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How do you get into a "TOP 50" business PhD program?


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Ok. So I found out today that I'm officially "rejected" for next year. No problem - but now I am focused on what it is going to take to make it into one of the top programs? I'd love some input from those that made it into MIT, Wharton, Yale, Harvard, Ohio State, Northwestern, etc.

What should I shoot for on my GMAT? Will 700 do, or will I need more? How about professional experience, does it even matter (I have 20 years in industry as a Marketing Manager). How about my undergrad GPA and graduate GPA? My undergrad is a weak 3.2 and my MS is a 3.9. My education is in Advertising/Mass Communications not business - is that a negative? I am planning to enroll in a number of graduate level business courses over the next few semesters to get up to speed. What about publications? I have one conference presentation from my masters program. It was awarded top student paper in the advertising division at the largest Mass Comm conference. Do I need much, much, more to get in? How much more?

I know, lots of questions. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Since you have 20 years of work experience, I'm assuming your college and master's degree grades are from when you first went to school. I'm kind of in the same boat, having been out of college/graduate school for a while before applying for a graduate degree in Economics. I got into 3/4 programs (still waiting on the 4th). I think what made the difference for my application is that I took a significant number of classes in my field (10 classes in Econ, Statistics and Calculus) and achieved good grades in the two years before applying, so there could be no concern about my ability at this point to succeed on the graduate level. Taking classes before applying also enabled me to have current recommendations from professors as versus only having recommendations from people I'd worked with. Scoring high on the standardized tests is important, too, as is your statement of purpose. When I visited programs, I found that pretty much all the professors I talked to really liked my SOP. If you have more recent classes already, then you might want to look at your recommendations and work on your GMAT score, and maybe work with somebody on your SOP.

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Since you have 20 years of work experience, I'm assuming your college and master's degree grades are from when you first went to school. I'm kind of in the same boat, having been out of college/graduate school for a while before applying for a graduate degree in Economics. I got into 3/4 programs (still waiting on the 4th). I think what made the difference for my application is that I took a significant number of classes in my field (10 classes in Econ, Statistics and Calculus) and achieved good grades in the two years before applying, so there could be no concern about my ability at this point to succeed on the graduate level. Taking classes before applying also enabled me to have current recommendations from professors as versus only having recommendations from people I'd worked with. Scoring high on the standardized tests is important, too, as is your statement of purpose. When I visited programs, I found that pretty much all the professors I talked to really liked my SOP. If you have more recent classes already, then you might want to look at your recommendations and work on your GMAT score, and maybe work with somebody on your SOP.

Thanks. I received my masters in 2005, so not too long ago. I've gone ahead and applied to the Professional MBA program at the university I currently teach at. Reflective of your comment, I'll have some current graduate level coursework in my field and will be able to establish better relationships with profs in the business college. I think the real problem is that my undergrad and graduate degrees are in journalism - not business. My goal is to get a publication and a conference presentation or two to add to my vita before trying again too.

What is the current GMAT average for the top schools? Last time I looked it was around 705. That's what I'll be shootin' for.

Thanks for your comments!

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  • 1 month later...

I'm actually trying to do the same thing...get into a top PhD program in Marketing...BA in English, 2.7, MS in Marketing, 3.9, six years working as a marketing director. I don't know if this is how you do it, but I've been reading a lot and I know a lot of the top 50 programs expect a certain courses to have been taken beforehand. From NYU's catalog, for all programs: "integral and differential calculus (Cal 1 and 2), microeconomics and macroeconomics, psychology or sociology, and matrix or linear algebra." Of course, like they go onto say, these classes don't have to be taken before acceptance-(you have to "remedy deficiencies the summer before classes start by taking them in summer school"), but they help. I spoke to a Northwestern (Kellogg) student (Marketing major) and she said she was the only on in her entering class who hadn't taken Real Analysis and she wished she had. So I've been taking those classes at a local community college (six psych classes, micro and macroecon, cal 1-3, and stats 1, in addition to basic business classes like intro to finance), and I'm starting an MS in Stats program this Fall, which takes care of my Linear Algebra req, and can highlight my quantitative ability/ability to do research. I've heard 700 is an average score of those accepted, but I've also heard that there is a goodness of fit that often plays a big part: whether your research interests fit well with a faculty member in the program to which you are applying. Contact with said professor(s) beforehand can help also.

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