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Profiles and Results 2016


PortMeadow

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I thought I might as well already start this type of thread this year, as all decisions are out and made now, I guess.

 

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: UK Top 3 Econ programme

Undergrad GPA: First (Top 5 in the year)

Type of Grad: UK Top 3 Econ programme

Grad GPA: TBC (so far First level, Top 3 in the year)

GRE: 170Q, 169V, 5.5AW

Math Courses: none ... audited Real Analysis sequence and self-taught some prob and stats theory but nothing on transcripts

Econ Courses: UG: Intro & Intermediate Micro, Macro, Metrics, Advanced Game Theory (all >70); Grad: Micro, Macro, Metrics sequence (all >70), advanced micrometrics, macro, micro, IO (tbc)

Other Courses: politics and philosophy courses (~70 for most)

Letters of Recommendation: one top 50 Repec who liked me (RA'ed for him), one top 750 Repec who seems to like me to (thesis advisor), one business school prof not on repec (ugrad tutor)

Research Experience: master's thesis, one summer RA + paper project arising from this; could possibly call some of my industry internships vaguely research related

Teaching Experience: none

Research Interests: micro theory, behavioural, IO

SOP: stayed down to the facts: explained course system and contents, and described contents of research projects

Other: nothing

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: MIT (funding waitlisted, declined before decision known), Stanford (attending), Princeton, Chicago, Chicago Booth, Northwestern, UC San Diego, NYU, Columbia

Waitlists: Yale (declined before decision known)

Rejections: Harvard, HBS, HKS, Stanford GSB, UC Berkeley, Michigan Ann Arbor

Pending: ---

Attending: Stanford

Comments: my results are almost perfectly correlated with two of my class-mates who have very similar profiles in terms of courses, grades, LoRs, ... I hence have updated my prior about the randomness of the process away from what seems the consensus on this forum: the randomness is not person fixed effects (some are luckier than others) but institution fixed effects (some institutions like some TYPES of candidates more than other institutions), for example, this seems to be consistent with none of us three getting into Harvard but all into MIT.

 

What would you have done differently? Not spend ~$500 on applications to harvard schools. Maybe apply to fewer safeties.

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As might be obvious from what is to follow, PortMeadow and I have essentially the same profile :P (Yes, we are actually different people as becomes clear from the results!)

 

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: UK Top 2 Econ programme

Undergrad GPA: First (Top of the year)

Type of Grad: UK Top 2 Econ programme

Grad GPA: TBC (so far First level, Top 3 in the year)

GRE: 170Q, 169V, 5.5AW

Math Courses: Private Tuition in Real Analysis, Metric Spaces, Topology, Linear Algebra (all >70).

Econ Courses: UG: Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Intermediate Metrics, Game Theory, Microeconomic Theory, Mathematical Methods (all >70); Grad: Micro, Macro, Metrics sequence (all >70), advanced micrometrics, macro, micro, IO (tbc)

Other Courses: philosophy courses including advanced formal logic (all >70)

Letters of Recommendation: grad thesis supervisor (top 800 REPEC), undergraduate tutor who has known me for 5 years (top 6%), grad first-year supervisor (top 8%)

Research Experience: master's thesis; summer research assistantship at well-known UK think tank; month-long research assistantship for professor at uni

Teaching Experience: taught real analysis at uni

Research Interests: micro theory, finance

SOP: explained why I hate to take maths as private tuition, short description of RAships, that sorta thing

Other: one page explaining how UK grades work and how they differ from US grading systems

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Princeton, Northwestern, NYU, Oxford, LSE

Waitlists: MIT, Yale, UPenn

Rejections: Stanford, S-GSB, Harvard, Berkeley, Chicago, Booth, Columbia

Pending: ---

Attending: Princeton

Comments: I naturally agree with what PortMeadow said above. Institutions put varying weights on different criteria, but given those weights there is little randomness. Some variation is introduced for international applicants because the person evaluating your file needs to understand your grades; I suspect this was a problem at one of the above unis specifically (but don't think I should mention which).

 

What would you have done differently? I definitely should have gotten a recommendation letter from a higher-ranked / more well-known professor, even if it had cost me a summer of free RAing. Apart from that, I think it was all good.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: US Top 15 Econ Program

Undergrad GPA: 3.3

Type of Grad: US Top 15 Econ Program

Grad GPA: 3.8

GRE: 166Q, 163V, 5.0AW

Math Courses: Analysis (AB), Calc I/II/III, Linear Algebra and Diff. Eqs. (B).

Econ Courses: UG: Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Econometrics, Game Theory, Honors Thesis + a bunch of electives; Grad: Micro sequence (A/AB), Macro (A), Metrics sequence (A/A/A), PhD Micro I (AB), PhD Macro I (AB).

Other Courses: Physics/Econ double major in undergrad, so a bunch of physics courses.

Letters of Recommendation: Grad research advisor (brand name, very strong letter), PhD course professor (generic letter on performance in class, aced his test, etc - star prof.), Grad research professor (star professor, strong letter, wrote a paper for his course).

Research Experience: 2 projects in my masters; RA-ship under a brand name in the department; honors thesis in undergrad; Summer internship in my country involving fieldwork.

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: Labor, Public

SOP: Heavily focused on research experience, and outlined clear goals as to research. Basically, tried to convey that I knew what real economics research was and that I can do it.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Michigan

Waitlists: Maryland (Priority Waitlist)

Rejections: NWU, NYU, Penn, Columbia, Wisconsin, UCSD, UCLA, UT-Austin, Penn State, etc. etc.

Pending: Not really pending, but I had an interview with Rice, who knew I was into Michigan and didn't make an offer. Also received an email from Michigan State asking if I would accept an offer should they make one, and I declined.

Attending: Michigan

Comments: I only add the "pending" because I feel it is important to take into account counterfactuals. It ended up so that I only had one solid offer on the table (ie Michigan), but if I didn't have that, I would have had at least two others. I didn't know this was how the market for PhD admissions worked.

What would you have done differently? For my interests, I think I applied to the wrong reach schools. NWU, Penn, Columbia are not exactly the strongest for labor and public, or at least do extremely structural work. Should have chosen my reach-reach schools more carefully, but even so I doubt it would have made a big difference to my outcomes. Same for the slightly lower ranked schools, actually - it didn't make sense to apply to Penn State, Arizona with the kind of interests I have.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: US top 40 LAC, no econ PhD program. BA in economics + BS in mathematics, theory concentration.

Undergrad GPA: 3.8

Type of Grad: n/a

Grad GPA: n/a

GRE: 170Q, 165V, 5.5AW

Math Courses: Multivariable Calc (B+), Linear Algebra (A), Intro to Proofs (B), Real Analysis (B+), Abstract Algebra (A), Measure Theory (A), Probability (B+), Operations Research (A), Ordinary Differential Equations (A), Topology (in progress when apps submitted), Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos (in progress when apps submitted).

