dream making

Paper accepted and published

2010-03-03T09:39:00.002+08:00

The paper that I started working on in 2006, while I was applying to get into a PhD program, was accepted and published in a journal in Feb 2010. Not a top-tier journal, but it is still nice to finally have a closure.

another milestone

2009-11-07T11:28:00.003+08:00

Just presentation a research paper to the department today. So basically I have completed most of the major milestones for the PhD program half-way through the 3rd year in the program:
- qualifiers [checked]
- required coursework [checked]
- two research papers [checked]

All that remain are to conduct a one-semester lecture, and start/work/complete the dissertation. Yeah, all that remain...

paper presentation

2009-08-15T01:32:00.003+08:00

Presented my first paper at a conference. Made a few good connections, received some good comments. Added bonus: paper was the eventual 1st runner up for Best Paper award.

1st acceptance

2009-04-14T03:18:00.003+08:00

2 days after receiving my 1st rejection letter from the journal in March, I received an acceptance letter with nice reviews from a conference for the same paper. Accepted for presentation. A few days ago, I was notified that the paper will go into the conference's Best Paper proceedings.

Not too bad for a 1st year summer, I guess...

A post-3rd-semester recap...

2009-03-12T12:13:00.004+08:00

I've just completed my 3rd semester in Dec 2008, and now finishing up with the 4th semester (i.e. 2nd year).

Significant milestones:

1. Cleared my qualifiers in Jan. 4 long exams in a week (Two 12-hour papers, two 4-hour papers, and 1 full day of pre-reading for 1 of the paper.) My initial plan was to start preparing for the qualifiers in Oct. However due to an urgent research project, I could only really do the readings in mid-Dec. I think I read about 120 papers - that's like 3600 pages. I seriously don't know how I did all these readings...

By God's grace, I managed to clear the qualifiers successfully. If I were to do this again (and thankfully I don't have to), I would really try to prepare much earlier.

2. Submitted a paper to a journal in Jan....

And it just got rejected. We (the other co-authors and I) received a 2-page assessment on a paper that represents 10-months of toil. I always wonder how it would be like to read a rejection letter. Now I know. And I'm beginning to wonder how it would be like to read an acceptance letter.

So basically I'm done with coursework (although I will continue to do more....). And I just have to focus on research and more research. Trying to get a project started for this summer. Hopefully that will work out well.

Useful Things to Know About Ph. D. Thesis Research

2008-11-23T00:50:00.000+08:00

Quick notes on thesis writing.

Writing tips for PhD students

2008-10-09T07:17:00.001+08:00

An interesting read by John Cochrane.

If I were to redo the 1st year....

2008-08-16T09:17:00.000+08:00

Just thinking of what would I have done differently for the 1st year in the program.

1) Use a bibliography software from Day 1. Use it to record each of the readings that I have done. The abstract, theories, hypotheses/propositions, results & findings, AND comments and thoughts. I think this would be very useful when preparing for qualifiers. (Sadly I only started to use it towards the end of the 1st year.)

I heard of people using Endnote. Since I'm a poor grad student, I have looked for some free solutions. One is a web-based, basic bibliography system at www.gradjournal.com. Another is a freeware application JabRef. Take your pick.

2) Get involved in some research groups. Keep myself busy with a two or three group and/or individual projects in hand...

3) For every research idea that I have, I would bounce it with one or two profs early. Research ideas evolve, and time and expertise are of essence. Share with the profs the idea, get their opinions, read more, and fine tune the model, and the cycle continues.

Summer research project

2008-07-05T07:44:00.010+08:00

I'm working on a summer research project, as part of the requirement for PhD program. Very early this year (like in the 1st week of Jan), I managed to connect with a company that was (and, I hope, is still) interested to work on a project together. However, the communication with that contact person was kind of slow... due to his workload, he would take couple of days, sometimes weeks, to respond to my email, etc. Nevertheless, there was some (slow) progress.

My plan was to collect the data through the company during the summer - by June, but not later than July. Give myself 2 good months to do data analysis. A shocker came in late May, just after my final exams, that person whom I have been talking to over the last 5 months was leaving the company. Given that he was my only point of contact in the company, I had to quickly find someone else to liaise with. It took two long weeks of silence before I received the confirmation from the company, that the project would proceed. The communication with the new contact person was going pretty well, and I thought we can do a pre-test in early July (slightly later than my initial plan).

But somehow during the last two weeks (late June), things kind of slow down once again. Early July is now here, but we are still a few steps away from a pre-test. Hopefully, we can pick up steam over the next 2 weeks...

So many ups and downs, so many factors beyond one's control and influence. I have learnt two things through the various periods of waiting. First, always be hopeful. During the 2 weeks of silence in early June (when my 1st contact left, and before the 2nd contact responded), I was stubbornly hopeful that the project would go on. In fact, my advisers were kind of concerned about the possibility of doing the study with the company, and suggested that I think of alternatives. My first response was that I would not give up until I hear a definite "no" from the company. I continued to work on the ideas, etc., albeit at a slower pace.

Second, silence presents opportunities. Even before my advisers asked me to think of alternatives, I already had some thoughts on how else I could get the data, or what else I could examine. The time of waiting allowed me to put more thoughts to develop these ideas, which are possible projects for the future. Also, during the last two weeks, as things slowed down, I managed to enhance the data collection procedure. Had the pre-test have gone on as planned, I might not have been able to realize some possible blind-spots or work on them. Even during the early part of the year, because the communication with the first contact was kind of slow, I had the opportunity to fine-tune my ideas - so much so that the model I have now is quite different from the one then.

Just some learning points, that perhaps could be useful in the situation that you are in. Disclaimer: being stubbornly hopeful involves risks... so calculate your risks properly.

End of Year 1 (unofficially)

2008-05-29T10:10:00.002+08:00

A quick review/reflection. Grade-wise, there is a disappointment for one of the early modules that I've taken. For the other modules (for which the grades have been returned), I guess I did quite alright. Research-wise, I'm kind of focusing on one particular project. Getting some help from some of the profs, but I'm really in the driver's seat. Still ding-donging with the data source - hopefully the data collect can start soon. (Anyway, I'm working on a paper that I was doing last year before the start of the program with another prof. Hoping to get it into a special issue.)

It is kind of pressurizing when you see your colleagues embarking on multiple projects, submitting papers to conferences (and getting accepted) , presenting initial results of data that has been collected - and you don't have much to show expect for a research proposal. Is it a matter of one not working hard enough, not networking wide enough, or not being proactive enough?

Anyway, still have an exams to take (next week).... Hope that my project will bear some fruits during the summer.

1st year grad student: some reflections

2008-03-14T11:47:00.008+08:00

I have completed almost 75% of my first year in the PhD program. Lots of thing to read, think, and write. This would continue till end of Dec 2008, before I take my qualifiers.

Looking at the last 1.5 semesters that I have taken, I must say that the coursework has been really challenging. Some have also been quite interesting and enriching. Thankfully, I think I have done relatively well in terms of the grades. What I realized is that the main "burden" is really on the research. What is the research question? What are the research motivation? What exactly am I trying to study? What has been done before? Why should I do it now? How should I approach it? Where to get the data? Seriously, these things just come naturally to my mind when my mind is not set on other things.

Anyway, I have spent the last week trying to do a preliminary analysis of some data that I have. And I'm a little disappointed and demoralize by the analysis... Before it turns into a "file-away" idea, I would try to see if there are other ways to work the data. I guess this is why it is call research - we just have to keeping search and searching again.

One challenge that I'm facing is having someone to talk and discuss my ideas with. While the profs are pretty brilliant, open and helpful, none of them are exactly doing what I'm intending to do... Sometimes it just seems like I'm isolated on an intellectual island...

Other than these, I'm surviving well for my 1st year. Thank God. -SDG-

improving your chances in PhD application

2008-03-14T11:41:00.004+08:00

Someone asked, what should he do between now and the next round of application? Work on the GMAT and SOP?

Honestly, I think GMAT and SOP are not the key things once you have hit certain cutoffs (slightly below the schools ave GMAT; a well written SOP). The main differentiating factor among PhD applicants, in my opinion, is their research potential. GMAT score is definitely not a relevant proxy for this. Well, you may be able to show your potential in your SOP... but the best ways to indicate your potential are: (1) your research output (# of pubs, and where they got published), (2) your research experience (what's project, what're your involvements), (3) letter of recommendations (what does other profs say about your research potential).

(3) is outside your control, although you can influence it somewhat. (1) is the most influential in affecting your application outcome; but it is also the most difficult to achieve for a typical applicant. And improving this within 1 year is a tough call.... hey getting 1 pub is 5 years for a PhD student is already so tough....

(2) is something that you can improve on in one year, and in a way it can help you in (3) and potential (1). So I would say try to look for opportunities to be involved in some research project, and get into a position where you can contribute meaningfully.

Having said these, it is important to realize that the whole phd application-admission process is structurally random - there are certain things you should do, must do, or need to to, but doing these things does not necessary mean that you are the applicant whom the school school accept, must accept or need to accept.

Spring 2007 Semester

2008-01-10T07:22:00.000+08:00

The new semester is starting in a few days' time. Apart from the 6 to 8 classes that I have signed up, there are also (1) research papers that I need to start working on, (2) grading jobs that I have taken up (for extra $$$), (3) diagnostic tests that I need to take. It is going to be a rough ride for the next few months...

End of 1st semester

2007-12-18T22:30:00.000+08:00

Just submitted 1 lit review and 2 research proposals. I think I read over 60 or 70 papers over the last 2 or 3 weeks. Thankfully I could position the 3 papers around a similar topic - otherwise I would have had to read more.

Anyway, will take 1 or 2 days off... get some sleep, enjoy the winter, explore the place, remember Christmas. The would have to hit some light readings, and perhaps start on data collection for some of my research idea.

You know the end of semester is approaching when....

