Coming from a non-business background - chances?
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27 May 2010, 12:39
Hi everyone,
I'm just starting to consider the business PhD route and would appreciate some input as to whether I even stand a chance. Quick profile:
1. Academics: BA poli sci (European school, 3.9ish GPA, distinction), MA int'l affairs (top 10 US school, 4.0), haven't taken the GMAT yet...
2. Quant & research background: A in econ (grad), A in stats, A in advanced quant methods (dabbled in Bayesian analysis, etc), 9 months as a part-time research assistant to my stats professor in grad school, heavy focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods at the graduate level, thesis-type capstone paper on risk assessments, but no calc and no advanced math. Both my stats professor and my thesis advisor have said they'd be willing to write strong LORs.
3. Work experience: already have a year as a research associate at a US thinktank working on security issues, plan to stay there for maybe a couple more years.
I'm really interested in risk analysis (specifically corporate political risk in emerging markets) and love the INSEAD program (decision sciences track), as well as the LBS program in Strategic and International Management. With a serious GMAT score and a focused SOP, would either of these even be possible for me? I just don't want to get too excited about this prospect and then find out it's basically never going to happen. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm female, under 25 and speak a couple languages, if that matters at all...
P.P.S. I'll have a few publications (thinktank, no big journals) by the time I apply, some as second or third author, perhaps several as first, though all of them will be on international security issues.