Econ Courses: Intro, intermediate, advanced micro, intro and intermediate macro, principles of econ stats, econometrics, cross section econometrics, time series econometrics, empirical microeconomics, all A's. Then a few topics courses which were A's. Then...a C+ in development economics (don't ask).

Other Courses: None that were relevant.

Teaching Experience: TA for five courses, three of which were 400-level econometrics courses (I took them as a junior to have A's on my transcript for PhD apps).

Research Experience: RA for a year and a half with chief economist at a development aid agency affiliated with my college. Summer project after my sophomore year. Senior honor's thesis.

Letters of Recommendation: One from my advisor for the summer project + honor's thesis, his PhD is from a top 10 institution. One from one of my econometrics professors who I also TAed for, top 20 PhD. One from my intermediate and advanced micro professor, very well-known in his field. All were strong, my UG is known for close faculty-student relationships and I know they all really wanted to place me well this cycle (and they did!).

Research Interests: Labor, econometrics.

SOP: Three pages single-spaced about the independent research I've done + RAing. VERY technical. I tried to show that I'm ready for research, even though I was applying straight out of UG.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Caltech, Wisconsin-Madison, UCSD, Johns Hopkins, UVA, UT-Austin.

Waitlists: Maryland (priority), Cornell.

Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Chicago, Michigan, Boston U, Duke, Berkeley, Stanford, U Penn, Carnegie Mellon.

Attending: UCSD!!!!!!

What would you have done differently? Not much. I knew I wanted the econ PhD since my first year of UG and I worked really hard to get as much research experience / useful econ classes as possible. I'm really glad I did the math major even if some of those grades hurt me because I think I'll do better in grad school with that exposure. I'm glad I applied to all the schools I did even though I didn't get into any T10 just so that way I'm not left wondering. There's also so much variance in the process, it was weird to get rejected from lower-ranked places while I was in at T15 places. At the end, it was a decision between Wisconsin and UCSD, and while it was a tough choice to make I'm so thrilled to be going to UCSD.

 

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: medium sized Catholic institution with an MS program

Undergrad GPA: : 3.7

Type of Grad: MS Applied Econ completed (same place - 5 year BA/MS program)

Grad GPA: 3.8

GRE: Q161 V 158 AW 5.0

Math Courses: calc 1-3, diff eq, elementary stats, currently a non degree seeking student taking linear algebra

Econ Courses (grad-level): econometrics I & II, micro, macro, handful of electives in Econ - public, urban, monetary policy, financial econometrics, etc

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): intermediates, mathematics of economics, handful of electives - development, ethics of economics, etc.

Other Courses: Poli Sci as second major

Letters of Recommendation: stellar, well loved at my former institution, my school has faculty from most schools I'm applying to and they will flex their connections, LORS from department chair, dean/urban prof/thesis advisor, & public prof/thesis committee member.

Research Experience: masters thesis, former economic researcher in private sector for large business

Teaching Experience: GA in masters program

Research Interests: public, urban, and labor

SOP: decent. Brief mention of low scores relative to how much I've prepped. Tailed to each school re: field, faculty I like

Concerns: low GPA and scores relative to other posters on here but I'm OK with it and am very realistic with my choices/options. Plus maybe my non stellar stats will give someone hope! Math barely meets the minimum. Was initially afraid of a shut out but that's no longer the case!

Other: nervous about $$ too.

Applying to: Small handful of dreaming big might as well try schools but the rest are lower ranked. SU Econ, SU public admin, UND, UO, Boulder, UConn, UKY, UT Knoxville, GWU, Brown, UCD, MSU, UIUC, Boston College

 

Results

acceptances: SU Econ, UO, GWU, UT Knoxville, UKY, UConn

rejections: SU public admin, UND, U Colorado Boulder, Brown, UCD, MSU, UIUC, BC

Attending: SYRACUSE !!!!!!!!!

what would you have done differently? I let myself apply to reaches and I was absolutely not surprised by the results between the acceptances and the rejections. I probably wouldn't have applied to BC since they didn't have faculty I loved relative to other. I could've saved myself some $$ but meh oh well. I would've retaken my GRE but I'm a historically poor test taker and I wouldn't have expected my results to change drastically (perhaps maybe I would've gotten into programs peer to SU like Boulder or UND). I did not have time to retake it nor did I have time to prep more as I was leaving my job, moving, etc. Beyond that, I think my program selection were great matches given my interests. I'm a few years out of school and I don't regret not going straight from my MS to my PhD. I am glad I enrolled in a community college to take Linear Algebra to be able to say I can do it and get the muscle memory of being in a classroom. I'm THRILLED to be going to SU and it was my front runner all along (my advisor and my best friend from undergrad are both products of SU's Econ PhD). It was between UT Knoxville and SU as UTK provided me with a very attractive financial aid package and I had an amazing visit day. But, I think SU is what I really wanted all along. I really would not have done much differently and am pleased/not shocked at the results.

Edited by barista1234
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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top 200 USNWR, very small PhD program, BA Economics, minors: Math and Health Systems Administration

Undergrad GPA: 3.86

Type of Grad: None

Grad GPA:

GRE: 163Q, 157V, 4.0AW

Math Courses: Calc I-III(B+,A-,A) Multidimensional Mathematics A+, Diff Eq in progress, Linear Algebra in progress, Intro to Proofs in progress

Econ Courses: UG: Intro Micro/Macro, Intermediate Micro/Macro, Undergraduate Math Econ, Econ/Business Stats, Health Econ, Money and Banking, Econometrics, Senior Seminar. Grad: Math Econ (All A or A+)

Other Courses: a few Computer Science and Engineering software courses.

Letters of Recommendation: I would imagine they would have to be fantastic for my profile to get accepted where I did, all were instructors I had from top 40 or better schools.

Research Experience: None, outside of pretty extensive Health Econ paper

Teaching Experience: Math tutor at a local high school (employed by district).

Research Interests: Macro/Public

SOP: Seemed pretty basic, explained how I came around to wanting a PhD late in the game, what drew me to get my PhD, career goals ect.

Concerns: I would have to say my lack of math was my primary concern, my GRE wasn't great but I knew it wouldn't hold me back too much and I really didn't think it would have been worth it to try to get a couple more math questions right. Lack of research experience was also something that worried me.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina

Waitlists: Georgia? (Initially waitlisted, asked if interested and said I wasn't, not sure where to place it)

Rejections: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, WUSTL

Pending: Purdue

Attending: Kentucky

Comments: Alright it might sound crazy to pick Kentucky over North Carolina, but I really loved my visit there. Their faculty seemed great and I really liked the structure and size of the program.

