One More Profile Evaluation (2015)

[jormun]

Hi everybody-- Long time/first time :orange:

 

I'm planning on applying for the 2015 cycle. I'm hoping to apply to T20 schools on the suggestion of my professor, but I was hoping to get a broader response to my profile. I've done well in my relevant coursework, but I'm concerned that my undergraduate university ranking might be held against me, and that my calculus courses might be discounted because I took them at community colleges. I only started taking math after I finished university, but I feel like I've made up some ground.

 

If anyone has an idea of what schools I ought to look at for safeties I'd really appreciate it. Many thanks!

 

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA in Economics at Public University (T40 Economics) (T100 overall)

Undergrad GPA: 3.86/4.00

Type of Grad:

Grad GPA:

GRE: 170Q 162V 5.0AWA

Math Courses: (All A's) Calc 1, Calc 2,3 (Community College), Linear Algebra, Probability, Diff Eq (Community College), Real Analysis (Currently Enrolled)

Econ Courses (grad-level): NA

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): (All A's) Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Comparative Economic Systems, International Economics, Development Economics, Econometrics, Advanced Micro, Transportation Economics

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: 1) Professor at my university: I worked for the prof as an RA, and has been pushing me hard toward a PhD, so should be a strong letter.

2) Professor at my university: I took this prof's senior seminar and he recommended me for an award recognizing the top undergraduates in the economics department

3) Boss at think tank: Have worked closely with him for the past year and a half, co-authored paper.

4) Boss at think tank: Also worked with him for the past year and a half, though not as closely. But I co-authored the same paper with this boss.

Research Experience: 1 year as RA at my university and working for a labor think tank, 2 years at a DC based think tank working on retirement and economic growth

Teaching Experience: Economics tutor at my university for 2 years

Research Interests: Public Economics, Applied Micro

SOP: Focus on my research experience and the work I've done catching up on Math Courses since graduating college

Concerns: Not coming from a very highly ranked undergraduate institution, calc courses at community college, maybe still not enough math

Other:

Applying to: NSF, Harvard, Harvard Kennedy (Public Policy PhD), MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, U Penn, Wharton Applied Econ PhD, NYU, Michigan, Wisconsin, UCLA, UC San Diego, Brown, Duke

Edited October 21, 2014 by jormun
Edited to make LoRs more specific