TestMagic

asquare · 2009 March 16th, 02:10 PM

Since many people have received all of their decisions, it seems like a good time to create this thread. This thread pertains to applications submitted in late 2008, for entry into the PhD program for the 2009/2010 school year.

The Profiles and Results thread has become a tradition on the econ forum. It is a useful reference for future applicants who are wondering about the profiles of students who are admitted and rejected from various schools.

This thread is meant to be a reference thread only. Please fill out the information below, but post any comments or questions in a separate thread. Other comments will be deleted from this thread. Note that you can only edit your posts for about one hour after you make them. This means that if you are still waiting on admissions decisions, you should wait to post your profile on this thread. Otherwise, your profile will be incomplete.

Without further ado...

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad:
Undergrad GPA:
Type of Grad:
Grad GPA:
GRE:
Math Courses:
Econ Courses:
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation:
Research Experience:
Teaching Experience:
Research Interests:
statement of purpose:
Other:

RESULTS:
Acceptances:
Waitlists:
Rejections:
Pending:

What would you have done differently?

teflon_johnny · 2009 March 16th, 07:57 PM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: UC Santa Cruz - Econ major, Earth Science minor
Undergrad GPA: 3.90
Type of Grad:
Grad GPA:
GRE: 800Q 610V 4.0A
Math Courses: At time of app, just the full vector calc sequence, plus two math for econ courses (not even LA!)
Econ Courses: standard core courses in intermediate theory
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation: Must have said great things to get me into UCSB with my profile (1 TA + class + advisor (Stanford), 1 research (Berkeley), 1 class + advisor (UW-Madison)
Research Experience: Just earth science and ecology research experience
Teaching Experience: One quarter TA for Intro Micro
Research Interests: Environmental Econ
statement of purpose: Indicated VERY strong preference to attend UCSB, the others just described how I liked some of their profs, etc.
Other:

RESULTS:
Acceptances: UCSB
Waitlists:
Rejections: Cal-ARE, UCSD
Pending:

What would you have done differently? Nothing, I was appropriately placed. I doubt that research experience would have gotten me into Cal or UCSD, and I didnt' want to leave the west coast. More math at time of app probably would have been helpful, but look at where that got Jeeves0923. I would have probably chosen UCSB over UCSD anyway (if I had gotten in).
I am quite satisfied with this cycle. Good luck everybody.

99luftballoons · 2009 March 17th, 02:23 AM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Large Private University, Top 10 Econ/Top 5 Math
Undergrad GPA: 3.82 (4.0 Econ, 3.9 Math)
Type of Grad:
Grad GPA:
GRE: 790Q, 640V, 6.0AWA
Math Courses: Calc Sequence, Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Real Analysis I, Real Analysis II, Algebra I, Combinatorics, Topology, Math Stats, Grad. Linear
Econ Courses: Intros, Micro Theory, Macro Theory, Econometrics, Senior Seminar, International Econ (1 yr), Organizational Analysis, Finance, Math Econ
Other Courses: Ind. study in Game Theory and Math Econ, Intro Operations Research
Letters of Recommendation: 2 really good ones, 1 fairly good one
Research Experience: Spent a summer RAing and trying to write a paper
Teaching Experience: Grading
Research Interests: Micro theory, decision theory, game theory, mech. design, experimental... list keeps growing actually
statement of purpose: Wrote about what I liked, what I'd done, I got comments on being "very specific" in my statement of purpose from schools that I've gotten in to

RESULTS:
Acceptances: Harvard, Caltech, Rochester, Cornell, PSU, Northwestern, UMinn
Waitlists: UPenn
Rejections: Princeton, Stanford GSB, Stanford Econ, Berkeley
Pending: NYU, BU
What would you have done differently? I would have applied to less safeties, but that's really an ex-post judgment. I think I had a good year, though Stanford GSB was my dream school, but oh well, life goes on.

Comments: I think italos is right, letter of reference is everything!

ImProcrastinating · 2009 March 17th, 04:05 AM

Profile:
Type of Undergrad: Top 25 with a top 40ish econ program. BA in econ.
Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.74, Econ: 3.8ish, Math: bad.
Type of Grad: Not highly ranked, top 100ish. MS in applied math.
Grad GPA (at application time...): 3.9
GRE: 790Q / 740V / 5.0 AWA.

