messi Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 (edited) Redacted Edited November 20, 2020 by messi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startz Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 Notes, concerns: GRE quant score: people say anything below 170 and you lose a star? The diff b/w 170 and 168 is just 4 percentiles but it still bothers me. :( The GRE score is perfectly fine. 2. M.S reputation: the program was amazing but it sadly is not “reputed enough” I guess? Would the program ranking be a factor? Some. 3. Indian undergrad: the fact that undergrad was from India, and the adcom don’t know how to evaluate/translate the grades (even though I have a heavy econ/math) is a concern. I basically have to leave GPA section blank, which makes me lose that "signaling" opportunity (and possibly gives a bad signal instead?) Programs will generally understand just fine. 4. Math doesn’t “explicitly” come out from my profile, but I’ve done a lot of it in high school, undergrad and grad school (Real Analysis, Advanced Calculus, Statistics, Probability, Linear Algebra… you name it). How to make Math “pop out” a bit more? Explain in SOP and have one of your letter writers document the math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messi Posted November 17, 2020 Author Share Posted November 17, 2020 Thanks! Good point on making the Math pop out. Letter writers can surely testify. See my edit. What do you think about the chances of getting into these schools (realistically)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startz Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 No one can really evaluate your record because we don't know what your letter writers are going to say. But my guess is that the odds are not good at the first six nor at Berkeley. What is Cincinnati's masters' placement record like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messi Posted November 17, 2020 Author Share Posted November 17, 2020 (edited) Well, according to their website: The MS in Applied Economics degree provides students with an exceptional set of applied economic and econometric analytical tools that have demonstrated value in the marketplace. Graduates enjoy success as: Analysts in market research, insurance, healthcare, and in banking and finance. Positions with consulting firms as well as in public-sector planning and economic analysis organizations. Excellent preparation for further study in a PhD program. Over the last several years, we have placed graduates in PhD programs at Indiana, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Duke, University of Texas, Purdue University, and others Is this good or bad? Doesn't seem very good tbh. No top 5 here. Also, should I explain this in my SOP? I chose UC mainly cuz my sister lives in Cincinnati and helped me through college (living expenses, financial and emotional support etc.) Edited November 17, 2020 by messi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startz Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 It is unusual to end up at a PhD program ranked much higher than the places your current program usually sends people. Not impossible, just unusual. Yes, one sentence explaining that you chose Cincinnati for family reasons is a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahududu Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 Well, according to their website: The MS in Applied Economics degree provides students with an exceptional set of applied economic and econometric analytical tools that have demonstrated value in the marketplace. Graduates enjoy success as: Analysts in market research, insurance, healthcare, and in banking and finance. Positions with consulting firms as well as in public-sector planning and economic analysis organizations. Excellent preparation for further study in a PhD program. Over the last several years, we have placed graduates in PhD programs at Indiana, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Duke, University of Texas, Purdue University, and others Is this good or bad? Doesn't seem very good tbh. No top 5 here. Also, should I explain this in my SOP? I chose UC mainly cuz my sister lives in Cincinnati and helped me through college (living expenses, financial and emotional support etc.) It is perfectly normal not to have top 5 school from Cincinnati. I think it is a good idea to apply the schools that your school has sent. Try to target those and a little bit above/below. I think almost all the schools you listed is extremely hard to get into with your current profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubrus Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 The problem with this profile is that the M.S. is not from a good program (in fact its quite bad), but OP's undergraduate record is very, very good. Had he/she applied directly from U of Delhi with those grades, a top 20 was possible. I think the M.S. is going to hurt you more than help you. Being the top student from U of Delhi is an impressive feat, and I have seen worse profiles at places like Duke and Cornell. Apply broadly. You are currently applying way too high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messi Posted November 18, 2020 Author Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks a lot! Appreciate the feedback. So the gaping hole is the Master's university ranking... I'll try to explain this in the S.O.P as eloquently as possible. I mean, I'm currently making more than what an entry level professor makes at a top20-top50 university. So there's no point in applying if I don't get into top 5 (other than the fact that I genuinely love the subject and want to change the world *pls stop rolling your eyes*) