can I get into econ grad school?

[gravenewworld]

hi all I took the gres but did not do too well v450 M750 writing 5.0 but my transcript is pretty good-

 

Major--chemistry, mathematics

minor- economics

 

GPA math-3.99

GPA chemistry- 3.88

GPA overall-3.75

 

 

I know grad schools for econ want a lot of math so here is the list of math courses i have taken-calc 3, diff eq w/linear algebra, foundations of math, toplogy, real analysis, complex analysis, combinatorics, linear algebra, abstract algebra, independent study on mathematical logic, independent study on algebra (ring and field theory), independent study on linear operators and hilbert spaces, grad course on linear algebra, grad course on number theory, grad course on geometry, paradoxes and infinity, math seminar

 

econ classes i have taken- intro to macro and micro econ, intermediate macro and micro, mathematical econ, game theory, advanced macro

 

I have also done research in computational chemistry (if that counts for anything).

 

Will an admission comittee at a top school even read my application or just throw it away just by looking at the gre score? Should I waste my time applying to a top grad school for economics? I don't know why I did so poorly on the GREs, I am not a good test take I guess, and I didn't study for it at all. will a adcom consider the degree of difficulty of coursework I persued and give weight to that?

[bond]

my advise would be study for GRE & take the test a second time.

with ur GPA u stand a good chance in top econ. grad school.

[Plazzain]

You're in pretty good shape.

[psymath]

No........

 

Edit: perhaps you should go for the math programs, I think that they are less selective about such personality issues

[redbullguy]

You're in pretty good shape.

 

umm... i dont think so. Considering an 800 math is only about a 93 percentile, 750 is pretty poor and asks a lot of questions about basic math skills. Maybe it was just a bad day, but this definitely needs to improved. The verbal and writing is ok.

[Plazzain]

umm... i dont think so. Considering an 800 math is only about a 93 percentile, 750 is pretty poor and asks a lot of questions about basic math skills. Maybe it was just a bad day, but this definitely needs to improved. The verbal and writing is ok.

 

I did not see that GRE score :blush:

[gravenewworld]

proving rank+nullity theorem=easy

getting 800 on gre=hard

 

 

lol

[redbullguy]

I think you have a better shot at masters programs frankly. Quite apart from the GRE issue, you only have a minor in Econ. Even given your math background, your committment to econ can be questioned. And its a big question when judging if you're up for a 4-5 yr program of study.

[ProcessControl]

I did not see that GRE score :blush:

 

I personally think that GRE scores, while not completely useless, are of limited value in determining the quality of a candidate, especially the quantitative portion because it relies too much on test technique and not on inherent numeracy. The ETS justifies it by saying that people who are numerate should be able to do very well on the quantitative since such questions ought to be second nature to them, and they back it up with statistics. As a metric, however, it often turns out to be a poor indicator of the preparation the candidate has for graduate school. Many profs know this.

 

I think that, and the fact that it is possible to "work the system" (as witnessed by the debacle in China and Taiwan), is leading the ETS is changing the structure of the GREs this October:

http://www.gre.org/grechanges.html

 

If you're taking the GREs in October, you'll be taking it in its new format.

 

Some top schools use the GREs as a filtering mechanism. But not every one of them does -- some of the more enlightened schools recognize its weaknesses and consider it simply one of many factors that influence of the quality of a candidate and do not reject candidates outright because of their GRE scores.

 

Some schools use GREs as tie-breakers for funding. Normally those departments are underfunded, so they have to resort to doing this.

 

The GREs do not generally make or break an application, so if the OP is a strong candidate in general, a Q750 score will not hurt his/her application.

(Unless he applies to certain programs that do use the GRE as a filtering mechanism)

 

P.S. I have friends who have gotten into very good engineering PhD programs (top 4) with funding, and their scores were something like Q730 - Q750. They were top 2% of their graduating classes and were attending a very prestigious institution at the time -- just goes to show that some people don't test well.

 

Of course, in their statement of purpose, they drew attention to the fact that they did very well in many quantitative courses (far far above the class average).

[gravenewworld]

Thanks process, that is very reassuring to know.

[redbullguy]

I actually do think that GRE scores are completely useless.

 

But they seem to count - at least as a screening tool. Thats why I think the score needs to be improved.

[psymath]

Thanks process, that is very reassuring to know.

 

Let me scare you again:devil:

 

Although Q750 is not something that will kill you by itself, you have to have something good to compansate for it, and you don't seem to have it! Not at the moment at least. You sound like a talented guy, but try to get out of your state! This can only help you.

 

Edit: This devil Smilie is quite creepy! But I leave it here anyway.

[gravenewworld]

Thanks psy, that is very reassuring to know.

[psymath]

Thanks psy, that is very reassuring to know.

 

You're welcome, at least I'm telling you where you can improve, take it or leave it, whatever you want.

[ProcessControl]

Let me scare you again:devil:

Although Q750 is not something that will kill you by itself, you have to have something good to compansate for it, and you don't seem to have it! Not at the moment at least. You sound like a talented guy, but try to get out of your state! This can only help you.

 

Point taken.

 

Some programs like aeronautical engineering at MIT explicitly state that a candidate needs a score on the 80th percentile in Q and AW to be competitive.

