Profile Evaluation 2021, UK Candidate

[mathecon1994uk]

PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad/Graduate: BA (Liberal Arts - UK), MSc Top 10 UK 4.0 equivalent, BSc Maths (Open University) - 4.0 equivalent

Cumulative GPA: 4.0/4.0 (equivalent)

GRE: Sitting soon

Math Courses:
Not as separated as in the US. Roughly covered, Calc 1-3, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Real Analysis, basic stats/probability, Group Theory, Metric Spaces, Numbers and Rings. (All A's or A-'s).


Econ Courses:
One year of undergraduate courses and one year of post-grad courses. 1st year coming from liberal arts did poorly in undergrad courses (I.e. B's in intermediate micro/macro). Second year MSc at Top 10: all A's apart from one class (B). Took classes in Micro, Macro, Econometric Theory, and other optional classes.

Letters of Recommendation:
Three associate professors/professors from the Top 10 UK university where I did the MSc (should be good)

Research Experience:
MSc Thesis (A equivalent)

Teaching Experience:
None

Work Experience:
Private sector (few years out) (finance - non econ related)

Programming skills:
Stata, basic Matlab

Questions/Other/Concerns: ​

Completed the BSc Maths after the MSc, while working.
- Low ranking of BSc Maths (although the content is pretty reasonable - Q31 | BSc (Hons) Mathematics | Open University) - concerned about this
- non top 5 UK universities are not respected so not sure how US universities will react
- 6 years since completed the MSc (only just completed the BSc in Maths)

- Don't think I can get into top 5 in the UK. Can't afford another masters. What sort of places are plausible in the US/UK/Europe?

Sorry if I have missed anything out. Please let me know and I will answer.

[mathecon1994uk]

Any ideas? I know this is really unconventional. Older applicant, not well-recognised programme for MA, decent classes but again not well known internationally.

[stressedout101]

Take everything I say with a ton of salt since I'm an applicant myself (a business applicant to make it worse).

From what I've read about PhD admissions, your age won't be a problem and not having done your M.Sc from a top 5 university shouldn't be a problem either. A top 10 UK university would mean that it was an amazing university.
Doing a second bachelors while working, regardless of the university's ranking, would be more helpful to your application than anything else. It would likely be seen as you trying to improve you mathematical knowledge and also show that you have good time management skills etc.
Getting good grades in your graduate econ courses should make up for bad undergrad grades. It'll show that you've improved.

Can't really say anything about where you should apply, but to help those who can say anything about it, you should mention your research interests and how well known your professors are.

Best of luck!

[mathecon1994uk]

Take everything I say with a ton of salt since I'm an applicant myself (a business applicant to make it worse).

From what I've read about PhD admissions, your age won't be a problem and not having done your M.Sc from a top 5 university shouldn't be a problem either. A top 10 UK university would mean that it was an amazing university.
Doing a second bachelors while working, regardless of the university's ranking, would be more helpful to your application than anything else. It would likely be seen as you trying to improve you mathematical knowledge and also show that you have good time management skills etc.
Getting good grades in your graduate econ courses should make up for bad undergrad grades. It'll show that you've improved.

Can't really say anything about where you should apply, but to help those who can say anything about it, you should mention your research interests and how well known your professors are.

Best of luck!

Thanks!

Letters are pretty respected I guess (top fields etc).

Research Interests: Macro-Finance.