Roll Call Fall 2009

[bheld]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. in Education(!) from midwestern public
Undergrad GPA: 3.3/4
GRE: 790Q, 620V, waiting on writing score
Math Courses: Calc I-II (B-,B+), Linear Algebra (A-), Statistical Methods (A)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): intro micro/macro (C+,B), taking intermediate micro online right now through my old school
Other Courses: Business minor
Letters of Recommendation: won't be great. I'll have to track down old professors and get one from my current boss (school principal).
Research Experience: zip
Teaching Experience: lots of secondary teaching experience, nothing at the post-secondary level
Research Interests: Education, Labor, Theory, Environmental
SOP: haven't done it yet
Concerns: none aside from the obvious shortcomings already visible
Applying to: Iowa State for sure right now, still looking for other programs I could get into that will offer funding and give me a path to working in academia.

[lazyboy007]

Please comment on this profile. Hopefully all of us will get in the programs we want to be in! Good luck in preparations!
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Bachelor's degree in economics and accounting (Southeast Asian)
Undergrad GPA: 3.2/4.0
Type of Grad: Master's degree in mathematics (no thesis) (same as undergrad)
Grad GPA: 3.9/4.0
GRE: none yet
Math Courses: set theory, full calculus sequence, full statistical theory sequence, two real analysis courses, two linear algebra courses, topology, measure theory
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro 4.0/4.0
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Standard econ courses
Letters of Recommendation: 3 econ professors that I have co-authored papers with in major research projects
Research Experience: RA for econ prof, written about about 10 papers on various topics like macro, experimental economics, agent-based simulation, environmental economics, labor economics (mostly empirical), written mathematical expositions on difference equations, Hamiltonian graphs, random matrix theory
Teaching Experience: Taught advanced calculus, real analysis, optimization, statistical methods, dynamical systems (all at graduate level) Taught game theory, general equilibrium theory, advanced macroeconomics, quantitative methods (all at undergraduate level)
Research Interests: macroeconomic modeling, DSGEs, time series econometrics, asset pricing, graph-theoretic approaches to economic theory, experimental economics
SOP: must still write!
Concerns: no publications yet, no advanced courses (mainly been teaching them), have not written theory paper (although working on one)
Other: summer school at UPF, workshop in institutional economics at Coase Institute, presentations at international and local conferences
Applying to: top 25 business school phd or econ phd

[IrrationalActor]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: A fairly well respected, but small private research university, with a small and not very well known PhD program. The focus is definitely at the undergrad level.

Undergrad GPA: ~3.92 Dual Degree Economics and Mathematical Statistics
Math GPA: 4.0 in advanced coursework (Two B's in Calc III and IV which I took at another institution, so I don't quite know how to calculate the exact GPA) Econ GPA ~3.99

Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A

GRE: TBD, I will probably take in August, after a few months of intense studying.

Math Courses: Calc I-IV, Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus (which was quite rigorous for a supposed bridge course), Probability, Math Stats, Regression. A's in everything except Calc III and IV. I'm taking grad Math Stats and Real Analysis in the fall.

Econ Courses: Many electives that are probably considered "useless" for PhD admissions.

"Important" Courses: Intermediate Micro, Advanced Macro, Mathematical Economics, Econometrics. Also a Masters level research seminar in transition economies. All A's except for an A- in advanced macro

Other Courses: Intro to Programming

Letters of Recommendation: I’m probably going to ask the Department Chair, I wrote an independent research paper for his class (PhD Stanford), a professor I'm doing research with (PhD Berkeley), and a statistics professor. All are full professors, and are not exactly "famous" but are fairly well published.

Research Experience: Currently a Summer RA on an applied econometrics project. I will write an honor's thesis in the fall.

Teaching Experience: One semester as a TA for principles of microeconomics

Research Interests: Micro-Development, Applied Micro, Applied Econometrics, a bit of Political Economy

Other: Transferred from a very low-ranked school after my freshman year.

