[Hisam135i]

Anyone recently take the Gre? I just took It about a week ago.

Quant : 160 (760 old)
Verbal: 155 (530)
Total: 315 (1290)
AWA: 4

Looking to pursue a Ph.D in Finance or Econ. What have you guys scored and what do you plan on doing with your scores?

[Titanium3er]

That's a great score, especially in the Quant section. How much time did you devote to studying? Are there any tips you can give?

I'm taking it next week. Going back for an M.B.A. Will report back with my score.

Good luck with your applications.

[Hisam135i]

Originally Posted by Titanium3er

That's a great score, especially in the Quant section. How much time did you devote to studying? Are there any tips you can give?

I'm taking it next week. Going back for an M.B.A. Will report back with my score.

Good luck with your applications.

thank you! I devoted around 3 months of nonstop studying everyday. I also took a princeton review prep course which I highly recommend. Most important tip I can give: Do not drink anything before the exam. I am absolutely certain my quant score would have been ~800 if I didnt have to use the restroom so badly I am now actually debating retaking just so my Quant score is ~800 (Ph.D in Finance is highly competitive and high quant is a must for a top ~25 school).

Where are you looking to apply to if you don't mind me asking?

Im looking at mostly UC schools (realistically) and a few of the more prestigious schools (stanford, harvard, etc.)

[Hisam135i]

No one else?

[KingOfJericho]

What are you trying to do with a phd in finance? I've worked in the industry for over a decade and have never met a single phd in the field. Certainly a few MBAs and MSs in Finance but no phds. I think that's largely reserved for those who wish to teach rather than those just wanting to work in the industry.

[turo]

I took it years ago (~2006) when I was applying for my Ph.D. If I remember correctly, I had 800 quantitative, 450 verbal, and 4 analytical writing. Luckily my area of study (computer science) mostly cared about the quantitative and not the verbal!

[Litos]

i don't like taking tests.....

[Hisam135i]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

What are you trying to do with a phd in finance? I've worked in the industry for over a decade and have never met a single phd in the field. Certainly a few MBAs and MSs in Finance but no phds. I think that's largely reserved for those who wish to teach rather than those just wanting to work in the industry.

Never heard of quants?
These are a few jobs currently for PhDs in finance.
http://www.quantfinancejobs.com/jobs/phd/" rel="ugc" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.quantfina.../jobs/phd/</a>

Also, I'm finishing my undergrad in Econ at 18 lol so I have time to spare in furthering my education

[KingOfJericho]

My boss is a quant. He has a bachelors from Tufts.

[jophish17]

I have been considering a similar career path but I was looking to do my grad work in cs or engineering. I did my undergrad in finance. I'm not sure I feel the need to do a phd just yet - that seems to be more of a requirement in hedge funds. I'm sure you could get a good job with an bank or PE firm with just a masters from a top school

[KwlAznKid]

not the same but I just took my gmat a few weeks ago, applying to grad school as well. good luck man

[Hisam135i]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

My boss is a quant. He has a bachelors from Tufts.

I see your point, there are two ways of reaching the same knowledge: (1) in the workforce or (2) continuing education. Currently, continuing my education seems to be a better fit for myself as I am having trouble finding a job (let alone a good job) even though I have a relatively competitive profile. Additionally, I greatly enjoy research within finance. So a phd seems to be a good fit for myself. It's definitely not for everyone and not a 100% necessary thing to do to be in a quant position!

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

[Hisam135i]

Originally Posted by KwlAznKid

not the same but I just took my gmat a few weeks ago, applying to grad school as well. good luck man

Nice how did it go

[r0wr]

Taking the gmat soon.. I'm currently scoring 45/35 with one month of studying. Hopefully the next month I'll be in the 50/40~ish area.

[KwlAznKid]

Originally Posted by Hisam135i

Nice how did it go

went ok, could be better but didn't bomb it at least I guess? debating on retaking it to get into top tier schools though, we'll see haha

[Hisam135i]

Originally Posted by r0wr

Taking the gmat soon.. I'm currently scoring 45/35 with one month of studying. Hopefully the next month I'll be in the 50/40~ish area.

I initially was going to take the gmat, but after two months of studying I decided I hated the format and switched to the GRE. Has a much better format in my opinion. The gmat is completely unforgiving; if you mess up within the first 10 Qs on either section your entire score will suffer.

What do you plan on going to grad school for? MBA?

[HTran]

I'm debating on taking the GRE or the GMAT after my LSAT if I'm still sane by then. How did you like Princeton? Any other books to supplement your studying?

[KingOfJericho]

I found the Princeton Review to be very beneficial. Upped my score by something like 120pts.

[scorcherjf]

I had 800 quant and 550 verbal (can't remember exactly) and 5 on writing. It didn't really help me get into grad school that much since they kind of expect you to get an 800 on the quant (program I did was MS in Math Fin) and I guess you could say I'm a quant now. PhD in Math/Stats/Physics or any computational field really will suffice for heavy quant work like financial modeling, etc. You have to weigh the trade-off between spending extra years doing the PhD vs. working in the industry with a masters. Going the PhD route you're not only missing out on 2-3 years of pay but also experience which would leave you at a higher position than a fresh PhD grad finding a job. Arguably in the long run the PhD might be more worth it but in the end, you should really only pursue it if you have a genuine interest and passion for the field (which I assume you have) rather than outright earnings.

[HTran]

Originally Posted by scorcherjf

I had 800 quant and 550 verbal (can't remember exactly) and 5 on writing. It didn't really help me get into grad school that much since they kind of expect you to get an 800 on the quant (program I did was MS in Math Fin) and I guess you could say I'm a quant now. PhD in Math/Stats/Physics or any computational field really will suffice for heavy quant work like financial modeling, etc. You have to weigh the trade-off between spending extra years doing the PhD vs. working in the industry with a masters. Going the PhD route you're not only missing out on 2-3 years of pay but also experience which would leave you at a higher position than a fresh PhD grad finding a job. Arguably in the long run the PhD might be more worth it but in the end, you should really only pursue it if you have a genuine interest and passion for the field (which I assume you have) rather than outright earnings.

That's always the hardest decision; direct cost vs opportunity cost. It feels a lot safer to gain experience with the masters first.

[Myrder]

^ what this guy said. Even with a Master's it was no cake walk to get a job in my field (healthcare analytics) and even after finding one I was low-balled and had to crawl my way up.