 

What would you have done differently? If I could go back and figure out this is what I wanted to do when I first went to college that would have been great, but with the way things progressed I really can't complain about the outcome. Maybe I could have tried harder to get a RA position and maybe have taken another math class or two, but I am extremely happy with my season.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top Australian University

Undergrad GPA: 90/100 (honours program)

Type of Grad: None

Grad GPA:

GRE: 164V, 170V, 4AW

Math Courses: Honours Calculus (90), Honours Linear Algebra (89), Discrete Math (90), Vector Calculus (79), Real and Complex Analysis (78)

Econ Courses (honours-level): Business Cycles and Monetary Policy (91), Topics in Development (89), Industrial Organization (87), Topics in Labor (89), Topics in International Macro (91)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Macro (90), Advanced Intermediate Micro (92), Advanced Intermediate Macro (92), Math for Econ (90), History of Economics Thoughts (84), Family Economics (87), Advanced Micro (89), Advanced Macro (88), Intro to Econometrics A (90), Intro to Econometrics B (95), Regression Modeling (87), Time Series and Forecasting (91), Econometric Theory and Methods (93), Applied Econometrics (94), Applied Microeconometrics (98)

Other Courses: first year units from the Business school.

Letters of Recommendation: two honours thesis supervisors (top 7% RePec and an AP), honours coordinator (top 5% RePec), head of school (top 6% RePec),

Research Experience: RAed for my (three) thesis supervisors since third year (2 years of RA experience at the time of application), and honours thesis.

Teaching Experience: 2 years of TA experience at the time of application

Research Interest: labor, econometrics, public

SOP: “Not sharp” – Recommendation Letter Writer. Details of my thesis and my RA work, and a tailored paragraph to each school.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Berkeley, Northwestern, NYU, UPenn, Michigan, UCLA, UCSD, Wisconsin-Madison, Duke, LSE EME (MA program), University of British Columbia (MA program)

Waitlist: Cornell

Rejections: Harvard Econ, Harvard Business Econ, MIT, Princeton, Stanford Econ, Stanford Business Econ, Yale, Chicago, Brown

Attending: Berkeley

Comments: It was a (stipend) choice between NYU and Berkeley. And something went wrong with T5 schools..

 

What would you have done differently? I should have spent more time writing the SOP. I wrote my first draft 1.5 weeks before the Dec 1st deadline..

 

If I knew I would like to do econ phd in my first year, I would have probably taken different courses and be more active in getting better letters (exchange/RA). I stuffed in (and overloaded with) those math classes in the last two years of my undergrad, so I had few "inconsistent" grades...

 

The letter from the head of school probably did not matter because he doesn't know me. I substituted in his letter at the last minute because one of my thesis supervisor, who didn't write the letter, encouraged me to do so.

 

Letter writer matters. I was chatting to students from my school who are all attending a Top 2 school now. We largely had similar profiles and I had more math classes than they did, but they had stronger letter writer line-ups.. I could have worked in the Reserve Bank and obtain letters from better-connected people or have RAed in some US institution, though ex post the expected marginal gain seems to be far lower than the cost.

Edited by chyu1040
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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top 20 USNWR, economics program not as strong as the undergrad program, but getting much better. BA Mathematical Economics, Statistics

Undergrad GPA: 3.95

Type of Grad: None

Grad GPA:

GRE: 170Q, 170V, 5.5AW

Math Courses: Multivariable Calc (A), Differential Equations (B+), Linear Algebra (A-), Intro to Analysis (A), Real Analysis (A)

Econ Courses: Intro Micro (B+), Intro Macro (A), Intermediate Micro (A-), Undergraduate Math Econ (A+), Econometrics (A), Applied Econometrics (A), Labor Economics (A), Energy Economics (A), Public Finance (A+), Economic Modeling and Public Policy (A+), Political Economy (A), Senior Thesis (A)

Other Courses: Statistics courses and some coding courses, mostly in the A to A- range.

Letters of Recommendation: Pretty good - I got close to faculty early on in my academic career and let them know I was considering graduate school. 2 from Chicago grads, 1 from Princeton grad. One of them won a Frisch Medal, one of them is the editor of a journal and I worked for him for 3 years, one of them is my thesis advisor.

Research Experience: Pretty much none besides senior thesis. Did some independent policy work with friends as a side project for a competition but I wouldn't even consider it economics research.

Teaching Experience: Informal TA (unpaid) for one semester. Basically none.

Research Interests: Labor economics, family economics. More broadly, applied micro.

SOP: Thought it was pretty good, had the school's grant editor help me look over it. I would highly recommend getting someone with a background in English and/or editing look at your SOP!

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Penn (WL for first year funding), Minnesota, UCSD, Duke, UMD, JHU, Rice (implied from talking with DGS, but withdrew my app before acceptances were released as per her request), Vanderbilt, University of Washington (implied from email from DGS, but withdrew my app), Columbia (off of WL)

Waitlists: Michigan (but placed on waitlist because they thought I would have more "competitive offers"... ok lol. eventually rejected)

Rejections: Princeton, Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, Northwestern, UNC (never heard back), WUSTL (I forgot to submit my transcript so...)

Attending: Columbia!

Comments: Surprisingly, my results are very consistent. Turns out I am a solid 11-20 candidate, and in the top 10, schools kind of want me (see Penn, Columbia). Ended up doing a LOT better than I expected.

What would you have done differently? I'm REALLY happy with my results. I guess I would have been more selective in where I decided to visit. I set up 7 visits, and had to cancel the last one because I got pretty sick. I would, however, highly recommend visiting still. It helps dispel rumors and stereotypes. Also, I would have majored in math, not statistics. And been a better student first semester freshman year. But, then again, maybe doing all that would have been so stressful that I wouldn't have applied to PhD! Who knows about the counterfactual!

 

Also, as general advice, if you are an underclassman reading this, I can assure you that you can be prepared for grad school apps while still exploring other options! I spent one summer working in the oil and gas industry, and another trying out management consulting. I never RA'd or even TA'd really. I spent a lot of my undergraduate career making sure I wanted to do a PhD by exploring my other options, which I think is just as important as gaining skills in preparation for graduate school. Most of my advisors told me that I was not at a disadvantage by not having RA experience. Unless you need one more rec letter, don't feel like you HAVE to have RA/research experience in order to be a competitive applicant.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: BA in math, flagship state university ranked 80's in US News, no econ grad program.

Undergrad GPA: 3.63

Type of Grad: MA in Econ at a flagship state university in a different state with a masters but no doctoral program

Grad GPA: 4.0

GRE: 170V /168Q /5 AW

Math Courses (undergrad level): Calc I/II/III (A-/B/B) Linear Algebra (B+) Fundamentals of Math (intro to proofs) (A) Ordinary Differential Equations (B+) Combinatorial Theory (A) Abstract Algebra I (A-) Applied Probability (A) Elementary Number Theory (A-) Mathematical Biology and Ecology (A) Graph Theory (A) Real Analysis I (A) Probability and Statistics I (A)

Math Courses (masters level): Mathematical Statistics (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad level): Intermediate micro (A)

Econ Course (masters level): Micro I/II (A/A) Econometrics I/II (A/A) Macro (A)

Letters of Recommendation: One from the prof I RA for, one from a micro prof and one from an econometrics prof. I think they were strong but probably not phenomenal.