2007-12-12T15:20:00.001+08:00

1. You think having a beard and mustache aren't that bad.
2. Your coffee powder is diminishing at a shocking rate.
3. You have so much to do that you don't know what you should do.
4. Your professors provided refreshments during the (last) class.
5. Your professors reminded you to hand in the assignment during the (last) class.
6. You forgot what sleep is.
7. You are glad that there are no more readings to do for the next class.
8. You still a few more readings + another few more readings for your research proposals.
9. You can't wait for the semester to be over.

How long does it take to do a PhD?

2007-12-01T02:58:00.000+08:00

Most schools' FAQ would say 4 to 5 years.

But there is a 3rd year guy who is already on the job market. Amazing... Maybe his two Master degrees help. But nevertheless, it is really amazing.

1st mini semester report

2007-10-20T07:17:00.000+08:00

Just completed the first half of my first semester in the doctoral program. Time really flies when you are overwhelmed with the assignments and readings. I would say that I have enjoyed most of the readings thus far.

Had my mid-term this week. 2 writing assignments and 1 sit-in exams. It felt weird to sit in class for the exams - the last time I sat for an exam was more than 5 years ago. Anyway I think I messed up that paper. Just hope that it doesn't end up being too bad. Although everyone is saying that grades doesn't matter at the doctoral level, I just want to do and give my best.

For the next half, I will be taking 3 seminar courses. I think there will be at least 10 papers to read per week... In the meantime, I hope to get some rest over the next 2 days - clocked 5 hours of sleep max per day for the last 10 days or so. And maybe will try to catch some of the Fall colors. Yet there are 4 papers to read for Tuesday's class....

2 weeks in

2007-09-06T11:26:00.000+08:00

I'm almost 2 weeks into the program. The short story is that the program and demand are more intensive than I have thought. I have 18 hours of classroom time per week. I estimate that for each hour of classroom time, I need to put in at least 3 hours of work... doing the readings, working on the problem sets, preparing the discussions etc. That's makes a total of 72 hours of work per week.

Thus far, the work has been very challenging, especially for the microeconomics and econometrics classes that I'm in. The lack of rigorous mathematically background is making it really tough for me in these courses... (P.S. I'm not even doing a econs phd. Just that my program requires me to take these graduate econs courses.)

Sweat. Persevere. Just do it.

States and state

2007-08-17T01:40:00.000+08:00

I have been in the States for about 15 days now. My family is more or less settled... though we are still trying to do up the apartment and explore the places around. I have gone to the campus a few times - it is a pretty nice place.

Although the semester will only start in 2 weeks' time, but I'm in a state of feeling the pressure being turned up a notch. I have printed the readings for one of my seminar course (about 4 articles per week) - they add up to a few inches thick. I have also spoken to the academic advisor on the modules to take for Fall - I may be doing 4 modules (which according to a senior PhD student "is manageable but you must be prepared to work very hard"). Then there is the weather issue to tackle - I have heard that the winter (between December to April) here could be quite harsh.

Guess I will just take one step at a time and see what comes along. So the application is just a prelude... the show is really starting now.....

a relevant blog

2007-07-04T00:46:00.000+08:00

Someone blogged her MIS PhD dissertation journey.
http://shuzou.blogspot.com/

be notified of new posts in this blog

2007-07-03T11:02:00.000+08:00

You can now receive email notifications of new postings in this blog - just submit your email address through my FeedBurner email subscription service.

one year of blogging

2007-07-01T05:34:00.001+08:00

I just realized that it has been a year since I started this blog. Last year this time I was in the process of getting my applications in place. Now I'm in the process of moving over and getting ready for school. How things have changed and how time has flown!

Obviously the pace of blogging has slowed somewhat. And I'm sure it will be even slower once the course start. I'm not sure if I should (or could) continue with this blog - whether it is adding value to anyone.

Que sera, sera.

getting ready for school

2007-06-29T20:34:00.000+08:00

It is getting exciting. In just about a month's time, I will be moving to a new place to start my PhD pursuit. In the meantime, I'm trying to do some prep works. Although my field of interest in IS, I have to select a reference track as the foundation of my research methodology. Since my interview in March, I have been debating with myself which research reference track to take - OB or Econs? Econs or OB? Even though my undergraduate background is in economics, it is somehow insufficient for me to do economics at a graduate level. (And I still remember how dry a subject econometrics was to me.) So I thought I would take the OB track and started to read up on OB stuff (e.g. ANOVA, etc).

Subsequently, however, there were some changes among the faculty in the department that I would be joining. And as I spoke to some current students and advisors, all fingers seem to point to economics. So few days ago, I bought the "bible" for microeconomic theory (by MWG). As I flipped through the first few pages, I can see the challenges that lie ahead... Now, I'm trying to brush up on calculus and see if I can learn anything about real analysis before school start. (And no, GMAT's maths/quant is really just for GMAT.)

Actually, I don't know if the econs department would even allow me to take econs as my reference track, much less if I can clear the econs requirements. I'm just going by faith, trusting that God will continue to lead me in this long journey.

Some updates....

2007-05-24T15:48:00.001+08:00

It has been a while since I last posted, so I guess it is time for an update. My wife and I are in the midst of preparing to relocate to US - will be there for the next 4 to 5 years. Thus far, we are quite on track with most of the things that we need to do... sell the house... sell the car... apply for visa... get the air tickets.... The packing is killing us - we really have no idea where to start. Hopefully, we will be more disciplined in the packing.

Looking back, God has opened many wonderful doors and answered all my prayers. I'm especially thankful that most of the prayers have been answered in ways that are pretty much my heart's desires. However, in a couple of issues, it seems like God has other plans for me. For instance, in the arrangement of my work and involvements in my start-up, it pretty much goes the other way that I have hoped for. My wife also couldn't continue helping out in the business - the extra income would have been very handy when I begin my grad studies. Well, man propose, God dispose. I'm sure He will provide for us...

Beside having to take care of the stuff and arrangements here at home, we also have to start on the stuff there in the US. We have got ourselves a car. Still looking for accommodation - we have visited many online classifieds, but guess we will go there and scout around before deciding. For the academic stuff, I have managed to connect with a handful of students there - and they are extremely helpful. The sad thing is that many of the faculty members seem to be leaving - I'm wondering how it would affect my research... I also heard some rumors regarding the future of the department, and I'm hoping that they stay as rumors.

All in all, we are quite excited about the move. At the same time, we are pretty nervous about the uncertainties of the move, the studies, the next few years. Just have to hold on to the comforting words and assurance that "the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

4th ding

2007-04-17T12:00:00.000+08:00

@ University of Maryland

Left with final outcomes from Texas @ Austin (Waitlisted) and GSU.

3rd ding

2007-04-12T08:49:00.000+08:00

@ NYU.

So I have 1 offer and 3 dings from my Tier-A group. All the schools in the Tier-B group have not reached a decision on me yet....

the last 2 weeks...

2007-03-30T15:58:00.000+08:00

Ever since I received the 1st admit about 2 weeks ago, my wife and I have started to prepare for the move. We have tried to project our finances and budget - it is going to be extremely tight for us. We are likely to run a deficit every month based on the stipend that I'm going to get. So we may have to touch whatever little savings we have. We think that by the time I graduate, God willing, in 4 to 5 years time, we will be at Ground-Zero, financially. By then we will be in our mid-30s and our daughter will be 7 years old or so. And we will be pretty broke.

We are now trying to sell our house - our humble home for the last 4.5 years. We have to get the permission from the authority to sell; we need to get someone to buy soon, so that all the paperwork can be completed before we go off; we wish to sell at a price that both the buyer and ourselves are comfortable with. It is not easy to do all these when there is a deadline to meet. It is also not easy to say goodbye to the place - small and simple it may be, but we have experienced a lot in it....

We are also trying to find accommodation over in the US. We have been offered a place by a couple who will be returning. It's location is not too bad; it's rental is quite acceptable. However, we thought it might be better to get a slightly bigger place, so that there is enough room for our daughter to roam. Also, we hope to get a nice place so that my wife and daughter will be comfortable there - otherwise, the 4 to 5 years there for them would be hard to get by. But a nice place means not-so-nice rental.

Yes, it is as difficult as it sounds. Yet,we are kind of excited to see how God will work things out for and with us. Will we have enough money to survive? Will we be able to sell our house at our target price? Will we be able to find a nice place to stay over in the US? All we are sure of is that God will provide and God will lead. Yes, He will.

"Be strong and very courageous... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7, 9

2nd ding

2007-03-24T14:42:00.000+08:00

As expected, dinged by MIT.

the moment has arrived....

2007-03-22T12:01:00.000+08:00

application status - facts and guesses

2007-03-21T08:36:00.000+08:00

Facts:
So far, I have officially received an admit (A-1), reject (Wharton), and waitlist (UT @ Austin).

Guesses:
I'm quite confident to say that I'm also waitlisted at NYU (A-3) and Maryland (B-2) school. Dings are likely as I think people accepted to these schools are likely to accept the offers.

That's left another 2 schools: MIT (A-4) and GSU (B-3). I think it is mostly likely a ding at MIT.

[Note: The A-1, A-2, etc refers to the Tier-Order of mentioned. It doesn't mean my ranking for the school. E.g. B-2 refers to the 2nd school in the Tier-B list that I have mentioned in this blog.]

let's talk about the first admit

2007-03-18T08:08:00.000+08:00

When I received the unofficial offer email from the PhD Committee Chair, I was happy but, honestly, not as excited as I had imagined.The excitement has been building up during the entire application process as I see God opening door after door for me for this particular school. I was excited when I managed to connect with an alumni from the program. I was very delighted when, through the alumni, I connected with a prof in the program. I was excited when I was asked to have a phone discussion with a more senior prof in the program. So when the offer finally came, the excitement was somewhat relatively muted.

It has been a few days since I received the offer. Finding out more about the place, my wife and I are getting excited about the move. Looking for a church, housing, car, nursery, fun places, hospitals, etc.... Talking about how often she and my daughter should come back and visit the relatives and friends... Things still seem surreal at this point, but we have a fun time thinking and planning for the move.

