kutar wrote:
Hello, I'm considering a Finance PhD and need a profile evaluation to better choose the schools to apply. I'd appreciate if someone can give me advice.
GMAT: 730 (50q 39v)
Undegrad GPA: Business Administration 3.25/4
Graduate GPA: Master in Management 3.44/4 (Still writing my thesis. But it won't have any effect on my GPA)
Research Experience: Bachelor's thesis (Accounting) and Master's thesis (Finance). My advisor and I aimed to publish 3 papers from my thesis, so my thesis will be composed of two empirical research and one standalone literature review. However, I will be applying before I graduate. That's why, I probably won't have any published papers. Also, I work as an assistant at my university and I co-advised (with my advisor) a student in his bachelor thesis.
Teaching Experience: This year I will be attending an undergrad level corporate finance class as a teaching assistant and help students with problem solving.
Concentration Applying to: Behavioral Finance
Number of programs planned to apply to: 10
Dream Schools: HEC Paris, ESSEC
What made you want to pursue a PhD: I enjoy doing research and want to be a part of an environment who contribute to the world intellectually.
Concerns you have about your profile: My GPA. I wasn't a really a great student and I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. For that reason, my grades fluctuate greatly and I have a couple of Fs.
Additional Information: I graduated from a trilingual university. So I speak Turkish, English and French fluently. I have good relations with the profs in my university and I can get good recommendations from my thesis advisors (bachelor's and master's) and the dean of the faculty. Since my GPA is my main concern, I provide information about my grades in related classes, in case it helps to better evaluate my profile.
Undergrad
Finance/Accounting
Corporate Finance I AA
Corporate Finance II AA
Financial Accounting I BB
Financial Accounting II AA
Cost Accounting BB
Cost Management AA
Managerial Accounting BB
International Audit BB
International Accounting AA
Financial Diagnostics BB
Globalization and Financial Crisis BA
Econ
Introductory Economics BB
Microeconomics CC
Macroeconomics AA
Game Theory BB
Monetary Policy BA
Contemporary Economic Policies CB
Math/Statistics
Calculus I BB
Calculus II AA
Statistics AA
Applied Statistics AA
Grad
Research Methodology AA
Corporate Finance AA
Financial Reporting CC
Financial Institutions CB
Audit AA
Risk Management AA
Hello
kutarFirst congrats on great GMAT score and lofty PhD goals.
Your quant score is deal breaker, they will pay attention to that, that is what they want to see in application.
Being TA already and with research experience, puts you in position to be a strong candidate.
10 programs is a lot, in terms of focusing and tailoring application toward specific schools, 7 is maybe ideal and the most you should apply, but then again it is and should be your decision only.
I understand that you want to increase chances of admission by applying to variety of schools.
You should definitely apply to HEC Paris and ESSEC.
Regarding ESSEC I don't see Behavioral Finance as specialization in terms of research, but I do see it as elective, meaning there are professors who specialize in that field.
ESSEC subfields/research strengths are :
Asset pricing and investments
Corporate Finance
Financial Econometrics
Market
Microstructure
Risk Management
https://www.essec.edu/en/program/phd-en/ ... n/finance/ESSEC last cohort had GMAT of 700, so you have competitive advantage, as I already assumed.
https://www.essec.edu/en/program/phd-en/ ... admission/ESSEC Finance department in terms of research covers a broad spectrum of key areas in finance: Asset Pricing, Financial Derivatives, Risk Management, Commodities, Portfolio and Wealth Management, Macro-Finance, Market Microstructure, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Corporate Governance, Real Estate and Corporate Bankruptcy, Financial Econometrics.
https://www.essec.edu/en/pages/faculty-a ... s/finance/I am not going to dig deep now into individual research of professors there, I am sure you will find the ones who have interest in Behavioral Finance/Economics and that you already know why you want to apply there, besides your desire to be/study/live in Paris
Regarding HEC Paris lets start first with Economics specialization/department, they have strengths in Game Theory, Decision Theory, Microeconomics,
Behavioral Economics, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Choice, with topics such as uncertainty, interaction and competition.
https://www.hec.edu/Ph.D/Program-Overvie ... ializationHEC finance students receive rigorous training in micro and macroeconomics, game theory, econometrics, and in all major areas of finance. Current dissertation topics include asset pricing, corporate finance, banking, market microstructure, and household finance.
Once again, the average GMAT of HEC admitted students is in general 700.
https://www.hec.edu/Ph.D/Admissions/Application-ProcessGood for you.
Your undergraduate GPA is fine, don't worry about that, they will look into your most recent studies which is master and there you are set in terms of GPA.
What is good is how you progresses through time, as you mature, so you have higher GPA on master, only the other way around would be a problem.
Of course you didn't know what you want in your Bachelor studies, like vast majority of us.
I am not familiar how F's are shown on your transcripts, it should be only passing grades, I suppose that is something peculiar to Turkish educational system, but you already explained that, also I see only A's and B's in your bachelor transcript, so no problem there at all.
Math and Statistics are particularly important, especially on graduate level for future PhD admission, almost all A's there which is great news for you.
On graduate level research methodology and risk management( assuming class was more quantitative in nature as it should be, than just theoretical) A's are plus that will concern admission committee.
All in all, you have great profile that will likely get you admission.
Being fluent in French is big big advantage.
For that purpose I would advise you to consider to apply all over France, not just in Paris, based on your preference (school, research, geographical).
You may know or not, but French people are very stubborn in their insisting on speaking their language only, very few of them even speak English.
Of course in university settings among highly educated people you may encounter somewhat better conditions in those terms, but don't expect that in every day life.
I lived there briefly, so I know
So your French language proficiency is excellent asset for you.
Bonne Chance !