Profiles and Results 2013

[mathemagician]

I suggest that you should post in this thread only after you have received all or most of your offers since posts can't be edited after a few days. Also, feel free to mention how accurate or inaccurate the predictions were if you started a predictions thread.

 

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:

SOP:

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances:

Waitlists:

Rejections:

Pending:

Attending:

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently?

[Python7768]

PROFILE: Python7768

Type of Undergrad: Non PhD granting, but good undergrad Econ

Undergrad GPA: 3.78

Type of Grad: NA

Grad GPA: NA

GRE: 166 Q 160 V 4.5 AW

Math Courses: Calc 1,2,3 (A-, A, A), Lin Alg (A), Intro to proofs (B), Graduate level optimization techniques (A)

Was enrolled in Advanced Probability Theory and analysis while I was applying so it showed up without a grade.

Econ Courses: Inter Micro and Macro (A, A), Stats for Economists (A-), Intro Econometrics (B+), Advanced Econometrics (B+), Labor (A), I.O. (A),

Computational Economics (A) and was enrolled in Advanced Micro and Advanced Macro.

Other Courses: Nothing really of interest

Letters of Recommendation: 3 letters. 2 are professors that I research for (If they said anything less than I walk on water I would be surprised), and

a professor that I had a few classes with (also very strong as I was always his top student)

Research Experience: A year involved in DSGE/computational type economic research in a selective group at my university

Teaching Experience: TA'd for intermediate macro for a year

Research Interests: Macroeconomics, monetary, computational

SOP: I think it was well written. Started writing it in September and went through 3-4 drafts

Other: Met a couple professors at a conference that may have helped me get into one of the places after I talked to them about my research.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: NYU Stern($$$), Carnegie-Mellon($$$), Washington at St. Louis($$), Rochester($$). oh and Wisconsin's Masters(-$$$$) haha

^Funding is in $ = 10,000 USD rounded down to nearest 10,000. *note Wisc masters is indeed negative.

Waitlists: None.

Rejections: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Penn State, Chicago, Northwestern

Pending: Vanderbilt and Arizona State, but they were pretty much safeties. Weird lol.

Attending: Either NYU Stern or CMU (leaning to Stern)

Comments: I'm very happy with my outcomes. Visiting the above schools in the next few weeks and will make a final decision

soon after. I am glad that I attended a couple conferences. Great to meet professors and to see more of what I am getting myself

into. Good luck to everyone still sorting out schools!

 

What would you have done differently? I think I chose my schools pretty well, but I had breakfast with a professor (our dept puts together a breakfast

for undergrads with the weekly visiting scholar) this week who said that it was ok and even encouraged to mention people's research in your SOP who

weren't at the department and sometimes that was even impressive and a good indication that the applicant is well informed about the research process...

Just a heads up because I didn't do that.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Python7768
Updated to include funding

[julilo]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA in Economics, Top 5 in South America

Undergrad GPA: international grading system (ranked top 3%)

Type of Grad: in applied economics, Top 5 in Europe, Top 10 worldwide

Grad GPA: international grading system (ranked first in class, summa cum laude)

GRE: 165Q, 162V, 5.0A

Math Courses: Calculus I-III, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Math Methods for Economics, Real Analysis (international grading, equivalent to A-'s, A's and A+'s)

Econ Courses (grad-level): The usual lot, strong emphasis on applied economics.

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): A lot.

Other Courses: Loads of political science courses during undergrad

Letters of Recommendation: (1) Undergrad thesis advisor (well-known in home country, top 5% IDEAS); (2) master thesis advisor (well-known internationally, top 5% IDEAS); (3) grad research advisor (unknown, but knows me well); (4) grad professor (decently known, top 5% IDEAS)

Research Experience: undergrad and grad theses, 1 year with grad research advisor (co-authored publication), 1.5 years in think tank in Europe (co-authored WPs)

Teaching Experience: some undergrad-level micro and macro in European university

Research Interests: political economy, labor economics, public economics, development

SOP: explained research interests, tailored to each program (yes, I did mention the 3-4 professors I'd like to work with and why, for each school)

Concerns: not enough math, mediocre Q score in GRE, transfer during grad may be somewhat confusing

Other: Undergrad thesis published in peer-review journal, unknown internationally. Grad thesis is forthcoming in peer-reviewed journal. Note that rankings above are the general Ideas Repec rankings for simplicity.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Princeton ($31.1k), Columbia ($28k), UC Berkeley ($25k), Maryland ($20k)

Rejections: Stanford, MIT, Yale, NWU, Brown, UCSD, Duke, NYU, Harvard, Cornell

Pending: Harvard KSG, Chicago Harris, UC Davis

Attending: Undecided between Princeton and UC Berkeley

Comments: I am extremely surprised and happy with my results; I was not expecting to crack T5. I will be visiting Princeton, Berkeley, and Columbia next month. I cannot wait!

 

What would you have done differently? Not much I can think of!

 

Just wanted to take a moment and say that this forum is GREAT for many reasons, and I advise all lurkers to join in, post, and share with the TM community. First, it's a great way to know your competition before applying to schools. As the application process starts, the majority of us tend to underestimate the competitiveness out there -- TM is a wonderful reality check. Second, it's a fantastic way to learn from others about the application process: how to write SOPs, how to ask for LORs, where to apply, how to decide between schools, etc. Of course, with so many of us posting here there is bound to be some noise. In spite of this, TM remains an excellent source of very useful information. Finally, it's also a good way to vent fears and anxieties about the application process itself. It's comforting to know we all share similar emotions during this whole process, and I personally found a lot of support being part of the TM community. I wish you guys all the best!

Edited March 21, 2013 by julilo

[applicant316]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BS with Honors, Economics, Mathematics, and Political Science at flagship state university (Top 20 in Economics)

Undergrad GPA: 3.99

Type of Grad: n/a

Grad GPA: n/a

GRE: 800Q, 610V, 5.0AW

Math Courses: Calculus I-III, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, Topology, Real Analysis, Stochastic Processes, ODEs (all As)

Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro Theory (only non-A)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): A bunch (all As)

Letters of Recommendation: 3, all should be strong. 2 MIT PhDs, 1 Stanford PhD. All well published.

Research Experience: 2 years undergrad RA, one year as full-time RA at top 2 institution.

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: Political Economy, Public Economics

SOP: Relatively general narrative, research interests tailored to school

Concerns: No real safeties

Applying to: MIT, Harvard, Harvard PEG, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Berkeley, Yale, Chicago, Princeton, Michigan, Columbia, UCSD, NSF

 

RESULTS: ​

Acceptances: MIT, Harvard, Harvard PEG, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Berkeley, Yale, Chicago, Princeton, UCSD

Waitlists: Michigan

Rejections: Columbia

Pending: NSF

Attending: Still deciding, will almost definitely be MIT or Harvard

Comments: Spending time doing RA work really helped bolster my application. I had a few well-known and very respected people go to bat for me, which definitely made all the difference.

 

What would you have done differently? Nothing.

