Hi
mkumar4994,
Thank you for your post, and for sharing your profile. You have a very interesting background. A Ph.D., as you have pointed out, is geared towards those that want a life in academia (or at least a part of their life). To complete such a program requires a research focus - do you have a proposed dissertation topic or focus? The answer to that question might help shed light on the road you should take. If you know your focus, then perhaps applying directly to a Ph.D. program makes sense.
Getting into a Ph.D. program directly from undergraduate is challenging (not impossible), as there are only a few seats available each year. People tend to get a Master's before proceeding into a Ph.D. program, to increase their competitiveness (you will be competing against those applicants, should you proceed with Ph.D. now). You have excellent scores, and top programs should be attainable. An MFin degree from MIT, for example, is a great program you should look into. A degree from such an institution (or its competitors) will not only make your Ph.D. candidacy greatly more competitive but will also open many doors in the job market. If you choose to proceed with a Ph.D. directly, then, indeed, expand your reach.
If you would like to continue this conversation, please reach out to schedule a free consultation (contact details in signature).
Good luck!
mkumar4994 wrote:
Hi Everyone,
Need some help in exploring my options:
Ideally, I would want to pursue PhD in Finance and have an academic role. However, for want of enough Finance/Math research experience, I believe getting into Top 20 Finance PhD programs would be tough. So, in such a situation, should I target Top 20-50 Finance PhD Programs?
Or are there any Masters in Finance (M.Res. or M.Phil) programs which can help my cause in getting into a better Finance PhD program after?
Or should I instead go for a Quantitative Masters of Finance Program and keep my options of working in the industry and going back to academia (if I still want to)
What are my chances of getting in top programs given my profile:
Indian, 23, Male
Education: Mechanical Engineering from HKUST, Top 2 in Hong Kong.
GPA: 4.1 out of 4.3 (1st in Class, Academic Medal, Dean’s List in all Semesters. Full Tuition Fee Scholarship for undergraduate)
GMAT: 760 (Q50,V44)
Recommendations: Fron Asst. Finance Professor who knows me well, from Final year engineering supervisor (still considering other options)
Courses: Advance Mech. Engg courses (which I hope substitutes for Math requirements), Programming Courses (VBA, C++ etc. also proficient in Python) Broad fundamental courses in Accounting, Finance
Work Experience: Working in Transaction Banking Graduate Program (2 years by Fall 2019) in Hong Kong.
It will include 6 Months of work experience in London. Mostly sales, business analytics etc. related rotation.
Research Experience: Undergraduate research experience.
International Experience:
High School- Singapore (2 years)
Undergraduate- Hong Kong (4 years)
Internship- United States (1 month)
Full Time Work- Hong Kong (1 year)
Full Time Work Rotation- London (6 months)
Thanks a Lot