Research Experience: 2 years as an RA in my master’s program and master’s thesis, both completely unrelated to my stated research interests.

Teaching experience: Taught high school math for a few years

Research Interests: Public Economics, Health, Labor, Education … still figuring things out

SOP: Decent I suppose. I'd like to believe I write well but lack of definite research interests made it difficult.

Concerns: Because my husband and I were applying to PhD programs at the same time, my biggest concern was that we wouldn't receive any matching offers. I also had no idea where I'd be competitive since my masters program rarely sends anyone to pure econ PhDs. I have a bunch of math, but got B's in easy classes like Calc and Linear Algebra, and I wasn't sure how ad coms would value math classes that have nothing to do with econ (e.g. Abstract Algebra, Graph Theory).

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Ohio State, Michigan State, UIUC, Purdue, NC State, University of Oregon, Syracuse, Iowa State, UI Chicago, Georgia State, UConn, UMN Applied Econ

Waitlists: None

Rejections: Rice

Pending: None

Attending: Syracuse

Comments: I realize it seems somewhat crazy to go with Syracuse over schools like MSU and OSU (particularly because MSU offered me a very generous fellowship), but I'm content with the decision. Things happened in my personal life this year that made staying close to my family (who are in New England) much more of a consideration. I also really liked the department at Syracuse when I visited, it seemed tight-knit and supportive, which is just what I'm looking for. It was tough to turn down MSU, as I had a great visit there and realize that I'm passing up a great opportunity.

 

What would you have done differently? First and foremost, I wouldn't have applied to a bunch of schools outside of the top 50 and would have applied to more schools ranked around 30. I drastically underestimated my competitiveness and ended up getting in almost everywhere I applied. Additionally, several schools offered me extra fellowships indicating that they viewed me as among their stronger applicants. I thought B's in Calculus and Linear Algebra, along with my unprestigious undergrad and master's institutions were going to be the kiss of death. It was a challenge to find profiles similar to mine since people who get B's in Calculus don't typically go on to get Econ PhDs.

 

Going back as far as undergrad, I'd try harder during the first two years. I also probably could've gone to a better undergraduate institution than the one I attended, but I'm pleased with the quality of education I got there, and I didn't have to take out any loans to do it.

 

Beyond that, I would've realized I wanted to do econ (rather than math) while I was still in undergrad, avoiding the need to spend 2 years doing an MA in econ to get the required econ courses, research experience and LORs. However, my masters program was fully funded, so I have no real cause to complain. Maybe I wouldn't have spent 4 years teaching high school math (as it now means I'll be turning 29 as I start my PhD), but I enjoyed that experience as well.

 

With all that said, I'm happy with the result. My husband and I both accepted offers from Syracuse, where we'll less than a 5 hour drive from each of our families. Additionally, with the fellowship offer I have, I won't have to TA in years 1 or 5, which will be nice. If you had told me going into this process that I'd end up at Syracuse I would've considered myself quite lucky, so I really have no complaints. I'm excited to get started!

 

Edited by EustaciaVye
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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: USNEWS Top 25 US

Undergrad GPA: 3.95

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: 170Q, 163V, 4.5AW

Math Courses: All lower levels+Upper Analysis 1 and 2+Probability Theory 1 and 2+Upper Linear Algebra (all A or A+)

Econ Courses: UG: Micro+Macro+Metrics all intermediate level Grad: PhD micro and metrics all A- or A or A+

Other Courses: philosophy courses

Letters of Recommendation: 2 PhD course instructors (one of them holds director-type position at a large research institution) and one undergraduate course instructor, who also holds position at another top research institution. All Economics professors.

Research Experience: Honor Thesis with the undergraduate instructor.

Teaching Experience: N/A

Research Interests: Micro Theory or IO

SOP: Trust me, NO ONE cares about this. I would be surprised if any committee member actually spends more than 50 seconds on any single SOP. So please just calm down and work on other parts of you application.

Other: nothing

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Stanford, Princeton, Northwestern, Booth, Yale, Columbia, NYU Stern, UCLA, UCSD, Michigan, Maryland, UPenn, Duke, UT Austin, CMU

Waitlists: N/A

Rejections: Harvard, HBS, MIT, Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, NYU, Berkeley

Pending: N/A

Attending: Princeton

Comments:

1. Don't spend more than 1 day on your PS. It won't matter. I checked a few faculty friends on committee in 2 schools and they all confirmed this.

2. The application process is random, as you can see I'm accepted by Stanford and Princeton by rejected by Wisconsin, Minnesota and NYU. So don't panic if you receive rejections first.

3. Letters are the single most important thing. Strong letters from faculties with good reputation (like IDEAS top 5%) and a 3.9+ GPA will get you almost everywhere. Academia is full of connection crap, so play the game. If you do your undergraduate at USNEWS Top 10 and have GPA 3.9+, then congratulations because you are basically already guaranteed at a TOP 10. But for students outside Top 10 undergrad institutions, just a 3.9+ GPA is NOT enough, even though it's more than likely that you have the same or even better skill set compared to a Top 10 student.

4. How to play the connection game if you are not from a top school? -Try RA jobs at NERA, NBER, Harvard, Chicago, Stanford, Kellogg etc. and then apply with letters you collected from these institutions. I'm sure you will break Top 10. It's sad that academia gives so much weight on connection, but what can applicants do besides playing the game of prisoners' dilemma? This is the only way we can compete with Top 10 undergrad applicants as non-top school students.

5. Love your life. Love everyone and help each other. I benefited from and helped a buddy I met at a conference. We both got into Stanford and Princeton. He also got into MIT. This is a great experience and we are both truly grateful for sharing all the info with each other.

6. I chose Princeton because of some family issues. In general if you want to do theory or IO, I think you should choose Stanford over Princeton. Based on my limited knowledge I gained from Stanford's campus visit, Stanford is RICH and is rising. They will hire more star faculties without any budget issues (thanks to the generous silicon valley donations). They will have new Econ buildings and their placement is going to be even better.

Edited by Temporary1
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Profile

Type of Undergrad: BA Econ / Math from Top 5 Econ

Undergrad GPA: 3.8

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: V170/Q168

Math Courses: Calc III (A), Linear Algebra (A), Intro to Proofs (A), Analysis (B, A), Algebra (A, A-), Numerical Analysis (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad level): Micro I and II (A, A), Macro I and II (A-, B+), Game Theory (A), Econometrics (B+), Time Series (A)

Econ Courses (grad level): Market Design (A), Numerical Methods (A)

Other Courses: Statistics (A), Probability (A-), bunch of CS courses

Letters of Recommendation:

1) Prof from grad market design class. I also did an independent study with this professor.

2) Prof that I worked for as RA during undergrad, who also advised my undergraduate thesis.

3) Fed economist that I am currently working for.

Research Experience: Undergraduate Thesis

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: Finance, IO

Other: Currently working as an RA at a regional Fed. Won an award for outstanding RA in my first year.

