Weighing different factors for admittance

[saphire]

Hi everyone,
The deadlines are coming and everyone who want to pursue graduate study in econ trying to finish the application procedures. ( I am also one of them) The thing is that most of us are really wondering which part of the application is worth considering. The GRE Quantitative scores, CGPA, LORs, statement of purpose, math backgorund, having a master degree in econ or math or stat, and the university graduated from are the some of the factors. I want you to put a weight on these factors according to their importance while adcoms are evaluating our files. For example

GRE Quant Scores: % 20
CGPA: % 20
LORs: %20
statement of purpose: % 5
Math Background: % 10
Having a Master's Degree: % 15
University Graduated from: %10

This is the structure. You can copy and paste. I appreciate your opinions.

[user_name]

GRE Quant Scores: 5%
CGPA: 15%
LORs: 30%
statement of purpose: 0%
Math Background: 25%
Having a Master's Degree: 5%
University Graduated from: 20%

I think it's better just to rank them in order of importance. Assigning weights is kinda hard and random.

[butler blue]

Originally Posted by user_name

I think it's better just to rank them in order of importance. Assigning weights is kinda hard and random.

Yeah, because GRE is 100% important if you miss the cutoff they use to diminish their stack of applications, but if you make it past that point, I'd say something like 1%. Makes a straight weighting hard to do...

[Antichron]

Originally Posted by butler blue

Yeah, because GRE is 100% important if you miss the cutoff they use to diminish their stack of applications, but if you make it past that point, I'd say something like 1%. Makes a straight weighting hard to do...

Nonconvexities abound.

[nasshi]

Originally Posted by Antichron

Nonconvexities abound.

har har.

GRE Quant Scores: %5 (I say this minutes before I leave to retake the GRE. :P)
CGPA: %5
LORs: %40
statement of purpose: %5
Math Background: %25
Having a Master's Degree: %5
University Graduated from: %15

I've been told by SO many people that if you have a math undergrad major (assuming you take real analysis), you'll have all the math you need to succeed in a program. Extra math is just icing on the cake (hence my weight of only 5% on the masters degree). Likewise, the rank for University graduated from is lower compared to LORs, because, well, you can't double count graduating from Princeton, and having three LORs from famous Princeton economists.

Basically my ratings imply that LORs, math background, and pedigree are all it takes to get into a top 10 program.

[Toddgu]

My two cents:

GRE Quant Scores: % 10
CGPA: % 10
LORs: %30
statement of purpose: % 5
Math Background: % 20
Having a Master's Degree: % 5
University Graduated from: % 20

Saying all this is great but I believe that you could have a negative letter of reference or poor Quant Score Eliminate you completely; while the other categories you can overcome if you are strong everywhere else.

[OneMoreEcon]

It's a multi-stage entry game. What matters most in the first stage matters least in the final stage.

[Jhai]

Originally Posted by OneMoreEcon

It's a multi-stage entry game. What matters most in the first stage matters least in the final stage.

This is exactly the way I think of the process. The first two stages are probably reaching the minimum GPA and QGRE. The second is reaching the required background in mathematics (at least calc & linear algebra, I'd imagine, most likely something higher). Next round is probably LoRs - bad/lukewarm ones get you thrown out. After that I imagine it's different from program to program.

[shootermcgavin7]

I don't know that this thread has a possible goal..........there is no "magic bullet" to admissions.

Outside of fantastic QGRE scores, a good math background, good grades, and something to signal that they'll be successful researchers in the future, I don't know what these people have in common.
Hey.......wait a minute.......

[daageep]

my guess

GRE Quant Scores: % 15
CGPA: % 25
LORs: %10
statement of purpose: % 5
Math Background: % 30
Having a Master's Degree: %10
University Graduated from: % 5

of course, these are only guesses on my own impressions.

I agree with jhai. one of my letter of recommendation writers says they rank you with your GRE scores (including analytical and verbal), take the top few hundred, drop a hundred or so people who don't seem to really have what it takes, and decide over the last 200 or so. for the last 200, they look at GPA, math, letter of reference, then statement of purpose (in that order) to trim down to around three times the amount they would like to actually enroll.

for the people who claim that the statement of purpose is worth <%5, are you saying that its not worth much if written very well? or are you saying it doesn't even matter if you write it poorly?