I'm extremely passionate about research, constantly thinking of questions to investigate.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: GRE scores, going straight from undergrad to PhD

[evergreen]

@stauderj

GRE is okay. Good verbal, and "ok" quant ... at least for micro OB

GPA is okay

Reserach experience sounds pretty good, especially if you can get strong letters of recommendation

 

I would apply widely (ie. apply to more than 9 programs), to a wide range of schools and you should be able to get in somewhere

Good luck!

[evergreen]

@PBusiness

My first thought is you should take the GMAT again to increase your score, because that score will severely limit your options.

My next thought is, are you sure you want to do PhD? Versus perhaps an MBA?

The work a PhD does can be very theoretical, and if you are frustrated with the JDM of your bosses, perhaps an MBA might provide the expertise you desire.

 

Anyways if you are set on a PhD, then you should start reading academic journals, retake the GMAT and aim to get closer to 700 (or over 700 would obviously be better), especially given how many years it's been since you've been in school.

Then, apply to more than 5, think around 20.

 

You will also need 3 letters of recommendation from current professors, so if you don't have that, you will need to find some way to get that (ie. take courses at a university, offer to research assistant for a professor, etc.)

In this case, you might very well be better off getting a Masters first, so you can "reconnect" to the academic world

[HorsesInVA]

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE 164 V, 162 Q

Undegrad GPA: 3.59

Graduate GPA: N/A

Research Experience: Cognitive psychology lab for three years, management strategy research for one year, senior honors thesis, independent research project

Teaching Experience: No teaching experience, but I have tutored

Work Experience: N/A

 

Concentration Applying to: Organizational Behavior (Micro)

Number of programs planned to apply to: 7-9

Dream Schools:

Northwestern Joint OB/Sociology Program, Harvard, USC

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD: My goal is to be a lifelong learner. I'm extremely passionate about research, constantly thinking of questions to investigate.

 

Concerns you have about your profile: GRE scores, going straight from undergrad to PhD

 

I'm curious why do you want to enter a joint OB/Sociology program? If sociology is something you're serious about, then based on what you've provided you might have to expand your education a bit and if you want to be competitive up your quant score on the GRE.

 

If you go straight into pure micro/cog sci/social psych then your background is probably going to ok for top 25. But that GPA is going to keep you from being top 10 considered. Also a number of folk head into micro straight from undergrad, so it's not that unusual.