Low tier 1, Mid-Tier PhD Accounting Programs - GMAT 650

Question

Hello,

I'm looking for a list of schools that would be considered low tier 1 and mid-tier PhD in Accounting programs. I would love to do managerial or audit behavioral research, but that isn't set in stone.

Brief info about me:

BYU BS Acctg 2015 - 3.5 GPA
MSU Acctg 2020 - 3.5 GPA expected
2 years CPA experience (no license), 1 year Healthcare (Medicare Reimbursement), 1 year Tech (Multi-family housing software implementation)
GMAT scores of 650 (cancelled), 650 (2018) and 660 (cancelled) as of Nov 1, 2019. I am retaking the GMAT again in 2 weeks to try and get a 700+ (I stopped studying 2 weeks prior to my last attempt since I scored 680 on multiple practice tests, big mistake).
Taking a managerial research seminar in Spring 2020 with Ranjani Krishnan as a MSA student, several IS classes both at BYU and MSU

If I get a 700+, schools I am interested in:

Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois - UC, Indiana, Pitt, ASU, Emory (720+) + others

At a 650, schools I think I might have a chance at:

MSU, ASU, Oklahoma, Arkansas (mayyyybe), South Florida

Could I get any help in knowing what other schools would be good for me to apply to? I know that 650/660 is a very low GMAT score to be even considered somewhat competitive, but in case I can't get that score up with 2 weeks of intense studying, I'd like to get a more complete list. The schools I've listed are pretty much ones that I've been able to identify by websites or by talking with professors and current PhD students.

Thank you for any help!

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

You have a decent profile. Taking a research seminar course will be a big plus to your profile and will help you to improve your SOP. I feel you should focus on your GMAT as of now and report back here with your latest score. If you can touch 700 then a whole lot of opportunities open up for you.

I am not saying there are "no exceptions" to a low GMAT score. But until you have big plusses in your profile like great recommendations or research experience, a low GMAT score does make a good application. Also, try to touch a Q49. Admissions officers like to see a higher quant score.

PS: Why did you cancel your 660?

SurferDude19 · Answer

Thank you! I’m going to be studying like crazy and putting my classes on the back burner for the next two weeks. I’ll make sure I do better with the quant studying for sure.

I do have some data collection experience with some financial archival research, but it was very low-level stuff.

I cancelled my 660 because I felt that it wouldn’t have shown any improvement from the prior year, and also because I was a bit mad. If I don’t score better on the 18th, should I reinstate the score?

Thank you for the reply!

Posted from my mobile device

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Let discuss about the reinstating of your score after you are done with your GMAT exam. As of now, just focus on your GMAT and give your 100%. If your GMAT exam goes well and you score a 700 or above then reinstating might not be required.

SurferDude19 · Answer

Well, I retook the exam and got a 690. Not quite what I was hoping for but much better. It was a 45Q, 39V score, so not terribly impressive for quant but a much more even score.

Posted from my mobile device

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Congratulations on a substantial improvement. I feel our discussion on reinstating your 660 is redundant now.

If you have good letters of recommendation and because you are targetting mid-tier programs then I feel 690 might do the trick. What is your viewpoint or plan?

Are you applying for 2020 intake? If yes, which programs are you targetting?

SurferDude19 · Answer

Thank you!

I feel like I have some pretty good letters - one from the PhD director at my current school, one from my advanced audit professor, and another one from a financial professor I did research with a couple of summers ago.

My overall plan is to write a strong statement of purpose that outlines some of the my strengths outside of my Gmat score and highlight all of the little things I’m doing to make a PhD possible (taking a research seminar class, enrolling in econometrics, linear algebra and stats, attending research workshops). I hope that these efforts, combined with a somewhat decent score, will be enough to score a few interviews.

For Fall 2020, I’m targeting Indiana, Illinois, Emory, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Arizona State, South Florida and Bentley University. I feel like some of these are definitely reach schools, but overall I’m hopeful that I’ve covered enough tier 1 and safety schools.

Thank you for your comments and interest in helping!

Posted from my mobile device

Hovkial · Answer

Combined with a decent 690 score and your classes, you have chances at the Tier-2 schools. Note that these schools also do good research and the Tier-2 moniker is just used to denote their separation from the more common top programs.

For a PhD, you must highlight research. Other things such as personal qualities are important as well, but not so much as in MBA programs.

For a PhD, you must highlight research. Other things such as personal qualities are important as well, but not so much as in MBA programs.

