PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Math, B.A. Econ from large state University top 50ish in general, top 25 in math, decent econ dept
Undergrad GPA: 3.90/4.0, Summa Cum Laude, In Honors
Type of Grad: M.S. Math (to finish Dec. 08)
Grad GPA: 3.8/4
GRE: 800Q, 610V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: All required courses for math degree + Real Analysis I and II, Math for Economists(graduate), Abstract Algebra (graduate), Measure Theory (graduate)
Econ Courses (PhD-level): PhD Micro, PhD Labor
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): IO, Public, Econ of China, Environmental and Natural Resource Econ, Game Theory, Micro and Macro Theory
Other Courses: History minor, about half of an engineering degree
Letters of Recommendation: 3 econ professors (1 Chicago PhD, 1 UMN PhD, 1 UCSD PhD), 1 math prof (Princeton PhD, NSF winner), all extremely solid, though they are all quite old.
Research Experience: RA for Econ prof, Theoretical math thesis on Bond Percolation, Economics thesis, one paper submitted to journal
Teaching Experience: GTA for University Writing Coaching Center, GTA for Vector Geometry, Intermediate Micro, and an Honors Colloquium on Game Theory
Research Interests: Public Finance, Law & Econ, Education, Labor, Theory
SOP: It was ok, but it will be better for the next round
Other: Spending next spring in New Zealand hopefully to study education policy
RESULTS:
Acceptances: none
Waitlists:
Rejections: Princeton, Harvard, MIT
What would you have done differently? Nothing too big. I would have probably asked for advice from more profs on my NSF proposal. I feel like I was so close. MIT gave me the whole, wait a little while longer note and rejected me about an hour after I got only Honorable Mention on NSF. I'll be happy to spend another year at VT and pick up a master's in math, some grad stats, more PhD econ and write a thesis. Next year, I will definitely increase the number of schools I apply to(probably around 15). I think Berkeley could be a better fit for me than Princeton which I didn't figure out this year until too late. I also think that my NSF evals will give me some good guidance to hopefully improve for next year! Also, will take LSAT and apply to J.D. and Ph.D. next year.
To Apply next year:
J.D. and ECON Ph.D.: Harvard, Berkeley, Yale, Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, maybe Duke
Only ECON Ph.D.: MIT, UCSD


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: CEMFI Master in Economics and Finance($$$), University of Houston Econ Phd ($??), North Carolina State Econ Phd ($??), Washington State University Econ Phd ($$), UPF Msc Finance, Vanderbilt GPED, Humbolt Masters in Economics and Management
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