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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I agree that GPA and research experience are critical and would add recommendations. If you can publish a paper or three before applying, so much the better. SLACs and honors programs are great places to get research experience. My DC went to a SLAC but lost some opportunities thanks to COVID-19 (like her study abroad and a couple of summer research positions that probably would have resulted in getting her name on a paper). She left college unsure whether to apply to med school or a Ph.D. program, so she worked in research at a T5 university for two years while she made up her mind. During this time, she got published, earned some recognition for her paper, and decided on a Ph.D. She got great recs from some heavy hitters and was accepted into her first-choice Ph.D. program.

Your DC might want to work in research for a year or two before applying to a Ph.D. My DC benefitted from the experience and maturation of working before going to grad school.

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Excellent idea!  Help your student decide: do I really want a PHD and if so, what do I want to focus on, and then you can select a program doing what you really want.

I went to grad school where I took MBA classes with the MBA students (my program was joint MBA/CS) where majority were straight out of undergrad and many had literally never worked a paying job (not even grocery store/fast food/etc--well off kids who were never required to work in college).  Those kids only went to MBA program because they couldn't get a job out of college (early 90s---it was challenging, many smart kids went to grad school instead).   Those students were not fully taking advantage of their MBA however, as they had no real clue what to focus on, and were a bit naive.  I personally gravitated towards those 28-30yo students for group projects, because they had work experience and some focus---the others just had book experience and no real world experience and it showed.

I always say you should have 3-5 years of work experience before getting an MBA.  Otherwise, it's not as useful
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