Finance (corporate finance方向) PhD 求定位

lovelylittle

If you want to find the right school for you, you need to understand yourself first such as your interest, your background, your strength and weakness. If you don't have any idea what your interest is, no one can help you. If you really know what your interest is, then you should spend some time to do your research on the schools, not just saying that I want to apply for top 10 or top 70 without doing any research for the schools you will apply.

I spent almost 2 whole months on doing research for around 80 schools, and then I picked up around 20 candidates which are right for my background and interest. I even know how many professors are active in the program, what fields they are focusing on, who are the "da nius", what papers they have published recently, what kind of culture for the programs, what kind of applicants' background they like, what percentage of international students, what project current students are working on now, how can I write PS specifically for each school etc..

To be a good PhD student, you may need to learn how to do research for the schools first...

-- by 会员 800 (2009/12/12 16:24:36)

谢谢您的留言, 非常中肯! 我认为我自己是对corporate finance方向的课题, 尤其是firm valuing比较感兴趣的.不过我的一个MIT毕业的老师(也就是帮我改过多次ps的老师)对我说, 本科生说的interest都是bullshit(sorry no offence, 不过这是他的原话), 包括他自己的. 他说他后来看起他原来的PS, 在interest方面完全就是胡说八道(原话,虽然他当时已经读了一年master, 后来withdraw了). 而且他还告诉我说, 本科生申请phd的时候, 乱给自己定研究方向或兴趣是非常危险的事情, 因为大多数本科生对研究连一知半解都达不到(他说话的对象仅仅是针对我这样的本科生), 不应该给别人发错误的信号. 结论是他叫我对研究生院尽量展示自己的过去, 让他们看到潜力, 而不是我对将来的展望.这就是我一直没怎么提interest的原因.  


corporate finance基本上任何一个finance department都有人做, 所以我基本是大致看看有哪些人在做, 然后就申请了. 至于您提到的对学校的诸多研究, 我的确做的不足, 基本上都有去留意, 不过留意的不是非常细致, 比如你说的culture, 我还不知道怎么去观察. 还请多多指教.


I like your last sentence.

lovelylittle

如果你是purdue10年不遇的star，上了market，是能够达到rutgers和uconn学生达不到的高度的，但是比较这三个学校的一般毕业生，我觉得区别不大。

-- by 会员 xiaopanghu (2009/12/12 23:43:33)

您是说找工作啊placement啊那些的区别都不大么?

lovelylittle

Hi darcie, you really think there is no difference when it comes to finding a good job? I thought there would be huge between one from Purdue and one from like Rutgers or UConn.
How do you think?

since you have some exchange experience, if you think you might have the equivalent competence with those phds in UWM or CMU,   just try it.   but there is not big difference from rank 20-60,  especially as to finding a GOOD job.

-- by 会员 darcie (2009/12/12 21:06:35)

-- by 会员 Moonpainter (2009/12/12 21:52:23)

发表一下我个人的愚见. 如果找工作的话, 您列出的那两个学校在东部是有很高知名度的. 我当时在cmu的时候, 学生们心目中的好学校, 就是这些rutgers啊uc (他们称uconn为uc)啊, babson college啊, tufts这些. 除了一个chicago来的同学, 其他的统统没有听过univ Wisconsin madison. 他们还"讥讽"我说, 你们中国的学生就是在乎排名. 他们以为, employer心目中的好学校(可能top20-60吧, 或者是在当地比较出名的学校)都是一个级别的, 的确没有分得太清楚. 还有就是employer对学校的印象与所在地有很大关系. 在哪个地方的employer一般会倾向当地名气不错的学校. 这与我在香港的经验一致. 就是找工作的话, 学校在当地的名气非常重要.


如果在东部, 诸如纽约这些城市找工作的话, 我觉得rutgers和uconn要比purdue的毕业生有优势. 特别是rutgers.

darcie

Please check out the placements(only for Chinese,  not Americans etc.).
Another thing for example,  if one program has around 20 faculties, actually only about 10 guys(if any) are active as usual, among whom not more than 5 professors.  As to advisor, you should choose among these 5 who will have the similar research interest with you,  only this advisor will have great impact on your future academic career. (or job).
Of course, top 10 programs will have more faculties and more opportunities/alternatives with bigger brands.

lovelylittle

Please check out the placements(only for Chinese,  not Americans etc.).
Another thing for example,  if one program has around 20 faculties, actually only about 10 guys(if any) are active as usual, among whom not more than 5 professors.  As to advisor, you should choose among these 5 who will have the similar research interest with you,  only this advisor will have great impact on your future academic career. (or job).
Of course, top 10 programs will have more faculties and more opportunities/alternatives with bigger brands.

-- by 会员 darcie (2009/12/13 1:29:37)

看一个professor是不是active其实就是看他最近有没有发表东西是吧

neo1001

recent publication in top journals

lovelylittle

recent publication in top journals

-- by 会员 neo1001 (2009/12/13 7:35:56)

知道了, 谢谢!

fzxc613

I just give u some school list which I consider is kind of safe.
BTW, UTPA has phd program. My friend is there

lovelylittle

I just give u some school list which I consider is kind of safe.
BTW, UTPA has phd program. My friend is there

-- by 会员 fzxc613 (2009/12/14 10:14:17)

Thanks! how about other UC schools? by safe i suppose you mean my background is stronger than their requirement, then how about the schools that my background approx. parallels?


I really wanna go to big cities or big states (ie. new york, penn, california, washington, DC area). If possible, I dont mind going to schools not as good.