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Profile Evaluation: Do I have a chance to get an offer from those universities?


Andrea93

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Profile:

Type of Undergrad: B.A. Insurance, international (financial college, nationally okay)

Undergrad GPA: overall - 3.05/4.0; last two years - 3.3/4.0

Type of Grad: MSc. Economics, German Univ of Excellence (TIMES Overall 189; ARWU Economics Subject 151-200), one-semester exchange at the Univ of Essex

 

Grad GPA: equivalent to 'more than satisfactory' or B- or 2.92/4.0 (grade conversion using WES tools)

 

GRE: V - 151 (51%), Q - 166 (89%), AW - 3.5 (39%)

 

Undergrad Math Courses: Linear Algebra (67), Advanced Math 1 (73), Advanced Math 2 (76), Probability and Mathematical Statistics (90), Statistics (73)

 

Undergrad Econ Courses: Microeconomics (86), Macroeconomics (85)

Grad Econ Courses: Advanced Microeconomics 1, Advanced Macroeconomics 1, Advanced Econometrics, Applied Time Series Analysis, Quantitative Methods in Management Research, Topics in Applied Economics, Labor Market Search, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Communication and Information Aggregation, Behavioural Finance

Programming Courses: Matlab for Finance, Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Visualisation (RStudio)

 

LoR: 2 Econ Profs (one grad program with a PhD from Rochester, another undergrad program) and 1 Econ Dr (grad program with a PhD from German Univ)

 

Research Experience: a master thesis (50-page body text) on behavioural economics, a few research essays, a revised research proposal

Others: Kaggle Data Project, Data Analysis Intern

 

Research Interests: Applied Microeconomics, Behavioural and Experimental Economics

 

Applied to: Emory Univ, Clemson Univ, Univ at Buffalo, Univ of South Florida, Auburn Univ (pending), Colorado State Univ (pending)

 

I understand that my profile is quite bad, so Emory is the best I applied to and it was recommended by one of my referees. The GPA of my last semester in the UK is much better (68, 70 is the first-class), this is not because I worked harder but since my home Univ in Germany normally gives a 'C' grade. Of course, I'm not a top student per se but just an average one. I'm thinking of applying to UNH since my pre-application was approved by them and I am quite unsure if I can get a place in the programs listed above. Could you please leave any advice?

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I see, I am in a similar situation like you - not having a great undergrad GPA in Mathematical related classes - but I am still in my master's programme and trying to improve my case. I can only suggest you to take some purely mathematical classes to improve your chances such as real analysis, diff equation, partial diff eq and maybe topology and more econometrics courses?
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I see, I am in a similar situation like you - not having a great undergrad GPA in Mathematical related classes - but I am still in my master's programme and trying to improve my case. I can only suggest you to take some purely mathematical classes to improve your chances such as real analysis, diff equation, partial diff eq and maybe topology and more econometrics courses?

Unless you are planning on working in a very limited set of areas, you have no need for PDE or topology. Real analysis is important for top schools, but not for all schools.

 

It can pay to take more math purely for signalling purposes...assuming you are able to get very good grades.

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Unless you are planning on working in a very limited set of areas, you have no need for PDE or topology. Real analysis is important for top schools, but not for all schools.

 

It can pay to take more math purely for signalling purposes...assuming you are able to get very good grades.

 

I agree with you on that but how else someone can show they can do the PhD Econ coursework? I have got some bad grades in Mathematics and I can only increase my profile by taking hardcore mathematics classes.

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Unless you are planning on working in a very limited set of areas, you have no need for PDE or topology. Real analysis is important for top schools, but not for all schools.

 

It can pay to take more math purely for signalling purposes...assuming you are able to get very good grades.

 

I agree with you on that but how else someone can show they can do the PhD Econ coursework? I have got some bad grades in Mathematics and I can only increase my profile by taking hardcore mathematics classes.

 

You are right that in some cases taking advanced courses is necessary for signalling. If possible take more relevant classes, statistics, probability, advanced linear algebra, stochastic processes.

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I see, I am in a similar situation like you - not having a great undergrad GPA in Mathematical related classes - but I am still in my master's programme and trying to improve my case. I can only suggest you to take some purely mathematical classes to improve your chances such as real analysis, diff equation, partial diff eq and maybe topology and more econometrics courses?

I have taken classes covering topics on diff equation, partial diff eq, advanced econometrics and time series, but the grades of them are all not that good. And I've graduated now, I cannot take more classes to improve my GPA (and at my home grad univ, it's so hard to improve it)

 

Which level program you're targeted to apply?

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Unless you are planning on working in a very limited set of areas, you have no need for PDE or topology. Real analysis is important for top schools, but not for all schools.

 

It can pay to take more math purely for signalling purposes...assuming you are able to get very good grades.

Upvote. Real analysis and typology are good signals to the admission board but without a good grade, its role can be very limited. Do you think advanced fields coursework can be helpful? I understand that math and at least intermediate-level economics theory coursework are the core point, but seldom field coursework was mentioned if being taken into account.

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Well I think it would but taking pure mathematics courses since they are hard, gives a greater indicator that you're a capable student of doing the PhD coursework. I think you should just wait to see what will happen with your applications since you applied them already and if you do not get accepted, maybe you can take some classes in summer or fall.
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Well I think it would but taking pure mathematics courses since they are hard, gives a greater indicator that you're a capable student of doing the PhD coursework. I think you should just wait to see what will happen with your applications since you applied them already and if you do not get accepted, maybe you can take some classes in summer or fall.

Yes, I'm seeking for some other programs of which deadline is relatively late, such as Auburn, but I'm still thinking of whether to apply since may not worth to attend. More pure math coursework can compensate for poor performances of old math courses, but I guess econometrics coursework can also work well and may be an option better than typology. And a good Quantitative score of GRE should be also helpful. Someone told me that it should be at least 168, but I took the exam three times and still just got 166.

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Unless you are planning on working in a very limited set of areas, you have no need for PDE or topology. Real analysis is important for top schools, but not for all schools.

 

It can pay to take more math purely for signalling purposes...assuming you are able to get very good grades.

 

Im currently a first year at a ~50 ranked PhD, Im one of few in my cohort without real analysis, and our first semester stats course seemed to assume some knowledge in the subject. I made it thought the class just fine, but I wish I had taken real analysis.

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Im currently a first year at a ~50 ranked PhD, Im one of few in my cohort without real analysis, and our first semester stats course seemed to assume some knowledge in the subject. I made it thought the class just fine, but I wish I had taken real analysis.

 

I didn't mean to suggest that real analysis isn't valuable. It is. In particular, for many people this course is where they learn how to do proofs.

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