Please, please evaluate my profile

[HopefulEcon]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Econ from a Midwestern top tier liberal arts college (international student), Graduated: 2009. Currently doing independent research in home country
Undergrad GPA: 3.54/4.00
Type of Grad: NA
Grad GPA: NA
GRE: 790Q, 520V, 5.5 AWA
Math Courses: Calculus II (B), Linear Algebra (A, after repeat), Calc III (A-), Elem DE (A-), Stat and Prob (A-), Real analysis (B)
Econ Courses: Intermediate Macro (A), Intermediate Micro (B+), Intro. To Econometrics (A-), International Finance (B), Global Economy (A), Fin. Inst and Markets (A)
Other Courses: Usual LA college classes
Letters of Recommendation: 3 Econ prof, (don’t think anyone is well-known), should be fine, but not outstanding
Research Experience: Selected Summer Research Intern for my reco. writer
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Development, Labor Economics
statement of purpose: Almost done; not sure how it is
Concerns: Low GRE verbal. B in few math classes, and low GPA
Applying to: UPitt, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Toronto, Colorado-Boulder, Safeties??: UC-Riverside, Florida International, UMass-Amherst, SUNY-Buffalo, West Virginia,

Do you guys think I have any chance of getting in this year? Are my safeties, really safeties, are they are actually my standard? I am worried that I should include additional lower rank schools just to be sure I get in. I tried last year too; wish I knew about this forum then.

Appreciate your help. Thanks. Please help me decide.

[tm_guru]

Where did you apply last year? I think you have a decent shot at those schools.

Just so you know, UMASS - Amherst is a heterodox program, so tailor your statement of purpose accordingly

[HopefulEcon]

I had applied to: NC-Chapel Hill, UPitt, Penn State, Rochester, Rutgers, GWU (got in without funding), Syracuse and two others.

But I had a 3.33 and a C in Linear Algebra then. Also, if possible could you suggest me few schools that I might have a sure shot at. Thanks.

[claphands]

Originally Posted by tm_guru

UMASS - Amherst is a heterodox program

also admissions is more competitive than its rankings indicate because it is considered the best US heterodox program.

otherwise your choices seem appropriate, though I may not be the best judge. conventional wisdom is to not worry about your GRE verbal score unless it's below 500, and really not unless it's quite a bit below.

[tm_guru]

Originally Posted by claphands

also admissions is more competitive than its rankings indicate because it is considered the best US heterodox program.

Is this true? I always thought GMU was the leader.

[tm_guru]

Originally Posted by HopefulEcon

I had applied to: NC-Chapel Hill, UPitt, Penn State, Rochester, Rutgers, GWU (got in without funding), Syracuse and two others.

But I had a 3.33 and a C in Linear Algebra then. Also, if possible could you suggest me few schools that I might have a sure shot at. Thanks.

You will prob have a shot at those schools with your improved GPA and Lin Alg grade.

As for Labor econ, I don't think UNC Chapel Hill is strong in that area. They only offer a minor field in labor and the development seems trade & macro based, not micro-development which a lot of people want to do. I think it's basically a metrics place.

[claphands]

Originally Posted by tm_guru

Is this true? I always thought GMU was the leader.

sorry, I should have prefaced that with "left" heterodox program. GMU is basically the only Austrian program so it is probably, by default, the leader of right heterodox.

Hard for me to compare between the two, because I can't imagine someone who wants to go to a left heterodox happy at a right heterodox and vice versa

[tm_guru]

Originally Posted by claphands

sorry, I should have prefaced that with "left" heterodox program. GMU is basically the only Austrian program so it is probably, by default, the leader of right heterodox.

Hard for me to compare between the two, because I can't imagine someone who wants to go to a left heterodox happy at a right heterodox and vice versa

Fair enough, but for an objective researcher not interested in othodox programs, GMU is the place to go. Politics has no impact on research right?

Ah, if only that were true!

[claphands]

Originally Posted by tm_guru

Fair enough, but for an objective researcher not interested in othodox programs, GMU is the place to go. Politics has no impact on research right?

Ah, if only that were true!

Hah. My point is that if one believed strongly in orthodox neoclassical theories of, say, money, one would go to a neoclassical program. If you were "not interested" that may mean that you are an Austrian or you are a Post-Keynesian and it would make little sense for you to go UM-KC for the former or to GMU for the later. PK or Austrian doesn't have to be about "left" or "right" (and I personally don't believe it is, at the core of either theory), but different perspectives lend themselves to different politics. See the history of freshwater vs saltwater - it's not always about politics but different methods are more amenable to (ab)use by different ideologies.

An even more stark example from The post-1945 internationalization of Economics... - Google Books

One author on dicussing the history of Economics (as a discipline) notes that in the 1960s in India it was the PhDs from Cambridge talking about market failures and advocating developmentalism and economists from the US preaching the invisible hand. I bet plenty went in with a relatively blank slate, but nowadays when we know the 'politics' of the departments we are applying to, so we get to chose our indoctrinators!

[Tuanbna]

I have a question. Is it OK if I apply to orthodox programs (1x or 2x) with 2 out of 3 LORs are from famous heterodox (left) profs? Thanks in advance for your advice, though I'm not gonna change anything because they are best LORs I could have.