[grobus]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BSc Philosophy & Econ: Top UK department

Undergrad GPA: 1st - ranked #1 on final year exams

Type of Grad1: MSc Econ: Top UK department

Grad GPA: Distinction

Type of Grad2: US Top 5: Some Grad courses

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: Q: 169, V: 170, A: 5.0

Math Courses: Lin Algebra, Calculus, Further Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Statistics

Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, Macro, Metrics, Contracts, Game Theory, Computation

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro, Macro, Metrics, Assorted Topics

Other Courses: Philosophy of Science and Economics

Letters of Recommendation: 2 Professors from top UK dept, 1 (joint) from 2 professors I work for at US BSchool, 1 from professor at Top 5 US

Research Experience: Masters thesis in contracts/behavioral,1.5 years full-time RA at US BSchool.

Teaching Experience: TA Undergrad Micro

Research Interests: contracts, game theory etc.

SOP: Talk about research

Applying to: Harvad, HBS, MIT, Princeton, Chicago, Booth, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Northwestern, Columbia, Columbia Business, NYU, Stern, Penn, Wharton, Yale, Berkeley, UCLA, Caltech, UCSD, Duke, Brown, Cornell, Minnesota, Michigan

 

RESULTS: ​

Acceptances: Chicago, Booth, Stanford, Northwestern, NYU, Penn, Wharton, Yale, UCLA, Caltech, UCSD, Duke, Brown, Minnesota, Michigan

Waitlists: Harvard

Rejections: HBS, MIT, Princeton, Stanford GSB, Columbia, Columbia Business, Stern, Berkeley

Pending: Cornell

Attending: Probably Stanford or Harvard (depending on whether I get off the Harvard wait list).

Comments: Interviewed at HBS.

 

What would you have done differently? Not sure. Knocking at the door of Harvard/MIT (with HBS interview and Harvard waitlist), but didn't quite crack it.

[pochi184]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Econ at top school in Asia

Undergrad GPA: 3.92

Type of Grad:Econ at top school in Asia

Grad GPA: 4.00

GRE:Q170/V152/W3.0 (very low AW score lol)

Math Courses: Real analysis, Probability, Calculus, Dynamic Programming etc...

Econ Courses: Core Courses (1st place at graduate Micro and graduate Macro)

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: 1 from very famous professor, 2 from relatively famous professors.

Research Experience: none

Teaching Experience: graduate Micro, undergraduate game theory, graduate Macro

Research Interests: game theory and microeconomic theory, political economics

SOP: general narrative containing two or three faculty whom I want to work with

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Stanford, Yale, Chicago, Northwestern, Upenn, Berkley

Waitlists: Harvard

Rejections: Princeton

Pending:

Attending: Stanford... maybe. I'm satisfied.

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently?

I think what led me to a top 4 school is extremely good performance in Core courses. But it was not enough to be admitted to Harvard. I'm very thankful for econ.phd. If there is anything I can help, feel free to send me message.

[ninojoy]

Type of Undergrad: BSc with a major in maths and honours in economics at top Australian university

Undergrad GPA: 92/100

GRE:Q169/V165/W4.5

Math Courses: linear algebra, real analysis, complex analysis, metric & Hilbert spaces, introductory topology and algebra, probability theory, ODE, PDE, optimization, vector calculus (all 93+ except for PDE)

Econ Courses: intro, inter, 3rd-year and advanced micro and macro; (these are all honours level) econometrics, monetary economics, bayesian econometrics, game theory

Other Courses: a few computer science courses

Letters of Recommendation: 1 from my honours advisor who is kind of famous in his field, 1 from an econometrics professor who may be kind of famous because he wrote a few textbooks, 1 from a maths professor with whom I did research

Research Experience: full-time research project (maths) over the summer vacation, honours research paper

Teaching Experience: 1st year and 2nd year micro, 2nd and 3rd year macro

Research Interests: game theory, information economics

SOP: general narrative about own research experience, fields of interest, named two or three professor i would like to work with for some schools

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Stanford, Yale, Northwestern, Penn, NYU, Columbia, UCLA, UCSD

Waitlists: none

Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Chicago, Berkeley, Caltech

 

 

Attending: Stanford.

Comments: I think I should have tried more actively to find RA work. In hindsight, the letter from the math professor probably did not help much. But overall, I'm very happy with my application results.

[achillisharry]

Type of Undergrad: Top 2 in China, Math and Econ

Undergrad GPA:

90/100 (Math and Econ: 92) Mediocre rank (just within top 20%)

Type of Grad:

Top 2 in Europe, best in France

Grad GPA:

19.1/20, Rank 1/100+ (full point in Micro I, Micro II, Macro II, Game Theory, Advanced Game Theory)

GRE:

620+800+4.0

TOEFL:

112

Math Courses:

Mathematical Analysis 1~3; Advanced Algebra 1~2; ODE; PDE; Measure Theory, Probability Theory, Stochastic Process, Abstract Algebra, Complex Analysis, Functional Analysis, Mathematical Statistics, Numerical Analysis, Number Theory...

Econ Courses (grad-level):

Micro 1~2, Macro 1~2, Econometrics 1, Game Theory, Advanced Game Theory;

Econ Courses (undergrad-level):

Tons--90+ except principle of economics and intermediate macro

Letters of Recommendation:

1) LSE PhD, Associate Prof., Editor of a top econ theory journal, Macro II teacher, co-Advisor, know me well

2) MIT PhD, Prof. visiting Prof. in MIT, co-Advisor, help me to revise my paper; Began RAing for him only after my application.

3) A newly graduated Stanford PhD (has already published an Econometrica)

Research Experience:

3 single authored papers (2 on cheap talk, 1 on moral hazard in teams) and several on-going projects. Have presentations in AEA, mid-west econ theory meetings, etc.

Teaching Experience:

TA for Game Theory (Master Level), Macro I and Macro II (Master Level)

Research Interests:

theory, especially information economics and the theory of organizations.

SOP:

Standard, abstracts of papers and on-going projects.

 

RESULTS: ​

Acceptances:

Stanford ($$$), MIT($$$), Princeton($$$), Yale($$$), Northwestern ($$$), Toulouse School of Economics (default option)

Withdrawal: NYU

Waitlists:

Harvard

Rejections: Stanford GSB

Attending: Most likely Princeton, Stanford, Toulouse or MIT.

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently?

I should apply to more Business Schools, like HBS and Kellogg. They have good programs in theory, and can be more flexible than econ.

