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Profile Evaluation for Phd in Economics - Fall 2019 cycle


shoumen

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Profile (International)

Undergraduate - Top 80 US in Economics & Finance

Field : Major in Economics with Minor in Mathematics

Undergraduate G.P.A - 3.91/4.00; Econ G.P.A. (4.00/4.00); Math G.P.A - (3.85/4.00)

Economics courses (Undergrad) : Principles of Micro (A+), Principles of Macro (A+), Intermediate Micro (A+), Intermediate Macro (A), Public sector Economics(A), Environmental Econ (A+), Mathematical Economics (A+), Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A+), Mathematical Economics (A), International Trade (A), Industrial Organization (A+), International Finance (A+).

Mathematics Courses (Undergrad): Calculus-I(A-), Calculus- II(A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Linear Algebra (A+), Intro to Real Analysis (A), Abstract Algebra(A), Differential Equations (B+), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A-), Complex Variables (A)

Graduate - M.A. at Top-1 Canadian School (M.A. starting this Fall)

Graduate Courses taking this Fall : Mathematical Economics, Econometrics, Macro-theory, Micro-theory

Expected Grades : A+/A - will give my best shot :)

GRE: 167 Q 162 V 4.0 AWA ( will retake if necessary)

LORS : Expecting to get them from professors after 1st term at the M.A. program. Two from M.I.T and one from Yale.

Applying to : US TOP-15, Canada - Top 4 Phd next cycle (2019).

Research/Teaching : I have been teaching (mathematics and statistics to business students) in my home country since undergraduate.Worked on data analysis with some firms.

 

 

Concerns : I have been out of school for a long time since my undergraduate. My LOR'S were very weak when I applied to the M.A. program because my professors barely remembered me in my undergrad institution since it had been so long.Planning to make that right during the M.A. program. Also rank of my undergraduate institution at Economics is not that great.Also not so strong GRE scores and lack of research experience.

 

Advice Seeking : Is Top-15 US too much of a stretch? Do I have a chance if I do well in my M.A. program ? Hopefully LORS will be great this time. Also, do I need to retake the GRE to be competitive? Any advice or suggestions will be highly regarded and appreciated.

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Check your program's placement list: while it's uncommon for students to go into PhD programs below your range, it's extremely uncommon (zero in last 3 years) to get into the better half of your range (namely the top 10 US programs). There are also many industry placements; some of this reflects personal choice, but keep in mind it's generally the top quarter of Toronto's MA students (in terms of academic performance) that end up getting offers at PhD programs.

 

In other words, if you're certain you want to go into PhD programs but are uncertain about your ability to be in the top 5-10% of your cohort, I think you should envision a lower range, like #11-#30 US programs and top 6-7 Canadian PhDs. After 1 semester your professors will be able to give you a clearer idea of your position within your cohort, and you can adjust your range accordingly. (Your previous background doesn't seem that strong, so you'll have to rely on MA performance.)

 

GRE seems fine to me. Only retake if you invested minimal preparation for the first time.

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Check your program's placement list: while it's uncommon for students to go into PhD programs below your range, it's extremely uncommon (zero in last 3 years) to get into the better half of your range (namely the top 10 US programs). There are also many industry placements; some of this reflects personal choice, but keep in mind it's generally the top quarter of Toronto's MA students (in terms of academic performance) that end up getting offers at PhD programs.

 

In other words, if you're certain you want to go into PhD programs but are uncertain about your ability to be in the top 5-10% of your cohort, I think you should envision a lower range, like #11-#30 US programs and top 6-7 Canadian PhDs. After 1 semester your professors will be able to give you a clearer idea of your position within your cohort, and you can adjust your range accordingly. (Your previous background doesn't seem that strong, so you'll have to rely on MA performance.)

 

GRE seems fine to me. Only retake if you invested minimal preparation for the first time.

 

Thanks so much for your candid response.I unequivocally agree with you.. it all hinges on how I fare in the program and recommendations from professors (btw, I am going to UBC..I preferred it over Toronto and McGill)

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