Duke funded vs. Brown (probably unfunded first year)

[aliceav23]

Hi! I decided to start this thread because i have been asking around for advice from professors and friends who are at the PhD and well they have been helpful but still i wanted more opinions to make my pro-con list.

My field of interest is microeconomics. I have done some research mostly in applied microeconomics but it is because where i come from, i am not surrounded by many theorists so really working in micro theory wasn't an available option. Therefore, i don't know if my research interests will change in the long run and i'll be more interested in micro theory (Brown is great in this).

Also, I don't know if spending about 40k for the first year is worth it. Placement is also something that worries me, Duke appears to be doing better than Brown in the last few years and I'm more interested in the academic path than the private sector one.

I hope you can give me your input on this. I will be extremely thankful.

[econ2011abc]

go to the one with funding

[treblekicker]

go to duke

(which has some good, young theorists)

[thewhiterabbit]

Not sure if Brown has given you placements for this year yet, but they have someone going to Stanford GSB (Pol Econ), which is pretty great.

[daglick]

Aliceav23,

Is your understanding that you've been offered a spot in the Brown master's program? My guess is that you were waitlisted at brown and they "solicited your interest" in the masters program (that's what's happened to me).