Yet, over the last few days, my heart has been extremely heavy and burdened. Getting this offer means that I have to leave, at least temporary, the startup that I co-founded over the last 8 years. It is not a good time to leave as there are unresolved issues in the business. Breaking the news to my partners is an extremely high mountain to climb. Discussing the arrangements to be made is going to be mentally and emotionally tough. My hope is that I get to keep, first, the friendships and, second, the partnership with them. If I have to leave the startup completely just to keep the friendship, I would. But I do believe that the research that I will do will contribute to the business in one way or another - and the partnership can still go on with some adjustments to be made.

I'm continuing to commit these burdens to God - whatever will happen with my involvements in the startup, I believe it is for the best for me. It has been wonderful to rely on God all these while - in the application as well as other aspect of my life. I will continue to rely on Him and allow Him to lead and guide me.

waitlisted at UT @ Austin

2007-03-15T06:49:00.000+08:00

Just received an email telling me that I've been waitlisted at the school UT @ Austin (B-1).

That's ok, that's ok. I have kinda expected it as I have seen many people posting "admitted" news in a forum. But it is nice for the school to at least inform me about my status. I have yet to hear a single word from 4 others schools that I have applied to.

I'm in.

2007-03-14T09:21:00.000+08:00

Received an email from the Chair of the PhD committee that they are preparing an offer letter for me.

I guess that means I'm in, right?

My first admit.

still waiting....

2007-03-13T09:03:00.000+08:00

Over the pass few days, I saw people posting offers received from the same schools and programs that I'm applying to. One of it is for the first school that interviewed me UT @ Austin (B-1). The other is for a Tier A school (NYU (A-3)) that have not contact me at all. My guess is that I'm on the waitlist or will be receiving the rejection notifications from these schools soon.

Actually I'm kind of unemotional now while waiting. Initially (late Jan/early Feb), I was pretty excited and checked my email and app status multiple times daily. Now, I just check with no expectation of any changes in the status. Maybe when I get the first admit, I will become excite again.

one small step forward....

2007-03-09T13:36:00.000+08:00

I had my 2nd interview for School A-1 today. It was a face-to-face meeting, lasting about 30 mins. Basically, the issues that were raised during the 1st phone interview were being brought up again. Why were your grades like this? How's your commitment? Why PhD? etc. The Prof was as nice and friendly in person as she was on email.

When it was time for me to ask questions, I asked THE question: So, what's my chance? It was good to hear that I'm pretty high on the shortlist, but ultimately, I'm not in until I'm in. I also find out more about the school and program. It sounds like a nice place to get the PhD - although the program is pretty demanding and the school would not hesitate to drop you if you don't clear the comps.

Generally, things sound positive for me. It is getting exciting....

2nd interview from the 2nd school

2007-03-07T21:29:00.000+08:00

I will be having a face-to-face meeting with another Prof from the school that I last had my interview (A-1). This Prof is the one whom I had been communicating with for the last few months. The Prof is in (my) town this week, and wishes to meet up with my for a chat regarding my application.

I take it as I'm still in the running, which is good. I guess we may talk about my research interest and my seriousness in academia.

By the way, today's devotion was taken from Mark 11:22 - "Have faith in God." How timely. How appropriate. How true.

let's talk about the first ding

2007-03-02T14:37:00.000+08:00

Very early this morning, when I received the email from Wharton that I could view the application status, I anticipated it to be a ding. After all, I didn't have any interviews nor did I managed to touch base with faculty there. I woke my wife up (it was around 1 am) so that we could see the status together.

After seeing the outcome, she asked me how I felt. I was actually quite positive... similing away... and didn't feel too bad about it. After all, it is Wharton and so what I have a GMAT 750 + dean's list, etc? I read of some gmatclubbers' profiles (GMAT 780, 5 publications, Master degrees, etc.) who applied to Wharton - the competitions at schools like Wharton are simply tough and these schools have the luxury of being as selective as they wish. Hence I was quite ok about the ding as I went to bed (had no problem sleeping).

Now, half a day after seeing the outcome, I do feel a little "sore". It's not about the outcome but more about not knowing what went wrong with my application. Misfit research interest? Sub-par profile? Weak SOP? I guess it is human's nature to ask Why? Sadly, I will never know.

The negative outcome does shake my confidence a bit for the other applications that I'm waiting to hear (despite that the ding was from Wharton). Nevertheless, I'm keeping my faith.

1st Outcome - Wharton, Dinged

2007-03-02T07:29:00.000+08:00

Received an email notification from Wharton in the early hours of Mar 2. Logged in to the application system and saw the rejection letter. It is a straight ding - no interviews, etc.

Wharton was a Tier-A school in my application.

2nd interview completed

2007-02-28T12:09:00.000+08:00

Had a nice conversation with the Prof. Nice and friendly, with some laughing sprinkled here and there. But after putting the phone down, I couldn't laugh much.

Broadly, the conversation covered some issues - 3, to be precise. The first is that because of my undergraduate major, it is unlikely that the PhD Director would allow me to take a particular track/discipline, should I get in. So I need to explore and consider whether I am game/suited to take another track.

The second issue came in the form of a very frank question: "What happened to your (undergraduate) grades? (laughters followed....)" I had a C and a D in my undergraduate transcript. Prof said that people who do PhDs have more of As and Bs (or did she say "more of As than Bs"... anyway....). So I tried to give a short explanation without sounding that I'm justifying too much.

The third issue has to do with how serious they think I am in getting into academia. They have this concern because of my current work. I shared with the Prof my plans and how my work would be useful for research. And this issue is the major bomb. Near the end of the discussion, I asked what was the main weakness of my application, and the Prof said that this was it - how serious am I? The school wants to train researchers who are very keen in pursuing academic careers.

Basically, I think I'm in the shortlist - otherwise, I would not have this conversation with the Prof. But the challenge is on how convinced the ad comm is of my seriousness.

2nd interview invite

2007-02-27T07:30:00.000+08:00

Just received an email from a Tier-A school for a discussion (via phone) tomorrow. I have had a good email correspondence with a prof from this school. But it will be a different prof whom I would be talking to tomorrow. Exciting...

www.gradjournal.com

2007-02-26T07:43:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, I done up a website to keep track of application outcomes at www.gradjournal.com. Although some websites and online forums are doing this in one way or another, GradJournal.com (GJ) is a little different.

Firstly, it ties the application outcome to the applicant's profile (e.g. GMAT score, GPAs, experience, etc.). This helps others to have a better picture of each offer or reject. Secondly, GJ is more structured than what other websites/forums are doing. Lastly, it focus on B-school graduate programs (e.g. PhDs., Masters, MBAs.)

My wife thought that I'm crazy to spend time and money to do GradJournal.com. I agreed with her. But I guess it is just me - seeing deficiencies in existing systems and doing something about them. One good thing is that doing up the system would keep my mind off the waiting season. Or maybe not. Hope I can post my own application outcomes in GradJournal.com soon.

good news!!!

2007-02-20T00:27:00.000+08:00

A piece of wonderful news!

Just received an email from the last school (Maryland (B-2)) that I applied to - that all my supporting documents have been received (although it is now way past the application deadline) and my application will be reviewed accordingly.

Ok, sorry for the false alarm... But I'm glad that my prayers have been answered, that the package has been received by the school. I'm thankful that the entire application process went quite well, with no major screwups.

Now, back to the regular waiting game.

results are coming in.... for others....

2007-02-17T06:41:00.000+08:00

Started to see admit results from other applicants. Some of these admits are to the schools that I applied to as well. Hence I'm getting more emotional about my application status. I don't know how to describe the cocktail of emotions that I'm going through, although I can strike out those that are not in this cocktail, such as Happy, Glad, and Delighted. Sad and Disappointed are also out.

I have not heard from the school that interviewed me 2 weeks ago. Looking back, although I think I did ok for the interview, one area that I could have done better is to show more passion, committment and interest to the particular school. However, it was post-interview that I realized that the school is a better fit than I thought it was. Anyway, just have to wait for the final verdict to be announced.

My wife asked me how would I feel if I don't get admitted to any schools. At this point, I can say that it will not be the end of the world for me. I will be disappointed, but not discouraged. And I believe that whether to go or not is all part of God's plan and will for me (although right now, I still believe that graduate studies is in His plan and will for me). I will remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philipians while he was in chains:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil 4:4)

I will rejoice whatever it may be.

my missing package...

2007-01-31T22:25:00.000+08:00

... well, is still missing. One more days to the deadline. Will it or will it not make it to the graduate admission office?

1st interviewed completed

2007-01-30T08:22:00.000+08:00

Just completed a phone discussion with a Prof from UT @ Austin (B-1). The discussion was a friendly one, centered around our respective research interests. I can see some relevance and match between our interests. I was also briefed about the application, funding and assistantship process, as well as the research culture in the school.

Overall, it was a good discussion and ended quite positively. The information gathered in today's session would be brought up to the ad comm. I still have to wait a few weeks before I get to hear the final decision. But it is good to know that I'm at least on the shortlist.

rejection letter

2007-01-27T20:52:00.000+08:00

So I received my first rejection letter....

... for a post-graduate scholarship that I applied to.

I wasn't very hopeful to start with so this rejection doesn't hurt that much. Nevertheless, the extra money would have been handy.

unfolding of my waiting season

2007-01-25T20:45:00.000+08:00

To keep track of the events during this waiting season.

Jan 25 - Received an interview request from a UT @ Austin [B-1].
Jan 30 - Phone interview with UT @ Austin completed.
Feb 27 - Received an interview request from a Tier A school [A-1].
Feb 28 - Phone interview with A-1 completed.
Mar 2 - Dinged from Wharton (Operations & Information Management) [A-2]
Mar 9 - Face-to-face meeting with A-1.
Mar 14 - Offered received from A-1.
Mar 24 - Dinged from MIT (Information Technologies) [A-4]
Apr 12 - Dinged from NYU (Information Systems) [A-3]

1st interview invite

2007-01-25T08:26:00.000+08:00

Just receive an email from a Prof at UT @ Austin (a Tier B school that I'm applying to). The Prof wishes to further discuss my application and interest. Cool...

