StochasticModeler

Yeah I realize my GPAs haven't been ideal. I've been able to compensate for my grades through good work experience, and I would like to make myself stand out for a top PhD by doing good research under a professor or something and getting a strong letter of recommendation. I also hope that institutions will factor in the rigor of my course load at Princeton. I heavily took graduate, PhD level courses that were more rigorous than undergrad counterparts. I realize I'd have to retake these classes in a PhD program, and I'd hope they would give me the opportunity to improve given I've taken them once at least. I haven't thought through the practical reasons all that much. I don't think it would make an improvement for me career wise to be honest, but getting a PhD is something I've thought about doing in my life for some time now.

I attended Princeton's Master in Finance program a few years back and took 5/6 of the ORFE PhD core courses. I did this out of self learning, and because I felt I didn't have a rigorous math background prior to entering grad school. I now have a very good job in industry as a trader at a hedge fund. I'm considering a PhD in ORFE, and as I was looking through the requirements for the PhD the stipulation is you need at least 2 A- grades over the 6 courses. Now I took 5/6 of these and received B and B+ grades. I finished my masters with a 3.5 GPA with 17 courses (I satisfied grade requirements for the electives portion of the ORFE PhD). The core courses in this program were tough no doubt and I wasn't fully prepared but I threw myself in the fire to learn what I could. If I were to get research experience and apply to this program, do you think they would give me a chance, or am I better off looking elsewhere?