Concerns: No doctoral level courses

Schools Targeting:

Yale, Michigan, Brown, UCSD, UPenn Cornell, Wisconsin, CalTech, Duke, Berkeley ARE, UVA, UMass, Oxford (Mphil), Toronto (doctoral stream MA)

[maple_leaf]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Economics and Mathematics, B.S. Finance from a small liberal arts college in USA
Undergrad GPA: 3.89/4, Summa Cum Laude
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: Taking it in September
Math Courses: Calc I – III ( A’s), Elementary Statistics (A), Statistics I-11 (A’s), Number Theory (A), Differential Equations (A), Number Theory (A), Linear Algebra (A), Abstract Algebra (A), Real Analysis (A), Independent Study in Topology
Econ Courses (PhD-level): N/A
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Macro & Micro (A’s), Intro to Econometrics (B), Economics Seminar (A), Managing Global Economy (A), Independent Study in Micro-finance(A)
Other Courses: Some accounting and finance classes
Letters of Recommendation: Two math professors ( PhDs from Stevens Institute and Stoney Brook University respectively) and one econ professor ( M.S from Harvard)
Research Experience: Spent a summer researching on the economic aspects of micro finance schemes in the developing countries. Did an independent study in Game Theory ( Don’t know whether that counts as research experience)
Teaching Experience: T.A for Calculus I and Statistics (3 years) and tutored basic economics classes and both upper and lower level math classes
Research Interests: Development Economics, Emerging Markets
SOP: Have not started it yet
Concerns:

• My undergrad college is not a very well known college
• Not enough math/economics classes
• No graduate level course
• Have not published any paper
• LORs from relatively unknown professors
• Not enough research experience
• B in Intro to Econometrics

Applying to: Not sure yet; but I do not think I have any chance in getting into the top 25 econ programs :<

[Econfan]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top 10 LAC
B.A. in economics with a math concentration
Undergrad GPA: 3.55, but 3.8 without freshman grades; 3.9 Econ; 3.41 Math
Type of Grad: NA
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: Taking it in August
Math Courses: Calc II electives (C+/B) (first semester freshman year), Linear Algebra (B), Calc III (A), Differential Equations (A), Taking Real Analysis and Probability in the fall
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Public Policy(A-), Intro Macro (A), Econ Stat (A-), Intermediate Macro (A-), Intermediate Micro (A), Intro Econometrics (A), Global Economy (A), Advanced Macro (A)
Letters of Recommendation: Three econ professors (PhDs from Harvard, Berkeley, and Northwestern)
Research Experience: Two summers experience as an RA; beginning work on my senior thesis in the fall
Teaching Experience: TA for Intro Macro and Econometrics
Research Interests: Development, IO, Behavioral Econ
SOP: Haven't started
Concerns: A few low math grades, no grad econ classes
Applying to: NYU, Columbia, Wisconsin, Cornell, Michigan, Maryland, Illinois, BU, Brown, Michigan State, Duke, UNC, Johns Hopkins, UVA, Georgetown

[DattaPlot54321]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: 4 year university in Scotland
Undergrad GPA: Expected 1st class honors
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: August 2008
Math Courses: Taken Calculus and Statistics, Linear Algebra this summer
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Our Macro and Micro are combined, but I've done a lot of both, 2 semesters of econometrics, Monetary Theory and Policy, Capital and Growth Theory, Development Economics
Other Courses: I've done some economic history
Letters of Recommendation: 1 from Head of my Department (Oxford), not sure who else I'll ask yet, but there's a decent amount to choose from
Research Experience: Senior Dissertation, various econometrics reports...nothing published.
Research Interests: Public and International Economics
SOP: Not written yet
Concerns: Going to a British university
Other: won a few prizes here and there
Applying to: Not sure about where in the US yet (waiting on GRE scores), but UCL, LSE, Oxbridge, UBC for certain

[rvalchev]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S.B.A. Concentration in Economics (The Econ Department at my university is part of the Business School) , Duquesne University (small private school in Pittsburgh)
Undergrad GPA: Currently 4.0, honors thesis and real analysis still awaiting me in the fall.
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 530V, still waiting on AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra with Diff. Equations, Optimization, undergrad business stats, econometrics, forecasting and applied regression analysis from the Math Department. Also enrolled in real analysis and Probability Theory for this fall.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro and Macro, Econometrics and Forecasting, Game Theory, Money and Banking. Writing a senior thesis and taking Public Econ in the fall.
Other Courses: Assortment of Business core classes.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Letters from Econ Profs and 1 from a math prof. I expect letters to be glowing, math professor has taught me for 2 years and I've conducted research for an year together with one of my econ profs. Unfortunately, I do not expect them to have any inside tracks or anything like that.
Research Experience: RA for 2 summers, 1 empirical paper that I would like to submit soon, senior thesis project coming up and I would like to submit it when done too.
Research Interests: Econometrics, Macro, International, Financial
SOP: Haven't written or thought about it honestly.
Concerns: My University is not well known and I have nothing published and especially no theory papers.
Other: Won some scholarships, a small fellowship, some other prizes.
Applying to: Still trying to decide and having a hard time on it. Dream schools include Yale, Chicago, UC San Diego, Berkeley, UPenn. Mid-range schools I like UT Austin as a mid range school (please help with others.)