Anyway, just to say something about my application for this school. I didn't make any contact with any prof from this school before/during my application. I didn't mention any prof's name in my SOP. I know no one or have no connection with anyone from this school. Yet I still get an interview.

So it challenges the conventional wisdom (which I used to have) that you must/should contact potential advisors or mention profs' names in SOP when applying. Should I get rejected, I believe it has nothing to do with what I didn't do in my application but more with how the school assesses my research potential.

last application package - missing?

2007-01-23T20:41:00.000+08:00

On Jan 10, I mailed out the application package containing my letter of recommendations, official transcripts, etc, to the last school that I'm applying to (U of Maryland). It should take around 12 days for the package to be delivered.

But 13 days have passed and I can't even find a record of my package in the postal service's online tracker. (For the other schools that I applied to earlier, the packages usually were delivered within 10 days.) So I'm a little concern now. What if the package is lost? The deadline is Feb 1. I don't think I would have sufficient time to get my recommenders to submit another recommendation or get another transcript for the school.

All I can do now is to pray....

"Pray continually" 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Beautiful Vietnam

2007-01-16T15:12:00.000+08:00

I'm in Vietnam for a few days, hence would not be doing much posting for the time being. A good and well-deserved break after completing the last application.... helps to take my mind off the whole PhD thingy for a while (although I have just logged on to the various schools' systems to check the app status.. haha...)

application process - completed

2007-01-12T20:31:00.000+08:00

Yes! I have sent out the very last application package (to a Tier B school). With this, I have completed my application process. A summary of what have been done, spent and achieved.

Schools
# of schools applied to: 7
First school applied on: Oct 4, 2006
Last school applied on: Jan 12, 2007

Financial damages
Amount spent: US$1,200+.
Inclusive of tests scores, application fees, postage charges, transcripts, and bank charges. Excluding prep materials (estimated to be around US$40), and value of time spent.

Statement of Purpose/Essays/Personal Statement
First SOP mastercopy draft: Jan 5, 2006
Last SOP mastercopy draft: Oct 14, 2006
Total duration: 9+ months

First customized essay draft: Aug 14, 2006
Last customized essay draft: Jan 12, 2007
Total duration: almost 5 months

Letters of Recommendation
First request made to recommender: July 28, 2006
First recommendation received: Aug 7, 2006
Last recommendation received: Nov 2, 2006

Faculty Contacts
# of faculty contacted: about 10
# of positive responses: 2
# of negative responses: 1
# of slient: about 7

contacting profs again...

2007-01-11T10:14:00.000+08:00

I started to contact more professors a few days ago. Yes, I know it is a bit late, but I thought what harm would it make? So I emailed to 3 professors, and I'm glad that one of them, Prof L, replied quite positively. We are now having a good discussion pertaining to the research that I'm keen to do.

The good thing is that I have not submitted the personal statement for the school where Prof L is in. Hence I have some time to factor in our discussion into the essay.

Conversation with Prof C

2007-01-06T13:58:00.000+08:00

I reignited an email exchange that I have had with a prof (Prof C) from one of the school that I'm applying to. While I have sent my CV and research interest to Prof C earlier, I have not received any constructive feedback with regards to my application or interest. The email exchange has been courteous but lacks an in-depth discussion.

But the situtation changed after I emailed the Prof again yesterday. I decided to email Prof C again. I mentioned a specific paper that the Prof C has published and suggested how we could extend the approach. The next few emails that followed focus more on the suggestion. The tone was friendly and positive. Although Prof C still did not mention anything about my chances or application, nevertheless I'm much more encouraged.

Note to myself: This is the 50th post.

emailing professors

2007-01-05T14:25:00.000+08:00

Today is the deadline one of the school. Next week there will be 2 other deadlines. I have already made the submissions for these schools so I'm quite cool. Anxiously waiting to hear something from the schools, but still quite cool.

I'm always amazed when I read of others' successes in contacting Profs in the schools that they are applying to. One chap posted "for some of the applications i made, i did write to professor in the department before applying - introducing myself and my interests and asking whether these match their research interests... i got some positive replies..." (italic added.)

Another emailed 13 Profs and received 10 replies. In another forum, someone posted "I am very surprised that a lot of people have not contacted the professors that they want to work with. All of the professors that I have talked with have said that they are shocked, every year, on the number of people who have applied to their department and have either not listed any potential faculty or have listed faculty but haven't contacted any of them."

For me, of the few contacts that I tried to made, I only received replies from ONE Prof. And over the last few months, our email exchange still has not touched on research fit or my chances, etc. So you can guess how I'm feeling after reading those postings above. Now with the deadlines passed or closing in, there isn't much that I can do beside waiting, hoping and praying.

4 more months to go...

For the special 2007...

2006-12-30T15:09:00.000+08:00

2007 will be a special year for me, one with some significant milestones happening. For one, I will turn 30 in 2007. Also, I may get into a graduate school, and hence do a relocation, in 2007.

To commemorate this special year, I bought myself an Oris Flight Timer 2 a few days ago. The second time zone feature will be useful when I start the PhD program, I told my wife. We need to keep track of the home time so that we don't make calls back at unearthly hours.

Yes, I'm jumping the gun with all the talks about the "special year", "significant milestones", and "useful second time zone" - but hey, I do need to give some justifications for the purchase.

2nd attempt on paper submission

2006-12-22T07:53:00.000+08:00

I should be submitting the research paper that I'm co-authoring to another journal within the next few days. It is good to get this done before the year-end.

I have been working on this piece for the last 9 months or so. Yes, it is taking a bit longer than it should. This is because I was quite tied up with work and the schools' applications, especially in the last 2 to 3 months.

This research is more of a qualitative, cased-based paper. Although I think I will be doing more quant-based research (should I be admitted to the schools that I am applying), the experience of writing this paper has been very enriching. It helps to
hone my analytical and writing skills, as well as exposes me slightly to the submission requirements and processes.

I hope it will be accepted for review/publishing this time round (which researcher
would hope otherwise for her work?). I don't think it will be in time to affect my applications, nevertheless it would be a nice closure and maybe something that I can talk about should some of the schools decide to interview me.

Anyway, let's see how this will eventually turn out...

Blessed Christmas!

2006-12-20T00:00:00.000+08:00

Here wishing you a Blessed Christmas and Fruitful 2007!

I was hoping for one or two early admits from some schools for this Christmas. Well, I guess the ad comms are not reading my blog.... Anyway, I have just completed a new draft of the research paper that I'm working on with a prof. Hope to submit it for pub soon. I was a little busy lately these few months and have sort of taken my eyes off it. I'm really glad that I could sit down and work on it over the last few days. I look forward to it being published somewhere, although I don't think this will have any material impact on my applications for the PhD program.

I'm left with one last application. I'm targeting to send it out by 10 Jan before a holiday trip that I will be making with my wife and daughter. Good to have something to take my mind off the waiting....

approaching the end of 2006.... things to be done

2006-12-03T22:50:00.000+08:00

It's December, and one of the schools' application deadline is approaching. I have already completed and submitted my application for this school weeks ago, and so I'm cool (or pretending to be cool) about it. Anyway, the school already sent me an automated email to tell me that I will only hear of the decision by March/April next year.

Anyway, two outstanding tasks that I have (as of now) is to complete the application for one more school as well as my research project. For the former, there are about 3 months to the deadline, so it can wait a while more. For the latter, I have procrastinated for about 2 months - I hope to get it done before Christmas.

Once these are done, I would like to write in details of my experiences in the application process, e.g. the statement of purpose, letter of recommendations, etc.. I hope this would benefit future applicants. If I get admitted, then they would be positive advices. Otherwise, they would be negative examples - negative but useful nevertheless, I'm sure.

what do I want for this Christmas?

2006-11-28T23:21:00.000+08:00

Christmas is a day to remember Jesus Christ's first coming more than 2000 years ago. It represents God's gracious gift to mankind. Jesus - who is the Son of God - gave up his glory in heavens and came to earth in the form of a human babe (that's the first Christmas). In the later part of His time on earth, He ministered to the people and eventually suffered and died on the Cross for our sins (on Good Friday). But He rose up 3 days later (on Easter Sunday) and later ascended to heavens. Therefore, Christmas signifies the first step that Christ took for the redemption of our sins. And hence when we give and receive presents during Christmas, we are reminded of the Gift of Life that God gave to us.

So, what do I want for this Christmas? Well, I already have the best gift in life - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. I also have the 2nd best gift - a wonderful and lovely family with my wife and daughter. And I already have my 2 front teeth. So what do I want? What do I really want?

How about an early admit? From a Tier A school? Is this too much to ask for this Christmas?

daily routine

2006-11-27T08:42:00.000+08:00

1. Check email - see if any updates or interview requests from the schools that I have applied to.
2. Login to schools' application system - see if any changes to the application status.
3. Check forum discussions on PhD programs

To think that the deadline for schools have not even passed, I'm already doing all these at least once or twice per day. Come Jan/Feb, I may just go insane...

will it or will it not?

2006-11-22T16:08:00.000+08:00

November is crawling by really slowly... and I think it will be the same for the next few months, until March 2007. No news; no developments; nothing at all. (Still have 1 more application to submit.) Thankfully there are Christmas and a holiday trip in mid-Jan to keep me occupied and distracted.

2 of my friends (unrelated to each other) encountered little setbacks recently. One submitted a request for a transfer within his organization months ago, and just got the Dinged. The other went for a 3-round interview but was not shortlisted for the position eventually. I'm pretty sure these friends were somewhat hopeful as the events unfold in their respective lives. Yet ultimately, their hopes did not materialize in ways that they had hoped for. And this got me thinking: Would the same outcome happen to my applications and plans?

