By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant If you’re considering a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), you’ve probably started researching admission requirements. Unfortunately, most information online focuses almost entirely on application checklists. You’ll find pages that tell you to submit transcripts, recommendation letters, a…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant If you’re researching doctoral business degrees, you’ve probably encountered the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). You may have also encountered a lot of confusion. Some sources describe the DBA as a practical alternative to a PhD. Others…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant The Short Answer Yes. If you earn a legitimate PhD in Business Administration or a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from an accredited institution, you have earned a doctoral degree and may use the title Doctor. In…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant The Short Answer Is a DBA worth it? For some people, absolutely. For others, it is an expensive and time-consuming mistake. That’s probably not the answer you were hoping for, but it’s the honest one. A Doctor…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant Best Executive DBA Programs: The Short Answer If you’re searching for the best Executive DBA programs, you’re probably already convinced that a traditional MBA is not what you need. You may already be an executive, entrepreneur, consultant,…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former Assistant Director of MBA Admissions and graduate admissions consultant The popularity of online DBA programs has grown dramatically over the past decade. And it’s easy to see why. Many professionals reach a point in their careers where they want more than another…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant If you’re considering the highest level of business education, you’ve probably encountered a common question: Should I pursue a DBA or a PhD? At first glance, the two degrees can appear remarkably similar. Both are doctoral degrees.…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. If you are applying to graduate school with a lower GPA, there is a good chance you have already spent hours searching questions like: Can a high GRE score make up for a low GPA? Can high…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. If you are applying to graduate school right now, there is a good chance you are asking yourself some version of this question: “When should I take the GRE?” And if you search online, most articles will…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. If you are applying to PhD programs in 2026, you have probably noticed something confusing about the GRE. Some PhD programs still require GRE scores.Some made the GRE optional.Some dropped the GRE entirely.And some universities claim the…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. One of the most common problems in PhD applications is not necessarily weak research experience. It is weak descriptions of research experience. Many applicants have stronger backgrounds than they realize, but their CV descriptions are often: vague…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most applicants searching for a PhD CV template are looking for something practical: a structure to follow a clean layout an academic format that actually looks credible guidance on what strong doctoral CVs usually include That makes…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most applicants think a strong PhD CV format is about making the document visually impressive. In reality, admissions committees usually care much more about: readability organization research prioritization structure ease of evaluation A strong academic CV should…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most PhD applicants think their CV is being checked for formatting mistakes. In reality, admissions committees are often using it to make fast judgments about research readiness, intellectual maturity, academic direction, and long-term potential. If you are…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. One of the most common misconceptions in PhD admissions is the idea that research experience only “counts” if it looks formal, prestigious, or highly academic. Many applicants assume research experience must mean: publications working in a famous…

What Admissions Committees Are Actually Looking For By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. One of the hardest parts of a PhD application is explaining your research interests clearly. Not because applicants lack curiosity. Usually the opposite. Most applicants have: too many interests scattered…

By Dr. Philippe Barr former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most applicants search for PhD programs the wrong way. They: Google rankings browse university lists chase prestigious names scroll through databases endlessly apply broadly without much strategy But strong PhD applicants usually approach the process very differently.…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most applicants think choosing a PhD program is mainly about rankings. It usually is not. The strongest PhD applicants — and often the applicants who end up happiest years later — approach the process very differently. They…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. If you are trying to figure out how to choose a graduate program, the mistake most applicants make is focusing on rankings instead of how admissions committees actually evaluate fit. Choosing where to apply is one of…

By Dr. Philippe Barr, former professor and graduate admissions consultant. Most advice on how to write a letter of recommendation for grad school focuses on format.That’s not what determines whether the letter actually helps the applicant. If you’re trying to learn how to write a letter of…