 

Here's another opinion:

http://www.physics.cornell.edu/~larrimore/gradschool.html

 

Some have lower cut-offs:

http://esd.mit.edu/esd_educational_programs/faqs_esd_sm_phd.html#required_gre

 

I guess it depends on the program.

[cridamour]

Great links, especially the first one! Thanks! :)

[Plazzain]

I personally think that GRE scores, while not completely useless, are of limited value in determining the quality of a candidate, especially the quantitative portion because it relies too much on test technique and not on inherent numeracy. The ETS justifies it by saying that people who are numerate should be able to do very well on the quantitative since such questions ought to be second nature to them, and they back it up with statistics. As a metric, however, it often turns out to be a poor indicator of the preparation the candidate has for graduate school. Many profs know this.

 

I think that, and the fact that it is possible to "work the system" (as witnessed by the debacle in China and Taiwan), is leading the ETS is changing the structure of the GREs this October:

http://www.gre.org/grechanges.html

 

If you're taking the GREs in October, you'll be taking it in its new format.

 

Some top schools use the GREs as a filtering mechanism. But not every one of them does -- some of the more enlightened schools recognize its weaknesses and consider it simply one of many factors that influence of the quality of a candidate and do not reject candidates outright because of their GRE scores.

 

Some schools use GREs as tie-breakers for funding. Normally those departments are underfunded, so they have to resort to doing this.

 

The GREs do not generally make or break an application, so if the OP is a strong candidate in general, a Q750 score will not hurt his/her application.

(Unless he applies to certain programs that do use the GRE as a filtering mechanism)

 

P.S. I have friends who have gotten into very good engineering PhD programs (top 4) with funding, and their scores were something like Q730 - Q750. They were top 2% of their graduating classes and were attending a very prestigious institution at the time -- just goes to show that some people don't test well.

 

Of course, in their statement of purpose, they drew attention to the fact that they did very well in many quantitative courses (far far above the class average).

 

I understand your viewpoint, but it has always been my impression from economic faculty that the top econ grad schools require near perfect quantitative scores for new phd students. It seems more like an anal retentive practice, as I remember one advisor mentioning to me that they just want to keep their statistic for new students around 800 for prestidge :crazy:

 

Personally I like your story more :tup:

[psymath]

Here's another opinion:

http://www.physics.cornell.edu/~larrimore/gradschool.html

 

 

Lisa Larrimore... I took together with her first year grad physics classes at Cornell, and look where she is now (working with the most popular physics professor at Cornell) and where I am (going to Oregon for MS in math after being rejected from every other math PhD program I've applied to, including North Carolina State (???!!!! wtf??)). But as the governator says, I'll be back........ Or not, whatever.

[psymath]

Edit: her website brought me a nostalgy to my Cornell days. God, what an engineerish place! Fits Lisa just fine, no wonder she's so happy there. As for me, I think I'd do better at Oregon (but I'll have to see, who knows what will happen, recently I had too many internet fights with hippies and Eugene is exactly the place to find them. But in this age group hippies are much better than engineers IMO)

 

Edit Edit: hmmmmmmm I thought that a new post would just be added to the previous like it always happens to me. What's going on?????????????

[cridamour]

 

Edit Edit: hmmmmmmm I thought that a new post would just be added to the previous like it always happens to me. What's going on?????????????

 

If the posts are more than an hour apart, they don't get merged.

 

UOregon is not that bad. Maybe because you're a Cornell undergrad it seems like it is, but it's pretty good. It believe it's part of that group of universities which still keeps all possibilities open. If you have a good dissertation topic, you'll have enough publishing possibilities; it won't go as nearly automatically as in Ivy Grad School, but it could have the same outcome. And you can always transfer afterwards...

[psymath]

I'm not a Cornell undergrad! My English would probably be better if I were one... I have an MS from there (yes, I'm a PhD drop out, shame on me). And Oregon is definitely one of my favorite universities in their ranking group! I believe that it can give me the possibility to go to a top PhD program if I worth it. In this case my good dissertation will have the Columbia or something name on it! The big problem with Oregon other than rankings is that the field of my dissertation will probably be Mathematical Finance or some other stochastic thing and it's highly underrepresented at Oregon. But who knows, maybe I'll discover there the wonders of Algebra

 

Off Topic: Infected Mushroom (the guys from my Avatar) are going to perform at Avalon Hollywood on this Saturday! :notworthy

Highly recommended for the Southern Californians here.

[cliff23]

My opinion is that if you can get your GRE Q score up another 30 points, you're a sure shot for some of the rear top20 programs and with luck you may get into some quite a deal better. Best luck!

[psymath]

Another off topic: I have a new MySpace account, check out my profile for a link. I'm begging people to add me as a friend and almost no one wants! Maybe people from this forum would like to do that.

 

Edit: Am I that non friendly????? This is the forum with the most intelligence I know about, so this is why I'm asking here. Please give me a honest and sense making answers!

[snappythecrab]

Am I that non friendly????? This is the forum with the most intelligence I know about, so this is why I'm asking here. Please give me a honest and sense making answers!

 

You aren't very friendly, no.

[psymath]

You aren't very friendly, no.

 

Thank you, finally a response to this important question! Any suggestions for me?