kp1010

Very good, thank you ajb, sounds like we ride similar boats, except I'm more diluted than you are and I've been pushing myself towards the applied, against nature. It may just be a matter of coming to terms with what I feel and finding inspiration, so I can only try, no guarantees. Thanks!

Thanks everyone, for the encouragement. I was more or less a teen in college, so I probably experienced a delayed adolescence post graduation. I seem to realize now my original love for why I chose to study science as a kid. Maybe this is a different topic, I'm curious to know what motivated you to do a PhD, either directly or later? I find that scientists and engineers often enter a PhD with different motivations.

Thanks for the quick responses. I realize that it's not too late to get one. However, the problem is positioning myself to get into a top program. My experiences post graduation, albeit three years, have been scattered because I wanted to explore options. I missed a couple of prime chances to continue into it (ie. after undergrad, after MS), so my mentors have known that it wasn't my original intent. In college, I wanted to do it only to go into academia or if I claim some great passion, while some of my classmates went into it with goals of entrepreneurship. The three years of exploring helped me personally, but the risks are greater. The other inconsistency that prevented me from entering PhD earlier was that my interests span into the sciences, it's shown in my undergrad research, so some programs I find too traditional for my taste (I'm perhaps over thinking). Finally, the practical component is that somehow I did well on the job, so I got into the MBA program, which is a more natural step (although I have gut reactions against it sometimes), and which may allow me to move on with life faster. If I pass up the opportunity, it will take me some years to build enough experience to get into a top program again. But if I go the MBA route, I cannot look back. Complicated?

Anyone have experience with going into a PhD at age 25? I have a BS/MS from a good ChemEng program. I got accepted into a top MBA program, basically to avoid becoming a peg in industry. Everything makes sense, but I realize that I may miss the science. I have simple life needs, but cannot sacrifice on interest and independence. Hence the PhD is risky unless I go under a good advisor or a great interdisciplinary program (start at 25-26). I have good scores and solid undergrad research but did not do research post graduation. Anyone successful in doing this? Am I crazy for even considering it?