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

You are welcome. I feel your profile is really very good. You have/(are doing) everything right which will help you in getting admission in the programs you are looking for. Strengthening your quant background by doing econometrics, linear algebra, and stats are not little things; they are big things! Have you helped your Ph.D. director in any of his research projects? You will attend the Ph.D. seminar by Prof Ranjani Krishnan that's going to be another big plus. All these actions are concrete steps towards your Ph.D. admissions application. You may find these links useful:- https://www.byuaccounting.net/rankings/u ... nkings.php https://jindal.utdallas.edu/the-utd-top ... s#20142018 You may like to read these papers:- https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=1337755 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=1574502 All the Best!

amhill4 · Answer

Congrats on the 690! I would think that your past and upcoming research experience would make up for your quant score. Hopefully faculty recognize that a quant score doesn't really determine a person's ability to perform well in quant-related research... I am also targeting similar schools for an accounting PhD starting Fall 2021. UIUC was very appealing since I am from the area, but they seem pretty selective. I did want to mention that they seem to love people with a degree from BYU, so that could be an advantage for you. You could also consider University of Kentucky--bit of a lower tier school I think but they have some great faculty. I'm planning to sit for the GMAT again soon (the first time I took it on the fly without really studying), and am getting practice scores close to yours. Keep us in the loop once you start applying and hearing back from schools--it would be much appreciated

Good luck!

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Hey  amhill4  I am also targeting 2021 and similar programs.

SurferDude19  - Do keep us posted!

Let's keep in touch and update each other on our progress. Feel free to PM me.

All the best!

SurferDude19 · Answer

@camanishpamar - Thanks for the input! Those are really good papers - I knew about BYU's ranking website (one of my professors at BYU is one of the authors of that paper), but I wasn't aware of the Texas one. BYU's website really helped me narrow down which schools to look at, and conversations with those programs and with my current faculty helped me to eliminate some of the programs which weren't quite what I was looking for. It's pretty difficult, but hopefully worthwhile.

I haven't had the chance to do much research this semester - I had an accident earlier in the semester that required me to drop one of my classes and it's been catch up with just my normal classwork ever since. I am hoping to help do some research next semester if I can find a professor who is willing to let me help. (RA positions are reserved for the PhD students, so unfortunately no opportunities there.)

amhill4  - Good luck with the retake! I'm sure when you sit down to study your quant score will jump significantly. A big part of it for me was understanding exactly what the question was asking. Granted, my score isn't the highest, but maybe it'll be helpful advice for you. I had considered Kentucky, so maybe I should include that one too. Right now I'm sitting at 9 schools that I know I'll apply to - debating between Rutgers (I really like parts of their AIS program - the data science, machine learning, and other techy stuff like that) and a few others ones, which will now include Kentucky.

I'm hoping that the BYU part of my CV will help! I know I wasn't the smartest in the accounting program, but I definitely learned a ton while I was there.

If either of you have questions about schools, feel free to contact me. I've done a lot of research into managerial and audit schools, and I've had the opportunity to talk with quite a few programs over the past couple of years (Washington, Wisconsin, UC Irvine, Alabama, MSU, Bentley...) so maybe it'll could be helpful. There's not a lot of available information on the interwebs, so maybe what I've learned along the way could be helpful.

It's great that you guys are so forward looking about programs and GMAT testing - hopefully come 2021 it'll be a breeze of a process for y'all.

Best,

SurferDude19

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Great! I hope you find the texas site useful. I hope you have recovered from the accident and doing fine now.

Getting some RA assignment would be a great boost to your application for the Ph.D. program. All the best! I am lucky to have got this opportunity to get a two year RA ship with a professor who is publishing in A* journals. I am lacking a math background as I am a chartered accountant. I am attending the same courses here (Probability theory, Statistics, Linear Algebra and Econometrics, etc) as you have mentioned so I relate to the steps you are taking towards your application.

Thank you for the offer to help me with my Ph.D. application as well. I will surely get back to you as and when I need any help. I am scoring a Q49+ in Quant but unable to cross V32 in Verbal. I am aiming to score a V38+. I will give GMAT in April-May; right now I am not preparing for GMAT. I just spend 15-20 minutes on this forum occasionally.

Do let us know how your applications are going. Wishing you all the very best. Do let me know if I could be of any help to you.

Best regards,

Manish

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Hi!

How are your applications coming? Any interview calls?

Do keep us posted!

All the best!

SurferDude19 · Answer

Hey!

Here’s a quick update for now.  CAMANISHPARMAR   amhill4

I’ve had 2 interviews with USF and hopefully I’ll start hearing back from the other applications soon!

Thanks for the reminder.

Posted from my mobile device

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Thanks for the update. Nice to hear that you have started receiving interview calls.

Do keep us posted! All the very best!

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Hey!

What is the latest update?

All the best!

SurferDude19 · Answer

Update: USF has given me an offer, Illinois and Emory have given me official rejections. I have not heard officially from any of the other universities yet. I went to visit USF's campus and I very much enjoyed my time there, so I have accepted their offer!

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Many congratulations! I am glad to hear that you very much enjoyed your time at UCF's campus and have accepted their offer!

All the best and keep in touch!

CAMANISHPARMAR · Answer

Hey! How are you doing? I hope you are doing good and safe from the covid19 outbreak. How are the Ph.D. admissions shaping up? Have you finalized UCF or are there any other new updates?

All the best!

Low tier 1, Mid-Tier PhD Accounting Programs - GMAT 650

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards