How can I improve my chances of being accepted into a PhD program?

In all honesty your academic record does not sound Ph.D. impressive. This does not mean you cannot get in but it does mean you need to do some more work on your own behalf. Ph.D. programs are very competitive.

First off do not change schools again and make sure the classes you take from now on get good grades.

Second I think taking some time off after you graduate is a great idea. Be sure to take a GRE class before taking the test, it is extremely helpful. You want to do really well on the GRE because if you do it can make up for some of the awkwardness in your academic record. Another benefit of taking time off is that many higher degree programs prefer to accept people with experience after their Bachelor’s education.

Third you absolutely need to get some experience under your belt. Research assistance is a great start but you could be doing that now and not waiting until you take your year off. Not only that but you should get involved in a “club” or activity of some sort in your local community. Volunteering on a regular basis is a great idea as well. You need to start getting as much in there as possible and it needs to be regular not sporadic. This will show your experience, your responsibility, and it’ll help you get recommendation letters which are necessary for a Ph.D. application.

Fourth you should make sure you take challenging courses. Someone with a lower GPA who consistently challenged themselves is more likely to get into a good program than the person who took easy classes and thus got a higher GPA. I assume when you say you tested out of classes that meant you already knew the material so you didn’t take them. Although this makes life easy for you it doesn’t look good if you stopped taking those subjects altogether. However if you test out of Math 111 so you can take Math 243 that looks just fine.

Why do you want a PhD? If you’re interested in business, why not an MBA?

Thank you for answering. You offered some great advice. I will take a GRE class (I never thought about it)! I did completely test out of many of the classes without ever taking the more advanced classes. As much as I would love to do everything that I want (I have high ambitions), I realize that I do not have enough free time. After I graduate, I intend to get to stop working and so I can focus on work, volunteer, study, etc. Do you think it would look okay if I took the advanced classes (classes beyond those I tested out of and those tougher classes relevant to my field of study) after I graduated? In other words, do you feel they expect those classes to be completed prior to undergrad graduation?

My volunteer work is frequent enough to be deemed “regularly” and in fact, I have been offered a letter or recommendation. But I understand that grad schools really want letters of recommendations from schools and professors.

Also, I am unsure as to what other clubs, activities, or organizations that I can join which will look good on the application. As I mentioned, I am finishing up my education online so I there is not really opportunity to join school clubs, causes, etc… Any suggestions?

I chose a Ph.D as my first pick because after my research, it seemed to be more suiting to my desires. First, I am more interested in theories of the subject than in the practical knowledge and MBAs are typically more geared more towards that latter. Second, I would rather not take my MBA (unless I have to and I am willing to resort to that if that what it takes) to turn around and enter PhD program.

@kallen921 In response to your question about taking advanced classes post-grad. I think that would look fine so long as all the classes you are currently enrolled in are not too easy.

I’m glad to hear your volunteer work is frequent. Props to you :) You should get that letter of recommendation. You will need to get a certain amount from professors but you can also include other recs as well which will show you are well-rounded (and you can bet others are).

Absolutely any club or activity will look good. It’s not as much about which club you join as much as it is showing you can accept the responsibility, you know how to have a life outside of “work” and you are well-rounded. It can be completely contrary to your academic requirements as long as it is appropriate (ie not a drinking club, haha). In fact some schools prefer people to have outside interests and look specifically for that. I would look around for anything to join in your local area. They should have a newspaper that is a ‘weekly’ in your area, that is usually a good place to start looking. When I was in school I participated in a cultural club that worked both at the school level and at the community level (for those not in school). Really I would identify your interests and then do a google search or call a couple local organizations to see if they have any recommendations for you.

Now you noted that you do not have enough free time. Is there something going on in your life besides school. It is hard to imagine that you take classes online and your schedule is still full. I took classes at a local University, worked an office job, did practicum (for-credit volunteer work), and participated as a co-director in a culture club. I’m not boasting my own boat because I know others who did more than me, believe it or not. What I am suggesting is that if I can do it so can you. This is what they look for. For you to achieve above and beyond. Think of your competitors.

It sounds like, with your undergrad program weaknesses, focusing on getting an MA in Economics should be your first step towards a PhD. You need to get some solid course work in the subject under your belt.

There is a couple of MA programs I have looked into.

To answer you question. My class schedule is full. Even though It is online, I feel as though it is just as time consuming as when I attended the brick-and-mortar school. I work full time. And of course volunteer. Moreso, I seem to spend excessive amount of time driving; I work 45 minutes each way from my job. Also, my husband is legally blind and its tough because he works full time (on an alternate schedule). So on my off-hours and my off-days, I spend plenty of time dropping him off and picking him up. Since his schedule is not exact, I often spend more time than one would expect waiting for him (under the assumption he was going to get off sooner). It also makes my day extend from 6am to 1am. So I am tired all of the time.

I feel if I try to add anymore to my schedule, I will overextend myself and set myself up for failure.

@kallen921 That makes perfect sense. If you spend some time working with or volunteering with other people who are legally blind that may help you get an edge. People in all programs want to see students that are diversity competent and working with this type of ability is certainly a competence that many do not possess. Some people prefer not to mix personal life with professional but if you are not one of those people that may be a helpful tip.

Unfortunately, patience is not a quality that is easily expressed or appreciated. That makes me very sad : (