PhD in Management/Strategy/Entrepreneurship

[auygur]

Hello there,

 

I recently started my research and I wanted to hear your opinions as I started drafting my list for B Schools. Depending on school and faculty, I may select phd in management, strategy or entrepreneurship fields, which could be closely related in some schools.

 

I know my verbal is too low but my target schools for now- is that too risky? :

HBS - Strategy (but planning do big data -tech innovation strategy kind of thesis)

Sloan - Entrepreneurship and Tech

Darden -Entrepreneurship

Columbia - Tech Management 

 

My background:

GPA:
3.5 - BS in Mechanical/Robotics Engineering & Business minor from a reputable undergraduate school in US

GRE score:
GRE: V 153, Q 169, Writing 4.0

Work experience:
2 years of work experience (by the time I start the program, right now 1) . 1 year product developer (Fortune 200), 1 year Research Analyst (Management Consulting) -both jobs in US

Language skills
Turkish, French and English

Skills

Data mining/analysis [R and Excel], geo-mapping, engineering, coding [Java, C, Phyton], market research 

Other

Patent, Entrepreneurship prize/award (with patent and business plan)

 

[Note: I also got in Imperial College B School for Msc program, considering to re-apply for a PhD instead]

 

Thanks

Edited August 11, 2015 by auygur

[someguyinAMS]

Hi Auygur, 

 

Yeah, I think you should definitely broaden the list a bit beyond Harvard / MIT / Columbia!  :-)....  Darden doesn't actually accept applicants every year from what I understand, but this is what a friend of mine told me from the year he was applying.  

 

More important than the GRE numbers are the percentiles, both seem fine for you but again you'll be competing, especially in strategy, with people that have perfect math scores (not so hard on the GRE) and very good verbal scores.  An engineering degree with a good GPA is definitely nice, but I think there are people who have done research + have the basics in econ / psych / soc + good math, they are usually super-competitive for the top school PhD slots.  But I think your programming skills, data mining, etc. will definitely help, lots of profs want to work with students with those skills as far as I understand.   

 

I would definitely look at some mid-level programs in the US and Canada (e.g., BU, BC, University of Pittsburgh, Emory, FIU, UT Dallas, McGill, Simon Fraser, etc.) if you want to stay in North America.  There are some really good programs in Europe as well (e.g., INSEAD, LBS, IESE, RSM, Cambridge, etc.) if you are willing to go across the Atlantic, those actually might give you a better lifestyle / options relative to the mid-tier in the US.  I'm actually applying this year as well, but concentrating on European schools (have some friends who have said many good things, but also personal reasons).  

 

But yeah, I would definitely look beyond the top tier, nothing is guaranteed there. Hope that helps!

[auygur]

Thank you someguy in Amsterdam!

 

I am actually considering to retake GRE - I will try to increase my verbal score. I dont think B schools care whether quant is 169 or 170.

I think i definately have a shot for 10-20 B schools and trying to add couple of schools from that as well. I am at this point just aiming at US B Schools, since I want to stay here after PhD (it is considerably harder to get a job in US with an EU PhD). What schools you are applying?

[someguyinAMS]

Hi Auygur, 

Sure, no problem.  As I said, I'm mainly thinking of applying in Europe, so my list so far is: 

INSEAD, LBS (these two are definitely stretches, I would be amazed if I got offers there)

RSM, Tilburg, VU Amsterdam (Netherlands)

ESSEC, HEC Paris, EM Lyon (France)

IESE, ESADE (Spain)

Bocconi (Italy)

Cambridge, Cass / City U London, Imperial College (UK)

HEC Lausanne (Switzerland)

 

So that's about 15 schools, I think I should be able to get interviews at a few and maybe a couple of offers.  I'm not sure if I agree with you about the not being able to get offers in the US if you have a non-US PhD, especially at business schools.  This is an area which doesn't require heavy investment in laboratory equipment, etc. so European schools can actually compete.  It used to be the case that US schools preferred US graduates, but if you look at placements for the top European programs in terms of placement they are pretty much equal to what the top US programs produce: 

http://phd.insead.edu/alumni_and_placements/

 

I think even outside of INSEAD and LBS the other schools place quite well in North America, it is really the mid-level PhD programs in the US and Canada now that are struggling.  The top European programs and some of the Asian programs (e.g., HKUST, NUS) are producing people who are taking the positions that their graduates might have taken a few years ago.