Math Courses:
Undergrad: Calc III (B+), ODE (C- (Ouch...)), Real Analysis (A-), Linear Algebra (A).
Grad: Analysis (A-) (taken at the summer school of a top 10), Measure Theory (A-), Math Stats (A), ODE (A), Functional Analysis (A), General Topology (In progress at application time...)

Econ Courses:

Undergrad: Intro. Micro (A), Intro. Macro (A), Money and Banking (A), Economy of China (A-), Intro to Econ Stats (B+), Mathematical Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (B+), Econometrics (A), International Trade (A), Distinguished Majors Seminar (A), Independent Study (A)
Grad: PhD Micro I (A-), PhD Micro II (A), PhD Micro III (IP)

Letters of Recommendation:
1 from an undergraduate econ professor, not well known.
1 from a graduate math prof, very well known among mathematicians but I don't know if that counts...
1 from a graduate econ prof, very well known.

Research Experience: Summer at the Fed, senior thesis, 1 year + 1 summer as an RA for a professor, RAing at the IMF while applying.
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Micro Theory, I/O, International Finance

Results:
Acceptances: NYU ($$$)
Waitlists: None
Rejections: A lot, Harvard, MIT, Chicago, Yale, Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia, and UPenn.
Pending: None.

What would you have done differently? If I could do it ALL over again, I'd probably go to an undergrad that was stronger in econ, take more math courses earlier on, and work as hard my first couple years in college as I did my last couple. But I was expecting to get rejected everywhere I applied this time around, so I'm ecstatic to be going to a dream school like NYU.

MorgieLilly · 2009 March 17th, 06:02 PM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A in Econ-Phil and Math. Ivy League, top 10ish in economics Uni.
Undergrad GPA: 3.85, summa cum laude.
GRE: 780Q, 510V, 3.0W
Math Courses (undergrad):
Cal I, Calc III, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Analysis and Optimization, Probability and Induction (P/F), Probability and Statistics, Advanced Logic, Independent Reading Course, (all As)
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro-econometrics (A-)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro/Macro(A-,B+), Advanced Econometrics (B+), Advanced Macro (A), Economic History (A-), International (C, took abroad in Ghana.)
Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ, both well known. 1 math, well known in math. 1 philosophy, well known in the philosophy of science.
Research Experience: REU Intern in geophysics at Lamont Earth Observatory, summer 2007 (My paper was accepted to the 2008 ASLO Conference). Full-time economics RA this year.
Research Interests: Development, Economic History, Alternative Theories in Economics, Econometrics.
statement of purpose: Talked about why I chose interdisciplinary study, my work abroad in Ghana and my experience this year as a research assistant. I stated that I expected to change my mind about my specialization anyway, so I didn't want to state a particular one.
Applied to: LSE, MIT, NYU, Harvard, UCSD, UC Berkeley, Chicago, Stanford, Columbia, UMich, Princeton, Yale
Rejected: Everywhere
Waitlisted/Accepted: Nada
What would you have done differently? I dunno. Feedback from my home institutions admissions committee (where I was also rejected) says that I should have taken more econ (at the expense of my philosophy and science courses) but I would not give that knowledge and my resulting world outlook up for an admit to this discipline, because I feel that this will inform my research abilities more so than having taken much more economics. I have to do a lot of thinking now about whether I belong in this discipline, seeing as the adcoms don't seem to think so. Today is sad.

myrrh · 2009 March 17th, 09:24 PM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: University of Maryland - Environmental Economics w/ Math minor
Undergrad GPA: 3.77, magna cum laude
Type of Grad: none
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 770Q 540V 4.0AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III (A-,B,A), Linear Algebra (A-), Differential Equations (A-), Number Theory (B), Advanced Calculus I (B), Probability Theory (B), Mathematical Statistics (TBD)
Econ Courses: Intro Micro and Macro (A,B+), Intermediate Micro (B+), Economic Statistics (A+), Intro Econ & Environment (A), Econ of Nat'l Resources (A), Econ of Land Use (A), Public Finance (A+), Game Theory (A+), Econometrics I (A), Intermediate Macro (TBD), Econ of Climate Change (TBD)
Other Courses: Environmental Policy and Philosophy courses, all A's
Letters of Recommendation: 2 AREC and 1 ECON professor, well known and respected in their fields, should have been solid
Research Experience: ~2-3 years as an undergrad RA in the AREC department. Currently and at time of application, working on honors thesis that has been described as "ambitious," hope to have a publishable version this summer.
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Environmental/resource economics, computational economics, applied micro
statement of purpose: Tried to make it engaging, explained why I wanted to be an econimist (environmental research!), talked about my own research and what I wanted to in the future, etc.
Other: n/a

RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Davis ARE Ph.D. ($), UW Madison AAE MS (no$), Cornell AEM (no$)
Waitlists: none
Rejections: Harvard, Yale, Michigan, UT Austin, UC Berkeley ARE, UW Madison AAE Ph.D., Cornell AEM Ph.D.
Pending: none
What would you have done differently? On hand I would have done nothing differently: you really only need one good admit and I am more than satisfied with UC Davis. On the other hand, if I had to do it all over again I would have made sure to have a 4.0 Econ GPA (because I'm sure those 2 B+'s set off red flags), got at least ONE A in my upper level math and found the time/energy to take the graduate micro series. My QGRE was also at the lower bound of what I would have liked it to have been, but I do not think taking the GRE again would have been worth it. I also would have applied to more mid-range top 20-25 ECON schools instead of Harvard and Yale.

All in all, I feel pretty good about how the whole thing went. I'll be attending UC Davis ARE in the fall!

ilikefreefood · 2009 March 18th, 05:58 AM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Econ major from a top 5-10 liberal arts college.
Undergrad GPA: 3.73/4, magna cum laude with distinction in major for senior thesis research.
Type of Grad: none
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q 640V 5.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc II-III (A,B+), Linear Algebra (Pass), Statistics (A), Mathematical Structures (A-), Real Analysis (B, taken as a non-degree student at a local school this Fall)
Econ Courses: Principles Micro/Macro (A-,A), Intermediate Micro (A) Intermediate Macro (B), Econometrics (B+), pre-thesis seminar (A-), Ag. & Food Econ. (A), Development Econ. (B+), Econ. of Inequality (A), Econ. of Water Policy (B+), British Econ. history (B+)
Other Courses: A pass/fail seminar on game theory, a Poli. Sci. course on agent-based computer modeling (A)
Letters of Recommendation: 3 ECON professors (LAC profs but with Chicago/Stanford Ph.Ds), including my thesis adviser who has previously stated that my thesis was one of the best he's ever advised. Where possible, 1 VP at my Econ. consulting firm with whom I've worked extensively on econometric analyses.
Research Experience: ~3 years as an RA in a major Econ. consulting firm; I specialize in statistical and econometric analysis within my office.
Awards: Thesis award from state Economics association, thesis presentation award from state science association, college fellowship for (non-research) work in development related to microfinance.
Research Interests: Development, environmental/resource economics, urban economics, general applied micro.
statement of purpose: Well-written but fairly standard; mentioned specifically my interest in development and applied micro fields.
Other Concerns: Didn't anticipate the B in analysis and received it after I had submitted applications; I don't think I have enough additional math coursework to make up for exercising a pass/fail option in linear algebra way back when.

RESULTS:
Acceptances: Minnesota ARE ($$)
Waitlists: none
Rejections: Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, MIT, NWU, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, Yale
Pending: Chicago, Cornell
What would you have done differently? Applied to Berkeley ARE and not Berkeley ECON when they made me pick just one; applied to more schools in the 20-30 range and not limited myself by the fact that I applied to 15 programs; discounted the advice of my former professors w.r.t. how far my school's reputation would get me; learned of and read the TestMagic forum earlier in the process.

LagrangeJames · 2009 March 19th, 01:54 PM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. econ, B.A. math, large state university, EconPhD top 60
Undergrad GPA: 3.9/4.0
GRE: 800Q, 650V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc III (A+), Linear algebra (A+), Differential equations I, II (A-, A), Introductory probability theory (A, fall), Math modeling (A, fall)
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Optimization theory (A-, fall), Econometrics II (spring)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All of them, including two econometrics courses and game theory; A- in intermediate microeconomics, A's otherwise
Other Courses: Spanish minor
Letters of Recommendation: Four economics professors -- nobody famous, but I had collaborated on research projects (that I had initiated) with three of them
Research Experience: Two working papers co-authored with faculty
Teaching Experience: Teaching assistant for introductory microeconomics, spring
Research Interests: Growth and development, specifically microeconomic development
statement of purpose: Used a standard template for all statements but tailored last couple paragraphs to specific program, mentioning examples of faculty research I was interested in (but did not mention any faculty by name)
Concerns: No real analysis, but optimization theory provided a good crash course
Applying to: Maryland, Brown, MIT, Harvard, Yale, UCSD, Berkeley, Minnesota, Michigan, NYU, Boston, Columbia, LSE (M.Sc.)

