Fall 2022 Business Ph.D. Applicants

[PhD-hopeful]

Hi @appme - current 1st year management PhD student here. My understanding of the difference is that the SOP is a statement of your research interests and objectives and the Personal Statement provides more of your personal history and path to academia. When I applied last year and a school asked for both, I put my personal background in the Personal Statement and research background and interests in the SOP. 

Most of the schools I applied to just requested SOPs though. 

 

[PhD22Plz]

On 11/9/2021 at 5:11 AM, Mattsjoe said:

hi guys, 

i want to do a DBA. i also want some advice on where i can apply. iam an international student from Africa but preferebly want USA or canada. 

which universities do you recommend to apply to. is there any funding and scholarships available.

Hi @Mattsjoe unfortunately I do not have knowledge about D.B.A. programs. What research have you done so far?

[PhD22Plz]

On 11/10/2021 at 5:20 AM, appme said:

Hey guys, glad to see this thread. 

I was wondering if you guys know how we should differentiate the SOP from the personal statement? Few schools require a personal statement, and I was wondering what exactly they want us to talk about there. Would love to hear anyone's opinion.

Like Vyndian said, most programs will state what information they want to see in the personal statement versus the statement of purpose. UC Berkeley offers a very nice overview of what students might wish to include in a personal statement. You can find that information here. 

[Mattsjoe]

@PhD22Plz Dear PhD22PlZ , i have done research on "Green recovery of business from effects of covid 19" How can you best advise

[PhD22Plz]

6 hours ago, Mattsjoe said:

@PhD22Plz Dear PhD22PlZ , i have done research on "Green recovery of business from effects of covid 19" How can you best advise

What results have you yielded from your search? Have you identified a few potentially relevant programs? If I were in your shoes, I would consider emailing the program coordinator at one or two universities that you think might be a good fit to inquire about other potentially relevant programs. Feedback from faculty doing this work is likely to be more valuable to you than anything that I can offer. I am sorry to be of so little help, but I simply do not know anything about D.B.A. programs. 

[PhD22Plz]

As of this morning, I have submitted 10 of 16 applications. Feeling very good about where I am at, although the reality is setting in about the waiting game ahead. Hopefully these next few months go by quick!

[Vyndian]

9 hours ago, PhD22Plz said:

As of this morning, I have submitted 10 of 16 applications. Feeling very good about where I am at, although the reality is setting in about the waiting game ahead. Hopefully these next few months go by quick!

Do what I do, “hey Siri, what’s 60 days from now?”

Because that’s when we’ll have interviews and rejections.

[Mr. Jameson]

Submitting this week! Ready for this to be over

[PhD22Plz]

14 hours ago, Vyndian said:

Do what I do, “hey Siri, what’s 60 days from now?”

Because that’s when we’ll have interviews and rejections.

I am not getting my hopes up. One reason I am applying to so many programs is because I doubt that I will be a competitive applicant. So, we'll see what happens! 

[Mr. Jameson]

4 minutes ago, PhD22Plz said:

I am not getting my hopes up. One reason I am applying to so many programs is because I doubt that I will be a competitive applicant. So, we'll see what happens! 

How did you add the signature with your schools at the bottom?

[Vyndian]

36 minutes ago, PhD22Plz said:

I am not getting my hopes up. One reason I am applying to so many programs is because I doubt that I will be a competitive applicant. So, we'll see what happens! 

For what it’s worth, I believe a ton of this process self-selects. I chickened out of Stanford’s app last minute. Ie my recommenders were all submitted and I couldn’t justify the fee for my perceived low chance.

Gre is also a self-select. You have to be in the pool of people remotely interested in taking it, and then you percentile off those people.

And clearly, you self-selected enough to be looking up resources and creating threads like this one. I think you’ll be fine.

[PhD22Plz]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:59 AM, Mr. Jameson said:

How did you add the signature with your schools at the bottom?

Here's a 3 step guide I just made, hopefully it makes sense!

[PhD22Plz]

7 hours ago, Vyndian said:

@PhD22Plz

I’m curious as to why no Kelley if you have Notre Dame and same with why no U GA if you have U FL + Emory + U NC.

Not that I need more competition ?

Fair question! There were two driving factors that determined where I would apply: Perceived research fit and university geography. Regarding the first point, there were several prominent OB programs that I decided not to apply to because of a lack of faculty diversity. To the latter point, there were several programs that my partner and I did not feel comfortable applying to because of where the university is. Of the nearly 60 programs I researched, there were approximately 15 programs that we scratched from the list for that reason. It's disappointing in some ways, but I did not feel comfortable pursuing a doctorate in a locale that my partner would not feel comfortable living for the next 5 years. 

[Vyndian]

8 minutes ago, PhD22Plz said:

Fair question! There were two driving factors that determined where I would apply: Perceived research fit and university geography. Regarding the first point, there were several prominent OB programs that I decided not to apply to because of a lack of faculty diversity. To the latter point, there were several programs that my partner and I did not feel comfortable applying to because of where the university is. Of the nearly 60 programs I researched, there were approximately 15 programs that we scratched from the list for that reason. It's disappointing in some ways, but I did not feel comfortable pursuing a doctorate in a locale that my partner would not feel comfortable living for the next 5 years. 

I see it now, almost all of your choices sans Cornell are metro or at least big town.

