Gearing up for Fall 2008

Question

Hiya fellas! I'm starting to gear up for Fall 2008 admissions, and was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers based on what I have so far. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Undergrad: NYU, BA Sociology/Economics, 3.2 GPA
Graduate school: MBA, Top university in Taiwan, GPA conversion comes out to 3.7+. Thesis required for graduation.
2.5 years work experience.
GMAT: Not yet (reason being...)
Research experience: 2 paper submitted to conferences (peanuts), and 1 under review for journal. By the time my graduate tally would ideally be 3 conferences and 2 journals.
LOR: Two I can secure right now, from unrelated fields, but both Profs are among the best in their field and quite well known (Sociology and Anthropology).
Target: Any Top 20 program.

I know I need to work on my GMATs (lots of pressure there...), but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do to strengthen my chances. More research if possible? Better LORs?

Ideally I'd actually want to get back into NYU. Does anybody know if PhD programs are averse to taking back alums after a few years foray in the outside world?

robbie1981 · Answer

Your profile in potentially a strong one... your GMAT score might make you either an "exceptionally strong" applicant or an "averagely strong" one. 

So... try to do your best on the test. The big issues are managing your time carefully and keeping your concentration high for a long period. 

Good luck!

hobbit · Answer

you seem to have strong background, and i assume gmat would not become a big issue for you.

to succeed, i think you should choose carefully where you apply. do lots of research about schools and faculty. the most important part in my view is to find a good fit between you and the school you apply for. more specifically - between your research interests and the departmental "research agenda", and some faculty memebrs' interests.

this fit should be made clear in your SOP, and can be boosted by making prior contact with potential advisors.

i think applying to NYU would be either unaffected by your previous studies or work in your favor if some professors have good memories of teaching you (you can politely email them and ask...)

and stick to this forum of course

there are lots of helpful tips in these forums (also the MBA forum....although not all relevant for phd aspirants like us).

good luck.

there are lots of helpful tips in these forums (also the MBA forum....although not all relevant for phd aspirants like us). good luck.

bauble · Answer

Do your pubs support your intended research directions? That would be incredibly helpful I would think (I had zero pubs prior to applying, but I have to believe that is useful).

I don't know what other's experiences are, but I've heard time and again concerns over ability to master quant rigor, e.g., econometrics/econ. I don't know what your field is, so this concern may not be so high.

tkkoh · Answer

Which concentration are you applying to?

Kumbaya · Answer

Ugh... research was so much easier compared to the GMAT... getting to that point where practice questions all make sense and yet the actual practice tests keep giving me a hard time. Oh well...

I'll be going for Management/OB. It's a general enough "focus" since marketing, strategy, finance, etc.. don't seem appealing.

Gearing up for Fall 2008

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