[sihnt2307]

profile evaluation
Profile evaluation and advice please!

Undergrad: small but good LAC
GPA: Overall - 3.845, Majors - Econ 3.94/Spanish 4.0, Minor - Math 4.0
GRE: Quant 800/Verbal 540/?
Econ: Principles (A), Intermediate Micro (A-), Intermediate Macro (A), Econ Stats (A), Internship Abroad - for credit, with econ research and consulting firm (A), Econometrics (A), History of Econ Thought (A), Game Theory (A), Intl Trade (in fall 08), Advanced Micro Theory (in spring 09)
Math: (took AP calc in HS), Cal 2 (A), Cal 3 (A), Diff Eq and Lin Alg (A), will take two Math Stats classes during the next year
LOR: 3 Econ profs who know me well and think highly of me (?), all went to very reputable schools
SOP: probably something about my research and teaching experience, want to go into intl econ

[ImProcrastinating]

Man it feels good to finally be applying...

Type of Undergrad: Top 25 with a top 40ish econ program. BA in econ.

Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.74, Econ: 3.8ish, Math: bad.

Type of Grad: Not highly ranked, top 100ish. MS in applied math.

Grad GPA (so far): 3.9

GRE: 790Q / 740V / 5.0 AWA.

Math Courses:
Undergrad: Calc III (B+), ODE (C- (Ouch, I know)), Real Analysis (A-), Linear Algebra (A). The first two classes I took my very first year in college, so I'm hoping they'll be discounted.

Grad: Analysis (A-) (taken at the summer school of a top 10), Measure Theory (A-), Math Stats (A), ODE (A*), Functional Analysis (A*)

Econ Courses:

Undergrad: Intro. Micro (A), Intro. Macro (A), Money and Banking (A), Economy of China (A-), Intro to Econ Stats (B+), Mathematical Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (B+), Econometrics (A), International Trade (A), Distinguished Majors Seminar (A), Independent Study (A)

Grad: PhD Micro I (A-), PhD Micro II (A*)

Courses marked with a * were courses in which I can get a LOR saying I was the best student in the class; these 3 courses are also the 3 most recent on my transcript, which might help.

Letters of Recommendation: 1 from my PhD Micro II professor, 1 from my functional analysis prof, and 1 from the prof I RAed for. All will have very nice things to say about me, but only the prof I RAed for is well known.

Research Experience: Summer at the Fed, senior thesis, 1 year + 1 summer as an RA for a professor, RAing at the IMF while applying.

Teaching Experience: None

Research Interests: International Finance, Time Series

Note: I'm only applying to the top schools this year. If I don't get in this time around (which is what I expect) I'll spend another year at the IMF, get LORs from economists there and apply to a wider range of schools.

Applying to: MIT, Harvard, Chicago, Princeton, Yale, Berkeley, Minnesota, Columbia, NYU.

[wind up bird]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. quantitative economics with math minor from large public university
Undergrad GPA: 3.8/4
Type of Grad: M.S. Statistics from same school
Grad GPA: None yet
GRE: 800Q/700V/5.5AW
Math/Stats Courses: Real Analysis, Linear Algebra, Number Theory and Cryptology, Probability and Statistics, "Intro to Abstract math" (proof-writing basically) and Calculus of course...Grades not as high as I'd like but they're much better in the upper division classes
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Empirical Methods, Math for Economists (Fall)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate micro and macro theory, game theory, asymmetric information, econometrics, electives in public economics mostly (A's in everything)
Letters of Recommendation: Three econ professors from Berkeley, SD, and Stanford (hopefully), possibly a math prof from Urbana-Champaign
Research Experience: Seems that I have been forever working as an RA...plus a summer at the Fed (we seem to be well represented here...)
Teaching Experience: tutor for intermediate micro theory class through university
Research Interests: micro, game theory, public economics, behavioral
Concerns: oh boy. everything really.
Applying to: a lot of reaches, apparently. yikes. the dream schools right now are MIT and Caltech