 

Results

Acceptances: HBS BusEc, Harvard Econ, Chicago/Booth Financial Econ, Stern Finance, Kellogg Finance, Haas Finance, Maryland Econ

Waitlists: NYU Econ, Penn Econ

Rejections: MIT Econ, Stanford Econ, Stanford GSB Econ, Sloan Finance (interviewed), Columbia Econ, Columbia GSB Finance, Princeton Econ, Duke Econ

Pending: N/A

Attending: HBS

Comments:

1. The admissions process is truly random.

2. My profile for one reason or another ended up much more attractive to finance programs than econ programs. Unexpected.

3. I was pretty much set on a finance program in the fall, but my interests ended up shifting more than I expected. I am very glad I had the option of an econ program in the end.

4. Survived getting a B in Analysis!!!

 

Now going to spend the next couple months hanging with my girlfriend, reading random books, and chilling out! :)

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: UK Distance Econ programme

Undergrad GPA: Second Upper Honours

Type of Grad: Singapore Top 3 Econ programme

Grad GPA: 3.59/4 at time of application, improved since

GRE: 162Q, 161V, 4.0AW

Math Courses: Stats I&II, Maths I&II

Econ Courses: UG: Intro & Intermediate Micro, Macro, Metrics; Grad: Micro, Macro, Metrics, advanced macrometrics, macro, IO, applied micro, mechanism design

Other Courses: NIL

Letters of Recommendation: one Prof who grad from Yale (RA'ed for him), one Prof from Michigan (multiple published papers but retired), one Visiting Professor (retired from IMF), one Academic Visitor (supervised me in thinktank, from ECB)

Research Experience: RAed for thinktank, RAed for Uni project with report coming out; could possibly call some of my industry work vaguely research related

Teaching Experience: none

Research Interests: micro theory, behavioural, IO

SOP: stayed down to the facts: explained course system and contents, and described contents of research projects

Other: nothing

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: George Washington University (funding declined), Singapore Management University (attending)

Waitlists: NA

Rejections: Michigan-Ann Arbor, Duke, Syracuse, Carneige Mellon, Washington-Seattle, Vanderbilt, American, Michigan State

Pending: Claremont Graduate University

Attending: Singapore Management University

Comments: my results are worse than a classmate's, and for his efforts, he got into RAND's waitlist, so with this result I can't complain too much. I likely would reapply this year too.

 

What would you have done differently? Do better in GRE and work harder in Masters than to spend time on applications.

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Type of Undergrad: B.S. Business Administration, Major in Economics from medium-sized Catholic school with no PhD program. Math classes have since been taken at a large state school, with an unranked PhD program. Both schools' undergrad ranked below top 100 US News.

Undergrad GPA: 3.94 (Summa Cum Laude); Econ: 3.88; Math & Statistics: 3.66 (all A’s except C in Calc II); including all classes I’ve taken since my undergrad: 3.91

Type of Grad: NA

Grad GPA: NA

GRE: Q-170, V-162, AW- 5.5

Math Courses: Business Statistics I & II (A, A), Honors Calc I (A), Calc II ©, Calc III (A), Intro to Differential Equations (A+), Intro to Linear Algebra (A), Intro to Probability (A), Intro to Real Analysis I @ grad level (A)

Econ Courses (grad-level): NA

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro (A), Macro (A), Money and Banking (A), Game Theory (A), Econometrics (A), Intermediate Micro (B+), Intermediate Macro (A-), Independent Study/Thesis (A), Economic Development (A-), Honors Econ Seminar (A), History of Economic Thought (A)

Other Courses: Honors Program and Business Core Curriculum

Letters of Recommendation: My thesis advisor (Econ PhD), game theory professor (Math PhD), and real analysis professor (Math PhD).

Research Experience: Co-authored thesis with professor using 2000 and 2010 census and a variety of crime data, presented at a conference. Familiar with Stata and R.

Teaching Experience: 2 years teaching with Teach For America.

Research Interests: development, applied micro (labor, public finance, urban)

SOP: Nothing noteworthy.

Concerns: Not a lot of math and statistics, little research experience, undergrad institutions, intermediate micro grade.

Other: Familiar with basic coding

Results-

Acceptances: OSU (University Fellowship), UNC (TA/RA), Pitt (tuition waiver + high on priority waitlist for fellowship), NC State (on the list for potential funding), George Washington (Initially waitlisted for funding, but got TA/RA before I declined), and George Mason (had already been accepted to OSU and I declined before any funding had been offered).

Rejections: Duke, BU, and Maryland seem like they rejected me right away; Carnegie Mellon/Tepper, Georgetown, and BC were pretty late to let me know I was rejected (I think I made it to the last internal round).

Attending: OSU.

Comments: I got very lucky that some alumni from my undergrad did really well on the job market last year and that my thesis advisor has been publishing non-stop in the time since I graduated. I did not expect to break into the top 40 but got 3, mostly based on factors outside of my control (although I'm sure the GRE Q and graduate real analysis helped).

What would you have done differently?: Applied to NSF (had too much going on and missed the deadline), taken some more rigorous computer/statistics courses to be competitive for RA work, and tried to take an advance micro class to make up for the B+ in intermediate micro.

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Type of Undergrad: Small liberal arts college; relatively unknown with no graduate program in economics.

Major(s): B.A. Economics & Political Science, Minor in Mathematics

Undergrad GPA: 3.953 Cumulative, Economics 4.0, Mathematics 4.0

Relevant Honors: Honors Program, International Honor Society in Economics (Omicron Delta Epsilon), Dean's List.

GRE: Q-164 V-161 W-5.5

Math Courses: Differential Calculus (A), Integral Calculus (A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Differential Equations (A), Discrete Mathematics and Intro to Proof (A), Linear Algebra – proof based (A), Probability and Statistics I – calculus based (A), Probability and Statistics II (current), Real Analysis (current), Numerical Analysis (current).

Econ Courses: Principles of Micro (A), Principles of Macro (A), Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Managerial Economics (A), Money and Finance (A), International Economics (A), Econometrics (A), Public Finance (Fall 2015).

Other Courses: Coursework in Constitutional Law, Foreign Policy and International Relations.

Letters of Recommendation: "He's wonderful blah blah blah" etc. Pretty standard, no one famous

Research Experience: Did econometrics research under the department chair measuring the contribution of exports to economic growth in Germany. Utilized time series data from FRED and cited other studies that employed Granger Causality and unit root cointegration tests. Also wrote an Honors Thesis on capital gains taxation in Public Finance.

Teaching Experience: Economics department tutor for over two years, assisting students in principles as well as Intermediate courses and upper-level electives. Mathematics tutor in the college’s drop-in tutoring center, helping students in courses ranging from pre-calculus to Differential Equations.

Research Interests: Econometrics, Growth Theory, Public Finance

SOP: I mentioned one economist by name in my personal statement, and I spelled his name wrong. The worst part is that we have the same first name, and I just forgot a letter. WOW. Feel free to chuckle at my expense there.

