Re: Profile evaluation please
[#permalink]
26 Apr 2008, 09:17
Comment on your pluses:
- go-to-person at work: doesn't matter significantly in PhD application
- consulting experience: doesn't matter significantly in PhD application
- excellent references: both content and source of recommendations are important. Idea source of LOR: research professors. If you get this right, you will up your chances.
- successful projects: good signals of your fit if you can pitch them properly in your SOP.
- extracurricular activities: doesn't matter significantly in PhD application
"a strong motivation for consulting to help build successful business and develop successful people" - doesn't really matter in PhD application. If fact, depending on who is doing the reading and filtering, these goals may work against you. Ideal and play-safe goals (especially for those schools that you are thinking of) should be eat research, sleep research, live research.
Speaking of schools, almost all that you have listed are a long-shot for almost every applicants.
Based on the current draft of your profile, I would say you are more competitive as an MBA applicant than a PhD applicant. I suggest that you try to get involved in some academic research (e.g. research assistant) before you apply. This serves 3 purposes:
1. it boosts your research experience,
2. it may get you a good LOR, and, more importantly for you,
3. it gives you a chance to see if doing PhD/research matches your perception of what it is about, and whether this path suits you.