RESULTS:
Acceptances: Yale (with funding), Michigan (no first-year funding), Boston (with funding), UCSD (with funding)
Waitlists: Minnesota
Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Columbia, Maryland, Brown, NYU
Withdrawn: LSE
What would you have done differently?
If I had discovered this forum sooner, I probably would have taken more proof-based math courses, which most likely would have boosted my chances at top top schools. However, I think research experience, letters of recommendation from faculty involved in that research and a good "fit" (in terms of my research interests) -- factors that are often overlooked, including by myself -- helped my chances at several schools. Good luck, everyone.

Internationalstudent08 · 2009 March 20th, 02:16 AM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top-5
Undergrad GPA: 3.7
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: Q800, V670, A4.5
Math Courses: Real Analysis, Optimization (As)
Econ Courses: Typical undergrad courses, intro+field courses
Letters of Recommendation: 3 good ones
Research Experience: 1 year RA (+2 summers as an undergrad)
Teaching Experience: Some tutoring
Research Interests: Mostly applied micro
statement of purpose: Must have been good
Other:

RESULTS:
Acceptances: UChicago (waiting to hear about funding), UMaryland (18k), Penn State (25k)
Waitlists: Wharton AE
Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, Brown

Total Score: 10-1-3
Pending: None

What would you have done differently?

I really didn't take advantage of my undergrad school as I should have. I should have started RAing earlier, and I should have taken graduate-level courses as an undergrad, instead of being a chicken. Also, I made some bad thesis-related choices hehe

However, since last year's admission cycle, I did everything that I could to improve my profile, and ended up working with some great people. I learned a lot- perhaps more than what I'm going to learn in grad school.

The only significant econ-phd-related mistake I made was to apply to all top-10 schools and almost none of the schools between 10 and 20 (except for UMaryland). I rejected most of the schools in that range based on location preferences. Since my profile was not clear-cut top10, I should have been more careful.

Anyway, I'm glad I made it!!!!!

Econtastic · 2009 March 20th, 09:52 PM

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Econ/Math from U of Oregon
Undergrad GPA: 3.07/4
Type of Grad: M.A. Econ
Grad GPA: 3.8/4
GRE: 760Q, 610V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Multivariable Calc (x2), Linear Algebra (x2), Differential Eqns, Statistics (x3), Real Analysis
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro (A), Macro (B+), Econometrics (B+,B,A-) Game Theory(A), Time Series(B+), IO(Winter), Monetary (Winter)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Just about every one offered, mostly As
Other Courses: 2 finances classes
Letters of Recommendation: 3 econ professors (MIT, Chicago, Wisconsin), should be pretty solid
Research Experience: None to speak of outside of term papers
Teaching Experience: None, though I did grade for math and econ
Research Interests: Financial/Monetary Econometrics, IO and Public Policy
statement of purpose: Not too long, but fairly good I think
Concerns: Bad undergrad GPA, which is when I took all my math. Low Q on GRE. Lack of teaching/research may have hurt my chances of getting $
Other: This whole application process was fairly miserable, I'm glad I never have to do it again

RESULTS:
Acceptances: UW-Seattle ($0), UC Riverside ($$)
Waitlists: None
Rejections: UC Davis, U Arizona, Arizona St
Pending: None
What would you have done differently? Besides work much harder as an undergrad? Maybe take more math (topology and such), and definitely retake the GRE. Also, my little piece of advice, ask for LoRs with plenty of time before the deadline! Having to bug your recommenders every day to make sure they submit them on time is no fun, and a bit nerve-racking

