I?m interested in AASCB Accredited PhD program in Accounting or
Business in any U.S university.

I have a master degree in accounting from an AASCB Accredited U.S
University with a GPA of 4.0 (on 4.0 scale)

My GMAT Score is 420

Currently am working as a faculty in a business college, teaching
accounting and business courses for undergrad.

I have a high GPA (4.0) but my problem with my low GMAT score (420)

Could you please help me finding an AASCB accredited PhD program in
accounting or business in the US that can accept me with my current
GPA and GMAT.


Thank you in advance

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Request for Question Clarification by omniscientbeing-ga on 12 Nov 2003 13:29 PST

Whether or not the school in quesiton will accept you will be out of
the Researchers' control. If we can locate a school which offers the
program you specify, along with admission application procedures which
don't automatically disqualify you based on your given information,
would that be sufficient? I imagine that besides your grades and test
scores, the admisisons essay you are requred to write will also be an
important factor. Also, can you fill in the acronym AASCB, please?

Thanks,

omniscientbeing-ga
Google Answers Researcher

---

Request for Question Clarification by omniscientbeing-ga on 12 Nov 2003 14:06 PST

I believe this the AASCB you need your prospective school to be
accredited by, can you confirm?:

"The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB-International) is a not-for-profit corporation of approximately
900 members representing colleges, universities, and business and
professional organizations committed to excellence in management
education.  AACSB was founded in 1916 and began its accreditation
function with the adoption of the first standards in 1919.  Additional
standards for programs in accountancy were adopted in 1980.  The
current mission-linked accreditation standards and peer review process
were approved by AACSB members in 1991.  The AACSB accreditation
standards and peer review process supports its first strategic
objective to stimulate continuous improvement of management
education."

Thanks,

omniscientbeing-ga
Google Answers Researcher

phdseeker-ga,

The following webpage (?McBane's List of AACSB International
Accredited Business Schools Online?) lists all AASCB-accredited
Universities, sorted by geographic location. All fifty U.S. States and
the District of Columbia are listed. Just click the link for the
corresponding state, and you will go to a webpage which lists all the
AASCB-accredited universities in that particular state:

[ http://mkt.cba.cmich.edu/aacsbmkt/geolist.htm ].

As an example, here is the link (obtained from the above site) to all
of the AACSB accredited universities in California:

[ http://mkt.cba.cmich.edu/aacsbmkt/geolist.htm#CA ].

Altogether there are hundreds of schools fitting your criteria for the entire U.S.

Concerning your likelihood for admission, there are a wide variety of
programs here. Obviously the Ivy League schools will be more difficult
to get into?but given your GPA and background, I am certain that even
with your somewhat low GMAT score that you?ll be admitted to an AACSB
accredited program somewhere.

The fact that you have a Master?s Degree already is a strong factor in
your favor because it strongly demonstrates your aptitude for
graduate-level work(it?s not like you just graduated with a Bachelor?s
degree and GMAT score only?you have an advanced degree already, not to
mention years of relevant work experience. You should sum these
factors up in your decision to obtain a PhD in your admissions essay
(usually called a ?Statement of Purpose? or something to that affect).
Also, perhaps you could re-take the GMAT if you feel your score could
be better, and if you truly feel it would keep you out of the program
of your choice.

I do not think that your GMAT score alone will bar you from admission
to most programs. The programs do require a GMAT score, but most do
not list minimum score requirements?only that you take the test and
report your score. If everything else looks good (as it does in your
case, particularly with a Master?s degree 4.0 GPA) you may well be
admitted.

As an example, I have pasted below a link to the University of
California at Los Angeles (?UCLA?) Anderson School of Business
Management PhD Program Admissions Page:

[ http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/programs/ms-phd/adm/admissionsandapplication.htm#Request
].

Here are the requirements for admission as listed on this page:

?
Requirements for Admission:
1.) Statement of Purpose
2.) The Data Sheet
3.) Applicant address labels
4.) An application fee of sixty dollars (US$60)
5.) Two copies of your official transcript from each college
or university you attended
6.) Three recommendation letters, preferably from sources who can
assess your potential as a researcher
7.) Official score report of either the GMAT or the GRE
8.) Official score report of the TOEFL (international applicants only)
9.) Financial Statement for students seeking non-immigrant 
visas (international applicants only)"

As you can see, they do not list minimum GMAT scores, and this is a
well-regarded business school.