Although I don't think I am the strongest of the strongest applicants around, my gut feel is that my application is strong enough for some serious consideration. As I have previously mentioned, over the last 12 months, many doors have been opened which helped me to overcome certain weak points - e.g. opportunity for RA, getting strong recommendations, linking up with potential faculty, etc. These doors have not been opened forcefully by my might - for I'm not strong or good enough to open them. Instead, I have always acknowledged that it is by God's hands that these doors opened for me. This acknowledgement of God's presence has been a strong encouragement for me over the last few months as I prepare and submit my application. I know - if the Lord so will - that my family and I will be going somewhere some time next year to do something.

So, as you can see, I'm in a dilemma. On one hand, when I see what happened to my two friends, I am discouraged somewhat. On the other hand, when I see God's leading throughout my journey thus far, I am greatly encouraged. Human vs Divine intervention. Visible vs Invisible. All I can do now is pray, hope and wait.... and what a slow and painful wait this is....

nov is here...

2006-11-02T13:25:00.000+08:00

Just submitted my 6th app (Tier A school) today. One of my recommenders finally managed to resolve the online submission of my reco. With that, I have submitted to all 4 of my Tier A schools. Now only left with 1 to 2 more schools to apply.

The last 2 weeks have been pretty low key for me. With most of the key applications submitted and essays drafted, there wasn't much for me to do. Spent most of my time hanging out at other forums and reading the exciting developments of MBA applicants. Other than that, I'm also preparing an application for a scholarship. Although I'm not putting too much hope in getting this scholarship, I'm still trying to give my best shot for it. Put in my best and let God takes care of the rest.

Must find something meaningful to occupy my mind for the next 3 to 4 months.

sit rep

2006-10-15T21:44:00.000+08:00

Ok, it's time to give a situation report....

I have submitted 4 applications as of today: 3 to Tier A schools, and 1 to a Tier B school. I should be submitting another Tier B app this week. Actually I can also submit my app to my last Tier A school now, except that one of my recommenders is facing some problem with the online recommendation. I like to resolve that before I do the submission.

God willing, I should be able to send out 6 apps by end Oct (or mid-Nov at the latest). I will hold on to 2 other schools' app to maybe end Dec or early Jan, depending on whether I hear anything from the schools that I have already applied.

The last 2 to 3 weeks were mainly used to customize and refine the essays to the different schools. It is not really an easy task, and I'm glad that I started drafting my SOP and getting LORs, etc., early. Going forward, I have 3 other essays to work on - should be able to complete them by end Oct. Thereafter, I think (and hope) that I will be a free man....

app #1 - out and ouch!

2006-10-04T16:31:00.000+08:00

After going through the online form numerous times, checking and uploading the essays multiple times, I finally submitted the application for a Tier A school. Pressing the "Submit Application" button was really a nervous event, for you know that there is no going back. No more checking and vetting. No room for errors.

But error there was. As Murphy says, "If anything can go wrong, it will". Within minutes of submitting the app, I noticed a typo in one of my essay. It must have happened when I was trying to save the doc. Instead of Ctrl + S, I might have only pressed the S before I converted it into pdf. Ouch. Although the extra "S" didn't change the context of the point that I was making, a typo is still a typo.

It hurts. Firstly, it is the first application that I am submitting. Secondly, I have done checks after checks for each of the essays. For me to make the typo error just before submitting the app, all my previous efforts have gone down the drain. Thirdly, this is a submission to a Tier A school. Silly as it may sound, if the school doesn't admit me in a few months' time, I am sure I will be questioning myself "Is it because of the 'S'? Is it?"

Anyway, I'm trying to see if I can update the essay thru the school's PhD office.

[Update, 7 Oct: The PhD office allows me to update the essay through them. Thank God! It is not the end of the world, yet.]

kpi for october

2006-10-02T16:19:00.000+08:00

Counting down - 6 more months...

All my recommendations are in. And so are my transcripts. Have already started to fill in the application forms. Doing a final vetting of my SOP, after that will complete the customization of the schools' essays. Need to certify my finances for at least one of the applications.

Objective for the month - send out applications for at least 5 of the 8 schools: 3 Tier A and 2 Tier B.

adding one more school to apply to

2006-09-28T22:42:00.000+08:00

In an earlier posting, I said that I may not be applying to a school on my shortlist because it requires GRE. Well, the school now accepts GMAT as well. Hence I'm adding it to the list of schools that I will be applying to.

[Update (Mar 2, 2007): This school is Wharton.]

I'm really happy about this as it is one of my Tier-A schools. Not that I will surely get in there, and it is making my pockets lighter. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I can apply to it now than to wonder "what if" in the future.

Anyway, just to update my school list:

Based on the most recent USNews America's Best Graduate Schools (2007) ranking, the 8 schools that I am applying can be split into 4 groups:

(Group I) 3 in the Top 10
(Group II) 3 in the Top 11 - 20 range
(Group III) 1 in the Top 31 - 40 range
(Group IV) 1 outside the Top 49 (not sure if it is ranked)

Based on the USNews America's Best Graduate Schools 2005 Information Systems speciality ranking,

7 in the Top 10
1 outside the Top 20 (a Group I school)

I further divided these schools into 3 tiers,

Tier A: 2 Group I [MIT, Wharton], 2 Group II [NYU]
Tier B: 1 each from Group II, III and IV [UT @ Austin, U of Maryland, Georgia State University]
Tier C: 1 Group I [UCLA]

[Update: I have decided to dropped UCLA from the list. So I would only apply to 7 schools.]

no more 4th recommender

2006-09-28T11:41:00.000+08:00

I was following up with my 4th and last recommender (non-academic) to see how was he coping with writing my recommendations. Unsurprisingly, he said he was extremely busy to work on them.

After thinking through and following up with some schools, I think I would withdraw him from my recommender list. Thankfully, I already have 3 academic recommendations and all are pretty strong.

corresponding with a faculty member

2006-09-22T00:24:00.000+08:00

About 1 month ago, I was corresponding with a faculty member in a particular school that I would be applying to. The introduction started well. However, after I sent my CV and research interest over, the communication ceased. A week later, I sent a friendly reminder/enquiry but there were still no responses.

Today, 3 weeks after sending the reminder/enquiry, I decided to send one last enquiry to check whether previous emails and CV have been received. Just hours after sending the email, the faculty replied and said she was very busy over the last few weeks and hence couldn't reply to me.

On one hand, I'm glad that the emails got through. On the other hand, beside acknowledging my emails, there were no further comments. Well, no comment is better than bad comments, so I'm thankful for that. I'm now hoping for a further discussion. Yet I am not too sure how I should be driving this communication.

Guess I just have to move on with my application for the time being, regardless of the (lack of) outcome from this correspondence. At the same time, I'm continuing to pray for opening of doors.

schools selection

2006-09-21T13:49:00.000+08:00

Taking a break from the essays writing and thought maybe I should journal down my school selection process.

I have identified 9 schools but, as of now, I am likely to apply to 7 of them only. 1 of the other 2 schools requires me to take the GRE, which I'm not sure if I can do it in time. The other is not really that into my research interest.

Based on the most recent USNews America's Best Graduate Schools (2007) ranking, the 7 schools that I am applying can be split into 4 groups:

(Group I) 2 in the Top 10
(Group II) 3 in the Top 11 - 20 range
(Group III) 1 in the Top 31 - 40 range
(Group IV) 1 outside the Top 49 (not sure if it is ranked)

Based on the USNews America's Best Graduate Schools 2005 Information Systems speciality ranking,

6 in the Top 10
1 outside the Top 20 (a Group I school)

I further divided these schools into 3 tiers,

Tier A: 1 Group I, 2 Group II
Tier B: 1 each from Group II, III and IV
Tier C: 1 Group I

[Please see my updated list.]

How did I come up with the different tiers? There are a few criteria that I looked at, starting with the most important:

1) Research interest. I looked at the faculty's research interest, and identified those that are doing research that I'm really keen in.

2) The school's reputation - both in general and specific to Information Systems. I also considered the school's placement record.

3) Environment - as I am going with my wife and daughter, I hope the place is condusive for a healthy family life, raising up children, etc.

4) Cost and Quality of Living. I took into account the stipends and financial aid offered by the schools here.

Such tier-system would be helpful should I need to decide between offers in months to come (of course, this is what I'm hoping for...). There is a limitation though: while useful to compare between tiers, this system may not help much when comparing within a tier. Anyway, that will be a good problem to have. And I must/should not be too presumptuous for now.

At this point, it might have been better if I had expanded the list to about 10 schools. But criteria #1 (Research Interest) seriously limited my choices. I'm not sure if this is the right thing for me to do, but I guess I should just move on.

doing my last lap

2006-09-19T22:29:00.000+08:00

I have done version 6.4 of my SOP and begun to customize my SOP to the schools' essays. Started work on 5 schools' essays - of which 3 are 99% completed and the other 2 are 97% done. Just need to review them a bit more before I finalize and "pdf" them.

I have also decided that I will not rush to complete the research paper for the application process. At this stage, I don't think the paper will make it in time to significantly strengthen my application. Furthermore, the journal which my collaborator and I are targeting is not exactly in the A-list. I came to this conclusion after talking to one of my recommenders (not my collaborator) over the weekend that just passed, as well as reading a relevant posting in Testmagic today. Nevertheless, I hope to wrap this research paper up by Christmas - need to be responsible to the task, right?

As I reviewed the task list that I put in place a few months ago, it seems like I have done my best and made good progress in all departments except for publishing the research paper and talking to potential advisors in the schools that I'm applying to. Hopefully, these will not come back to haunt me in a few months' time.

Hence, what are outstanding in my last lap are the last 2 recommendation packages (which should come in by this month end), the essays, and some financial certifications that I need to do for some of the schools. I think I should be able to submit some of the applications as early as Oct.

God willing, I hope I will do a victory lap come Feb/March/April 2007.

sop - yes! yes! yes!