2009 March 16th, 02:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
asquare TestMagic Guru Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,722	Profiles and Results 2009 Since many people have received all of their decisions, it seems like a good time to create this thread. This thread pertains to applications submitted in late 2008, for entry into the PhD program for the 2009/2010 school year. The Profiles and Results thread has become a tradition on the econ forum. It is a useful reference for future applicants who are wondering about the profiles of students who are admitted and rejected from various schools. This thread is meant to be a reference thread only. Please fill out the information below, but post any comments or questions in a separate thread. Other comments will be deleted from this thread. Note that you can only edit your posts for about one hour after you make them. This means that if you are still waiting on admissions decisions, you should wait to post your profile on this thread. Otherwise, your profile will be incomplete. Without further ado... PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Undergrad GPA: Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: Math Courses: Econ Courses: Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Research Experience: Teaching Experience: Research Interests: statement of purpose: Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: Waitlists: Rejections: Pending: What would you have done differently?

2009 March 16th, 07:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
teflon_johnny Beer, anyone? Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 159	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: UC Santa Cruz - Econ major, Earth Science minor Undergrad GPA: 3.90 Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: 800Q 610V 4.0A Math Courses: At time of app, just the full vector calc sequence, plus two math for econ courses (not even LA!) Econ Courses: standard core courses in intermediate theory Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Must have said great things to get me into UCSB with my profile (1 TA + class + advisor (Stanford), 1 research (Berkeley), 1 class + advisor (UW-Madison) Research Experience: Just earth science and ecology research experience Teaching Experience: One quarter TA for Intro Micro Research Interests: Environmental Econ statement of purpose: Indicated VERY strong preference to attend UCSB, the others just described how I liked some of their profs, etc. Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: UCSB Waitlists: Rejections: Cal-ARE, UCSD Pending: What would you have done differently? Nothing, I was appropriately placed. I doubt that research experience would have gotten me into Cal or UCSD, and I didnt' want to leave the west coast. More math at time of app probably would have been helpful, but look at where that got Jeeves0923. I would have probably chosen UCSB over UCSD anyway (if I had gotten in). I am quite satisfied with this cycle. Good luck everybody. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Will Be Attending: UCSB Aside: I wear performance baselayers around the house (instead of using the heater)

2009 March 17th, 02:23 AM	#3 (permalink)
99luftballoons <(o.o)> Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 221	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Large Private University, Top 10 Econ/Top 5 Math Undergrad GPA: 3.82 (4.0 Econ, 3.9 Math) Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: 790Q, 640V, 6.0AWA Math Courses: Calc Sequence, Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Real Analysis I, Real Analysis II, Algebra I, Combinatorics, Topology, Math Stats, Grad. Linear Econ Courses: Intros, Micro Theory, Macro Theory, Econometrics, Senior Seminar, International Econ (1 yr), Organizational Analysis, Finance, Math Econ Other Courses: Ind. study in Game Theory and Math Econ, Intro Operations Research Letters of Recommendation: 2 really good ones, 1 fairly good one Research Experience: Spent a summer RAing and trying to write a paper Teaching Experience: Grading Research Interests: Micro theory, decision theory, game theory, mech. design, experimental... list keeps growing actually statement of purpose: Wrote about what I liked, what I'd done, I got comments on being "very specific" in my statement of purpose from schools that I've gotten in to RESULTS: Acceptances: Harvard, Caltech, Rochester, Cornell, PSU, Northwestern, UMinn Waitlists: UPenn Rejections: Princeton, Stanford GSB, Stanford Econ, Berkeley Pending: NYU, BU What would you have done differently? I would have applied to less safeties, but that's really an ex-post judgment. I think I had a good year, though Stanford GSB was my dream school, but oh well, life goes on. Comments: I think italos is right, letter of reference is everything! _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Step 1) Get into grad school Step 2) ???? Step 3) Profit