Edited March 16, 2013 by achillisharry

[noodle]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: US science/engineering university with a top econ program

Undergrad GPA: 3.9

Type of Grad:

Grad GPA:

GRE: 170/170/6.0

Math Courses: (All A's) Calculus I, II, advanced calculus, diff eq., linear algebra, algorithms, artificial intelligence, real analysis, probability

Econ Courses: (All A's) Micro I and II, Macro I and II, game theory, health economics, contract theory, econometrics, a research-based class, political economy

Other Courses: Lots of physics (I'm a physics and economics double major) and computer science

Letters of Recommendation: Two professors I worked for, one who taught a class centered on doing independent research

Research Experience: Worked for two different professors last summer, research-based class

Teaching Experience: Taught non-econ Saturday classes for high schoolers, some math tutoring

Research Interests: Development, behavioral economics, political economy, applied econometrics

SOP: Bland

Other: Very experienced with Stata, Latex, Matlab, programming in general. Included a writing sample on forms that allowed it.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Harvard ($$$), Columbia ($$$), NYU ($$$), UCLA ($$), UCSD ($), BU($$.5)

Waitlists:

Rejections: Yale, Princeton, MIT, Caltech, Berkeley, Stanford

Pending:

Attending: Probably Harvard

Comments: Rejections suck; I don't know if they were due to the short time I've spent in econ or whether I am just not a great applicant in ways I couldn't improve. But I am thrilled to have the options I have.

 

What would you have done differently? Figured out I wanted to do econ sooner! All three of my LOR's were based off work I did in the eight months before applying. My profile would have looked a lot stronger even one semester later.

[hohei]

Type of Undergrad: Econ and Math at top school in east asia

Undergrad GPA: 90+/100

Type of Grad: Grad courses at US top 5 econ program

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: V710, Q800, AW4.5

Math Courses: Linear Algebra, Calculus, Real Analysis, ODE, Stochastic Process, Probability, Statistics, Abstract Algebra, Functional Analysis, all 90+

Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, two 2nd-year field courses

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro&Macro, Metrics, IO, etc.

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: two professors I worked for, one undergrad thesis advisor, and dean of our school, all very passionate

Research Experience: one semester plus summer RA at top 5 school in US, co-authoring a theory paper with a professor

Teaching Experience: one semester TA for introductory economics

Research Interests: behavioral, applied micro, and micro theory

SOP: nothing special, talked about research experiences, and used professional edit to check the English

Applying to: Harvad, HBS, MIT, Princeton, Chicago, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Yale, Berkeley

 

RESULTS: ​

Acceptances: Stanford($$$), Princeton($$$), Chicago($$), Berkeley($$), MIT(waitlist for funding)

Waitlists: Harvard

Rejections: Stanford GSB, HBS, Yale

Attending: Probably Stanford, MIT or Harvard (depending on whether I get off the waiting lists)

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently? Overall I'm very happy about the results. Maybe I could talk more with professors at my exchange school about my term papers in IO and finance to get an additional letter and to increase the chances for the business school programs.

Edited March 21, 2013 by tm_member
Corrected GRE scores

[AusEconGuy]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Bachelor Econ, Australia

Undergrad GPA: First Class Hons

Type of Grad (1): MPhil Econ, same Australian uni

Grad GPA (1): High Distinction

Type of Grad (2): MSc Econ, top UK department

Grad GPA (2): ?? not yet

GRE: 168Q, 159V, 5.0 AWA

Math Courses (undergrad): Not many, just the standard math for econ and finance courses at home uni

Econ Courses (undergrad): macro, micro, metrics 4 year sequences; spattering of topics courses

Econ Courses (grad - 1): PhD micro macro metrics in Aus

Econ Courses (grad - 2): Msc Macro/AdvMacro; Micro/AdvMicro; Metrics/AdvMicroeconometrics; Behavioural Econ

Other Courses: not relevant

Letters of Recommendation: Hons/MPhil advisor, Hons/PhD macro lecturer, both European/UK PhDs

Research Experience: 5 years RA while studying, 3 thesis, 4 conference presentations

Teaching Experience: 4.5 years TA for econ dept in Aus ranging from first year thru postgrad

Research Interests: Behavioural/Experimental Econ, Applied game theory, applications of structural metrics

SOP: bland and generic

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: UZurich ($$$), UC3M($), Tinbergen ($), Tilburg ($), Oxford MPhil(?), LSE EME (-), ECARES(?), UCL MRes (?)

Waitlists: -

Rejections: LSE MRes

Pending: -

Withdrew: SSE, Stockholm, Bocconi, Mannheim, Toronto, UBC, EUI

Attending: UZurich

Comments: woot! :victorious: :verydrunk:

 

What would you have done differently? happy for now!

[KTz]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BSc Econ (#1 econ department of a small European country), BSc Math (#1 math department, different school, same country)

Undergrad GPA: 4.78/5, Econ: 4.75/5.00 | Math: 4.95/5

Type of Grad: MSc Econ (the same econ deparment)

Grad GPA: 4.84/5, Econ: 4.86/5

GRE: 170Q, 162V, 4.0AWA

Math Courses: Analysis I (5), Analysis II (5), Multivariate Analysis (5), Topology (5), Measure&Integral (~Real Analysis) (4), ODE I (5), ODE II (5), Algebra I (5), Discrete Mathematics (5), Combinatorics (5), Linear Algebra I (5), Linear Algebra II (5), Introduction to Statistical Inference (5), Introduction to Probability (5), Probability (5), Stochastic Processes (5), Introduction to Complex Numbers

Econ Courses (grad-level): Microeconomic Theory I (5), Microeconomic Theory II/Game Theory (5), Microeconomic Theory III/Industrial Organization (4), Macroeconomic Theory I (5), Macroeconomic Theory II (5), International Economics (5), Fixed Income Securities (4), Labor Economics (5), Topics in Economic Theory (option pricing, stochastic calculus etc.) (5)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Principles of Economics (5), Intermediate Micro (5), Intermediate Macro (5), Money and Banking (5), Mathematical Methods for Economists (5), Undergrad Econometrics (5), Development Economics (3), European Capital Markets (5), Economic Policy (5)

Other Courses: Finance (BSc minor) and Quantitative Methods (MSc minor)

Letters of Recommendation: Both of the professors whose RA I've been (one is econ, one is applied math/econ) + third econ professor who is the most known of these three

Research Experience: Bachelor's thesis, Master's thesis (done after 3½ years, highest grade), summer RA in a government research institute, RA in another research institute for 6m, RA for two professors, no publications yet

Teaching Experience: NA

Research Interests: Microeconomic theory (game theory),

SOP: Nothing special, a summary of my research experience and interests.

Concerns: I don't know, I'm a bit concerned about everything, haven't had the time to be a TA.

Other: I have completed courses at a double pace as I have been completing two degrees (two schools) at the same time. I have worked part-time in reinsurance.

Applying to: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, UPenn, Northwestern

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: MIT (wl for $), Princeton ($), Northwestern ($), UPenn ($)

Rejections: Stanford, Harvard

Pending:

Attending: Totally undecided

Comments: Having applied to six schools, it was ok to get four acceptances. I can’t say I like to be rejected – would have loved California because of the climate. Anyway, even Boston has better weather than my current city.

 

What would you have done differently? Maybe switch Harvard for something in California.

