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| Author | Topic: Finance Phd Admission Questions |
| JRH |
posted 7/26/07 3:49 AM
Hi, I am a recent undergraduate majoring in Industrial and Operations Engineering. I would like to apply for a Finance Phd program. I have done research projects during summers as an undergraduate and I can score well on GMAT/GRE if I put time into studying them. My only concern is my undergraduate GPA. Although it is from a top university in my field, it is still low (2.3 overall, 2.9 in major). My questions are: How do I investigate the caliber of professors at a given university? How can I prove my dedication without taking additional coursework? Is there still hope for me to gain admission to a major business research institution? How can I help universities understand my low gpa considering the fact that I was an African American male at a highly competitive engineering college? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, James H. |
| WR |
posted 7/26/07 3:49 PM
Hello James, I hope I will provide some insight to your questions you listed below. 1) Find out your potential research interests (i.e. if a professor doing cutting-edge research on binomial option pricing, etc.) 2) I would probably start with a master's in finance to show your aptitude and present a higher GPA then enter into a doctoral program or kick some serious tail on the GMAT/GRE like 99 percentile. Your letter of recommendations will play a significant factor as well. Also, if you have not attended the PhD project you should probably submit an application so you can endorse you candidacy in front of relevant programs of interest. 3) There is always hope. Just believe in yourself and understand all you need is one school to say “YES”. 4) Even though a PhD in Finance is a conundrum for the African American community, when dealing with a Finance PhD committee especially at a tier 1 institute their decisions usually is based upon quantitative data. I hope this helps you out with your academic endeavors. Stay Strong, |
| JRH |
posted 8/3/07 9:46 AM
Thank you for the thoughtful advice! I will be attending the upcoming PhD Project conference this November. What types of information should I expect to give and receive from both potential graduate schools and fellow graduate students at this event? Thanks again, James H. |
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