2009 March 17th, 04:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
ImProcrastinating Within my grasp! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 120	Profile: Type of Undergrad: Top 25 with a top 40ish econ program. BA in econ. Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.74, Econ: 3.8ish, Math: bad. Type of Grad: Not highly ranked, top 100ish. MS in applied math. Grad GPA (at application time...): 3.9 GRE: 790Q / 740V / 5.0 AWA. Math Courses: Undergrad: Calc III (B+), ODE (C- (Ouch...)), Real Analysis (A-), Linear Algebra (A). Grad: Analysis (A-) (taken at the summer school of a top 10), Measure Theory (A-), Math Stats (A), ODE (A), Functional Analysis (A), General Topology (In progress at application time...) Econ Courses: Undergrad: Intro. Micro (A), Intro. Macro (A), Money and Banking (A), Economy of China (A-), Intro to Econ Stats (B+), Mathematical Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (B+), Econometrics (A), International Trade (A), Distinguished Majors Seminar (A), Independent Study (A) Grad: PhD Micro I (A-), PhD Micro II (A), PhD Micro III (IP) Letters of Recommendation: 1 from an undergraduate econ professor, not well known. 1 from a graduate math prof, very well known among mathematicians but I don't know if that counts... 1 from a graduate econ prof, very well known. Research Experience: Summer at the Fed, senior thesis, 1 year + 1 summer as an RA for a professor, RAing at the IMF while applying. Teaching Experience: None Research Interests: Micro Theory, I/O, International Finance Results: Acceptances: NYU ($$$) Waitlists: None Rejections: A lot, Harvard, MIT, Chicago, Yale, Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia, and UPenn. Pending: None. What would you have done differently? If I could do it ALL over again, I'd probably go to an undergrad that was stronger in econ, take more math courses earlier on, and work as hard my first couple years in college as I did my last couple. But I was expecting to get rejected everywhere I applied this time around, so I'm ecstatic to be going to a dream school like NYU. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Soon to be a first year at NYU!

2009 March 17th, 09:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
myrrh env. econ bound Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: DC Posts: 154	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: University of Maryland - Environmental Economics w/ Math minor Undergrad GPA: 3.77, magna cum laude Type of Grad: none Grad GPA: n/a GRE: 770Q 540V 4.0AWA Math Courses: Calc I-III (A-,B,A), Linear Algebra (A-), Differential Equations (A-), Number Theory (B), Advanced Calculus I (B), Probability Theory (B), Mathematical Statistics (TBD) Econ Courses: Intro Micro and Macro (A,B+), Intermediate Micro (B+), Economic Statistics (A+), Intro Econ & Environment (A), Econ of Nat'l Resources (A), Econ of Land Use (A), Public Finance (A+), Game Theory (A+), Econometrics I (A), Intermediate Macro (TBD), Econ of Climate Change (TBD) Other Courses: Environmental Policy and Philosophy courses, all A's Letters of Recommendation: 2 AREC and 1 ECON professor, well known and respected in their fields, should have been solid Research Experience: ~2-3 years as an undergrad RA in the AREC department. Currently and at time of application, working on honors thesis that has been described as "ambitious," hope to have a publishable version this summer. Teaching Experience: None Research Interests: Environmental/resource economics, computational economics, applied micro statement of purpose: Tried to make it engaging, explained why I wanted to be an econimist (environmental research!), talked about my own research and what I wanted to in the future, etc. Other: n/a RESULTS: Acceptances: UC Davis ARE Ph.D. ($), UW Madison AAE MS (no$), Cornell AEM (no$) Waitlists: none Rejections: Harvard, Yale, Michigan, UT Austin, UC Berkeley ARE, UW Madison AAE Ph.D., Cornell AEM Ph.D. Pending: none What would you have done differently? On hand I would have done nothing differently: you really only need one good admit and I am more than satisfied with UC Davis. On the other hand, if I had to do it all over again I would have made sure to have a 4.0 Econ GPA (because I'm sure those 2 B+'s set off red flags), got at least ONE A in my upper level math and found the time/energy to take the graduate micro series. My QGRE was also at the lower bound of what I would have liked it to have been, but I do not think taking the GRE again would have been worth it. I also would have applied to more mid-range top 20-25 ECON schools instead of Harvard and Yale. All in all, I feel pretty good about how the whole thing went. I'll be attending UC Davis ARE in the fall! _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ UC Davis ARE Ph.D. c/o 2014