Other: Sometimes I wonder how aliens would allocate scarce resources that have alternative uses.

Familiar with R and a few other programming languages.

 

Applying to: Boston College, University of Virginia, Boston University, Brown University, UCLA, Georgetown, Clark, USC, Tufts (MA).

Acceptances: Clark U ($$$), Tufts University (MS) ($$)

Attending: Tufts!!!!!!!!!! Will apply to PhD programs again in a year and a half.

Waitlists: Boston College

Rejections: The others....

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top ~50 USNWR, private school with tiny(3 students per cohort) unranked econ phd program.

Undergrad GPA: 3.77

Type of Grad: None

Grad GPA:

GRE: 168Q, 157V, 5.0AW

Math Courses: Calc 1, 2, 3 (A, A, A), Applied Linear Algebra(A), Intro Prob and Stats(B), Intro Abstract Math(A), Abstract Algebra(A), Probability(B), Math Stats(A-), Intro Real Analysis I(B), Intro Real Analysis II (B+), Point Set Topology(A), Math Finance(A-), Markov Chains(A), Differential Topology(A), Queueing Networks(A), Proof-based Linear Algebra(A), Complex Analysis(B)

Econ Courses: UG: Intro Micro/Macro(A, A), Intermediate Micro/Macro(A, A), Math Econ(A), Game Theory UG(A-), Econometrics UG(A-), Senior Thesis(A), Phd Micro I(A), PhD Micro II(A), Prob/Stats for Econ PhD(A), Econometrics PhD I (A)

Other Courses: one CS Java class, one Physics class, Logic.

Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ assistant professors, one math associate professor. im sure they were strong

Research Experience: 7 month research senior thesis on a GT toy model(prof allowed me to take time to "feel stuck" on problem), extended over summer.

Teaching Experience: 3 years tutoring math and econ at school tutoring center.

Research Interests: Econometric Theory/Implementation. Slight interest in applications of metrics in GT

SOP: Standard, didnt tailor it. guess i should have.

Concerns: my university has a party reputation, its econ dept is not well known, it doesnt send UGs to PhD, I had assistant profs as LOR writers, not a perfect GPA, and did a ton of sports during junior year, which distracted me from schoolwork and explains my B's.

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Vanderbilt, UNC-Chapel Hill

Waitlists: UT-Austin(first result in mid february, got accepted off waitlist on April 11th.

Rejections: sigh lol. Rochester, BU, MIT, Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Maryland, Duke, Michigan, Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern, UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, Berkeley, Penn, Princeton, CMU, Pitt

Pending:

Attending: UT-Austin!

Comments: Honestly, I knew my weaknesses and did not expect to get into any of top 20, though it would have been nice. I am very happy with how it turned out. Also, i guess I didn't do my research very well since I applied to schools that weren't really strong in the fields I wanted.

 

What would you have done differently? In order of most to least importance: Focus on studies my sophomore and junior years, try to get research earlier than late junior year (like an RA with a prof), make sure the places I apply to fit my interests, have taken time to tailor SOP.

These are fine details though, I think I planned things very thoroughly.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Top 10 liberal arts

Undergrad GPA: 3.58 (Math 3.46, Econ 3.76)

Type of Grad: None

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: Q:167 V:165 AW:5

Math Courses: Calc II/III, Lin Al, Probability, Statistics, Statistical computing, Intro to proofs (B+), Real Analysis (B+), Sampling Techniques, Stochastic Processes, Regression

Econ Courses: Intro Macro/Micro. Intermediate Macro/Micro/Econometrics (all As). Senior research seminar. A smattering of random UG econ courses.

Other Courses: Intro to CS, Data Structures, Artificial Intelligence

Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ professors, one economist who RA'd for post-bac

Research Experience: Senior Thesis, post-bac RA work

Teaching Experience: UG TA (sort of like tutor for intro econ classes)

Research Interests: Labor

SOP: Unobserved by you all. Standard talk about interests, phd, experiences, etc...

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Maryland, UW Madison, UT Austin, UC Davis, MSU

Waitlists: MN (withdrawn)

Rejections: UCLA, JHU, Penn St., BU, Michigan, Cornell

Pending: none

Attending: Madison

Comments: Post-bac RA work is a super important signal and a great experience. Mediocre real analysis grade and low GPA didn't hamper me as much as people here would like you to believe. Benefitted from rigorous, name-brand undergrad (at least name-brand in academic world), good recs, and RA/TA work. Knew GPA precluded any top-10 admission, so tried to maximize number of schools applied to in the 10-25 range.

 

What would you have done differently? Nothing. Obviously could have tried harder in Math classes, but I'm going to a school where I can accomplish my post-PhD goals.

Edited by jmkeynes
typos
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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Large Flagship University (Top 15 Econ Phd)

Undergrad GPA:3.9

Type of Grad:

Grad GPA:

GRE:166V, 166Q, 4.5 AW

Math Courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A), Multivariate Calc (AB), Linear Algebra and Diff Eq (A) Non-degree credits (returned after RA gig to supplement math): Probability Theory (AB), Theory of Single Var Calc (A), Analysis I (in progress), Intro to Stochastic Process (in progress)

Econ Courses (grad-level):

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro/Macro (A's), Economics of Healthcare (A), Directed Study (A), Game Theory and Economic Analysis (AB), Behavioral Economics (A), Intro to Economic Statistics (A), Econometrics (AB)

Other Courses: Various Political Science and Southeast Asian Studies courses (my other two majors)

Letters of Recommendation: 1 Chicago Econ Phd who oversaw my directed study and taught by beahvioral econ course, 1 Stanford Econ Phd who I worked as an RA for at economic think tank, 1 cosigned famous Psychology professor/Graduate student who I worked as an RA for doing behavioral econ experiment

Research Experience: 1 year RA undergrad helping design and run behavioral econ experiment, 1 year at economic focused think tank after undergrad

Teaching Experience: TA College Algebra while taking non degree math courses

Research Interests: Behavioral/Experimental

SOP: Focused on research and methods of behavioral econ experiment and think tank research experience. Attempted to draw cohesive narrative emphasizing my research experience and mathematical preparation

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Pitt($), Oregon ($), Arizona (tuition)

Waitlists: UCSB (withdrew)

Rejections: UC Berkeley, Brown, Caltech, UCSD, Stanford, NYU, Cornell

Pending: ---

Attending: Pittsburgh

Comments: Overall I am very satisfied how it turned out. I wish there were some schools in the 20-30 range that had some more professors doing work in behavioral. Clearly, top 20 was out of my reach, but I felt I was constrained a bit in choice of schools by my interest in behavioral. Still Pittsburgh was a fantastic fit and I am absolutely thrilled to join the program!