Most of the other universities? PhD Business/Accounting programs have
similar admissions requirements. You can compensate for your somewhat
low GMAT score with your otherwise excellent background and life
experiences, including relevant work experience and your personal
essay (?Statement of Purpose??requirement no. one on UCLA?s list).

The following link is to a page which discusses the relative
importance of GMAT  scores as a factor in admissions to business
graduate schools. Keep in mind that the page is sponsored by a GMAT
test preparation company, so their views are naturally biased to
inflate the importance of the GMAT. That said, however, I think they
paint a pretty accurate picture of the role of the GMAT when applying
to b-school:

[ http://www.gmatbuster.org/gmat-importance.htm ].

Here?s an excerpt from the above page regarding the GMAT:

?Although a high GMAT score alone does not guarantee admission, and
the other factors such as work experience, interviews etc. play an
important role, yet a high GMAT score is always advantageous and gets
your foot into the door."

Google search strategy:

Keywords,

?AACSB accredited colleges?:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=AACSB+accredited+colleges  ,

?business school GMAT importance?:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=business+school+GMAT+importance&btnG=Google+Search

I certainly hope that this information will assist you with gaining
admission to a suitable PhD business/accounting program of your
choice. Please note that if I have left anything out which is
important to you, I?m more than happy to Clarify this Answer by
finding what you need.

I wish you the best of luck with getting into a PhD program!

Sincerely,

omniscientbeing-ga
Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by phdseeker-ga on 12 Nov 2003 16:43 PST

thank you I really appreciate your research,

what im looking for here is a university Accredited by "American
Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)that do not
emphasize GMAT score or accept minimum score of say 400. i would
appreciate it if you could mention the name of the university

---

Clarification of Answer by omniscientbeing-ga on 12 Nov 2003 17:20 PST

phdseeker-ga,

It is my understanding through my research that the AACSB (Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) is one and the same
organization as the AACSB (American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of
Business) of which you write in your Clarification. It appears that
the organization has changed its name. Please see the following link,
and the quote from that page below:

[ http://cobe.boisestate.edu/Association%20to%20Advance%20Collegiate%20Schools%20of%20Business%20(AACSB)%20Brochure.htm
].

"NOTE: The information in this document was obtained from a brochure
previously distributed by the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business,
(formerly known as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business)."
 
So, the "American Assembly..." AACSB is the older name of the same
accrediting organization, which is now called the "Association to
Advance...".

Confirming this is the fact that several of the links from the older
name now point to the newer name's website. To see this for yourself,
click the link below:

[ http://www.aldea.com/guides/gu/z007.html ].

Now, from this page, click this link which reads "American Assembly of
Collegiate Schools of Business
http://www.AACSB.EDU/ ":

[http://www.aacsb.edu/ ].

Note that it goes to AACSB.edu, and that on that page it proclaims its
name as the "Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business."

So, this is the new name of the same organization.

Thus, all of the links I provided in your Answer are valid, and if you
click on the page of AASCB U.S. State universities:

[ http://mkt.cba.cmich.edu/aacsbmkt/geolist.htm ],

you will see a list of links to all AASCB accredited universities in
that states. There are literally hundreds for all 50 states plus D.C.,
perhaps thousands, so it simply is not possible to comb through them
all inquiring as to specific GMAT requirements. Also, of the many I
did look through, they simply did not specify a numerical GMAT
requirement. You have to submit GMAT scores, but many do not have a
minimum score, especially when considering non-traditional students
who have work experience in the field, and significant graduate work
already completed.

Your best course of action at this point is to personally e-mail the
admissions officers of these schools with a simple explanation of your
situation, asking directly if your 420 GMAT score would automatically
bar you from admission.

If you like I could provide a list of some schools you could address
inquiries to in this manner.

Sincerely,

omniscientbeing-ga
Google Answers Researcher

---

Request for Answer Clarification by phdseeker-ga on 13 Nov 2003 02:08 PST

I would be grateful if you could provide  me a list of some schools
that I could address inquiries to in this manner.


thank you

---

Clarification of Answer by omniscientbeing-ga on 13 Nov 2003 09:57 PST

phdseeker-ga,

Here is a list of 10 United States business/accounting/economics
schools? PhD program specific admissions requirements pages, and the
e-mail addresses and contact information to their admissions
departments:

1. UCLA Anderson School of Business

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/programs/ms-phd/adm/admissionsandapplication.htm#Request

Email: burt.swanson@anderson.ucla.edu

Also, this link has additional contacts for the same program:

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/programs/ms-phd/adm/contacts.htm

2. University of California at Irvine (UCI), PhD Economics Program:

http://aris.ss.uci.edu/econ/

e-mail: dbrownst@uci.edu

Contacts page:

http://aris.ss.uci.edu/econ/contacts.html

3. University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business
PhD Accounting Program

http://www.marshall.usc.edu/web/PhDAccounting.cfm?doc_id=2060

Note: USC has other PhD programs such as ?Finance & Business
Economics? which you can find a link to from this main page:

http://www.marshall.usc.edu/

(Put your mouse cursor over the menu ?Academic Programs? on the left,
and then the ?Doctoral? submenu for a list of all their business
school PhD programs.

?Please see the following website, www.msb.usc.edu/admissions/doctoral
for general information on the Ph.D. in Business Administration,
program overview and structure, how to apply, frequently asked
questions, class profile, and how to contact us.?

4. University of Rhode Island (URI), Doctoral Program in Business Administration:

http://www.cba.uri.edu/Graduate/PhD/PhD.htm

Admissions requirements page:

http://www.cba.uri.edu/Graduate/PhD/phdpage/html/ADMIS.HTML

e-mail: chenshaw@uri.edu 

Application/info page:

http://www.cba.uri.edu/Graduate/PhD/phdpage/html/APPLIC.HTML


5. Texas Tech University ? Rawls College of Business, PhD Program:

http://phd.ba.ttu.edu/PHdhome.asp

PhD Admissions page:

http://phd.ba.ttu.edu/PHd/PHd_Application/PHd_Application_Process.asp

E-mail: GradSchool@ttu.edu

6. University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration:

http://www.darden.virginia.edu/doctoral/index.htm

e-mail: dardendoctoral@darden.virginia.edu

Contacts page:

http://www.darden.virginia.edu/doctoral/dp_contact.htm

7. University of Washington, PhD Business Administration Program:

http://www.grad.washington.edu/progs/gradprogs2.asp

e-mail: baphd@u.washington.edu

8. University of Wyoming, PhD Economics Program:

http://business.uwyo.edu/ECONFIN/EF_phd.html

?For more information, please email Shenandoah Nieuwsma at econfinance@uwyo.edu?

9. University of Iowa, Henry Tippie College of Business, PhD Accounting Program:

http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/acct/phd/
Admissions Guidelines page:

http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/acct/phd/admissions.html

e-mail: daniel-collins@uiowa.edu (Admissions Help)

or daniel-collins@uiowa.edu (PhD Program Director)

10. University of Chicago, Illinois, Graduate School of Business, PhD
Program for Economics or Finance:

http://gsb.uchicago.edu/dynamic.asp?nNodeID=43

Here?s a link to their admissions page:

http://gsb.uchicago.edu/dynamic.asp?nNodeID=161

Test scores page (note: no minimum GMAT or GRE scores are listed):

http://gsb.uchicago.edu/dynamic.asp?nNodeID=748#app4

Contact:
Ph.D. Program
773.702.7298 Phone
gsbphd@gsb.uchicago.edu

Regarding test scores, I have also noted in researching these
admissions requirements that for some of these programs, the GRE is
preferred over the GMAT, so if you think you might perform better on
that test, it is another possible alternative for you.

Finally, I decided to give you an idea of the actual letter of inquiry
you might send to these admissions departments and points of contact,
as a way of getting you started:

Sample Letter:

?Dear [Admissions Contact, NAME],

My name is [your name]. I?m interested in applying for your [name of
degree program], but have a couple of questions regarding my potential
for admission.

I currently hold a Masters? degree in Accounting from [name of
school], which is AACSB accredited. I also have [x] years business
college teaching experience in the fields of accounting and business.
My concern is that my GMAT score of 420 (which I took on [date of
score report]), is somewhat low compared to that of the average
applicants.

Will my GMAT score automatically preclude me from admission to your
program? If not, are there any special steps I would need to take in
applying for your program in light of my GMAT score?

Thank you for your time,

[your name].?

Sending a letter like this to several programs such as the ones I
listed above and others from the main AACSB accredited schools list

 [ http://mkt.cba.cmich.edu/aacsbmkt/geolist.htm ]

will put you well on your way to gaining acceptance to a suitable
program of your choice.

Good luck in continuing your education!

Sincerely,

omniscientbeing-ga
Google Answers Researcher