2009 March 17th, 06:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
MorgieLilly Lo que será, será. Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 169	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.A in Econ-Phil and Math. Ivy League, top 10ish in economics Uni. Undergrad GPA: 3.85, summa cum laude. GRE: 780Q, 510V, 3.0W Math Courses (undergrad): Cal I, Calc III, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Analysis and Optimization, Probability and Induction (P/F), Probability and Statistics, Advanced Logic, Independent Reading Course, (all As) Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro-econometrics (A-) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro/Macro(A-,B+), Advanced Econometrics (B+), Advanced Macro (A), Economic History (A-), International (C, took abroad in Ghana.) Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ, both well known. 1 math, well known in math. 1 philosophy, well known in the philosophy of science. Research Experience: REU Intern in geophysics at Lamont Earth Observatory, summer 2007 (My paper was accepted to the 2008 ASLO Conference). Full-time economics RA this year. Research Interests: Development, Economic History, Alternative Theories in Economics, Econometrics. statement of purpose: Talked about why I chose interdisciplinary study, my work abroad in Ghana and my experience this year as a research assistant. I stated that I expected to change my mind about my specialization anyway, so I didn't want to state a particular one. Applied to: LSE, MIT, NYU, Harvard, UCSD, UC Berkeley, Chicago, Stanford, Columbia, UMich, Princeton, Yale Rejected: Everywhere Waitlisted/Accepted: Nada What would you have done differently? I dunno. Feedback from my home institutions admissions committee (where I was also rejected) says that I should have taken more econ (at the expense of my philosophy and science courses) but I would not give that knowledge and my resulting world outlook up for an admit to this discipline, because I feel that this will inform my research abilities more so than having taken much more economics. I have to do a lot of thinking now about whether I belong in this discipline, seeing as the adcoms don't seem to think so. Today is sad.

2009 March 18th, 05:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
ilikefreefood Eager! Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 38	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Econ major from a top 5-10 liberal arts college. Undergrad GPA: 3.73/4, magna cum laude with distinction in major for senior thesis research. Type of Grad: none Grad GPA: n/a GRE: 800Q 640V 5.5AWA Math Courses: Calc II-III (A,B+), Linear Algebra (Pass), Statistics (A), Mathematical Structures (A-), Real Analysis (B, taken as a non-degree student at a local school this Fall) Econ Courses: Principles Micro/Macro (A-,A), Intermediate Micro (A) Intermediate Macro (B), Econometrics (B+), pre-thesis seminar (A-), Ag. & Food Econ. (A), Development Econ. (B+), Econ. of Inequality (A), Econ. of Water Policy (B+), British Econ. history (B+) Other Courses: A pass/fail seminar on game theory, a Poli. Sci. course on agent-based computer modeling (A) Letters of Recommendation: 3 ECON professors (LAC profs but with Chicago/Stanford Ph.Ds), including my thesis adviser who has previously stated that my thesis was one of the best he's ever advised. Where possible, 1 VP at my Econ. consulting firm with whom I've worked extensively on econometric analyses. Research Experience: ~3 years as an RA in a major Econ. consulting firm; I specialize in statistical and econometric analysis within my office. Awards: Thesis award from state Economics association, thesis presentation award from state science association, college fellowship for (non-research) work in development related to microfinance. Research Interests: Development, environmental/resource economics, urban economics, general applied micro. statement of purpose: Well-written but fairly standard; mentioned specifically my interest in development and applied micro fields. Other Concerns: Didn't anticipate the B in analysis and received it after I had submitted applications; I don't think I have enough additional math coursework to make up for exercising a pass/fail option in linear algebra way back when. RESULTS: Acceptances: Minnesota ARE ($$) Waitlists: none Rejections: Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, MIT, NWU, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, Yale Pending: Chicago, Cornell What would you have done differently? Applied to Berkeley ARE and not Berkeley ECON when they made me pick just one; applied to more schools in the 20-30 range and not limited myself by the fact that I applied to 15 programs; discounted the advice of my former professors w.r.t. how far my school's reputation would get me; learned of and read the TestMagic forum earlier in the process.

