UWisconsin admit/fellowship nomination?

[snappythecrab]

Congrats to all three of you! Getting a fellowship offer is quite nice, as only a handful of first years even have guaranteed funding. Just out of curiosity, who sent the email? If you don't feel like posting publically just send me a PM.

If you've got any questions, I'll be glad to answer them as best I can, though I would encourage you all to come out to visit day next month. If you can't make it, I'll be here!

I heard from my prof who graduated in UWisc that it admits more than normal and then many die out at qualifying exam. is it true?

Yes, this is quite true, unfortunately. Last year's summer prelim pass rate in micro was 24%. It is tough. The material is standard, but the questions can be tricky and the grading is harsh. For example, on the micro prelim a few years ago, a question was asked straight out of MWG. The students had done it, and so gave the answer. However, it was not the answer that the prof wanted, so all that answered it got zero points You need 15 out of 30 to pass on the micro.

To paraphrase a prof here, many good people have failed prelims. That being said, it can be done. One of my classmates that had completed a previous masters passed the micro prelim over winter break. It can be done.

[snappythecrab]

double post

[zzwanforever]

Anyone knows about the PhD program in Finance at UW-Madison? I applied for both PhD programs in Economics and Finance.

Apparently, the finance program shows interest in me...Should I go for Finance or Economics? I am almost equally interested in both.

[stupidolive]

Originally Posted by apropos

What about Cornell? I heard they also have a reputation for giving tough qualifying examinations.

this is another professor he graduated from Cornell and he told me that the qualifying exam is tough but most passes.
Regarding Chicago, I think they admit more than 30-40 people at the beginning. I heard historically, around 50-60 people but well, i didnt apply there either

[apropos]

It's impressive that Chicago has 35 job market candidates this year. However, I think 30-40 is still a huge class. How can they give a proper amount of attention to so many students? Do all of them usually get good placements, or say, just the top 15% or so?

[jahizbarlas]

Originally Posted by apropos

It's impressive that Chicago has 35 job market candidates this year. However, I think 30-40 is still a huge class. How can they give a proper amount of attention to so many students? Do all of them usually get good placements, or say, just the top 15% or so?

i talked to a recent chicago grad who was top of the graduating class. he/she told me that even now, usually only the top students get the attention. i think the 30-40 students on the market were prob from the transitional yr or something like that.
like zsla said, there are only 25 in her class.

[jahizbarlas]

Originally Posted by apropos

It's impressive that Chicago has 35 job market candidates this year. However, I think 30-40 is still a huge class. How can they give a proper amount of attention to so many students? Do all of them usually get good placements, or say, just the top 15% or so?

i talked to a recent chicago grad who was top of the graduating class. he/she told me that even now, usually only the top students get the attention. i think the 30-40 students on the market were prob from the transitional yr or something like that.
like zsla said, there are only 25 in her class.
anyway, this is my opinion. i can not really say for certain if thats true.
maybe john list or someone else whose knows chicago from the inside can step in and settle this debate.

[zsla]

If you carefully look at this year's job market candidates, you will see that there are a lot of GSB students among them as well as some candidates who are not Chicago students.

By the way, I think it is still true that only top students get candid attention. But isn't it the whole point? Being a top student means either being very hardworking or a genius. So, in some way, students have to show that they deserve to get lots of investment.

But, I think Chicago has the greatest first-year sequence. Can you imagine getting your core classes from a gang like this:

Gary Becker, Kevin Murphy, Roger Myerson, Hugo Sonnenschein, Thomas Sargent, Rob Shimer, Lars Peter Hansen, James Heckman, Fernando Alvarez.

I can do

[zsla]

double

[jaqunc11]

Originally Posted by Skipper

OK, if we haven't heard from Wisconsin yet, how concerned should we be? (I don't mean to rain on the parade of those who have been admitted -- congratulations!!)

gradcafe shows that all decisions last year (accepts and rejects) were communicated from march 10 - march 13 with one outlier on the 16th. Seems like everybody should be hearing either good or bad news within a few days.

*soo anxious* this will be the first school ill be hearing from

CONGRATULATIONS to everybody who got in and on the $$