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Gecko · 08-07-2008, 04:21 PM

For those professors who studied at top schools, they will have an idea of what the program demands of the candidate, and whether you display the "potential" to go through the program. Hence, the letters help in this manner.

Oikos-nomos · 08-07-2008, 08:05 PM

I echo what Gecko said. However where they studied is not really that important.

What matters most is what people do they know, and what people do know them.
And, if your recommenders know the right people in the right places, well, you have high chances of getting into those places.

Where they studied matters in this way (apart from what was already said) i think: during your grad life you normally get to know your classmates, and they get to know you too. If you earned a good reputation during the Phd, then it will be easier for you to call your ex-classmates and tell them that you have an outstanding student that wants to study at the school they are teaching, and that they should take a look at his/her application. Normally they can't grant you that your student will get in, but at least you can be sure that they will not throw away the application, and that they will consider it throughout the application process (provided you have the necessary conditions, i.e. good GRE, good grades, good math, etc).
If you studied at a top uni, well, you have good chances that some of your former classmates is a professor at some (maybe top) university, and you have therefore a contact there. And that professor may know someone at some other uni your student wants to go, so, you also have a potential contact there, the only thing that takes is that your acquaintance makes a call there.
In addition, if you have some name of your own, that the other professor may have heard about you, things become easier for your student , because you then have more credibility.
With the LORS it all boils down to that: how credible is your recommender. That's why if your recommender knows some of the adcoms you are in a great advantage, because you have eliminated the uncertainty regarding your application. They know that the guy that's saying that you are really really good, can be trusted, because the know him personally, or have heard about him and regard him as a serious economist.

I'm saying all this because i've personally seen the emails that one of my future advisors sent to some professors, asking them about the possibility of taking me into their programs, and then i saw their receptive answers.

For better or worse, I know the world works this way, and i've come to think that academia can't escape it.

Of course if your LOR writer is a Nobel Laureate, or someone as known, there's no need of such net of connections. But he will have it anyway.

You could say that: Credibility of your LOR = number and quality of connections of the writer among departments + academic reputation of his own (by publishing, etc)

LORS are more important for non-US students, especially for third world ones, because is what gives credibility to the rest of the application.
Think that the adcoms when they take an application and see "4.0 GPA at Nowhere-i've-ever-heard-from University" they wonder how good is the quality of the courses there, how good are the professors, and how inflated the grades might be, among other things. Signals like grades, GRE and so, alone, carry little information for the adcoms. If it is a top uni, they won't risk taking you in, because they have other stellar profiles that either come from well reputed places, or are supported by people they know or that they have heard about.

Finally, and mainly directed at Profgif:

IMHO, you have a really strong profile, and you could get accepted to a top 20-30 uni all by yourself. But in order to make chances at top 10 realistic, you need at least a good LOR.

I know Los Andes because i'm also from Latin America and had a classmate in one course that was an exchange student from there. The chair of my department spoke very well of Los Andes. Is such a shame that the access there is so restricted as you mention.

Well, hope I was helpful.

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08-07-2008, 04:21 PM	#21 (permalink)
Gecko Eager! Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 52	For those professors who studied at top schools, they will have an idea of what the program demands of the candidate, and whether you display the "potential" to go through the program. Hence, the letters help in this manner.

08-07-2008, 08:05 PM	#22 (permalink)
Oikos-nomos Eager! Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 64	I echo what Gecko said. However where they studied is not really that important. What matters most is what people do they know, and what people do know them. And, if your recommenders know the right people in the right places, well, you have high chances of getting into those places. Where they studied matters in this way (apart from what was already said) i think: during your grad life you normally get to know your classmates, and they get to know you too. If you earned a good reputation during the Phd, then it will be easier for you to call your ex-classmates and tell them that you have an outstanding student that wants to study at the school they are teaching, and that they should take a look at his/her application. Normally they can't grant you that your student will get in, but at least you can be sure that they will not throw away the application, and that they will consider it throughout the application process (provided you have the necessary conditions, i.e. good GRE, good grades, good math, etc). If you studied at a top uni, well, you have good chances that some of your former classmates is a professor at some (maybe top) university, and you have therefore a contact there. And that professor may know someone at some other uni your student wants to go, so, you also have a potential contact there, the only thing that takes is that your acquaintance makes a call there. In addition, if you have some name of your own, that the other professor may have heard about you, things become easier for your student , because you then have more credibility. With the LORS it all boils down to that: how credible is your recommender. That's why if your recommender knows some of the adcoms you are in a great advantage, because you have eliminated the uncertainty regarding your application. They know that the guy that's saying that you are really really good, can be trusted, because the know him personally, or have heard about him and regard him as a serious economist. I'm saying all this because i've personally seen the emails that one of my future advisors sent to some professors, asking them about the possibility of taking me into their programs, and then i saw their receptive answers. For better or worse, I know the world works this way, and i've come to think that academia can't escape it. Of course if your LOR writer is a Nobel Laureate, or someone as known, there's no need of such net of connections. But he will have it anyway. You could say that: Credibility of your LOR = number and quality of connections of the writer among departments + academic reputation of his own (by publishing, etc) LORS are more important for non-US students, especially for third world ones, because is what gives credibility to the rest of the application. Think that the adcoms when they take an application and see "4.0 GPA at Nowhere-i've-ever-heard-from University" they wonder how good is the quality of the courses there, how good are the professors, and how inflated the grades might be, among other things. Signals like grades, GRE and so, alone, carry little information for the adcoms. If it is a top uni, they won't risk taking you in, because they have other stellar profiles that either come from well reputed places, or are supported by people they know or that they have heard about. Finally, and mainly directed at Profgif: IMHO, you have a really strong profile, and you could get accepted to a top 20-30 uni all by yourself. But in order to make chances at top 10 realistic, you need at least a good LOR. I know Los Andes because i'm also from Latin America and had a classmate in one course that was an exchange student from there. The chair of my department spoke very well of Los Andes. Is such a shame that the access there is so restricted as you mention. Well, hope I was helpful.

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