preps Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Hello all! Thanks for the informations, it is very helpful. I am from France and I am applying for 2 PhD programs in Economics, one in Hong Kong (HKUST) and one in Singapore (NUS). Do you think I have my chance? Type of Undergrad: preparation classes ('classes preparatoires') + BSc in Mathematics Applied to Social Sciences at Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne Undergrad GPA: around B, not really relevant in France (the relevant point is more your school name than your grades) Type of Grad: Master in Management at ESCP Europe (one of the best business schools in France and in Europe, ranked 2nd worldwide in the FT global masters in management ranking since 2011), MSc in Applied Mathematics to Economics & Finance at Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, MPhil in Economics & Public Policy at Sciences Po, Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE (triple degree including the 3 best universities in Economics in France). I did all these degree in 3 years. It is possible to do this in France. Grad GPA: B GRE: Q 161 V159 AW 4 TOEFL : 100 Math Courses: Integration Theory, Time Series, Optimisation Theory, Algebra (linear and bilinear)... I think it is fine since I have a BSc and MSc in Applied Mathematics Econ Courses (grad-level): Macroeconomics (Intro & Advanced), Microeconomics (Intro & Advanced), Econometrics (Intro & Advanced), Industrial Organisation, International Trade, International Economics Econ Courses (undergrad-level): no undergrad in Econ Other Courses: Corporate Finance (Intro & Advanced), M&A, Political Sciences, Public Law, all core courses in Management Letters of Recommendation: one from a teacher of Ecole Polytechnique and CNRS researcher, one of a teacher of ESCP Europe (the daughter of the previous FMI managing director..). The two of them were also my thesis supervisors. Research Experience: 3 master theses and nomination for the best master thesis of Ecole Polytechnique Teaching Experience: only private lessons Research Interests: Applied Macroeconomics, Financial Economics, Development Economics (for Asian countries) SOP: not yet, it should be fine. I will talk about specifically why I want to go back in Asia (6-month internship in HK) Concerns: low GRE, grades not very high (like I said it is not really relevant in France), my universities are not very famous abroad? Other: relevant internships in M&A in a bulge bracket, internship as a macro research analyst in a hedge fund in Hong Kong, internship with policy makers at the French Minister for Economy and Finance. Full scholarship by merit for my MPhil Applying to: PhD in Economics at NUS and at HKUST I am bit worried about my GRE Quant score but I have a undergrad and grad in Applied Maths. What do you think? Thanks a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalom Ichthys Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 The competition for Ph.D. admission in HKUST is really tough, and it's a theory school indeed. Well, you have to be math competent to survive the rigorous training in the first year and onwards. Have you done anything like economic proofs before in your masters' programme? After all, may you justify why HKUST is your cup of tea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZYX Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 If you're applying to HKUST and NUS you may as well apply to HKU and CUHK, which also appear to be good economics faculties. Out of interest do lots of hedge funds offer positions (permanent or internships) involving macro topics? If you do not mind me asking what hedge fund did you do your internship at? What aspects of macro were you working in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preps Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 If you're applying to HKUST and NUS you may as well apply to HKU and CUHK, which also appear to be good economics faculties. Out of interest do lots of hedge funds offer positions (permanent or internships) involving macro topics? If you do not mind me asking what hedge fund did you do your internship at? What aspects of macro were you working in? You will find permanent graduate positions n big "macro hedge funds" like NML Capital, Aurelius. For internships, it is easier, you can also include smaller hedge funds. I mostly worked on analyses of economic public policies and their consequences for the fund's investment strategy. The competition for Ph.D. admission in HKUST is really tough, and it's a theory school indeed. Well, you have to be math competent to survive the rigorous training in the first year and onwards. Have you done anything like economic proofs before in your masters' programme? After all, may you justify why HKUST is your cup of tea? Yes I think maths will be ok. I have a MSc in Applied Mathematics and all the economic core courses of my MSc in Economics were taught at Ecole Polytechnique with a strong quantitative orientation. Ecole Polytechnique is an engineering school which trains maybe ones of the best mathematicians worldwide... (École Polytechnique - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) About HKUST, yes I can justify this choice thanks to my internship in Hong Kong and my fit with their research. Do you think my Quant GRE will be ok? I am really worried about this. I think 161 is unacceptable for the top10 US universities but for HKUST and NUS, what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chateauheart Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I think 161 is unacceptable for the top10 US universities but for HKUST and NUS, what do you think? It's still a bit low, but you have advanced math coursework so it's not a big factor. The competition for Ph.D. admission in HKUST is really tough, and it's a theory school indeed. It's not really a theory school. OP's interests actually fit right in. OP would be a non-traditional applicant in these two places (the vast majority of students are going to come from mainland China). This is most likely going to be an advantage overall due to convex preferences in cohort choice, but there's a substantial risk that your application will be ignored or undervalued at some places simply because people don't have prior experience with the French system and won't be bothered to learn about it to deal with one application. The suggestion to apply to a few more schools is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalom Ichthys Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 You will find permanent graduate positions n big "macro hedge funds" like NML Capital, Aurelius. For internships, it is easier, you can also include smaller hedge funds. I mostly worked on analyses of economic public policies and their consequences