mohater wrote:
First and foremost, welcome back. It's nice to have people come back and offer expertise in this area (among others). This website has a wealth of knowledge and it's due to people like you (people who went through the process, and provide feedback to the member base).
I am in the process of applying to two schools and would like some feedback (PhD in accounting).
Some background:
Undergrad in Accounting and Econ (dual BA). Five years work experience with multinational mfg company, no certs yet (can't get CPA licensed in my state as I have no public experience) but might work on some in the next few months.
Any feedback on writing the statement of purpose/letter of intent?
Focusing on top 25 accounting programs. 710 GMAT. I applied to two programs with deadlines of 12/31, and am applying to two more (I was applying to five, but I found out the fifth school is not admitting PhD students for 2010 and thus I will not apply)
First, if you are focusing on top 25, why are you applying only to 5? Broaden your search. Most good programs are competitive.
Writing statement of purpose : I have a post on this before, dig it out. As a faculty, the only spark we look at is whether the student can develop into a professor. That is the question uppermost in our mind, as we screen apps. There are two basic themes that need to be addressed in the statement - somehow.
First, Does your statement tell me that you will be very happy in a life that centers around research and teaching - in that order? If so, how? The theme here is "Why PhD".
Second, the timing. Why do you want to do a PhD now. In your case, the question to focus is why, in your five years of working, the idea of PhD has formed, why does it excite you, and so on. The theme here is "Why PhD now?"