Ph.D applicant

[summers_off]

This is really very field dependent.  I have a number of colleagues who started Ph.D. programs much later in life.  I myself started in my 30s.  These examples tend to be in the professional fields (e.g., business, nursing).  In such cases, adding a Ph.D. to extensive professional experience makes you more marketable for both consulting and also for tt jobs.

[assissi28]

Summers_off
Thank you for the insight.  I am uncertain of which way to go on this and it is pretty tricky.   I however, did notice that the schools I was considering don't offer phds in the topics I want so back to considering schools.  Some good has come out of this thread.  The next few weeks will be about identifying a school and interacting with the faculty (which also seems a bit difficult to do).  There is significant preparation work to be juggled as some schools want a GMAT while others only want proof of advanced mathematics applications with the proposal.  So yes, a careful decision has to be made before I embark on something that will take years.

[wellfleet]

Remember that late July/early August can be a terrible time to find faculty, much less interact with them. Don't worry if you get crickets during late summer.

[niwon88]

You will need to choose your program carefully and even more importantly, your dissertation supervisor. That relationship is the most important one and can make or break your Ph.D. program. Some supervisors are only interested in students who wish to pursue academic careers and consider others a waste of their time.
If you go to an ivy league or highly ranked school, expect to be one of the older students since most of those programs admit young students. I went to an ivy for my doctorate at 32 and was considered very old.

Polly_Mer's advice about reading the 100 Reasons Not to Go to Grad School should be required reading for all prospective PhD students.
Good luck!

[assissi28]

Thank you! The suggestions have been absolutely invaluable and it did make me stop and wonder whether it is worth embarking on a ph.d at this point in my career.  I reconsidered the schools and  I found a programme at Oxford which will fit into my lifestyle and offers the field of study that I am interested in.  Now to the application process.

[pedanticromantic]

You mention Oxford: Other UK institutions will allow you to do a PhD without courses, so you can get done in 3 years if you are motivated enough, and you wouldn't be spending your time on stuff that isn't relevant, you could focus just on writing.
Many have remote options, so you could fly over a couple of times a year to meet with your supervisor, and keep consulting on the side. This means you wouldn't have to step out of the private sector into academia.

[bibliothecula]

Echoing this. I did a PhD by Previously Published Works at a university in the UK. I'm in the humanities and it changed my career for the better in significant ways.

[mamselle]

So, for example, something like this?

   https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/mode-of-study/phd-by-published-work

I never knew such a thing existed. Very interesting...

OP, sorry, maybe off-topic...or maybe not?

M.

[assissi28]

Yes, they exist.  However my friend mentioned that publishing these case studies/research work is as demanding as undergoing the traditional Ph.D route.  Still researching my options. Thank you!!

[writingprof]

I am considering the Ph.D to deepen my understanding of a particular topic.

We are being trolled.