2006-09-17T00:00:00.000+08:00

Yes, I have just done up version 6.2 of my SOP. Showed it to my wife, and she liked it. To her, this must be it. Personally I am also quite satisfied with this version. Not only has it addressed various important issues but also presented them in the best way (yet).

There are a total of 14 versions, from ver. 1 to 6.2. Man, that's a lot. Anyway, I have started to adopt my SOP mastercopy to the requirements of the respective school. Quite a lot of work. Seems like I'm on my last mile in the application process.

my profile

2006-09-12T14:12:00.000+08:00

A snapshot of my profile:

Academic

Bachelor degree from a non-US university (AACSB accredited).
Graduated in 2001. Top 10% of my cohort (600+) and was on Dean's list

Research

Less than 1 year experience at time of application.
No publication (yet).

Work Experience

5+ years experience in a startup that is very related to my research interest.
1 year experience in the public sector.

Standardized Tests

GMAT: 99th percentile
TOEFL (iBT): 100+

LORs

3 academic recommendations. All strongly recommended me for the programs.

SOP

I would think that it is strong. I hope it is strong.

cleared toefl!

2006-09-11T22:42:00.000+08:00

Total 114 (R=29, L=30, S=26, W=29). Should be good enough for all schools.

Thank God!

moving along

2006-09-07T17:36:00.000+08:00

I'm reworking on my SOP - again. ;p Not a major revamp; just trying out a new structure to present my story. I couldn't help it.... my brain and fingers were itchy.

Was just corresponding with a key recommender. Working with him to get my recommendation package completed. Basically he wanted me to customize the letters to the programs and schools that I am applying to. Not so much of the content, but more of the "courtesies". Quite a bit of work, but if this helps, it's worth it. So it seems like I should be receiving the 3rd set of LOR soon. I'm almost ready to send in my apps.

Speaking of apps, I've started filling up the online forms. Progressing quite well, although there are a few schools that have yet to open up the online application channels. Basically I'm left with my TOEFL score (which should be coming soon) and the customized SOP for the schools. And then there is the research paper. All these by Nov/Dec.... hmmm.

2nd LOR in

2006-09-05T16:00:00.000+08:00

Collected my letters of recommendation package from the 2nd Prof. I can't really tell whether is it a strong recommendation or not. But I think it is definitely not a bad recommendation. So I am very thankful for that.

Given that recommendation plays an important role in the admission process, I am glad that I have all grounds covered in the area of LOR.

2 more sets of LOR to collect. Hope they will come in by Nov.

at the start of Sept

2006-09-04T14:09:00.000+08:00

7 more months to go... time really flies fast.

Yesterday in church, I got to know someone who just came back from one of the school that I am really keen in. He is from the same school as the Prof whom I spoke to about 2 weeks back. Coincidence? God's hands? I really think it is the latter. Is this a sign of things to come? Interesting...

I reworked on the research paper over the weekend. Left with some finishing touches before we submit it. Hopefully it will be successful this time.

I will be getting the recommendation package back from another Prof tomorrow. He completed it much faster than I expected. He told me that he would be busy for the next 2 months and to chase him in Oct if necessary. Not sure if this is a good or bad sign, but what I can do? Anyway, I have passed the other packages to 2 other recommenders. This aspect of the application is moving quite well.

what am I up to now?

2006-08-31T12:48:00.000+08:00

I'm a bit busy lately with work and other assignments, hence I'm not flooring the application paddle now. However, I am still working on different aspects of my app.

My co-author and I are trying to repackage our research paper for another journal. It is not an "A" list, it is still quite a respectable publication. Hope to get the paper in, or at least into the review stage, so that I can mention it in my SOP. Hence I am targeting to complete it by end-Sept at the latest.

I am also talking to a faculty in one of my top choice school. The email exchange started well last week, until I shared my research interest and CV. It has been a week since I last emailed the faculty and I have not received a response. Is she busy? Out of town? Maybe she forwarded my email to her colleagues for their opinions? Or maybe she thinks that I cannot-make-it? Just sent a friendly note last night to check if my last email has been received.

In addition, I am waiting for my TOEFL score - it should come by next Friday. Hopefully it will be good enough. I will also meet up with my last recommender to pass him my recommendation package. More waiting games to play.

Come Oct, I will get back to my hardcore application mode again.

Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind

2006-08-24T16:32:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I read the devotion that I first read on my wedding day 3 years ago. For a few days before my wedding day, the weather was very wet. So much so that we were a little sick then. During that few days, we kept praying for good weather to come, especially on the wedding day itself.

I still remember that I woke up very early on the wedding day. Around 5am. Or was it 4am? Anyway, the first thing that I did was to look out of the window to check the weather in the midst of darkness. The sky had a dangerous tone of red - a sign of heavy downpour that was to come. My heart sunk a little as I walked away from the window and prepared to do my daily devotion.

The devotion was from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest. The focus of the devotion for the day was that as we plan, we need to plan alongside with God. Not only for "spiritual" plans but also for practical and day-living stuffs. One of the main point, in bold, was "Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind." When I saw that, my heart was lifted. To me, it was the assurance from the Lord that the day would surely go on well and nice for us. Sure enough, the day went prefectly for my wife and I. Not a drop of rain was seen on that day.

As I revisited this devotion a few days ago, I felt that God is reminding me once again. Firstly, I need to constantly humble myself before Him as I plan, and that He must be part of the plan. Lately, with all the work and preparation, my walk with God wasn't as regular and consistent as I would like it to be. So this is a very timely reminder for me.

Secondly, I need to forget about the "Plan B", the"what-if", the fears. Personally, I feel that I have put in my very best to strengthen myself as an applicant. Doing the research paper, getting out of my comfort zone to make contacts, scoring well for the GMAT, writing drafts after drafts of the SOPs, etc. On one hand, if I fail to get in to any schools, I know that I have done the best that I could so there will be no regrets. On the other hand, I fear that the pain of failure may be harder to bear. And what if I fail? What's next? What's my Plan B?

Chamber advices:

You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1 ). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— "Let not. . . ." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.

How appropriate! Thank God for His reminder, teaching and promise. I shall continue to pray and commit this journey into His caring hands with faith and trust. May He help me.

another great meeting

2006-08-23T13:39:00.000+08:00

Had a very good meeting with a Prof who received her PhD from one of the school that I'm applying to. Met up with her to find out more about the program, people and place. Overall, the impression that I took away is very positive. The school is great but very demanding; faculty are top-rated and dynamic; living environment is friendly but not too happening (which is fine with me). Simply put, a good place to pursue a PhD in my field of interest.

This Prof was also quite encouraging about my chances. She seemed quite impressed with my GMAT and background, and I think she thinks I have a shot. Of course, she also added that I should consider some safety schools, which I think I have done. Also, she suggested that if I can get the research paper pending/reviewed/published somewhere, it would strengthen my application.

The best thing that came out of this meeting is that she will try to link me up with a faculty in the school that I'm applying too. I have had wanted to contact this and another faculty, but dropped the idea of doing so as the responses that I received from other attempts weren't positive. The only response I received told me that there is no Phd program in my field of interest. Now with the help of this Prof, I guess things should move better. Talk about the power of social network. Speaking of which, I'm not one who is comfortable of utilising my social network. I sort of feel bad troubling others with my troubles. Hence I always try to find my own way and path as much as I can. But I guess in life, one must know how to make use of the social network to progress.

Once again, thank God for the open door.

Took the TOEFL

2006-08-20T22:01:00.000+08:00

Yap, took it 2 nights ago. Wasn't in the best condition for the test. Had a fever and bad stomach 2 days before the test. On the test day itself, I was having a bad headach, an uncomfortable tummy, and an ulcer on my tongue.

Futhermore, I didn't really prepare for the test. Was unable to get my hands on a full-scale prep test so I did not really know what to expect. So I kind of screwed up the first few minutes into the test. Managed to recompose myself after awhile. And I think I was the oldest test taker that day... very much older than everyone else.

Ok ok... enough with all these excuses. I just hope that I can clear it well.

first taste of rejection

2006-08-09T21:15:00.000+08:00

Well, my co-authored research paper did not pass the 1st round of submission, as the journal is not considering additional manuscripts on our topic for the time being. Now we will need to prepare the paper for submission to another journal. More words, more work.

Although I'm a little disappointed with the first rejection of my first submission, I guess such outcomes are not uncommon in academia. I'm disappointed but not discouraged. I will move on and see what comes.

research paper submitted

2006-08-04T13:35:00.000+08:00

Just submit my (co-authored) research paper for publication. Hope it can get through.

Is there a catch?

2006-08-04T09:55:00.000+08:00

When things are going tough, when the mountain seems to be too high, when there are obstacles after obstacle, you wonder where God is. You wonder where God is leading you to. You wonder what God is trying to tell you. You feel down, isolated, drained. You wonder, "Is it worth it?"

When the situations become better and easier, when you are ascending the mountain nicely, when you are slowly but surely overcoming obstacles after obstacles, when doors are being opened for you, you thank God. You thank Him for His presence and providence. You thank Him for opening the doors. Yet at the same time, you secretly wonder when will God finally slam the door in your face, bolt it with the strongest lock in the world, and tell you that right from the start, this journey is not meant for you. "But I helped you along so that you can build up your hope. But, dude, it is time to end the party." You secretly secretly wonder, "So what's the catch for all these opened doors?"

We sometimes have this wrong impression of God because we are humans who have the tendency to believe in what we can see, touch and hold. We want to believe in ourselves, relying on our might. We want to believe in our network, who knows so-and-so. We want to believe in our achievements and track records, that these will be impressive enough to get you what you want. It is easy and easier to believe in all these.

In contrast, to believe in God, who is physically invisible, is tough. It takes faith to put everything in the hands of the Sovereign Lord, who we cannot even see, much less touch or hold, physically. In fact, that's faith - believing in what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Being sure and certain. Of our hope and what we do not see.