for the fund's investment strategy. Yes I think maths will be ok. I have a MSc in Applied Mathematics and all the economic core courses of my MSc in Economics were taught at Ecole Polytechnique with a strong quantitative orientation. Ecole Polytechnique is an engineering school which trains maybe ones of the best mathematicians worldwide... (École Polytechnique - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) About HKUST, yes I can justify this choice thanks to my internship in Hong Kong and my fit with their research. Do you think my Quant GRE will be ok? I am really worried about this. I think 161 is unacceptable for the top10 US universities but for HKUST and NUS, what do you think? I have no doubt on your quantitative skills, and I would suggest you to brush up the GRE Quant score. Well, for HKUST, have you considered their Ph.D. in Finance as well? Your industry exp. may help. If you happen to be in Hong Kong, perhaps you can join SBM's lunchtime seminar series to know some professors. Last of all, the Ph.D. program in Econ of HKUST doesn't admit too many students, though being a non-Chinese would be a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preps Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 I have no doubt on your quantitative skills, and I would suggest you to brush up the GRE Quant score. Well, for HKUST, have you considered their Ph.D. in Finance as well? Your industry exp. may help. If you happen to be in Hong Kong, perhaps you can join SBM's lunchtime seminar series to know some professors. Last of all, the Ph.D. program in Econ of HKUST doesn't admit too many students, though being a non-Chinese would be a plus. I thought about a PhD in Finance but actually I am not really interested in this research field even if I enjoyed my professional experience in finance. I think the two things are really different. Moreover, I took the GRE test another time and my new score is : Q168, V160 Do you think it is ok now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalom Ichthys Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I thought about a PhD in Finance but actually I am not really interested in this research field even if I enjoyed my professional experience in finance. I think the two things are really different. Moreover, I took the GRE test another time and my new score is : Q168, V160 Do you think it is ok now? I think it's good enough to go. They look at quant more than verbal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preps Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 Thank you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preps Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Hello, I got an offer from NUS and HKUST. I am waiting for HKU. Which is the best one between HKUST and HKU? Thank you again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalom Ichthys Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Hello, I got an offer from NUS and HKUST. I am waiting for HKU. Which is the best one between HKUST and HKU? Thank you again! Choose HKUST if you can for its better ranking and resources. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightfist Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Hey preps, congratulations of the offers! Which uni did you end up choosing? I'm planning to apply to similar universities, at least HKUST and HKU, for the PhD in Finance. I did my undergrad exchange at HKUST and have missed it ever since. Would you mind sharing some information or tips regarding the evaluation process? Is there anything in particular that they focus on? Also, I'm wondering wether you felt that you had an advantage being an international student? Unfortunately my profile is not as impressive as yours, but I do have a perfect master GPA (straight A) from a farily reputable university with quite a lot of extra coursework in maths that I've taken on the side by studying 200%. By the looks of it, I should also be able to attain a pretty decent GRE score (I believe something like V: 163, Q: 168 is reasonable). However, my undergrad degree leaves more to wish for and I don't have serious research experience as of yet, although I'm in contact with some professors regarding this. Letters of recommendation should not be a problem. I would be really grateful if you could provide some advice and wish you best of luck with your PhD. :distracted: Kind regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preps Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Hey preps, congratulations of the offers! Which uni did you end up choosing? I'm planning to apply to similar universities, at least HKUST and HKU, for the PhD in Finance. I did my undergrad exchange at HKUST and have missed it ever since. Would you mind sharing some information or tips regarding the evaluation process? Is there anything in particular that they focus on? Also, I'm wondering wether you felt that you had an advantage being an international student? Unfortunately my profile is not as impressive as yours, but I do have a perfect master GPA (straight A) from a farily reputable university with quite a lot of extra coursework in maths that I've taken on the side by studying 200%. By the looks of it, I should also be able to attain a pretty decent GRE score (I believe something like V: 163, Q: 168 is reasonable). However, my undergrad degree leaves more to wish for and I don't have serious research experience as of yet, although I'm in contact with some professors regarding this. Letters of recommendation should not be a problem. I would be really grateful if you could provide some advice and wish you best of luck with your PhD. :distracted: Kind regards Hello, I ended up choosing HKU, more convenient for me and more prestigious historically. The process was pretty normal I think, except only 2 referees and I had a Skype interview each time. For an international student, I think the key is to really explain why it's better for you to do your PhD in an Asian country vs. in the US. So my thesis proposal was Asian-specific, I mean the topic focused on some Asian economies and the universities to which I applied have teachers specialized in these economies. Being a French student was definitely a big advantage because it was really unusual for them and accepting this kind of student is a good way for them to improve their international reputation. Your profile looks good but your admission will also depend on the reputation of your current university, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightfist Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Hey, good choice on HKU and thanks a lot for your reply, will keep it in mind for the applications! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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