Santigarza Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hello! How are you all? As we wait, it could be a good idea to share which are your favourite programs and why did you choose them? I know many of you applied to top programs but, sometimes, others may be the more appealing. Those reasons may be the faculty, that it is close to home, recent research topics, nice academic environment, strength on related departments... you name it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantinity Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I applied to 25 programs in top-40, including several of the very top ones. I mentioned game theory as my primary research interest, and added a subfield I'm interested in tailored to each school (like mechanism design, auctions, bargaining, contracts, etc). Still, the school I am most interested in is not Harvard, but Boston College, which has Utku Unver and Tayfun Sonmez. I'm crazy into matching theory, and it is not as popular as I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undecidedman Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I applied to 25 programs in top-40, including several of the very top ones. I mentioned game theory as my primary research interest, and added a subfield I'm interested in tailored to each school (like mechanism design, auctions, bargaining, contracts, etc). Still, the school I am most interested in is not Harvard, but Boston College, which has Utku Unver and Tayfun Sonmez. I'm crazy into matching theory, and it is not as popular as I expected. you're not seriously saying you would take BC over a top 5, are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantinity Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 you're not seriously saying you would take BC over a top 5, are you? Probably not top-5, but then again I don't think I'm getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm_member Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I applied to 25 programs in top-40, including several of the very top ones. I mentioned game theory as my primary research interest, and added a subfield I'm interested in tailored to each school (like mechanism design, auctions, bargaining, contracts, etc). Still, the school I am most interested in is not Harvard, but Boston College, which has Utku Unver and Tayfun Sonmez. I'm crazy into matching theory, and it is not as popular as I expected. Matching theory isn't as popular as you expected, or BC, or Harvard??? It's not clear! I'm assuming you mean matching theory though... I'm sure you know that a lot of that kind of work is done in other disciplines (such as Operations Research). In fact, few people realize Al Roth doesn't have a PhD in Economics. It kind of surprises me that his work on matching won a nobel. Not that someone who isn't an economist can't win a nobel but the work is definitely more engineering/computational/mathematical game theory/OR. It can be hard at times to relate that work to other areas of economics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I will be applying in December, but I feel like I can contribute to this discussion. I grew up and went to school in the same state, so I am looking to experience something totally different for grad school. As a result, I am looking to go either to the west or east coast. My initial preferences have been guided heavily by geographical preferences (I don't want super cold). So, California or an east coast school that's not too far north would be killer. That being said, due to hearing great things about the programs at Northwestern and Wisconsin, I will definitely be sending applications there. They are excellent schools and probably worth suffering through the cold for a while. As I have become more aware of the process and of the many great schools there are, my geographic preferences have weakened, but they are definitely still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santigarza Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 I will also tell my story! I am an international applicant (from Uruguay). I have been out of school for 4 years. So, I am a bit older than most of you. I have had some experience in research and now I am working at the Central Bank of Uruguay, at the Research Department. I have got an almost perfect GPA (just undergraduate) and got a decent Q 165, V 162 and AWA 4.0 (I think I wrote toooooo much). Normal math background, I guess. I tried to diversify as much as I could. In the end I applied to 13 programs in the States and 6 in Europe. My dream Program is Columbia (Uribe, Calvo, Stiglitz, Clarida, Mundell, Phelps, Reis, Steinsson, Woodford, Mishki, etc. - Yeah, I am a Macro guy-). The geographic factor is there too. I would certainly love to live in NY -even though it would be extremely expensive-. So yes, this is my favourite. Well, NYU is almost the same. But, I do not have a rational explanation, I prefer Columbia. Despite this fact, I would also love some other of my picks. To start with, I have applied to CEMFI, in Spain. The program seems very rigorous. The Faculty is great. I love Madrid and have relatives there. Also, I would not have any trouble with the language and I am an Italian citizen, so no Visa needed. In the States I have also found really interesting UC Santa Cruz (I love Walsh's work, even though he is old) and Houston (growing Department). In the last one there is a friend as Assistant Professor who could help me a lot to install in the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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