<p>“primary purpose of the programme is to cultivate future PhDs”</p>
<p>^^That would just be for JJ Scholars, right? Not the rest, right?</p>
<p>Not too sure… The topic of conversation was JJ Scholars, but she could have been referring to all of them. I would think that Columbia would want to graduate more applied science and minority PhDs, too, no?</p>
<p>Incidentally, the Kluge program began specifically with the hope of making more minority phds, and if you look at some of the earliest graduates of the programs they are all becoming Associate Professors somewhere.</p>
<p>By the time I entered Columbia the breakdown of scholars became mostly what it is today - where each scholar designation does not have a singular purpose anymore, but the idea is that these are some pretty stellar students and we want to provide resources for them to maximize their potential (phd, job market, etc.). I know many Kluge’s that did research in ugrad and are now heading to phds, med school, law school, etc., it is a big mix. Of note, those who went on to work, many were doing things in the social justice, international diplomacy type work. And I found scholars to be the least likely to enter the wall street finance world.</p>
<p>Re: the specific statement. I think that makes sense for them to say though not necessarily will they hold you to being a phd. Though I kind of think it is cool that the program seems to be taking a more intellectual edge. Columbia is known for being more of a phd grounding zone than other schools, this might just improve its operation. My guess Mustafah that either direct service work or academic work is in your cards, which means you are pretty much in line with most scholars in the program - and you would be amazing at Columbia.</p>
<p>“Incidentally, the Kluge program began specifically with the hope of making more minority phds, and if you look at some of the earliest graduates of the programs they are all becoming Associate Professors somewhere.”</p>
<p>Cerberus: EPIC FAIL</p>
<p>likewise, Denzera: Massive Failure.</p>
<p>Actually, I could see myself with a PhD in business, teaching at a b-school somewhere and doing research. That’d be pretty cool. But it’s probably a lot more likely that I say “screw all this” and go become an Air Force pilot than it is that I go get a PhD in a non-business subject.</p>
<p>edit: and by that I mean, both are rather unlikely, albeit conceivable.</p>
<p>OP: Denzera and Cerberus are terrible representatives of the Scholar’s Programs’ aims. We’ve both ended up in consulting firms–which isn’t by any account a bad thing, but you get the point–we’ve sold our souls to the corporate world rather than academia. </p>
<p>but…the corporate world is fun.</p>
<p>And, I guess the point I’m trying to make is although the scholar’s program might have specific stated aims, they won’t hold you to it, and they’ll support you in whatever you want to do. The dean (Lavinia Lorch) spent many minutes talking me through my freak out moments. She’s wonderful. Everyone in the scholar’s office is really approachable and friendly.</p>