European MA's, GPA requirements and recommendation letters

[jpartout]

Hi! I need advice on what to do after my econ BA. I will be graduating in April from a Canadian university. I'm trying to decide if I should do a Masters, when, and where. I'm looking to do an applied MA, i.e. not as preparation for Ph.D.

1. What would be an acceptable GPA to get admitted to a terminal MA program in econ? Most US schools I looked at so far require at least 3.2. I was wondering if Canadian BAs are considered more rigorous (therefore you would be admitted with a lower GPA). My program is Honors BA econ. But my GPA isn't that high. It will probably end up at around 3.0. Does "Honors" have any weight? Do I have a good chance?

2. I'm considering doing my MA in Europe. What kind of reputation do European schools have, compared to US or Canadian schools? (Aside from LSE and UPF - I don't think I have a chance there) Would I have problems finding a job here with a foreign degree?

3. I don't have a lot of econ work experience. Is that a problem? Where could I get a research assistant position, other than with a professor at my school, and how would I go about getting one?

4. How important are letters of recommendation to the admissions committees? Do all schools require them? Do I have to make sure the prof knows me well personally for me to ask them for a recommendation? Or is it enough that I took their class? If I decide to work for a few years and then go for my MA: most profs will have forgotten me, so how would I get recommendations?

Thanks to everyone who replies!

[dyoh]

1. Honors will help, but don't expect admissions folks to know the ins and outs of your school or your type of degree. You never know what they know.

2. It really depends where you want to work initially out of school. This isn't a fact, but it seems to me that people respect degrees from their own countries more than others unless they're top 5 programs (maybe even higher). I've been surprised that many foreign students here in the US haven't heard of many top US business programs. I haven't asked about econ.

3. Some people think this really matters - me, less so. My roommate thinks this helped him get into a phd program (in a different field). If your GMAT or GRE has strong quant scores I don't think you need this for an MA, but probably for a PhD.

4. It really helps if the professor knows you because your recommendation is often much better, but you can give your professor a brief resume and maybe a very short bullet list of what you want to do longterm (in the grad program too). Without that, you risk being just another name on the generic rec., but with it you might get a decent sentence or two that's actually about you. Also, very politely ask if you can see it before he or she submits it. Also, ask that it's a positive recommendation versus negative - don't just assume. Some profs can be real jerks outside of class.

I hope that doesn't sound pessimistic, but I thought sharing my views might help you progress. Good luck! Stick with the process even if it takes longer than you expect!