So as I continue to journey on, I am reminding myself to journey on with faith. Faith in God who promises that all things work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Whatever is the outcome, I know that it is part of God's plan for me.

school's recommendation - prepare early

2006-08-02T15:39:00.000+08:00

Saw this advice in Georgia State University's Application Instruction document for international applicants:

"We recommend that you begin the application process at least 18 months in advance of your desired semester of entry."

The bold appeared in the doc as well. An excellent piece of advice.

a great meeting today

2006-08-01T19:34:00.000+08:00

I met up with a Prof who was the lecturer and tutor of a few modules that I took as an undergrad. On the agenda:
i. to find out more about one of the university that I am interested in (he had his PhD there, but from another school)
ii. to ask him to be my recommender.

I thought the likelihood of him being my recommender was very slim, as I didn't really establish a relationship with him during my studies. Moreover, it had been 5 years since I graduated. So I wasn't confident about him agreeing to help with the recommendation. Nevertheless, I was very excited when he agreed to meet up.

I talked to him for about 45 mins to find out more about a particular school that I am applying to. The Prof shared candidly about the school and its environment. Initially, he was a bit shocked after hearing the schools that I am applying to. He hinted that I better have had done well for my GMAT. After hearing my GMAT score and working experience, he was very encouraging. He gave me the impression that I shouldn't have problem getting in.

Nevertheless, he still advised me to considering applying to some "safety schools". This is because the top schools are quite competitive to get in. There is a possibility that I get in without funding. By having safety schools, I would at least guarantee myself with some financial support. He added that safety schools are not bad schools - there are people who graduated from lower ranked schools and are doing well as researchers. I thought he gave a very good advice: Instead of looking at the brandname, look for schools where there are supportive supervisors who can help you to write good thesis.

Just before leaving his office, I asked him would it be OK if I were to approach him as my recommender. I was just hoping to get a good recommendation from him. He said it was no problem at all and he would like to write me a strong recommendation. What a fantastic surprise! Thank God for opening the door once more.

a statement that is more than just a statement

2006-07-31T08:56:00.000+08:00

Why is it call a statement of purpose when:

1. You need to write quite a few paragraphs

2. You need to write about more than just your purpose but also your experience, strength, weaknesses, blah blah blah.

Anyway, I'm thankful that I'm on version 5.4 of my SOP. I don't think I will polish it or change it anymore, unless it is absolutely necessary. I have accepted the fact that there is no PERFECT SOP. I think I have presented a holistic picture of myself as a PhD candidate as best as I can in this version.

However, I will still need to adapt it for the various schools' requirements.

the writing of my research paper

2006-07-24T15:10:00.000+08:00

After more than a month, I have finally completed the main draft of the case study that I'm co-authoring with a Prof. For certain "bureaucratic" reasons and to ensure that we are politically-correct, we are sending it for comments before submitting it for review.

The whole process - which started in end March - is quite enriching. My main objective of co-authoring this paper is to get in touch with writing an academic paper. The last time I wrote an academic paper was about 5 years ago. Also, I hope to get one a good recommendation and maybe, just maybe, a publication to beef up my CV. At this point, I have gained the desired experience in writing. Not sure if the good recommendation and publication will come thru though.

After 4 months of ding-donging with the Prof and interviewees, reading up other papers and articles, drafting and redrafting, thinking and rethinking, staying up till 2 am, I can say:
1) Writing is a slow and long process. There are many things that go behind the writing. The thinking, the reading, the analyzing.

2) Writing sometimes frustrate you when you don't know what to write. How can I better articulate my thoughts and intentions? How can I cut down some words? What am I actually trying to say?

Do I enjoy the writing process? Does writing come second nature to me? Am I willing take up writing as a career? Will I be able to hit the publication quota? I don't know... really, I don't know.

in my mailbox today

2006-07-15T22:07:00.000+08:00

Received an application package in the mail from one school that I am sure I will be applying to. In fact, I have started to work on the application - requested for transcript, filled up the personal data forms, worked on one of the essays. The package consists of a nice classy folder with lots of details and the application materials and forms. Although most, if not all, of the info in the package is available at the school's website, it is still a nice surprise. Nice because the school is among my top choices. A surprise because I did not request for it. I wonder how the school knows of my interest... could it be from one of my emails to them (but I don't remember telling them my address)? Or maybe because I logged into their system previously (although I couldn't really recall doing so). And why did it send me the package? Because it WANTS me? That's would be nice, wouldn't it? Very nice, indeed.

I was in high spirit as I flipped through the package. Until I read that the school typically receives more than 1000 applications, and accepts between 20 to 25 students. That's between 2 to 2.5% acceptance rate.

2 thoughts came to my mind:
1. At US$75 application fee per application, the school collects a cool US$75,000 (at least) from the applicants per year. Not as lucractive as the MBA program, I'm sure, but still a nice business model.

2. I'm in for a challenge. A tough challenge.

9 months

2006-07-09T20:19:00.000+08:00

9 months from now I should be hearing the decisions from the schools. 9 months. It is like being pregnant and you choose not to know the gender of the baby. Waiting for the D-day to see what comes.

In the meantime, there are lots to do and experience. Preparing the baby room and getting the baby stuff (= doing up the apps). Going through some morning sickness (= anxiety). Craving for those difficult-to-get food (= desiring for the best of the best schools).

But like what they say, try to enjoy the journey

Useful Links

2006-06-30T12:00:00.000+08:00

Advices
Contacting potential advisors (read this BEFORE you email potential advisers)
Overview of grad school application (suggest you read this ONE year before you apply)
How to apply to grad school (from a psychology student handbook, but appliable to other fields)
Getting in-thru-out

Rankings
Business schools research ranking (based on pulications in top journals)
USNews business schools ranking (note: based on MBA, NOT PhD)
USNews best graduate business schools 2005 in IS (courtesy of GSU)
MIS journals ranking (isworld.org)
MIS journals ranking (merc.mcmaster.ca)

Forums
GradJournal (Databases of applications admit/rejects; discussion forum; bibliography tool)
BusinessWeek: thread on PhD in Business (covers a wide spectrum of stuffs. Started all the way from Oct 2002. Worth the time to read through the entire thread, consisting of more than 6,200 messages as of now)
PhD discussion forum in GMATClub
The Grad Cafe

LOR - a small setback

2006-06-27T19:27:00.000+08:00

One of my "confirmed" recommenders told me to look for someone else to get an LOR when I asked if he could give me a strong LOR. All along, I though he would be willing to write me a LOR, even if it is not that strong.

His response shocked me a little, and I explained to him my circumstances. He later told me to give me my CV and the necessary materials. Now, I am not sure how strong his LOR for me will be.

Need to rework on my game plan, and come up with some backups...

SOP ver. 5

2006-06-25T22:56:00.000+08:00

Done up a 4th and 5th draft of the SOP over the weekend, although I was down with a bad flu. My wife, Y, has been very involved in my SOP drafting, and she gave a very good comment after she read the 4th draft. "Dear, you need to show some passion... Ultimately, this is what will help readers remember of you...".

I have been quite effective in bringing out the key points in the SOP concisely. Why I want to do this? What are my strengths? How I overcame my weaknesses? Perhaps a little too effective, so much so that I did not show the "passion". Pondered about Y's comment and started to think about the stuffs that show my passion in what I did and what I want to do.

So out came the 5th (which actually evolved, and not revolved, from the 4th). And I am quite satisfied with this draft. I think it paints the story that I really want to tell the ad com - Why I want to do a PhD. And it shows some passion. Now, it is time to send it out for some further comments....

toefl - no idea

2006-06-22T18:50:00.000+08:00

No idea why some of the schools need me to sit for a TOEFL. Doesn't my 15 years of education in English-based institutions in sunny Singapore count for anything?

No idea why I couldn't register for a TOEFL test-date at toefl-registration.ets.org. No available dates at all. Why have a website for people to register then? Why not post a notice to save applicants' time and efforts?

No idea why Thompson Prometric's South-East Asia office in KL did not response to my email enquiry on why I couldn't 't register for the TOEFL.

No idea why the call centre operator in KL replied "No idea" when I asked why I couldn't register. Or "No idea" when I asked when the system will be up. Or "No idea" to whom I can talk to to find out more. What an easy job for the call centre operator.

task lists

2006-06-19T00:06:00.000+08:00

In Progress
-

Completed
1. Clear GMAT
- Total 750, 99th (Q:90th, V:94th)

2. Contact potential advisers - Oct 2006
[14 August] Decided to skip this. Will just go ahead to apply to all the schools.

3. Shortlist School - July 2006
[19 June 06] Confirmed 4 schools. Think I will need to identify 2 or 3 more.
[30 June 06] Confirmed 5 schools. Considering 2 more schools. One requires me take the GRE, which I am not too willing at this point.
[31 July 06] Confirmed 6 schools that I will be applying. Still thinking of whether to apply to the one that requires GRE.
[11 Sept 06] Confirmed 9 schools that I will be applying - requested LOR for all these schools.

4. Clear TOEFL - Aug 2006
[19 June 06] Yes, despite having 15 years of education in Singapore, I still need to give a TOEFL score for most schools. Only 1 school gives me the waiver thus far.
[30 June 06] Registered. Test date is set on 18 Aug.
[11 Sept 06] Received my score: Total 114 (R=29, L=30, S=26, W=29)

5. Get transcripts - Sept 2006
[13 Sept 06] Collected

6. Get recommenders - Sept 2006
[19 June 06] 3 recommenders confirmed (2 academic + 1 work). Need to get 1 or 2 more academic references. To touch base with recommenders once the local U's term starts.
[30 June 06] 1 of the recommender turned shaky. Not sure if I can get a strong recommendation from him, which is crucial. To come up with a Plan B.
[31 July 06] Sent one LOR package to a key recommender. Will send the packages to 2 others by next week. Meeting up with a potential recommender tomorrow.
[10 Aug 06] Received the first completed set of LORs. 1 other set of LOR sent. 2 other sets to be sent.
[5 Sep 06] Received the 2nd completed set of LORs. 2 other sets are already out in the recommeders' hands.
[28 Sep 06] 3rd completed set of LORs in. Dropping my 4th recommender (non-academic).