 

What would you have done differently? I knew I had no chance at Berkeley, Stanford, and NYU, but I couldn't help myself. Other than that I wish I would have found economics earlier. I would have tried to get closer to more famous/well known professors at my school. Although my undergrad institution has almost no one doing behavioral work I would still have benefitted from being an RA for a well known professor and just mostly getting known by people in my undergrad institution's econ department. Also more math earlier in my undergrad career. I actually really like real analysis and stochastic process. I think I would have really liked topology, real analysis II, and like maybe measure theory. Still I am sure there will be more than enough math in graduate school to keep me on my toes.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Unknown Liberal Arts College

Undergrad GPA: 4.0

Type of Grad: Large, Unranked State University

Grad GPA: 4.0 (Summer/Fall Only…Spring in-Process)

GRE:165V, 170Q, 5.5 AW

Math Courses: Calculus 1-3 (All A’s), Linear Algebra (A), DEQ (A), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Intro to Analysis (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro/Macro (A's), Economic History (A), Comparative Economic Systems (A), Game Theory (A)

Econ Courses (grad-level): PhD Micro I (A), PhD Math for Economics (A), PhD Advanced Math for Economics (A), MA Macro (A), PhD Econometrics I (A).

Other Courses: Introduction to Programming (A), Various Other Business Courses (All A’s)

Letters of Recommendation: Undergrad Advisor – not terribly active researcher, but very enthusiastic. Two for my MA program, which should be fine. Nothing special, no one famous.

Research Experience: Senior thesis…

Teaching Experience: TA for MA Program

Research Interests: Health, Applied Micro, IO, Business Econ

SOP: Tailored to each program’s strengths, nothing special

Other/Concerns: Spent several years working in an unrelated business field, which was discussed in my SOP. This is my greatest concern, other than lack of research experience and relatively unknown nature of institutions attended.

 

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Kentucky, Texas-Austin

Waitlists: Vanderbilt (later rejected), Virginia (later rejected)

Rejections: NYU Stern, Duke, North Carolina (I guess? Never heard back), WUSTL (Olin), Illinois.

Attending: UT-Austin!

 

Comments: Thought I had a noisy profile going in, and I was right. It’s difficult to know what hurt me most (my time outside of econ, my unranked/unknown schools or my lack of research experience), but I think it was probably my lack of research experience. That being said, I am thrilled that I got into UT – very blessed!

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Profile:

Type of Undergrad: Flagship State University

Undergrad GPA: 3.985

Type of Grad: None

GRE: 168Q, 169V

Math Courses: Calculus I-III (A), Linear Algebra (A), Probability (A), Analysis (A), Dynamics (A), Topology (A), Differential Equations (A)

Econ Courses (undergrad): Micro/Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Trade (A), Advanced Macro (A), Advanced International/Trade (A), Development (A), Labor (A), Economic History (A)

Letters: Undergrad math professor, two undergrad Econ professors

Research: Just senior thesis and metrics project

Teaching: N/A

SoP: Tailored to programs, but not hugely

Other: Have been working for 6 years

 

Results:

Acceptances: Chicago

Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, Penn

Attending: Chicago

 

Comments: I only applied to the top schools, thinking I could continue working if unsuccessful. Frankly I was a bit skeptical I'd get in anywhere after 6 years in the workforce. I think my results highlight the unpredictability of the applications process. I'm quite happy with how everything turned out. Best of luck to everybody!

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Bachelors in Engineering (Electronics and communication) from an Unknown College in India

Undergrad GPA: 8.05 / 10

Type of Grad: MS Economics , UW Madison

Grad GPA: 3.50

GRE:165Q, 157Q, 4.0 AW

Courses (grad-level): Econometrics I (AB), Econometrics 2 (AB), Applied Econometrics (A) Micro I (AB), Math for Economics (B), Micro 2 (B), Macro (A), Game Theory (A) , Real Analysis (AB)

Letters of Recommendation: Strong LORs from two big names at UW. Worked as a RA for one. Wrote a paper as a part of a course for the other.

Research Experience: RA for a Professor , worked on a topic in labor. ( Jan 2015 - Jan 2016 )

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: Applied Micro, Labor.

SOP: Mainly spoke about my Research , Standard.

Concerns: My grades were average.

Strengths : My Research was my strength which helped me get strong LORs from well recognized professors.

 

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Rice , Vanderbilt , Georgetown , UC Irvine.

Waitlists: Michigan State , Boston College (withdrew from waitlist after Rice Acceptance)

Rejections: UT-Austin and Cornell.

Attending: Rice

Comments: My grades were average due to which i didn't apply in the top 15. My research and recommendations really helped me get into a good university. Really happy about joining Rice !

Edited by yar1608
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My profile has gone through many incarnations as I've scrambled to get more math classes. Here's how it ended up:

 

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Bachelors in Community and Organizational Psychology (double minor in math and econ) @ absolutely unknown VSLAC

Undergrad GPA: 3.78/4.0 Econ/3.5ish Math

Type of Grad: none

Grad GPA: n/a

GRE:160Q, 170V, 5.5 AW

Econ Courses : Principles of Macro/Micro: A/A, Intermediate Macro/Micro: A/A, Labor: A, Monetary: A, International and Trade: A,

Math Courses: Intro to Prob/Stats, Calc I-III: A, B, A, Linear Algebra: B, Differential Equations: A, Intro to Logic, Proof, and Topology: B, Real Analysis: taking now...(prolly an A), Hybrid independent study in math econ co-offered by econ and math departments (yay small schools!): A

Letters of Recommendation: 1 outstanding "best student I've had in ten years" letter from a well-respected economic historian, 1 fairly strong one from the chair of the math department addressing my mediocre math grades in light of departmental rigor (classes in which I got a B, I was still in the top 15% of the class), and one strong one from dean of the business school: very well-known in libertarian and monetarist circles "demonstrated competence and inquisitive nature, well-suited for the rigors...blah, blah, blah". I didn't read these letters, but each professor gave me a general idea of what they wrote.

Research Experience: Lots and lots and lots of behavioral psych research (published abstract, senior thesis, multiple conference presentations), but no econ. :-/ Decent coding skills in R. Pretty proficient in SPSS. Good with LaTeX.

Teaching Experience: TA for both principles classes, international, Calculus I, and Statistics. (again, yay small schools!)

Research Interests: Behavioral/Experimental/Applied Micro.

SOP: Talked about the unconventional nature of my profile. Mentioned work experience and school leadership stuff as evidence of maturity/work ethic.

Concerns: Incredibly unconventional profile, mediocre grades, low quant GRE.

Strengths : Professors deeply invested in my success. They went above and beyond. Strings pulled, old friends called, etc.