2009 March 19th, 01:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
LagrangeJames It's almost over now Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 21	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.A. econ, B.A. math, large state university, EconPhD top 60 Undergrad GPA: 3.9/4.0 GRE: 800Q, 650V, 4.5AWA Math Courses: Calc III (A+), Linear algebra (A+), Differential equations I, II (A-, A), Introductory probability theory (A, fall), Math modeling (A, fall) Econ Courses (PhD-level): Optimization theory (A-, fall), Econometrics II (spring) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All of them, including two econometrics courses and game theory; A- in intermediate microeconomics, A's otherwise Other Courses: Spanish minor Letters of Recommendation: Four economics professors -- nobody famous, but I had collaborated on research projects (that I had initiated) with three of them Research Experience: Two working papers co-authored with faculty Teaching Experience: Teaching assistant for introductory microeconomics, spring Research Interests: Growth and development, specifically microeconomic development statement of purpose: Used a standard template for all statements but tailored last couple paragraphs to specific program, mentioning examples of faculty research I was interested in (but did not mention any faculty by name) Concerns: No real analysis, but optimization theory provided a good crash course Applying to: Maryland, Brown, MIT, Harvard, Yale, UCSD, Berkeley, Minnesota, Michigan, NYU, Boston, Columbia, LSE (M.Sc.) RESULTS: Acceptances: Yale (with funding), Michigan (no first-year funding), Boston (with funding), UCSD (with funding) Waitlists: Minnesota Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Columbia, Maryland, Brown, NYU Withdrawn: LSE What would you have done differently? If I had discovered this forum sooner, I probably would have taken more proof-based math courses, which most likely would have boosted my chances at top top schools. However, I think research experience, letters of recommendation from faculty involved in that research and a good "fit" (in terms of my research interests) -- factors that are often overlooked, including by myself -- helped my chances at several schools. Good luck, everyone. Last edited by LagrangeJames : 2009 March 20th at 02:18 PM. Reason: Added some more to the loss column

2009 March 20th, 02:16 AM	#9 (permalink)
Internationalstudent08 Summer.... Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 506	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top-5 Undergrad GPA: 3.7 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Q800, V670, A4.5 Math Courses: Real Analysis, Optimization (As) Econ Courses: Typical undergrad courses, intro+field courses Letters of Recommendation: 3 good ones Research Experience: 1 year RA (+2 summers as an undergrad) Teaching Experience: Some tutoring Research Interests: Mostly applied micro statement of purpose: Must have been good Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: UChicago (waiting to hear about funding), UMaryland (18k), Penn State (25k) Waitlists: Wharton AE Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, Brown Total Score: 10-1-3 Pending: None What would you have done differently? I really didn't take advantage of my undergrad school as I should have. I should have started RAing earlier, and I should have taken graduate-level courses as an undergrad, instead of being a chicken. Also, I made some bad thesis-related choices hehe However, since last year's admission cycle, I did everything that I could to improve my profile, and ended up working with some great people. I learned a lot- perhaps more than what I'm going to learn in grad school. The only significant econ-phd-related mistake I made was to apply to all top-10 schools and almost none of the schools between 10 and 20 (except for UMaryland). I rejected most of the schools in that range based on location preferences. Since my profile was not clear-cut top10, I should have been more careful. Anyway, I'm glad I made it!!!!! _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ University of Chicago Class of 20xx Last edited by Internationalstudent08 : 2009 March 20th at 02:32 AM.

2009 March 20th, 09:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
Econtastic UW bound! Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 250	PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.A. Econ/Math from U of Oregon Undergrad GPA: 3.07/4 Type of Grad: M.A. Econ Grad GPA: 3.8/4 GRE: 760Q, 610V, 4.5AWA Math Courses: Multivariable Calc (x2), Linear Algebra (x2), Differential Eqns, Statistics (x3), Real Analysis Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro (A), Macro (B+), Econometrics (B+,B,A-) Game Theory(A), Time Series(B+), IO(Winter), Monetary (Winter) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Just about every one offered, mostly As Other Courses: 2 finances classes Letters of Recommendation: 3 econ professors (MIT, Chicago, Wisconsin), should be pretty solid Research Experience: None to speak of outside of term papers Teaching Experience: None, though I did grade for math and econ Research Interests: Financial/Monetary Econometrics, IO and Public Policy statement of purpose: Not too long, but fairly good I think Concerns: Bad undergrad GPA, which is when I took all my math. Low Q on GRE. Lack of teaching/research may have hurt my chances of getting $ Other: This whole application process was fairly miserable, I'm glad I never have to do it again RESULTS: Acceptances: UW-Seattle ($0), UC Riverside ($$) Waitlists: None Rejections: UC Davis, U Arizona, Arizona St Pending: None What would you have done differently? Besides work much harder as an undergrad? Maybe take more math (topology and such), and definitely retake the GRE. Also, my little piece of advice, ask for LoRs with plenty of time before the deadline! Having to bug your recommenders every day to make sure they submit them on time is no fun, and a bit nerve-racking _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Attending: University of Washington

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