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Will a potential publication help in my case?


new1

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Hi,

 

I recently graduated from my undergrad and will start working as a pre-doctoral RA for two years at a Top 10 school.

 

I graduated from a Top 20-25 school with Economics major, but my GPA is low (3.3-3.4) with not so good grades in math (will post a refined profile evaluation later). A lot of unexpected events happened to me during undergrad, which partially explains my grades but also I was very low in terms of my self esteem and motivation, which didn't help academically. It is mostly on me that I failed to overcome a lot of personal obstacles completely, and I am trying to do my best in the next two years to improve myself, both personally and academically.

 

I was talking with my research advisor, under whom I have learned to do research and eventually completed my senior honors thesis. He is somewhat well-known in the field, and told me that he sees my paper as potentially publishable at a second-tier journal upon several changes and many revisions. I have been wondering if I should embark on this, as I know that this will take a lot of work and there is also no guarantee that I will get it published.

 

Here is my question: I know it'll be hard, but If I do get it published, will this help me get into a Top 15, even Top 10 Phd program? I know my current profile isn't enough to get me into these schools, and was wondering if this will be a big factor that will help me get into these schools.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

Edited by new1
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Your current grades notwithstanding, if you perform well and impress your supervisors during your pre-doc in the Top 10, pretty much anywhere is possible on the backs of strong letters from renowned faculty.

 

However, that is assuming you perform well during your pre-doc. To help motivate them to write you stronger letters, you should look at taking PhD micro I, metrics I and maybe even retake a couple of key math classes during your time as an RA there. Having good grades in those courses can help dispel any doubts your writers might have about your ability to handle the coursework since you're coming from an undergrad with relatively mediocre grades.

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