[kinzaman]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top 3 Liberal Arts

Undergrad GPA: 3.73

Type of Grad: supplemental math courses

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: 800Q/630V/4AWA

Math Courses: Diff Eq (A-), Linear Algebra (A), Multivariate Calc (A-), Real Analysis (B), Analysis on Manifolds (B+), Discrete (A), Numerical Analysis I/II (A/A), MathStat I/II (A/A), Topology (A)

Econ Courses (grad-level):

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro (Cr), Intermediate Macro (B+), Intermediate Micro (A-), Developmental (A), International (A), Advanced Micro I/II (A/A-), Advanced Macro I/II (A-/A-), Behavioral Econ I/II (B+/A), Econometrics I (A-)

Other Courses: Some psych courses, random humanities courses and intro physics

Letters of Recommendation: one from my undergrad advanced micro prof, two from research economists at a regional Fed (one junior economist, one sernior), both should be strong letters highlighting my research ability.

Research Experience: 2.5 years as an RA at a regional Fed. Two minor publications, with a third in progress. Research mostly in macro-labor, consumer finance and macro.

Teaching Experience: Some tutoring in college. Nothing really worth mentioning.

Research Interests: macro-labor, macro, search and matching

SOP: Discussed my research experience with the Fed, how my experience as an RA shaped my research interests. Highlighted the research skills I acquired over the course of the job

Concerns: B/B+ in my real analysis courses. Hoping my A in topology will help make up for these low-ish grades.

Other: Second year applying to PhD programs. Aimed very high last year and missed (was wait listed at UMN). Hoping that another year of research experience, an A in topology, applying to the NSF and an improved letter of recommendation will get me into the top 20.

Applying to: Yale, Northwestern, UPenn, Minnesota, Wisconsin-Madison, Penn State, Rochester, Ohio State, Georgetown, Arizona State, Western Ontario, Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Boston University

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: UW-Madison($), Ohio State ($), ASU($), Pitt($)

WL: UPenn (withdrawn), Minnesota (withdrawn), Penn State (withdrawn)

Rejections: Yale, NWU, Rochester, Georgetown, CMU, BU

Pending: Western Ontario

Attending: UW-Madison Econ/Finance joint PhD

Comments: Very happy to be attending UW-Madison. Great fit for me and a very strong program. I owe a lot to my letter writers who really went to bat for me.

 

What would you have done differently? I had no idea that I wanted to pursue an econ PhD during my undergrad and as a result, my RA grades were not as good as they could have been. I partially offset this with an A in topology at a lower ranked institution, but the damage was done. I think that if I had A's in RA1 and RA2 I could have cracked the top 10. I also would have studied for the AW of the GRE. I naively assumed that, being a native English speaker and a pretty good writer, I would ace this section. Turns out they are looking for something very specific in your essays, which I apparently did not have.

[sunandstars]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Large state university with a low-ranked econ PhD program

Undergrad GPA: 3.97 (Econ GPA: 4.0)

Type of Grad: -

Grad GPA: -

GRE: V169, Q165, AW6.0

Math Courses: Calculus I - III, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Intro to Probability and Statistics

Econ Courses: Intro to Micro, Intro to Macro, Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Money and Banking, Developmental Econ, Behavioral Econ, Labor Econ, History of Econ Thought, Econometrics

Other Courses: Honors-level liberal arts core courses

Letters of Recommendation: 1 from undergrad thesis adviser (UC Berkley grad), 2 from other professors

Research Experience: Undergraduate thesis - a behavioral economics laboratory experiment I designed and ran myself (with assistance, obviously)

Teaching Experience: Led mandatory small-group tutoring sessions for a principles of macro class for a year

Research Interests: Behavioral, experimental, applied micro

SOP: Talked about all of the above. Basically said 'I want to learn about economics and be a researcher! Yes!' Banged it out in about 2 weeks.

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: U Pittsburgh ($), U Zurich, Cornell ($)

Waitlists:

Rejections: Carnegie Mellon

Pending: -

Attending: Cornell, unless I find out on the visit day that they have some dark and terrible secret.

Comments: I genuinely believe that the reason I didn't get offered funding at Zurich was that I wasn't expressing much interest in the program - I felt like I botched the funding interview, and then decided that five years out of the country was just too long for me, so I wasn't emailing with questions or trying to make arrangements. I'm sure that signaled to the school that I wasn't coming, even before I actually turned down the offer.

On the other hand, several professors I spoke to mentioned that they were impressed that I discussed not just my research, but securing IRB approval and grant money for my experiment. I think that mentioning you understand the administrative and practical side of research is a positive signal to admissions committees.

 

What would you have done differently? Oh goodness. So many things:

1) I would take more math as an undergraduate, if only to combat my strong sense of imposter syndrome.

2) I wouldn't procrastinate on my applications. Part of the reason I only applied to four schools was that I was going through a period of depression in the fall, and felt very hopeless about the whole process. I got my act together around the beginning of December.

3) I wouldn't underestimate the strength of my profile. I also only applied a few places because I thought my application was really weak - lacking mathematics, etc. After one professor asked me 'With this profile, why didn't you apply to more and better schools?' I realize I could have aimed higher. I might not have got in to any T10s, but it couldn't have hurt.

4) I would try to get more research assistance as an RA, rather than taking a year off between undergrad and grad school to move home and save money.

[HankGeorge]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: To 5 Econ, top 10 UG

Undergrad GPA: 3.5 (Econ GPA: 3.55)

Type of Grad: Post-bac classes at a top 10 univ.

Grad GPA: 3.78

GRE: V169, Q167, AW4.5

Math Courses: Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Statistical Models/Methods, Intro to Real Analysis (A) Real Analysis I,II,III (C,W,A), Probability and Statistics

Econ Courses: A bunch. One grad course (Human Capital), Econometrics, Advanced Econometrics, standard Micro Macro series and a bunch of electives.

Letters of Recommendation: 1 from undergrad thesis adviser & employer, 1 from chief economist at my current research organization, 1 from famous professor I had a class & a few out of class discussions with.

Research Experience: Undergraduate thesis - an extension on the theory of road pricing for congestion (published in an interdisciplinary environmental journal). Two chapters of a book on Chinese economic growth (Growth source analysis + extra analysis of TFP growth). 3 years as a research assistant post-bac for a federal study.

Teaching Experience: TA for a class on Urban Econ

Research Interests: Mostly Development & Labor

SOP: Research goals, then research experience, then why school X is such a great fit (talked about specific professors)

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Cornell ($, WL for yr 1), UW-Madison Masters with transfer option (-$$$ first year, $ years 2-4), UNC-CH($?)

Waitlists: Cornell, University of Minnesota

Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Chicago, Berkeley, Yale, Upenn, Duke, Columbia, LSE, UW-Madison PhD, NSF

Pending: -

Attending: Cornell

Comments: I am incredibly happy with how everything worked out. The main things I think I did right are developing relationships with professors early in undergrad, getting as much research experience as I could, and asking a lot of people for advice and help. I'll also say--a lot of people I knew worked really hard to get on the research projects with famous professors. That brings a lot of advantages, because you get to see cutting edge research and you get a letter from a very impressive person. I worked for an emeritus professor who wasn't heavily sought after, and I'm really glad I did. He had the time to actually talk to me about what I was trying to do, read my SOP and give feedback, and personally contact professors at Cornell. Also, because he didn't have a ton of research assistants, I was able to do higher level work than I would have otherwise. I'm incredibly grateful.

