The three big doors

By Michael L. McManus

I have been asked for tips on what to do to guarantee admission to top graduate programs abroad. These could be the prestigious MBA degree from places like Ivy League Schools, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and the like; or maybe a better overall investment is the ultimate degree, the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). The MBA degree is still seen as a professional degree, less an academic degree. Financial aid for such professional degrees is hard to come by, and yet there is tremendous competition for your tuition dollar. Schumpeter, who writes for The Economist, recently estimated we may have 12,000 MBA programs on the planet, and no one knows the real number

One thing is for sure. Even the MBA from a top 20 university will open doors, yet, interestingly, not as many as the doctorate. The candidate who has a top20 Ph.D. can be looking at the three big doors of academia, industry, and/or government.

So how might one position oneself for the ultimate degree?

1. Your actions must be with total sincerity, clear purpose, and a deep sense of everything to be done is at arm’s length. No references to rankings or prestige. This is about total professionalism.

2. There is a better chance for graduate and doctoral financial aid for foreign students at private universities, not state universities. Don’t ask for money. Ask if you can qualify for an assistantship, either teaching or research. In many cases, this comes with tuition waiver and living stipend.

3. It helps to be married. Faculty, staff and fellow students see this as a sign of seriousness and maturity.

4. Find a scholar whose work you want to follow. This will become a crucial element of your success in the graduate program as well as lifelong mentorship. When I was a professor in Germany, they used to ask me who my “thesis father” was. This indicates the bond that many see between the doctoral student and the chief advisor, often called the Chairman.

5. You need to already have publications, the more the better. If you can align your work and publications with a key faculty member, there is confidence that greatly increases the candidate’s credibility.

6. Visit the campus well ahead of applying. Try to make an appointment with the professor you have chosen to follow. Bring copies of your publications to share. Meet as many professors and advisors as possible.

7. Test scores are still important. Do everything in your power to have high test scores.

8. If the admission process requires an essay, avoid emotional statements and stay as professional as possible in expressing your plans and deep commitment to scholarship and advancing knowledge. You must have a passion for research. Remember, you are joining one of the world’s elite groups, those with an earned doctorate. Your responsibility is to advance knowledge. This is not unlike joining the clergy.

9. Try to get a personal letter of reference from one or two former professors who know your work. This should be written in confidence and you should not have access to reading it. Visit with your recommenders several times, not just once to ask for a letter.

10. Several years of work experience is OK, yet less critical for Ph.D. students. In my case, two years was just enough. These top schools like to produce young Ph.D.’s. There is research that points to the younger the graduate, the more productive is his or her scholarship as indicated by publications.

Prepare yourself to spend 3-5 years in a doctoral program. Many students continue living and working in the same community. This career path leads to some valuable and gratifying career results. All three doors lead to historic and global lifestyles for most that can make this journey.

Michael L. McManus received his bachelor’s degree at the Wharton School (UPenn) and MS and Ph.D. at Cornell University. In addition to writing regularly for The Korea Times, he is a guest professor at Gachon University, Sookmyung Women’s University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and can be reached at mcmismism@aol.com.