7. SOP - Nov 2006
[19 Jun 06] Already done 3 versions of the Mastercopy. Guess just need 1 or 2 more versions & revisions.
[30 Jun 06] Latest version: Mastercopy 5.1. Quite pleased with it.
[31 Jul 06] Latest version: Mastercopy 5.4. This should be it.
[14 Aug 06] Done Mastercopy 5.5. Have also started to draft the purpose statements for 2 of the schools.
[19 Sep 06] Done Mastercopy 6.4. Drafted essays for 5 schools. 2 more to go.
[28 Sep 06] Getting my mastercopy to be vetted for a final time.
[4 Oct 06] Mastercopy 6.6 vetted and sealed.

8. Complete research paper - ASAP
[19 June 06] Just starting on this.
[30 June 06] Still working on this. Not much progress.
[16 July 06] Wrote out draft 1. "The draft is a good start". Thought that was a nice comment.
[31 July 06] Completed about 4 drafts of the paper. Now pending submission to a journal. Hope it get into the review stage. Will be good for my CV.
[4 Aug 06] Submitted for publication consideration.
[9 Aug 06] Paper not considered for publication for the time being. Need to work on it for another journal.
[2 Sept 06] Amended the paper for another journal. Left with some finishing touches.
[17 Sept 06] Need to expand the working paper.
[19 Dec 06] Completed for 2nd publication attempt.
[22 Dec 06] Submitted again for publication consideration.

9. Submit applications - Dec 2006
[4 Oct 06] App #1 out. Tier A school.
[5 Oct 06] App #2 out. Tier A school.
[13 Oct 06] App #3 out. Tier A school.
[15 Oct 06] App #4 out. Tier B school.
[24 Oct 06] App #5 out. Tier B school.
[2 Nov 06] App #6 out. Tier A school.
[12 Jan 07] App #7 out. Tier B school.

doubts

2006-06-17T15:18:00.000+08:00

So here I am, 8 months after I purposefully started on the search for the PhD program and 8 months from hearing where I will be in 12 months. The last 8 months has been a very exciting period for me, with many ups and downs. On a few occasions, I questioned whether this is really what I want. Do I really want to give up the comfort that my family is having and be a hand-to-mouth student for the next 4 to 5 years? Do I really want to put my wife and child thru this? Do I really want to give up the business that I have been establishing for the last 8 years?

my journey partners

2006-06-16T21:44:00.000+08:00

The previous posts basically capture the key milestones of my journey thus far, over the last 8 months. I did not journey alone. Alongside with me have been....

God - He opens doors for me and has been leading me all these while. As I look at this journey, I can see His presence with me at various key milestones . Clearing the GMAT, overcoming weaknesses, making connections with people. All these happened not by chance nor my might. And by faith, I believe that He will continue to lead me THERE, which currently I don't know is where.

My wife - Her love, support and understanding have been tremendous. Because of her, I could concentrate of various aspect of the application... GMAT, the thinking thru, etc. Also, our many discussions and conversations regarding "our" (it is not just mine alone) further studies provided different perspectives for my consideration. Her encouragements when I'm down and friendly-reminders when I'm too high up are very much appreciated. And since I know she will be reading this, I must say that the journey is exceptionally sweet because she is journeying with me :)

Profs - I have been receiving helpful advice from a "mentor" who is a senior Prof. Thru him, I learnt about how it is like doing a PhD, the insiders' news of various schools, etc. Another Prof gives me the chance to be his research assistant, to co-author a paper. He also candidly shared with me his experience and opinions, which are all very helpful.

Online "friends" - there are a few forums that I visit regularly to see and learn from the experiences of those who took or are taking similar journey. At least I know that they are people who are as crazy as me.

If you are in this same stage right now, I suggest you share your thoughts with someone close to you. Talk to Profs whom you know and seek their input. Visit online communities and learn from those who are or had been in the same boat. Most important of all, pray.

overcoming weaknesses

2006-06-16T14:48:00.000+08:00

There was no way I can overcome the problem of me getting old. The only thing I can do was not to delay my application any longer. So in a way, this weakness was easily overcame.

The other weaknesses were my lack of advanced degree, research experience and LORs. In a way, they were all related. I actually considered taking up a Masters (either part-time or full-time). However, I concluded that it was not feasible due to my work commitments. Furthermore, neither my wife nor I wanted to spend $20k on this.

With this decision, I thought that there was nothing I could do to overcome these 2 weaknesses. For a while, I thought this was it. Then, a thought came to me - why not be a RA for some Profs? This way, I could build up my research experience and also get some LORs.

What a brilliant idea! Now, let's find someone who wanted me. Not an easy task but eventually I identify Prof A whom I share similar research interest in. Great! What a good fit! After emailing him in early 2006, I waited for his reply. And I waited. And waited. Basically, my first attempt to be an RA died a quick and quiet death.

That wasn't a good start and I started to doubt this strategy. Then I identified Prof B (in another Uni) in early Feb. So I dropped him an email, offering my service. This time, there was a response. And it was good. Very good, in fact - he talked about having a research grant for a project that could fund my position as an RA. I gave thank to the One up there.

So I met up with Prof B for an interview in early March and it went on quite well. He said he liked what I had to offer, but one problem was my time commitment. He wondered whether I could give sufficient time to this important project that was funded by an important agency, given my work commitment. I put what I could offer on the table for his consideration.

One or two days later, I received his email thanking me for the interview with a big "BUT". So my second attempt also died... although it was not as quiet as the first. However, this really knocked me down. I asked the same One up there why my hope was lifted for it to fall.

My morale was a bit low after this. I thought I should give up the idea of being an RA. Then, one day in mid-March, as I was surfing the website of yet another Uni, I saw Prof C's profile. I thought since I had already 2 setbacks, what was one more? So I dropped him an email. He replied but said that he did not have any more funds for RA. I said it was ok... money was not the important thing... blah, blah, blah.... So he asked for my CV and, to cut the long story short, I am now his RA, for free.

So now, I am getting the research experience that I thought I lacked. And maybe a good LOR. And possibly a publication. Isn't it interesting how things turn out?

what I want to do, need to do, can do

2006-06-16T13:51:00.000+08:00

After getting my GMAT score, I started to think about my research interest. In a way, it was an easy task as all along I sort of knew what I was interested in. However, to articulate and formulate the research interest into something academically interesting wasn't that easy.

Another thing that I did was to identify my weaknesses pertaining to the phd application. Basically, I saw 3 limitations/weaknesses.

#1 Out of school since 2001. I graduate with a Bachelor degree in 2001 and that was it. No Master degree. Although most schools stated that a Master degree was not a requirement, a good proportion of their admitted students had Master degrees. Either MBA or MSc. Some had both. Furthermore, as I had been out of good for some time, I had difficulties identifying Profs who could give me "strong" letters of recommendation (LORs). Most schools needed three LORs.

#2 No research experience. Again, most schools stated that research experience was not a requirement. But once again, a good proportion of their admitted students had some sort of research experience, either thru the post-grad work or as RAs.

#3 Age. Some people say some school preferred younger phd students. Once you hit 30, your chances of getting admitted would diminish. I would be 30 in 2007.

What helped me to arrive at what I want to do (research area), need to do (overcoming weaknesses), and can do (strenghts - not mentioned here) were the three drafts of statement of purpose (SOP) that I had done. They made me articulate my thoughts and allowed me to have a better picture of myself as a phd applicant.

when to go: 2006 or 2007?

2006-06-16T09:22:00.000+08:00

With my confidence boosted by the GMAT score in 2005, I started to think about where to go, when to apply, etc. The first major decision that I had to tackle was to decide whether I should be applying for the coming Fall intake. I could still apply for the Fall 2006 intake, if I had wanted to. It would have been good for me to aim for Fall 2006 for 2 reasons. Firstly, by 2006, I would be 29 years old, considered to be a little old for phd studies. Some B-schools were said to preferred younger phd students (around 24 to 27 on average). Once you hit 30, your chances for admission would be lowered. Secondly, my wife's part-time work arrangement would end in July 2006 - it would be ideal that we move on then.

Eventually, though, I decided to postpone the application by a year. The main reason for this decision was due to my church involvement - I had committed to serve in my church's session until end 2006. I was convicted that I should fulfill this commitment. Although this might work to my disadvantage (the age factor), I believed that God and His work should be first before me and my desires.

It took me some time, maybe a month or two, to pray and discuss with my wife. 2 verses that encouraged me during this time were:
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts". Isaiah 55:8-9

On hindsight, I thank God for leading me to the decision to postpone my application by a year. For the additional year gave me the needed time to work on some of my weaknesses so as to strengthen my application. (More on this later.)

The GMAT monster

2006-06-15T22:02:00.000+08:00

The first step that I took on this phd journey was to sit for my GMAT. At the beginning, I did not really have a target score in mind. And I did not know how important the score was in the PhD application process. However, after learning from a trusted source, I started to see the importance of getting a GREAT GMAT score.

I was told that to get into a good school, 750 was a 'must-have'. I did not know how tough it was to get a 750... I just went thru the 2 or 3 materials that I had. And the preparation period was a tough one as there were the nice distractions from my then new-born baby. Then, there were the not-so-nice distractions from work and other projects.

By God's grace, I hit a 750 on my first (and only) attempt at the GMAT in Oct 2005. To me, that was the opening of doors from the Lord. And it really kick-started the search for a phd program....

If you are preparing for the GMAT, here are some recommendations:
1. Cracking the GMAT (Princton Review). I like the strategies in this book.
2. Official GMAT Guide. Practice and practice.

These were the only materials that I used for my prep. It did not occur to me, internet-savvy as I was, to look for resources online. It was only after sitting for the GMAT test that I found a good community for GMAT prep - www.gmatclub.com.