 

What would you have done differently? Lots, though everything worked out:

1) I would have believed people who said that math was really important, and started treating it that way much sooner. Would have taken Honors calc, honors metrics, etc.

2) I wouldn't have withdrawn from Real Analysis my last quarter.

3) I would have applied more in the top 10-30 range and not wasted so much money on the top 10

4) I would have taken more psychology, anthropology and sociology classes. I did some of this already, but I think the big money is in taking a lot of the work that's been done in the other social sciences and incorporating it into economic analysis.

[hotlulu]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA in Econ; Unknown Asian private university

Undergrad GPA: 3.86/4.0

 

Type of Grad(1): MA in International Studies; Unknown Asian private university

Grad GPA: 3.8/4.0

 

Type of Grad(2): MA in Econ; US private university with PhD program (top 50ish ranked)

Grad GPA: 3.9/4.0

 

GRE: Q760(ouch!), V710, A3.5

 

Math Courses: Calc lll (A), Linear Algebra (A), Intro Real Analysis(A), ODE (A), PDE (IP); all taken in the US

Econ Courses (grad-level): Monetary Econ, Macro, Math Econ, …

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): a whole bunch of them. (most of ‘em A’s)

Other Courses: Some philosophy and history classes, but not significant

Letters of Recommendation: one from math prof. and two from econ prof’s.

I believe all of them are good enough and honestly they won’t play a crucial role…

 

Research Experience: two semesters as a RA, two months as a junior researcher at a national econ policy institute

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: Macroeconomics - Inequality and Development

SOP: Nothing special I think

Concerns: Low GRE Quant, Not so strong math backgrounds.

 

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: ASU(5yr TA/RAship), Indiana(waitlisted for 5yr assistantship – Declined), GWU (22K TAship) Rutgers (No financial aid – dafuq?)

Waitlists: Purdue (shortlisted – declined)

Rejections: JHU, UMD, ND, Pitt

Pending: CUNY

 

 

Attending: ASU!

 

 

Comments: I am very excited about the result! Given my weak mathematical backgrounds and low GRE quant, I have to say that I was incredibly lucky during this noisy and random process.

 

What would you have done differently?

1) Definitely I would have taken more math (grad level analysis and probability) courses.

2) A MS in Applied Math might have been more attractive and helpful (!) I was placed so many constraints on taking enough math courses while fulfilling the econ requirement. (Honestly, I was afraid to start a math MS program without being exposed to any formal training in college level math.)

3) I should have NOT been so afraid about studying math! Turned out math is really interesting (not that I fully understand things in math) and is only a language through which research is conducted.

 

Don’t be afraid and start doing it!

And thanks so much for the TMers for sharing priceless information!

Edited April 9, 2013 by hotlulu
updated

[bioecon]

Type of Undergrad: Economics Major (honors), Math Minor at a Large State University with a PhD program ranked 80+

Undergrad GPA: 3.96

Type of Grad: just a few courses

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: 163Q 154V 4.0 AW

Math Courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A), Calc 3 (A), Linear Algebra (A), Differential Eqns (A), Statistical Methods (A), Multiple Regression Analysis (current), Intro to Analysis (current)

Econ Courses (grad-level): Quantitative Methods (A), Natural Resource Economics (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro (A-), Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Natural Resource Economics (A), Environmental Economics (A), History of Economic Thought (A)

Other Courses: NA

Letters of Recommendation: 2 from Professors that I RA'd for and had undergrad Econ courses with. 1 Professor from grad-level econ course. All were unknown AREC professors but were probably very strong

Research Experience: Worked as a research assistant in the AREC department at my school, Senior honors thesis

Teaching Experience: NA

Research Interests: Energy Econ, Environmental, Economics of Invasive Species, water economics, non-market valuation

SOP: Emphasized research experience and interests

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Arizona ($$), Wyoming ($$), UC Davis ARE M.S (.5$), Duke MA

Waitlists:

Rejections: Colorado, Maryland AREC, UC Davis ARE PhD, UBC MA

Pending: Colorado State MS (withdrew)

Attending: Arizona

Comments: Excited to be heading to Tucson in the fall!

 

What would you have done differently?

There is definitely a lot I would do differently if I had to do it again. I was very rushed in this entire process because I was originally scared away from applying to PhD programs by a foreign econometrics professor that didn't really know me very well. After being discouraged by this certain professor I was planning to do an MS at my current (low ranked) school After taking two grad econ courses last semester and performing well, I was encouraged to apply this year. I am happy I was able to apply to as many places a I did, but was constrained to schools with deadlines in January or later. I also had barely any time to study for the GRE (couldn't study at all for the verbal). Bottom line, it is important to get the opinion of multiple professors before deciding where and when you should apply. This certain professor I talked to was really out of the loop and seriously thought that every single person that enters a PhD program already has a masters degree.

 

My results were quite varied, but I think I aimed at the correct range of schools. The largest weaknesses in my application were my GRE scores, the rank of my undergrad institution, and the fact that my LORS were from unknown profs (lack of math too, but this was not as much of a concern for my targeted range). The GRE problem could have easily been mitigated by a few more weeks of studying. Although this board insists that verbal scores don't matter too much, I am fairly certain that CU Boulder rejected me because of my low verbal score. I also think a 165 on the quantitative section may have put me in the game at Maryland AREC.

 

In the end, I'm happy with how my results turned out. I originally imagined myself in an AREC department but I think Arizona is rising in environmental and I believe they will help me get to where I want to be as an economist.

[synthxdill]

Type of Undergrad: Economics Major, Math Minor, Top 50 research uni (not top 50 econ)

Undergrad GPA: 3.5

Type of Grad: none

Grad GPA:

GRE: 166Q 167V 3.5 AW

Math Courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A), Calc 3 ©, Linear Algebra (A), Differential Eqns (pending), Intro. to Probability (B), Statistical Inference (pending), Real Analysis (A-)

Econ Courses (grad-level):

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Micro (A), Intro Macro (A), intermed micro (A), intermed macro (A), Econometrics (B), Economics Statistics (A-), Environmental Economics (pending), Labor Economics (pending), Game Theory (A), Mathematical Econ (A), Applied Econometrics (A), Health Economics (A-)

Other Courses: who cares... medical ethics? (A)

Letters of Recommendation: Three great people whom I owe a lot to.

Research Experience: worked as an RA in and NSF sponsored program for over a year, with multiple professors.

Teaching Experience: Unofficially TA'd, didn't really mention it. Tutored some calc 1-2

Research Interests: Labor, Health, Human Capital, Public

SOP: stated my purposes and such

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: UC Davis, CU Boulder, U Pitt, UBC Masters

Waitlists: UT Austin, U Washington

Rejections: Maryland, Michigan, Duke, Boston U, Boston C, Penn State

Pending:

Attending: UC Davis

Comments: I'm very happy with this outcome. It works out well for my significant other as well. I gathered an obscene amount of information and I am quite sure this is the correct decision.

