<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I am currently a third year Cognitive Science major with Specialization in Computing at UCLA. I just started researching graduate school programs for admission in Fall of 2012, and I’m seriously interested in Harvard’s Organizational Behavior PhD program. Is anyone familiar with the graduate school application process? I really want to know if I would be a strong candidate and what I can do before the end of my undergraduate career to better my chances, so if anyone is familiar with this process, please post and I will compose a list of my stats and experience. </p>
<p>Thanks so much in advance!</p>
<p>XOBruin, if you are 3rd year Cognitive Science/Computing at UCLA why are you asking for insight into graduate admissions from a forum on undergraduate admissions? The game facing HS students [which is a pathetic and dishonest game] is nothing akin to someone seeking apprenticeship into a serious scientific discipline [which is what the graduate admissions is all about in your field]. Talk to your professors at UCLA. Talk to Harvard professors in the relevant department(s); at a conference or on a visit to Harvard. Understand the research that is done there, and how it does, or does not, present to you the opportunities you are seeking. Think through who exactly you want to do research with, and why.<br>
These are the sort of questions relevant to graduate study in an academic field; and do not forget that such study is all about the Department and not the University as a whole. The name “Harvard”, solo, means nothing in terms of graduate work. But “Harvard Math”, or “Harvard Philosophy”, does-- for two examples. To spell this out, on the suspicion you may not fully understand this, “Harvard Applied Math” does not have nearly the same meaning as the two previously mentioned. If you cared for pursuit of a PhD in Math, then you would have not such a good argument in choosing , say, Washington over Harvard. But if Applied Math then you would have a very very very good argument for choosing Washington over Harvard.
The pathetic pursuit of “Prestige”, over substance, among the HS hordes, is comical but forgivable. In an earlier age the kids would be lemminged into a mock Crusade for the “Holy Land”, to the material benefit of cynical exploiters. In this age, the kids are lemminged into a mock Campaign for the “HYPS”, to the material benefit of cynical exploiters. We can only laugh at the Innocents falling so mechanically for History’s good jokes…But to reenact this joke, when one is not so Innocent, and when the exploiters are far more sincere as to the purpose of their enterprise, is Big Mistake—and no more good laughter.</p>
<p>I was unaware this was solely an undergraduate forum?</p>
<p>I have asked my advisors and graduate mentor for help with finding PhD programs that are relevant to my interests, and HU’s Organizational Behavior program was one of them. Obviously CollegeConfidential.com is not my main source of information for graduate school. I was merely looking for advice from someone who perhaps has already gone through the process at Harvard specifically. There is nothing wrong with that. </p>
<p>Thanks anyway.</p>
<p>O.B. is a shift from what you’ve been doing, as you’re probably well aware. You’ve presumably tracked down the program descriptions at [Next</a> Steps - Organizational Behavior - Doctoral Programs - Harvard Business School](<a href=“http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/areas-of-study/organizational-behavior/next-steps.html]Next”>http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/areas-of-study/organizational-behavior/next-steps.html) and at <a href=“http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/pdf/OB_Policies_and_Procedures_1011_FINAL.pdf[/url]”>http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/pdf/OB_Policies_and_Procedures_1011_FINAL.pdf</a>. </p>
<p>Have you taken a course in the field and delved into the literature? That’s critical for two reasons: (1) it’s a way of finding out whether this stuff is really something you’d want to devote your life to (which is what a Ph.D. is about); and (2) you need to know something about the field in order to have an idea of why you want to study it and where you want to go with it. </p>
<p>Have you been in contact with any of the organizational behavior faculty at UCLA? (Far as I know, they’re mostly in the business school, but probably some people in psychology or sociology as well.) Do any of the UCLA faculty know Peter Marsden (Sociology) or Richard Hackman (Psychology)? Marden is, I believe, the current faculty chair for the Harvard program; Hackman was instrumental in getting the program started. </p>
<p>The OB program is a little unusual because it’s a joint program – the degree belongs to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, but a lot of the faculty are in the business school (At Harvard, unlike many American universities, only the Faculty of Arts and Sciences can award a Ph.D. Other faculties can award a doctoral degree specific to their field – D.B.A. in the case of the Harvard business school.) You want to make contact with Harvard faculty – ideally, you want to identify someone you’re confident would make a good advisor.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>