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mabuiir · 2009 October 16th, 08:22 PM

Hi guys,

I have just taken my GRE test with 780 in the Q section but disappointing 460 in the V section. The writing tasks were both easy and I hope to score at least 5 or 5.5. Anyway I am not happy with this result at all eventhough I have not been able to manage enough time for it as I am aiming to some top Econ PhD programs including those in Harvard, Chicago, and Stanford. Details of my profiles are as follow:

Undergraduate GPA: 86%, ranked 1/2,200 in one of the best universities in Vietnam.
Master GPA: 82%, ranked 2nd in Warwick Biz School, the UK.
PhD in Finance: 1st year GPA: 74%, ranked 1/8 in Warwick Biz School.
Research experience: 1 paper to be finished by December.
Other merits: several national/provincial olympiads in maths and physics during high school, passed CFA L3 and full FRM exam, candidate of the UK Actuarial Profession, the best student upon graduation award by the Chairman of my city and the Ministry of Education and Training, admission and full scholarship to ICMA Centre, etc.

Could you please tell me whether this profile is competitive enough to get to the top 10 programs? Does the fact that I did my undergrad in a developing country and get such a low score in the V section make my application weaker?

Thank you very much.

tm_guru · 2009 October 16th, 09:20 PM

Your TOEFL score could make up for it? What did you score?

Just so I am getting this right, you have a Master's from Warwick and are in your second year of a PhD in Finance at Warwick?

This may not help you get into a Top10 program, as they may not look upon you leaving Warwick during your current studies favourably.

mabuiir · 2009 October 16th, 09:23 PM

Thank you tm_guru. Since I have my masters and finish my first year of PhD in the UK, I do not have to take the TOEFL test.

Yes you are right, I am a second year student there now but I wish to end up in a better program. Shld I mention that I am a 2nd year PhD student in Warwick in my application?

applicant12 · 2009 October 16th, 10:16 PM

they will know because they will look at your transcript and see your grades for your PhD courses

Zomb1 · 2009 October 16th, 11:00 PM

What math courses do you have? Who will write your LORs?

mabuiir · 2009 October 16th, 11:26 PM

I have taken all the maths courses required for the UK Actuarial programs. In addition I also take several econometrics at the PhD level. As it is quite sensitive to move to another program, I just ask my masters sup to write letter of reference for me. The other 2 referees are my Vietnamese lecturer and my Dean.

I am really worried that I have not passed the cutoff for the V section. It is now too late to retake the test as the deadline for the Biz Econ program at HBS is on 1st of Dec. Really want to kill myself ;(

walt526 · 2009 October 17th, 12:11 AM

Yes, please kill yourself so that there's one less highly qualified applicant to compete against.

Seriously, a sub-500V will be interpreted as a poor signal, but I'd be surprised if that alone was what disqualified you. Obviously you've demonstrated that ability to succeed in graduate courses at a well-regarded Western institution.

But as for your strategy for LORs... to maximize your chances, I'd suggest getting one from the Warwick Finance professor to emphasize that you were the top student in his class. Two LORs from Vietnamese faculty are nowhere near as impressive as one from Warwick. I appreciate that asking for a letter of reference from a PhD program can be delicate, but I expect that most faculty will be supportive of a move up to a Top 10 program--it's just lateral moves that generally can irk them.

Hadiran · 2009 October 17th, 03:42 AM

And you also should explain in statement of purpose why you want to move from finance to econ

tm_guru · 2009 October 17th, 04:39 AM

I thought you would have to do TOEFL when you moved to Warwick... I knew with 2 years coursework in the UK you would be exempt from the TOEFL requirement at this stage.

You are clearly very smart - top 1/2200 in vietnam, 2nd in your master's cohort, and now top of your PhD program.

However, students who get into a top10 program are those with the fewest questions marks over their profile; your low verbal GRE, combined with moving programs, and a lack of current professor's LoRs will be more than enough to raise a serious question mark.

Gecko · 2009 October 17th, 08:45 AM

agreed with tm guru - i'd skip both the vietnamese lecturer's letters and make it exclusively warwick instead

2009 October 16th, 08:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
mabuiir Eager! Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 38	Could you please evaluate my chance of getting to a top 10 Econ PhD program?? Hi guys, I have just taken my GRE test with 780 in the Q section but disappointing 460 in the V section. The writing tasks were both easy and I hope to score at least 5 or 5.5. Anyway I am not happy with this result at all eventhough I have not been able to manage enough time for it as I am aiming to some top Econ PhD programs including those in Harvard, Chicago, and Stanford. Details of my profiles are as follow: Undergraduate GPA: 86%, ranked 1/2,200 in one of the best universities in Vietnam. Master GPA: 82%, ranked 2nd in Warwick Biz School, the UK. PhD in Finance: 1st year GPA: 74%, ranked 1/8 in Warwick Biz School. Research experience: 1 paper to be finished by December. Other merits: several national/provincial olympiads in maths and physics during high school, passed CFA L3 and full FRM exam, candidate of the UK Actuarial Profession, the best student upon graduation award by the Chairman of my city and the Ministry of Education and Training, admission and full scholarship to ICMA Centre, etc. Could you please tell me whether this profile is competitive enough to get to the top 10 programs? Does the fact that I did my undergrad in a developing country and get such a low score in the V section make my application weaker? Thank you very much.

2009 October 16th, 11:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
Zomb1 Eager! Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 72	What math courses do you have? Who will write your LORs? _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ "And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it, And reflect from the mountain so all souls can see it..."

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2009 October 16th, 09:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
tm_guru TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 635	Your TOEFL score could make up for it? What did you score? Just so I am getting this right, you have a Master's from Warwick and are in your second year of a PhD in Finance at Warwick? This may not help you get into a Top10 program, as they may not look upon you leaving Warwick during your current studies favourably.

2009 October 16th, 09:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
mabuiir Eager! Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 38	Thank you tm_guru. Since I have my masters and finish my first year of PhD in the UK, I do not have to take the TOEFL test. Yes you are right, I am a second year student there now but I wish to end up in a better program. Shld I mention that I am a 2nd year PhD student in Warwick in my application?

2009 October 16th, 10:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
applicant12 Within my grasp! Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 234	they will know because they will look at your transcript and see your grades for your PhD courses

2009 October 16th, 11:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
mabuiir Eager! Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 38	I have taken all the maths courses required for the UK Actuarial programs. In addition I also take several econometrics at the PhD level. As it is quite sensitive to move to another program, I just ask my masters sup to write letter of reference for me. The other 2 referees are my Vietnamese lecturer and my Dean. I am really worried that I have not passed the cutoff for the V section. It is now too late to retake the test as the deadline for the Biz Econ program at HBS is on 1st of Dec. Really want to kill myself ;(

2009 October 17th, 12:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
walt526 TestMagic Guru Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,309	Yes, please kill yourself so that there's one less highly qualified applicant to compete against. Seriously, a sub-500V will be interpreted as a poor signal, but I'd be surprised if that alone was what disqualified you. Obviously you've demonstrated that ability to succeed in graduate courses at a well-regarded Western institution. But as for your strategy for LORs... to maximize your chances, I'd suggest getting one from the Warwick Finance professor to emphasize that you were the top student in his class. Two LORs from Vietnamese faculty are nowhere near as impressive as one from Warwick. I appreciate that asking for a letter of reference from a PhD program can be delicate, but I expect that most faculty will be supportive of a move up to a Top 10 program--it's just lateral moves that generally can irk them.

2009 October 17th, 03:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
Hadiran God light my path~ Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 94	And you also should explain in statement of purpose why you want to move from finance to econ

2009 October 17th, 04:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
tm_guru TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 635	I thought you would have to do TOEFL when you moved to Warwick... I knew with 2 years coursework in the UK you would be exempt from the TOEFL requirement at this stage. You are clearly very smart - top 1/2200 in vietnam, 2nd in your master's cohort, and now top of your PhD program. However, students who get into a top10 program are those with the fewest questions marks over their profile; your low verbal GRE, combined with moving programs, and a lack of current professor's LoRs will be more than enough to raise a serious question mark.

2009 October 17th, 08:45 AM	#10 (permalink)
Gecko This user's posts are moderated. Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,081	agreed with tm guru - i'd skip both the vietnamese lecturer's letters and make it exclusively warwick instead

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