 

What would you have done differently?

 

Well, Idk. My failures in my first two years of undergrad were great life experiences. Nothing sets you right more than failure, and the fact that I remained "on schedule" for a phd in economics and was accepted into great schools implies I didn't exactly crash and burn. No, it just took me a while to find what I really wanted out of school. I plan to make the most of my curiosity and ability, and I hope anyone reading this has those intentions as well. Curiosity and passion is what a ph.d. is all about, in my opinion, and if you are going for other reasons, step back and ask yourself is it worth it? For me, this is worth any opportunity cost. Cheers!

[srb1221]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Dual degrees in Finance and Poly Sci. (with a whole slew of engineering courses – I changed majors after 3 years). Top 40 undergrad.

Undergrad GPA: 3.05

Type of Grad: MA in Financial Economics at a non-ranked local state school

Grad GPA: 3.93

GRE: 165Q / 160V / 4.0 AWA

Math Courses: Calc III (A), Diff. Eq (A), Linear Algebra (A), Probability and Statistics (A), Data Mining-Grad (A), Statistical Computing-Grad (A), Math Statistics-Grad (A), Real Analysis (B)

[Note: In 2003-2004 as an engineering student, I took calc I, II and III (A,C,B respectively) and Diff Eq ©, Matrices (A) and Grad-Level Advanced Engineering Math (B), but re-took the courses from Calc III and up during my Grad program – and boy had I forgotten a lot!]

Econ Courses (grad-level): Quantitative Methods (A), Micro Theory (A), Macro Theory (A), Financial Markets and Institutions (A), Public Finance (A), Econometrics (A), Time-Series (A), International Trade (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro Principles (B), Macro Principles ©, International Finance (D)

[note: obviously I wasn’t trying to be an economist at this point- back in 2007. Also, the D is only because I thought the final was 3 hours later than it actually was…I had an A going into it.]

Other Courses: Grad Advanced Financial Analysis (A) Grad Securities Analysis (A), Grad Financial Management (A), OK grades in engineering courses (~3.4 average).

Letters of Recommendation: Stellar recommendation letters, 3 from econ, but with a couple math professors if needed. Two of the Econ professors still publish often and graduated from top 40 econ schools. However, the school I’m at isn’t fantastic, so definitely a disadvantage in that sense. When I sat down with a DGS from one of the T50 schools that admitted me, I was told that I picked great people to write my LORs. Granted, n=1, but it was still good to hear.

Research Experience: Senior thesis using econometric techniques to study campaign finance. 1^st year research paper on crime stats in Grad. Will be doing Grad-thesis in spring

Teaching Experience: Grad assistantship including tutoring for micro, macro, and stats. Also tutored finance courses through a different dept. Teaching Macro Principles in the Fall. Teaching Micro in the Spring

Research Interests: Macro/Metrics/Financial

SOP: Standard

Concerns: Terrible undergrad grades!!!!!!! Need to find a school to look past that. Also, I should have done more research during my first year in grad school.

RESULTS: ($ = 10k, rounded down)

Acceptances: UC-Irvine ($$), NCState (WL for funding), Kansas ($), Mizzou (WL for funding), Clemson ($$), WVU($)

Waitlists: UNC (but it was the "you'll never get off the waitlist" waitlist)

Rejections: UVa, Iowa, Vandy, WUSTL, Indiana, Notre Dame

Pending: OSU (implicit rej.), Washington (implicit rej.), UGA

Attending: UC-Irvine

Comments: Super happy with UCI. I visited a lot of the schools I got into, and UCI was hands down the best "fit" for my interests, career goals and personality. NC State was also a pretty good fit, but it was easy to see the UCI was continuing to invest in their program. I was told that during the NCState visit, but they seemed to rely a lot on the "you can take classes for macro at Duke" effect. Also, because I had a masters degree, I would have only been eligible for 4 years of funding at NCState. Also, my "best" LOR writer graduated from UCI, and it happened to be the only T50 school I got into with funding....make of that what you will.

 

What would you have done differently?

I'm going to comment on the parts of my application I still had control over when I realized I wanted to do a PhD (after my first semester in my 2 year master's program).

- Firstly, I would have taken Discrete Math (my school's Intro to Proofs) in the Spring (instead of Data Mining). This would have helped me immensely when I went on to take Real Analysis (where I got a B, and I struggled for that).

- Secondly, I would have started research a lot earlier on my thesis, so I had more to talk about in my SOP. I had just developed the topic, and was still in data collection phase when I wrote the SOP.

- Thirdly, I would have spent A LOT MORE TIME on my SOP. I don't really know if it made the difference, but with my checkered profile, any little bad signal could be enough to trash my app. I was just so exhausted by the SOP writing phase that my writing quality and substance was probably lacking.

- Fourthly, I would have tried again with the GRE. I spent all my time prepping for the Quantitative that I basically took the verbal and analytical writing cold. I think I could have upped my Quant score a bit more, and significantly improved my verbal and AWA scores.

- Fifthly, I would have done more research on schools/faculty/strengths. Halfway into February, I realized there were some schools I should have applied to but didn't, and also that I shouldn't have applied to some of the one's I did.

- Finally, I probably would have opted NOT to teach my own courses this year. They took A LOT of time and energy out me during the process and during Real Analysis studying. I don't know this for sure, but I bet my teaching experience wasn't a deciding factor in applications.

Again, super happy with UCI, but I probably could have done better knowing what I know now. But then again, who couldn't? (well...except for those Harvard and MIT admits...I guess you technically couldn't do better!)

Edited April 9, 2013 by srb1221

[Catrina]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Econ/math at top-100 public university with no econ PhD. No +/- grading

Undergrad GPA: 3.6 (from current school, higher if grades from all schools are averaged)

Type of Grad: Courses in Economic Policy Analysis MA

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: 165Q/164V/5.0AWA

Math Courses: Calc I,II,II (A, B, B), Stat for engineers (B), Linear Algebra (A), DiffEq (A), Real analysis I (A), Game theory (B), Probability theory (B)

Econ Courses: Intro Micro/Macro (A, CLEP), Intermediate micro/macro (A,A), Undergrad Econometrics (B), Cost-benefit analysis (A), Economics of Innovation and technology (A), Grad micro/macro (A,A), Grad econometrics I (A)

Other Courses: Intro comp sci, Honors' program, Certificate in instructional technology from another school

Letters of Recommendation:Thesis adviser/grad micro professor (Maryland PhD), Director of grad program (Chicago PhD), Intermediate micro professor/ academic adviser (Hopkins PhD)

Research Experience: Senior thesis (then still in process), Internship at the BLS

Teaching Experience: Tutoring

Research Interests: Applied micro

SOP: I think it was good

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: George Washington (no $)

Waitlists: U Washington (no $)

Rejections: HBS, Minnesota, UCLA, UCSD, Carnegie Mellon, U Pittsburgh, Hopkins, Maryland, Boston College (implicit), Columbia, NYU

Pending:

Attending: Finishing the MA program at my current school, then trying again

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently? I would have taken some economics courses at a school with a higher-ranked econ PhD program and applied to more schools ranked 20-50

[to2012]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA Economics. Flagship state school. Roughly top 50 econ./top 100 overall.

