Prof. Evaluation and Guidance!

Question

Hi! I'm looking for a profile evaluation

Age: 24
Gender: Male
BSc: Computer Science 7.5/10 (school ranked 75-100) (professors were a little beat tightfisted with our grades :p - my grade was 0,5 - 1/10 above median )
MSc: Accountancy and Auditing (estimated degree above 8.6/10 and top 5 -- currently first in class (now- 8.8/10) ) ( so called most reputable in accounting and auditing in country because it's certified by country's Institute of CPAs )

I've been offered a job as a junior CPA at the biggest domestic auditing company after an internship last summer, and planning to start working there mid sept at least for 1-2 years.

I hope i'll score above 650 GMAT and aprox. 100 TOEFL

My thoughts are also towards a Phd after an MBA.

What B Schools are best for my concetration (IT -innovation combined with accounting and auditing)? Whats my best shot?

Any advice and thoughts?

Thanks in Advance for your help and guidance!

p.s My Country is in Europe (G letter of "PIGS" :p)

bakfed · Answer

I think the statement "IT -innovation combined with accounting and auditing" is a bit misleading in the US business schools. For the top b-schools in the states, IT and auditing are really completely different beast and surely, you'll be able to achieve it at any top b-school with your own creativity and imagination. In terms of schools, you'll see yourself facing an uphill battle with a 650 GMAT score. Try your best and target for a 700 and it'll put you in a different shoe. For state school and a 650, think about UNC, Indiana, Minnesota, Georgetown, and Simon range. While these schools are just a tad bit lower than what's considered a top b-school, these schools have pretty much an awesome talent and a great set of recruiting companies.

I have one question for you: why is it that you want to get a Ph.D. after your MBA? An MBA and a Ph.D. are two completely different beasts and generally speaking, an MBA would want to remain in industry and a Ph.D. goes into the academia world and do research. There's actually really not a whole of correlation between the two, unlike the correlation you'd see for a MS in engineering and a PhD in engineering. Personally speaking, I would never ever go for an MBA if I know that I'd be going into academia later on in my life only because of the dedication for an MBA, not just in an emotional sense but also a financial sense, is simply too great for it to be a mere "transition" of life. It should be a well thought-out understanding on your part whether to go for this MBA.

zoo · Answer

Hi! Bakfed, firstly i would like to thank you for your help!

The first reason that makes me consider a Phd is that i'm not familiar with the US and UK academic depth of MBAs and generally MScs, i think my country's master programs (on economic subjects) are mostly designed with a variety of courses withοut examining a subject extensively! That's why i'm thinking about a Phd after an MBA, the MBA is for my business purposes, and the Phd is for pursuing knowledge. I don't think that i would like to go into academia, althought i like research.

With those stats, whats my best shot on the UK?i am also interested at UK due to the closer distance.

If i could hit a 700 GMAT (or close to that), with 2 year work exp. as CPA (assuming that in 2 years i'll take the official CPA title in my country) what are the possibilities of getting into the top 20 (ft-ranking)?

Also, how the variety of my two prior schools (comp. science and economics) will affect the judge of the people who evaluate my admission? Will it be good for me?

Thanks in advance!

bakfed · Answer

I can tell you that an MBA is really to teach you to become a manager, a leader. It provides you with decision making skills during an ambiguous situation. It's not really deep, solid knowledge, but an MBA is really just a general understanding (soft-skills, if you will) of how managers think and analyze things. A Ph.D. in the business area (economics, accounting, operations, etc.) will definitely be for the depth of material. However, to be honest with you there are plenty of ways to understand things more deeply, for example, take some classes at local colleges to quench your thirst or start reading economics/business books that may interest you. I'm not trying to push you away from a Ph.D. but I'm just really trying to steer you in the right direction. Ph.D. is most definitely designed so you can give back to the academia by teaching students and doing research. An MBA is the degree that will help you advance your career in the industry setting. They're really different and really don't complement each other in ways you'd expect. With a 700+, you should be able to aim for schools in the top range, granted you toss in a flawless application. Your years of work experience leans toward a younger applicant, in which case you'll need to convince the adcoms why they should take you instead of taking a student with 5 years of experience at McKinsey. I think that if you're aiming for European schools, you should consider applying, but also consider that you may want/need to work a few more years since most European b-schools are going to have a higher average years of work experience. But you should most definitely look at Judge and Said, and of course, take a glance at LBS and see whether it fits you or not. INSEAD is another great school, but know that INSEAD and LBS are pretty much the Harvard of Europe, so know your way out if you don't make it to these schools.

jordanhendrix · Answer

didnt read all the replies....look at UMD SMith too though....tey are known for their IT and ACC, and place very well in big four

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