<p>Hey all, </p>
<p>Quick question. I plan on graduating with a PhD in chemical engineering. I plan on being involved in forming my own company or being involved in a start up eventually. How much will a PhD with such a heavy quantitative aspect help admission into a top MBA program down the line?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>No response? Im asking granted if I have a very competitive GPA and matching GMAT scores, does having an advance quant degree help with aid. I already have been told by my current grad school, which is has top tier bussiness school, that they would waive the GMAT and offer me acceptance. I would but Ive been to undergrad and grad in the same city and I would preferably like to get out of state and to a top 10 school if I do choose that route. </p>
<p>Any and all advice/criticism is welcomed.</p>
<p>Your degree will probably be of only minor benefit. The truth is, most MBA programs do not really require a particularly strong quantitative background for admission. {Your degree would be of more benefit if you were applying to master’s of finance or financial engineering programs, or other such heavily quantitatively oriented programs}</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think you see a lot of PhDs in MBA programs…particularly PhDs in hard sciences or math. My DH has a PhD in Physics from Caltech and he was heavily recruited to the top strategy firms (had cross offers at McK and BCG) and iBanks at the same level as a post-MBA grad. He ended up choosing to join BCG and they took all of their PhD hires and put them through a 4 week mini-MBA (courses were taught by by HBS, GSB, Wharton profs). He spent a few years at BCG and is now on his 3rd venture backed start-up. I think you could get better real world experience by joining a consulting firm for a few years and skipping the MBA…</p>
<p>great advice thanks</p>
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<p>Of course the key to that story is that the protagonist obtained his PhD from Caltech, which is obviously a high-prestige school. Let’s face it - if you obtained your PhD from Idaho State University, you’re not going to be recruited by any of the top strategy or banking firms. </p>
<p>It is clearly true that a PhD or other graduate degree from a high-prestige school may be able to substitute for a top-tier MBA in terms of access to high-level recruiters? But what if you don’t go to a high-prestige graduate school?</p>
<p>Why would a top B school waive the GMAT? Are you talking a top 10?</p>
<p>Tulane B-school. Ive talked to some graduates and they said that some PhD’s in hard quant backgrounds like ChemE and Math were able to get their GMAT waived since they were alums, or maybe their GMAT was not as crucial as the high GPA. However this was for their MBA with a finance concentration, so I guess I should look into if it applies to entrepreneurship but regardless Tulane is top 10 in entrepreneurship and top 10-15 in finance from what Iv’e gathered.</p>
<p>But specifically im taking about the possible weight that have a PhD in such a demanding field would be beneficial to acceptance at top ten overall b-schools such at Kellog, Sloan etc.</p>
<p>But in no way am i gonna skimp out on the GMAT, I know I need like a 680+ for top 10 schools, and thats what I’m asking about, my question isn’t really about Tulane even though they are fantastic in finance. I’m looking for entrepreneurial out of state programs. However I absolutely have NOTHING against Tulane finance/entrepreneurship, I just want to get out. Ive been to high school, undergrad and now graduate school on the same street in New Orleans, even though granted St. Charles is amazing. </p>
<p>Any advice would be welcome. Criticism too</p>
<p>algirau - First, I agree you should go somewhere else. Being at the same school that long develops a kind of “inbreeding”, if you will. My advice is to work a few years and really focus on doing well at that company, hopefully moving up quickly. Then apply to Wharton or Harvard or the like, and you will have achieved your goal. There are a lot of companies in the Boston area that probably could offer you the challenges you seek, and that would be convenient. Or maybe the San Francisco area, where you could then choose Stanford or Berkeley.</p>
<p>Fallen you always have wise words, your previous advice helped me making a decision to attend Tulane over a top 10 engineering school…and I absolutely have no regrets whatsoever. However I think this time around you may be right…Id like to spread my wings too. Ive got 2- 3 years until I have to look towards applying to B-school but I do think I should work some too, I’ve already made close contacts with alumni from Tulane who work for Exxon so I might be going that route at the moment for work experience. But…I know in the end I want to end up in New Orleans so Ill always have the option to come back. </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. Any other advice from anyone else would be great but if not than thanks everybody. Study hard, work harder everyone. Good luck.</p>
<p>algirau - very glad it is working out so well for you. Thanks for your kind words also. As you know, no one loves Tulane more than I, but I also went away to grad school. Tulane is great, but obviously there are other schools with greater strengths in many areas. That is true of all schools, even Harvard. But even more important is just getting that fresh perspective that only a change in scenery can provide. Best of luck to you as well. A company like Exxon can provide some great benefits that can smooth the way for you, educationally.</p>
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<p>Again, the truth of the matter is that those MBA programs are going to care very little about your quant PhD background. They are far more interested in your work experience and leadership/mgmt potential, and - let’s face it, some stereotypes are true: many (probably most) people holding quant PhD’s do not have strong leadership/mgmt potential. </p>
<p>To be clear, your quant Phd won’t be a negative. However, it is unlikely to be a strong positive either. What would be far more helpful is building management and leadership experience.</p>
<p>sakky - I agree with a lot of what you say, especially the management part. That is why I recommended working for a few years and really focusing on doing well on the job (long hours, willingness to do whatever is needed for the company, etc.). But I am not sure I completely agree that the quant PhD background isn’t more of a positive. So many opportunities are in the tech industries, and B schools should be looking for people qualified technically as well as having management potential. You may be right, or it might vary some by school. B schools are like general undergrad schools, they like a diversity of backgrounds within their framework of people that seem to have good business potential.</p>
<p>And let’s all be honest, Tulane is NOT a T10 B school!</p>
<p>That was never said. I regards to Tulane I sighted specific specialties, i.e. finance, entrepreneurship that were highly ranked in/near the top 10 threshold…and I only mentioned the phrase “top 10 B-school” in reference to my interest out of state schools. And lets be honest, your two cents are better in your pocket, friend. Nobody is bashing any school in anyway at all here.</p>
<p>2college2college - Well, I didn’t take what you said as bashing, but I am not sure how it contributed positively either. In any case, as algirau says, it depends on what you want to study. Tulane has been ranked in the top 10 for both finance and entrepreneurship by some (obviously rankings come in many different flavors and are generally worthless, but since you brought them up…), and has been rising quickly in many areas and by many estimations. Since algirau is not a Business major, apparently, in many ways it would still be new to him even at Tulane. Even so, being in one place too long tends to make one stale.</p>
<p>cheers fallen</p>
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<p>This. Times 1000.</p>