Undergrad GPA: ~3.1 overall, ~3.1 Econ.

Type of Grad: U.S. M.A. Economics

Grad GPA: ~3.9

GRE: 800Q/790V/5.0 AWA

Math Courses (undergrad-level): Calculus I (HS), Calculus II (A), Calculus III (A), Linear Algebra (A), ODE (A), Proofs (A), Introduction to Real Analysis I (A), Introduction to Real Analysis II (A-)

Math Courses (grad-level): Real Analysis I (A), Real Analysis II (spring), Numerical Analysis I (A), Linear Algebra (A), Probability (A), PDE (B+. Just a brutal course for someone with, at the time, no analysis)

Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro (A), Macro (A), Metrics I (A-), Metrics II (A-), Forecasting (A), Math Econ (B+), Literature Elective (A), Literature Elective (A), Thesis (A-)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Not an impressive record here. We'll leave it at that.

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: I certainly think that they should be very positive. I know all three quite well, worked for them in various capacities, and have been assured that the letters are very positive.

Research Experience: About 15 months of RA experience. I have an MA thesis.

Teaching Experience: I taught an undergraduate math econ course this summer. I TAd for about a year and a half.

Research Interests: All over the place.

SOP: Pretty standard.

Concerns: I applied last cycle and wasn't happy with my results. I have fewer reaches this year and a lot more schools in the 30 to 50 range. My undergraduate grades are bad. I did well in my Master's program but not perfectly. I have an extra two semesters of pretty good grades to submit this time, though. We'll see.

Other: I took all of my math while I was doing my M.A. econ. If I do receive an admit that I like, this will have been my saving grace.

Applying to: Berkeley ARE, Wisconsin, Cornell, Duke, Maryland, Virginia, Boston College, Vanderbilt, Davis, North Carolina, Arizona, Arizona State, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Colorado, USC, Santa Cruz, Riverside.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Arizona ($), ASU ($), USC ($), Riverside ($), Davis (w/l $), UNC (w/l $, withdrew), Colorado (w/l $, withdrew), Santa Cruz (no funding)

Waitlists: BC ($ if admitted, withdrew), Vanderbilt ($ if admitted, withdrew)

Rejections: Wisconsin, Maryland, Cornell, Berkeley ARE, Duke, Virginia, UCSB

Pending: Irvine

Attending: Arizona

Comments: Happy with results

What would you have done differently?

Oh man. My undergrad. GPA is really, really bad both in econ and in general. This cost me both in the obvious reason and by negatively impacting my MA GPA a little bit on the front end due to under-preparation. I think in a different world where I cared about school when I was an undergraduate student, I probably can crack the top ten.

 

My MA performance wasn't perfect, either. I should not have taken an advanced PDE course without real analysis first. I should not have taken the two aforementioned courses in the same semester as my MA paper. I should have taken linear algebra before starting the MA.

 

The bottom line is that I think that I did about as well as can be reasonably expected for someone with bad undergraduate grades who also didn't really have academic designs even upon starting my MA. There is lots to talk about here but I believe ultimately that I am fantastically prepared from a math perspective and that the institution at which I did my MA was really great. I feel that I am in a good position to excel in graduate school.

[el gato tango]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: top 40 Research University - ​Applied Math, Minors in Econ & Poli Sci

Undergrad GPA: 3.5

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: 163/163/6.0

Math Courses: Calc I, Calc II, Calc III, Diff EQ, Numerical Analysis, Discrete Math, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra, Complex Analysis, Number Theory, Knot Theory, Real Analysis I, Real Analysis II, Crypto, Probability Theory, Math Modelling, Parallel Computing, Couple of research seminars.

Econ Courses (grad-level): N/A

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Prin of Macro, Prin of Micro, Healthcare Econ, Monetary Econ, International Trade/Finance, Public Finance

Other Courses: Physics through QM & relativity, lots of PoliSci, lots of computer science

Letters of Recommendation: 1 Economist (highly regarded, good relationship with him), 2 Applied Mathematicians (with whom I did research), all from top Universities

Research Experience: Paper on International Trade & Exchange Rates with heavy use of mathematical models & differential equations

Teaching Experience: No classroom experience, but tutored some freshman engineering/math courses, and ran town halls for Healthcare reform, which is kind of similar

Research Interests: Monetary Economics, Public Finance

SOP: Explaining why I want to do Econ with such a varied background, trying to tie in lots of experiences and such to explain why I would both succeed in and be committed to, the program.

Concerns: Not enough econ, especially Intermediate theory courses (I picked up a lot taking advanced courses, but this is a hole in my app), though my Econ recommend-er told me not to worry based on coursework for him. Not the best grades in Probability & Abstract Algebra, overall a pretty low GPA for most of these programs.

Other: Not totally related, but Political Candidate (for State Rep, won my primary!, notsomuch in the general), also 2 years as a financial software engineer for a top/recognizable firm. And lots of Finance/Asset Pricing courses from local profs & traders offered by my company.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: USC($)

Waitlists:Ohio St

Rejections: Boston University, Boston College, Notre Dame, Illinois, Indiana

Pending:N/A

Attending: USC

Comments: in Highlander there could only be one...in econ PhD applying all it takes is one. So I'm happy.

 

What would you have done differently?

There are a lot of obvious ways that, had I known from day 1 of college I wanted to do a PhD in econ, I could have improved my profile greatly and probably would have gotten into higher ranked schools. There are plenty of places on this forum and elsewhere to have those items laid out so I won't belabor the point. Personally I wouldn't have done anything differently, I am happy with my results and am sure that my experiences (however unrelated to what adcoms want to see) will serve me well going forward.

 

Edited April 11, 2013 by el gato tango
Put Ohio St in the wrong category

[kjjykmecon]

Type of Undergrad: top 100 US university

Undergrad GPA:3.95

Type of Grad:NA

Grad GPA:NA

GRE:Q800 V620 AW4.0

Math Courses: Calculus 1-3, Linear Algebra, Stats and Prob, Stats 2, Real Analysis 1&2, Differential Equation, Topology, Game theory (Straight A's) Actuarial Math(A-)

Econ Courses: Intro and Intermediate Macro&Micro, Econometrics, Latin American econ, Health econ, Money and Banking

Other Courses:bunch b-school/finance classes

Letters of Recommendation: Two from econ professors I RAed before, not famous, but they gave excellent words to me. I asked two math professors to write the rest one, I had reading class of Topology with one of them. I have been a grader for them for more than 2 years.

Research Experience: RAed with four professors in the dep. Have one coauthored paper with one, currently resubmitted and under review.

