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ecpfdq · 05-13-2008, 05:26 AM

I wish to target the top 10 schools this fall.I have obtained summa cum laude in my BA .I have A's in all econ and math courses(including real analysis) and I also have very strong letters. But I got only a pass in my MA for particular reasons which can be explained in a LOR or in my SOP . I have also participated in several conferences and acted as a discussant in a couple of them where I become acquaintanted with top schools professors and economists.(I can write to some of them directly for assistance in reviewing my application but there is no promised admission).

I am going to CREI's summer school at UPF this summer.

CREI - Activities

I will be taking 2 courses:An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework and its Monetary Policy Applications and DSGE Models and the Data: Methods and Problems hold by Jordi Galí and Fabio Canova respectively.
In these courses there are no formal assessments offered. I am mostly going there for two reasons:

1)The first is that the courses are very related to my field and

2)I am speculated a letter of reccomandation form one of them principally from Gali' since happened to have known him(I asked his LOR some time ago and he said that he is writing letters only for his students). A friend of mine said that top economists do not write letters without an exceptional performance in a formal exam.To be honest the main reason I am thinking of going there is his letter.

On the other hand there is the option to apply to LSE' Advanced Microeconomics summer school.
EC301: Advanced Microeconomics

They offer two formal assessments which is surely more useful than attaining simple lectures(even from top economists).
A good mark at LSE would also help to adjust some of my MA's marks(from a good program).Nevertheless if I choose for LSE I will have to decline an offer for one year program(you don't get a degree there) with some RA duties due to the overlapping of dates(they do not accept late arrivals) . Moreover, if I do not go to that program I do not know what will be doing next fall.

So which option should I take to adjust my profile? CREI +RA+unknown probability of getting a LOR by someone for my RA duties+unknown probability of getting a LOR by Gali' (he has seen me discussing a paper in a conference) or just LSE's summer school with a mark+unknown probability of getting a LOR by the lecturer? Can you help in deciding?

nash12 · 05-13-2008, 05:49 AM

I think you should talk to some of your B.A. professors and see what they have to say. A good mark in the Advanced Microeconomics course will help you only a bit. First of all the summer school course is less serious than the actual full master's course. Second, the top prfessors don't really teach at the summer school; so if you're thinking it could get a letter from Danny Quah or likes, I don't think that will happen.

I don't know much about the CERI. But, if you can learn something there, do some RA work, and there is realistic possibilty of getting a good letter from a known guy then it sounds more tempting to me.

Good luck with your decision..

israelecon · 05-13-2008, 08:45 AM

getting a top grade in an advanced micro course can definitely get you a recommendation which will open doors for you. i mentioned this in other places, but i will mention it again: my main LOR was on the basis of an advanced BA micro course (i happened to get the highest grade out of 300 students who took the test, so the prof sisn't know me personally at all). my point is that it is possible to get an LOR based on that course. BUT!!!! keep in mind that many people go to LSE with the same intention as you, namely buffing up their profile to apply to US schools. so you will be facing a lot of competition. so whereas i had little competition for the top grade, you will have a lot of competition and you should keep this in mind. even if you do extremely well in the course you can be unlucky and be stuck in the same cohort with five geniuses who will get those LORs, whereas the same performance in another year could earn you a door-opening LOR.

my point is just that going to any specific place for a specific LOR (especially where there is a lot of competition for that LOR) is a very risky strategy.
also, as for the upf thing, if there are no formal assessments its hard to see why the guy who taught the course will be willing to write you a letter. from my experience top professors are very serious about their LORs and their reputation and they won't give letters (or at least not good letters) on the basis of aquaintance without proof of academic achievements which they can assess (i.e. performance in an exam they wrote).

veroniquaz · 05-13-2008, 12:07 PM

ecpfdg: did you forget the password of your old account?

filroz · 05-13-2008, 03:06 PM

At LSE Summer school you won't be given your exact final result. You will know whether you got A+ or A and how many people have certain grade. And I guess that neither the professors will know it. Last year at Advanced macro, there were cca 40 people and at least 4 people got A+. So only having A or A+ may not be good enough to distinguish yourself.
It stupid policy but that's the way they work...

econphilomath · 05-13-2008, 03:37 PM

I've been to courses given by both Canova and Gali and I think it might be worth going to actually learn something. They are both really nice and I like their teaching style so it might be worth your while to check them out. I imagine its more fun than a micro course. (If you are a macro guy that is)

Then again I do think a stellar grade in the micro course will help more for getting a PhD. Forget getting a LOR from Gali. Thats crazy. Then again you don't have much to lose asking.

Either option will probably not affect your LEAS (likelihood of econ application success) by much.

asianeconomist · 05-13-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by econphilomath

LEAS (likelihood of econ application success)

That's a nice piece of jargon. Let's formalize it.

ecpfdq · 05-13-2008, 10:09 PM

Given all these and taking into accout that my BA is from a south Italian University, what is my probability of getting in a top school? Which range of should I apply?

israelecon · 05-13-2008, 10:13 PM

will probably depend mostly on your LORs, if you can say which ones you are likely to get, it would be easier to answer

ecpfdq · 05-13-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by israelecon

will probably depend mostly on your LORs, if you can say which ones you are likely to get, it would be easier to answer

My first LOR writer is my u/g thesis advisor.He knows me very well(got him also in my gtalk and skype contacts).He holds a PhD from NYU,visiting fellow at Princeton,former world bank economist(he wrote a couple of papers with Stiglitz at his times at the World Bank).So I think for NYU, Princeton,Columbia (because of Stiglitz's present there) and Harvald (he is a good friend of Alesina) is fine.I had a direct view of his letter and it is stellar!Note that the evaluation commitee gave special mentions and academic honors for my undergraduate thesis and academic excelence.

For the other LORs I do not know from where to ask. I am thinking of asking again form one of my u/g professors very well known ,ranked top 5% on the IDEAS(his field is experimental economics).He never had me in class but knowns me very well(got him also in my skype contacts).He already has written in my behalf in support of my MA application.The third I do not know if it will be from my MA or from another guy.If I ask it from my MA professors will be from a guy with a PhD from Stanford just only to justify my bad MA results and comment my conference participation and contribution.
Now that my profile is more clear what do you think?

05-13-2008, 05:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
ecpfdq Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 20	Summer schools:CREI vs LSE I wish to target the top 10 schools this fall.I have obtained summa cum laude in my BA .I have A's in all econ and math courses(including real analysis) and I also have very strong letters. But I got only a pass in my MA for particular reasons which can be explained in a LOR or in my SOP . I have also participated in several conferences and acted as a discussant in a couple of them where I become acquaintanted with top schools professors and economists.(I can write to some of them directly for assistance in reviewing my application but there is no promised admission). I am going to CREI's summer school at UPF this summer. CREI - Activities I will be taking 2 courses:An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework and its Monetary Policy Applications and DSGE Models and the Data: Methods and Problems hold by Jordi Galí and Fabio Canova respectively. In these courses there are no formal assessments offered. I am mostly going there for two reasons: 1)The first is that the courses are very related to my field and 2)I am speculated a letter of reccomandation form one of them principally from Gali' since happened to have known him(I asked his LOR some time ago and he said that he is writing letters only for his students). A friend of mine said that top economists do not write letters without an exceptional performance in a formal exam.To be honest the main reason I am thinking of going there is his letter. On the other hand there is the option to apply to LSE' Advanced Microeconomics summer school. EC301: Advanced Microeconomics They offer two formal assessments which is surely more useful than attaining simple lectures(even from top economists). A good mark at LSE would also help to adjust some of my MA's marks(from a good program).Nevertheless if I choose for LSE I will have to decline an offer for one year program(you don't get a degree there) with some RA duties due to the overlapping of dates(they do not accept late arrivals) . Moreover, if I do not go to that program I do not know what will be doing next fall. So which option should I take to adjust my profile? CREI +RA+unknown probability of getting a LOR by someone for my RA duties+unknown probability of getting a LOR by Gali' (he has seen me discussing a paper in a conference) or just LSE's summer school with a mark+unknown probability of getting a LOR by the lecturer? Can you help in deciding? Last edited by ecpfdq : 05-13-2008 at 06:52 AM.