Considering that I’m Lgbt and married, I had a similar set of problems considering my geography as well. It’s why Kelley, U Minn, OSU and a few others turned into hard no’s.

[PhD22Plz]

15 minutes ago, Vyndian said:

I see it now, almost all of your choices sans Cornell are metro or at least big town.

Considering that I’m Lgbt and married, I had a similar set of problems considering my geography as well. It’s why Kelley, U Minn, OSU and a few others turned into hard no’s.

We are a hetero couple and decided to strike one of my top programs after the Governor passed a highly restrictive anti-abortion bill. There are other programs to which I have applied that we are growing more weary of, either because of how the state's Governor has handled COVID-19 or how the state's legislature has handled freedom of speech issues, vis-a-vis Critical Race Theory.

I am incredibly privileged to have such a supporting partner who has made room in our lives for me to pursue this goal, and I would regret asking that she relocate to an environment that was not conducive to her mental or physical health. For how long have you and your partner been married? How are they handling the prospect of relocating for the next few years? 

[Vyndian]

15 minutes ago, PhD22Plz said:

We are a hetero couple and decided to strike one of my top programs after the Governor passed a highly restrictive anti-abortion bill. There are other programs to which I have applied that we are growing more weary of, either because of how the state's Governor has handled COVID-19 or how the state's legislature has handled freedom of speech issues, vis-a-vis Critical Race Theory.

I am incredibly privileged to have such a supporting partner who has made room in our lives for me to pursue this goal, and I would regret asking that she relocate to an environment that was not conducive to her mental or physical health. For how long have you and your partner been married? How are they handling the prospect of relocating for the next few years? 

He’s an absolute trooper. We got married after the Supreme Court made it legal, but, we’ve been together 10 years now.

Since children aren’t a goal that can happen naturally, he’s fine with the move. It helps that he’ll end his job here after completing licensure (he’s in construction), so, any move will coincide with starting a new chapter in his career. All in all, the timing worked and he just wants me to be happy.

He will be putting his thumb on the U WA  scale if it sends an acceptance our way, though. His family’s nearby. 

[PhD22Plz]

@Mr. Jameson, how are your applications coming along? I know we're both playing catch up @Vyndian to finish!
 

@Vyndian In the wonderful ways of a small world, I hope we have the chance to bump into one another amidst campus interviews, if we should make it that far. If you do not mind sharing, what programs make up your top three?

[Vyndian]

Northwestern, Wharton, and Columbia are the top. Next in line, although it sounds weird, is probably Arizona State.

[Mr. Jameson]

On 11/26/2021 at 12:13 PM, PhD22Plz said:

@Mr. Jameson, how are your applications coming along? I know we're both playing catch up @Vyndian to finish!
 

@Vyndian In the wonderful ways of a small world, I hope we have the chance to bump into one another amidst campus interviews, if we should make it that far. If you do not mind sharing, what programs make up your top three?

Its going! Currently working through my essays a few more times before submitting a few. I can't wait for this to be over.

My top 3 are Yale, Columbia, and NYU. My partner is at Yale and so the closer I am to New Haven the better. 

@PhD22Plz what are yours?

[Vyndian]

Im torn on if I should follow y’all’s lead and post a list of schools as a signature. It’s a bit revealing vs the anonymity forums provide.

[PhD22Plz]

17 hours ago, Vyndian said:

Im torn on if I should follow y’all’s lead and post a list of schools as a signature. It’s a bit revealing vs the anonymity forums provide.

I suppose we could modify it to display on the programs we've heard a decision from?

EDIT: In the past, I know it's been useful to connect users who are applying to similar programs. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by PhD22Plz

[Mr. Jameson]

On 11/28/2021 at 2:12 AM, Vyndian said:

Im torn on if I should follow y’all’s lead and post a list of schools as a signature. It’s a bit revealing vs the anonymity forums provide.

Tbh Im not concerned about it. I don't think I have said anything on this Forum that is a secret to admissions comittees. 

[ScottJW]

Hey guys,

Applying to PhD in Accounting, 2022. My research interests: financial acct, VC, disclosure.

applied to about 20 schools (some top-tier ones, and some fair ones). I did my graduate school in Boston, but I'm quite flexible in term of location... "first choice" in the list: Chicago, Stanford, NYU, Columbia, Chapel Hill, Michigan... submitted them two weeks ago... all of them became complete three days ago...

Background:

Undergraduate in nuclear eng. and acocunting(IFRS) from a top10 U in China; MS in accounting. GMAT 760 Q51 V41. One-year fulltime RA and TA. One working paper, accepted by two AAA sectional midyear meetings; two WIPs...

Edited November 30, 2021 by ScottJW

[Vyndian]

Welcome to the thread! Great quant background for accounting.

[JPrun]

On 11/9/2021 at 5:11 AM, Mattsjoe said:

hi guys, 

i want to do a DBA. i also want some advice on where i can apply. iam an international student from Africa but preferebly want USA or canada. 

which universities do you recommend to apply to. is there any funding and scholarships available.

You would have to do some pretty focused research and filter out based on interests. I would suggest you start here: http://www.businessphdwiki.com/doku.php?id=application_and_interview_process#choosing_the_programs_to_apply_to. It's hard to find any resource that beats that in terms of the comprehensiveness it offers on the process. 

By the way, who else found the business phd wiki site extremely useful during application?