Teaching Experience: Tutor for intro&intermediate Macro and Micro, and several math class

Research Interests: in my SOP the two major fields are trade/development, and experimental/ IO. but Actually my interest is very broad, or not really specific now

SOP: not special, talked about research, interested fields and future plan

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: OSU($),Notre Dame($), UT Knoxville($), Indiana($), UMD($), UI chicago($), Georgia State($), Carnegie Mellon($), Oregon(declined before funding) NCSU( waitlist for funding) George Washington

Waitlists: UNC

Rejections: UW Madison, Cornell, Duke, Rochester, UV, BC, Pittsburgh, Purdue, George Mason

Comments: I am very happy with this result. Before I always complained that my department is small and has neither big names nor graduate program. But this result shows that if one from a humble school just did what she or he needs to do, including good GPA/GRE/TOEFL, RA/Research experience, get recommenders to write nice letters, and apply to a broader range of schools, she or he will get good result. One professor in GSU said to visiting students that being a good economist doesn't need to be genius, but requires hard working. I think this is applicable to graduate school application. BTW small department has its strength too. All my professors helped me in the process and their advice gives me point of views from both employer and employee sides of the econ job market and the econ profession as whole. Also, since I was the ONLY RA and I worked for 4 ppl in the department, I was lucky to touch various researches in different fields. I am genuinely grateful for my experience in such a department. Last thing, TM is awesome. Meeting nicknames in real life visit is very exciting. I wouldn't have such good results without this forum :-D

What would you have done differently? Nothing really

Edited May 7, 2013 by tm_member

[WilliamD]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA Top 10 Liberal Arts School - Double Major in Math and Econ

Undergrad GPA: 3.95

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: 169Q 167V 5.0AWA

Math Courses: Calc 3 (A), Linear Algebra (A), Probability(A-), Statistical Inference(A), Real Analysis I(A), Stochastic Processes(A), Real Analysis II(A), Differential Equations(A), Abstract Algebra (IP), Monte Carlo Methods (IP)

Econ Courses: Intro(A), Intermediate Micro(A), Intermediate Macro(A), Corporate Finance(A-), Accounting(A), Advanced Micro(A), Advanced Macro(A), Independent Study Time Series Econometrics (A), Econometrics(A), Game Theory(A)

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: One Econ Professor I have taken 2 classes with, TA'd three semesters for, done research with, and was also my thesis adviser, I know this was an extremely strong letter. One Econ Professor I've done a lot of research with as well for a research institute at my school, worked over the summer for him, also a very strong letter. Another Econ Professor whom I did an independent study project with (currently still working on the paper with his coauthor) as well as worked for over a summer, I think it was a strong letter but I don't really know.

Research Experience: Undergrad Thesis in Economics. Undergrad Thesis in Math. Spent a summer and three semesters working for a research institute on campus doing forecasting work. Independent study paper with a Professor constructing an SVAR to model prices and inflation rates during different exchange rate regimes.

Teaching Experience: 3 semesters TA'ing Intro Econ, 2 Semesters TA'ing Intermediate Micro, 1 Semester TA'ing Econometrics, 1 Semester TA'ing Real Analysis

Research Interests: Not certain yet, thinking maybe health economics/applied micro, but no where near sure.

SOP: Fairly standard, talked about the above. I think it was at least well written so maybe that helped.

Other: I had a lot of help with my applications. In addition to the three Professors who wrote letters for me, I had about 4 other faculty advising me and helping me on my applications throughout the process as well as making calls on my behalf to departments. Also my parents are very active so they made sure I stayed on top of things. I think I was really fortunate in that area.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Stanford ($$$), UPenn($$), Duke($$), Wisconsin($$), UCLA($$)

Waitlists: None

Rejections: Harvard, Princeton, Chicago, MIT, Yale, Northwestern, NYU, Columbia, Michigan, Wash U in St Louis, Berkeley

Pending: None

Attending: Stanford

Comments: Really happy with how everything turned out, I think I got really lucky in this incredibly random process.

 

What would you have done differently?

I'm quite happy with how things turned out, there's nothing in particular I would have done differently.

[Woobs]

Type of Undergrad: BS (cum laude) in Mechanical Engineering from a public research university

Undergrad GPA: 3.84

Type of Grad: MS in Environmental Economics with a graduate minor in Statistics from a second-tier ARE program

Grad GPA: 3.96

GRE: 170Q, 165V, 4.5AW

Math Courses: Calculus 1-3, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Intro to Proofs, Real Analysis 1-3 (all A's)

Econ Courses (grad-level): All at the Master's level - Microeconomics 1-2, Econometrics, Linear Optimization, Benefit-Cost Analysis, Development Economics, Finance and Risk Analysis, Futures and Options Markets (all A's); Resource Economics, International Trade, Research Methods (all A-'s)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Principles of Macroeconomics, International Trade (all A's)

Other Courses: For my graduate minor in Statistics - Probability Theory, Theory of Statistical Analysis, Regression Analysis, Nonparametric Statistics (all A's)

Letters of Recommendation: Two from fellows (PhD from Michigan and PhD from Boston Coll., both well-known in field) for whom I RA, should be strong and attest to my research abilities. One from my MS advisor (PhD from Yale ARE, well-known in field), should also be strong and probably focused more on academics.

Research Experience: I am currently an RA at an academic research institute in DC. I have co-authored six publications in second-tier energy/environmental econ journals with a few more in the pipeline. I also wrote a Master's thesis.

Teaching Experience: As an undergrad I TA'd an undergrad Engineering Physics lab for two years.

Research Interests: Energy, environmental, public, IO

SOP: Should be pretty standard. I'll discuss my general research interests and the academic and professional experiences that have developed those interests and prepared me for graduate school

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: UC Berkeley ARE ($), Harvard Pub. Pol. ($), Michigan Econ & Pub. Pol. ($), Cornell ($), Duke ($), UC San Diego ($), Maryland ($), UC Davis ARE ($), Maryland ARE ($), Duke UPEP ($)

Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale

Attending: UC Berkeley ARE

Comments: I think it’s interesting that there was absolutely no noise at all in my results. I was shut out (not even waitlisted) by top 10 econ departments, but I was accepted with funding everywhere else. I don’t know if I’ve seen anyone else whose results were quite so clear cut.

 

What would you have done differently?

I’m really not sure. I took a long and circuitous route to get to where I am now, so it is difficult to say what exactly has made me an attractive PhD candidate and where my application might have been lacking. Obviously some more math and/or PhD-level econ courses would have made me a stronger applicant, but I don’t know if it would have been enough to get me into top 10 econ departments. And if not, then they would not have been worth it.

Even though I did not get into any of the top 10 departments, I’m very glad that I applied to some. Getting in to all the other programs, I would have always wondered if I could have cracked the top 10, so I’m glad to know for sure. For anyone who thinks they are likely to be competitive at top 20 departments, I highly recommend trying for one or two schools at the top. It might be a waste of $200, but I think it’s worth it to know for sure that you’ve paced at the appropriate level and remove the “what if…”

All that said, I don’t even know if a top 10 department would have been best for me. And maybe that’s the #1 thing I’ve learned – just because Harvard and MIT are the best departments in general, they may not necessarily be the best departments for a specific person. Ultimately, I think I ended up at the best program for my interests, and I am very excited to get started in the fall!