Difference between revisions of "How do I get into a research intensive PhD program?"

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'''Note: These are opinions of current and past PhD prep students who may or may not have even gotten into a good school.  Treat them as such.'''
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* Study for the [[The GMAT|GMAT]] and get a good score. At "top" schools, most students will have a [[The GMAT|GMAT]] score of 700 or above with a minimum of 600.  (However, the [[The GMAT|GMAT]] is just one factor in your [[Applying to a Ph.D. Program|application]].)
  
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* Study for the GMAT and get a good score, preferably 750 or higher.  Remember, the GMAT you take and the score you report will really be only a sample from your "true" GMAT score. Only by taking it many times could you really see what your true GMAT score is. If you take it the first time and think you picked a sample from the lower end of your distribution, consider retaking it.  Discuss this with many people, especially people at schools you are applying to.  The thought here at BYU is towards not retaking(which certainly has its strong arguments), but, if you want to go to Wharton, ask someone who knows what the Wharton people think.
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* Take your Ph.D. Prep Track courses seriously and learn as much as possible.  
  
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* In the end, all BYU students will work with faculty, take the prep courses, have good GPAs, have good letters of recommendation and all that.  The only across the board differentiator is the GMAT, so if you are applying to the same schools as a BYU student with a higher GMAT, expect to take second chair to that student.  In the end, the GMAT is king, and so if you are on the bottom of the pile GMAT-wise, you may want to consider taking it again, or applying to many different schools your BYU peers are not applying to.  While at first this may not seem fair, it is, because, again, the GMAT is really the only across the board differentiator schools have.  Take it seriously.
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* Get research going with faculty.  Take your ideas to them and take initiative so you have the opportunity to have co-authored work in progress.   
  
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* Take your PhD Prep-track courses seriously and learn as much as possible.  This will help you once you get into a program, but, realistically, schools you are applying to do not know how seriously you took your classes, and the accounting professors who write your recommendations don't either.  Getting into good schools is based on what information those schools can see.
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* Seek the advice of [[BYU Alumni and Friends|current professors and doctoral students]] so you know which schools you should apply to.   
  
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* Make a good impression on professors so they write good letters of recommendation.  However, while this may be useful on the margin, again, all BYU students will have good letters of recommendation as well.
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* Apply to [[Applying to a Ph.D. Program#Selecting the Right Program|programs that fit]] your needs and interests.  This is critical as those Ph.D. prep students who have not finished their Ph.D. did not fit well at the schools where they began studying.
  
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* Get research going with faculty. Take your ideas to them and take initiative so you have the opportunity to have co-authored work in progress.  However, if you are looking to go to a top-tier place, do not publicize any non-top tier publications you have or are working on.  Also, it may be better to just talk about working papers, and not provide them to the schools.
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* Your [[Applying to a Ph.D. Program#Statement of Purpose|statement of purpose]] is very important.  Make sure you spend a lot of time crafting this document and have several individuals read it and comment on it.
  
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* Seek the advice of current professors and doctoral students so you know which schools you should apply to. This is tricky.  You may literally get polar opposite responses from two professors who know a lot about what they are talking about.  This is not because they don't know or are wrong, the problem is, what the "right" schools are is kind of tricky.  Ask A LOT of people independently and take all opinions into account.  Make sure you ask non-BYU professors as well.
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* Get good [[Applying to a Ph.D. Program#Letters of Recommendation|letters of recommendation]].  Although you cannot control what is written about you, you should be professional in your interactions with faculty.  A good letter of recommendation can go a long way, and a mediocre letter can shut doors very quickly.
  
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* Apply to programs that fit your needs and interests.
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* Consider attending an academic [[What conferences are the best to attend?|conference]] during Fall of your last year in the MAcc.  Doing so will allow you to meet the faculty you could be working with at schools, and making a decision to accept you is much easier if the faculty have met you and know that you are into research enough to go to academic conferences.  In the 2007-2008 year, I know of two students that attended conferences, who, as a result of going, got into the program they decided to go to.
  
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* Some BYU faculty will urge you to apply at a lot of schools, others will say to limit your applications.  Especially if you are on the bottom end of the GMAT continuum at BYU, apply to lots.
 
  
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* Remember, as the prep-track grows, there will just be more and more competition among the BYU people. '''DONT GET NASTY OR BITTER.'''  You will be dealing with these people for the rest of your life, and strong friendships will make your life in accounting academia much more pleasant.  The BYU network is a very strong one, so keep every part of it healthy.
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Latest revision as of 15:43, 27 August 2015

  • Study for the GMAT and get a good score. At "top" schools, most students will have a GMAT score of 700 or above with a minimum of 600. (However, the GMAT is just one factor in your application.)
  • Take your Ph.D. Prep Track courses seriously and learn as much as possible.
  • Get research going with faculty. Take your ideas to them and take initiative so you have the opportunity to have co-authored work in progress.
  • Apply to programs that fit your needs and interests. This is critical as those Ph.D. prep students who have not finished their Ph.D. did not fit well at the schools where they began studying.
  • Your statement of purpose is very important. Make sure you spend a lot of time crafting this document and have several individuals read it and comment on it.
  • Get good letters of recommendation. Although you cannot control what is written about you, you should be professional in your interactions with faculty. A good letter of recommendation can go a long way, and a mediocre letter can shut doors very quickly.
  • Consider attending an academic conference during Fall of your last year in the MAcc. Doing so will allow you to meet the faculty you could be working with at schools, and making a decision to accept you is much easier if the faculty have met you and know that you are into research enough to go to academic conferences. In the 2007-2008 year, I know of two students that attended conferences, who, as a result of going, got into the program they decided to go to.


Main Page ► Ph.D. Prep Track and Doctoral Student Q&A ► How do I get into a research intensive PhD program?
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