 

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: GA State $$, Claremont Graduate University $$, UI Chicago $, U Warwick MSc (no funding)

Rejections: U Arizona, UC Irvine, UCSB, Duke (obviously)

Attending: GA State

Comments: I've become a lot of firsts this application cycle: school's first math minor and first matriculant to a PhD program, first person in my family to graduate from college (I'm most proud of this one). I worked my butt off from start to finish here, but I also had a lot of support from faculty. Also, I did a lot of research into knowing where I fit school ranking-wise. That paid off in spades. Also, I visited my first choice school and sat down with the grad director and made my case face to face. (Not advisable for everyone) It was a big risk that ended up clinching a good offer and reinforced my love for the school.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Very atypical for Econ Ph.D. students. A long time ago: B.S. from a large state university in a major not related to math or econ.

Recently: several math, economics, and statistics courses from a community college and a medium-size state university as a non-degree-seeking student, which I have taken for the purpose of preparing for Econ Ph.D. programs.

Undergrad GPA: 4.0 (my second time around, in the math, econ, and stats courses)

Type of Grad: Again, I have a degree not related to math or econ. But my second time around: just a few classes as mentioned above.

Grad GPA: 3.9

GRE: 168Q, 170V, 5.5AW

Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Intro to Proofs, Advanced Calculus (master's-level intro to analysis): All A's.

Econ Courses: Introductory micro and macro, Intermediate micro: All A's. Master's-level Econometrics: AB.

Other Courses: Undergraduate probability and inferential statistics, Master's-level Probability Theory, and Master's-level Inferential Statistics: A's.

Letters of Recommendation: One from my Advanced Calculus professor (two semesters with him), one from my Linear Algebra professor (one semester with him), and one from my Probability Theory professor (one semester with her). I expect they were all positive, though probably not glowing, and they didn't know me from RAing or TAing or anything.

Research Experience: none

Teaching Experience: none

Research Interests: micro theory, health, labor, education

SOP: In my Personal Statement, I talked about how a decade or more in the wrong field will really focus your mind and soul on what you really want to do, and how I didn't just take all these college classes because that's what you do after high school; I chose this field after a lot of time and thought and trial and error, and I'm more sure than ever that it's what I want to do. In my Statement of Purpose, I was more vague but mentioned that I am much more attracted to micro than macro, that I'm interested in health, labor, and education, and mentioned many types of careers I could see myself in.

Other: I'm firmly planted in middle/west Michigan with my family for the next several years, so I had limited options for grad programs. Luckily... -->

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: Michigan State (after waitlist), Western Michigan University

Waitlists: Michigan State

Rejections: none

Attending: Michigan State

Comments: I'm very nervous but simultaneously excited about everything... I'm not sure how qualified and prepared I am compared to my classmates, or how I'll be able to handle the work load with two young children that I have to at least be present for nearly every day, but I'm used to having no leisure time and don't really want to spend my time on anything other than learning math and econ, so hopefully that will continue for the next couple years....

 

What would you have done differently? Tried to take Master's-level Linear Algebra and Linear Regression, though I paid for everything out of pocket (no scholarships for non-degree-seeking students!), so that would have necessitated waiting another year before starting my Ph.D. program. Maybe I would have tried to take more undergrad math and stats classes all at once and then gotten a M.S. in Statistics or Economics, which would have given me a stipend for two or more years, instead of not bothering with a degree and stretching my course work out over 5 years because I was paying for everything myself. That still probably would have taken just as long overall, though it might have saved me money. Or maybe not.

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PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: US regional university affiliated with a top 75 PhD program

Undergrad GPA: 3.9 (4.0 Math and Econ)

Type of Grad: NA

Grad GPA: NA

GRE: 170Q, 170V, 4.5AW

Math Courses: Calculus 1-3, Real Analysis, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Intro Probability, Math Stats

Econ Courses: Grad Micro 1; Undergrad Macro 1-2, Micro 1-2, Business Stats, Econometrics, Experimental Econ, Auction Theory, Money/Banking

Other Courses: Prior degree in Music and English

Letters of Recommendation: three non-famous, tenured research professors at my undergrad institution. I was/am a research assistant for two of them, and the third taught my grad micro course

Research Experience: RA for two professors (

Teaching Experience: none

Research Interests: macro, finance, decision theory

SOP: Explained my unusual past, my interests, and my reason for applying to each school

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: CMU ($$$), UCSD ($$)

Waitlists: Minnesota, UVA (declined both)

Rejections: MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Northwestern, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Wisconsin, UCLA, Duke, BU, UNC, NSF

Pending: ---

Attending: CMU

Comments: I aimed high (and knew it) given my lack of pedigree, limited research experience, and unusual background. I'm a second-degree student making a career change; virtually my entire profile was assembled over the past two years. I'd have benefitted from post-grad Fed/RA work, but I didn't want to put off graduate study, and the schools that accepted me are great fits.

 

What would you have done differently: Nothing substantive. My admissions season would have been much worse had I not done many things right, such as reaching out to faculty and completing an honors thesis. I owe much of the credit to this forum, and I'm very happy to provide a data point for future applicants.

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  • 4 weeks later...

PROFILE:

 

Type of Undergrad: Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from a known university in India

Undergrad GPA: 65 (a low first First Class, considering the marking these days and the fact i was switching lanes)

Type of Grad: Major in Economics at the 5th ranked graduate department in India (only about 8 reputed departments in all of the country)

Grad GPA: 8.13/ 10

GRE: Q167, V164 AWA 5.5

 

Econ and Math courses: Intermediate Micro, Statistics, Business Math, Intermediate Macro, Micro, Macro, Metrics, Public, Int'l Econ grad sequences, Development, Math, Labor

 

Letters of Recommendation: Macro and Public Econ prof (top national department), Econometrics prof (European post doc), Int'l Prof (visiting prof out of a national department), Development prof (not well known). The letters were positive, I assume. Despite no stellar names and active research output, I believe they were honest in their assessment and talked about my plans for research.

Research experience: 3 months at a think tank with US PhD prof

Research interests: Micro development

Work exp: some 2.5 years in tax consulting

SOP: Standard, talked about interests and couple of term papers. Focused on my grad performance to override lack of math and econ

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances: MSc Economics for Development Oxford, MPhil Oxford, Barcelona GSE

Wait lists:

Rejections: MPhil Research Cambridge, MRes Warwick, PhD Boston College (from wait list), MSc Econ LSE, APE Paris School of Economics

Comments: Satisfied with returns. I had lost hope midway through results season so to end up here is a relief. I was put off from applying to more schools in the US for two reasons, a. my grad school had a poor track record in terms of placing students in top programs, esp in the past decade and a half - this was a strong deterrent to my ambitions; b. the final pool of schools in the US i short listed was further whittled down due to requirement of writing TOEFL/ IELTS - simply did not have the money to waste on such tests. The application costs were steep itself so picked out just the one finally. I also think i researched extensively, looked at department faculty, ranks, intake and cohort compositions to be able to make an informed guess in terms of my chances. I suggest this is an important exercise, esp for students with financial constraints, non traditional (essentially lack of math) backgrounds and lack of glowing academic results.

 

What would you have done differently: Done a Bachelors in Maths! The rest would have followed. Comforts of hindsight and my late discovery of interests aside, I do feel I did okay.

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