05-13-2008, 03:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
filroz Driving on the left... Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Prague, CZE Posts: 324	At LSE Summer school you won't be given your exact final result. You will know whether you got A+ or A and how many people have certain grade. And I guess that neither the professors will know it. Last year at Advanced macro, there were cca 40 people and at least 4 people got A+. So only having A or A+ may not be good enough to distinguish yourself. It stupid policy but that's the way they work... _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ going to LSE msc econ could go to: Rutgers, UNC($), BU, BC($) waitlisted: Georgetown out: Columbia, Cornell, Duke, LSE EME, UMich, Maryland, Ox, JHU my profile

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05-13-2008, 05:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
nash12 Within my grasp! Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 119	I think you should talk to some of your B.A. professors and see what they have to say. A good mark in the Advanced Microeconomics course will help you only a bit. First of all the summer school course is less serious than the actual full master's course. Second, the top prfessors don't really teach at the summer school; so if you're thinking it could get a letter from Danny Quah or likes, I don't think that will happen. I don't know much about the CERI. But, if you can learn something there, do some RA work, and there is realistic possibilty of getting a good letter from a known guy then it sounds more tempting to me. Good luck with your decision..

05-13-2008, 08:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
israelecon TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 537	getting a top grade in an advanced micro course can definitely get you a recommendation which will open doors for you. i mentioned this in other places, but i will mention it again: my main LOR was on the basis of an advanced BA micro course (i happened to get the highest grade out of 300 students who took the test, so the prof sisn't know me personally at all). my point is that it is possible to get an LOR based on that course. BUT!!!! keep in mind that many people go to LSE with the same intention as you, namely buffing up their profile to apply to US schools. so you will be facing a lot of competition. so whereas i had little competition for the top grade, you will have a lot of competition and you should keep this in mind. even if you do extremely well in the course you can be unlucky and be stuck in the same cohort with five geniuses who will get those LORs, whereas the same performance in another year could earn you a door-opening LOR. my point is just that going to any specific place for a specific LOR (especially where there is a lot of competition for that LOR) is a very risky strategy. also, as for the upf thing, if there are no formal assessments its hard to see why the guy who taught the course will be willing to write you a letter. from my experience top professors are very serious about their LORs and their reputation and they won't give letters (or at least not good letters) on the basis of aquaintance without proof of academic achievements which they can assess (i.e. performance in an exam they wrote).

05-13-2008, 12:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
veroniquaz Within my grasp! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Genève Posts: 453	ecpfdg: did you forget the password of your old account?

05-13-2008, 03:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
econphilomath Adriannn! Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,257	I've been to courses given by both Canova and Gali and I think it might be worth going to actually learn something. They are both really nice and I like their teaching style so it might be worth your while to check them out. I imagine its more fun than a micro course. (If you are a macro guy that is) Then again I do think a stellar grade in the micro course will help more for getting a PhD. Forget getting a LOR from Gali. Thats crazy. Then again you don't have much to lose asking. Either option will probably not affect your LEAS (likelihood of econ application success) by much.

05-13-2008, 10:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
ecpfdq Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 20	Given all these and taking into accout that my BA is from a south Italian University, what is my probability of getting in a top school? Which range of should I apply?

05-13-2008, 10:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
israelecon TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 537	will probably depend mostly on your LORs, if you can say which ones you are likely to get, it would be easier to answer

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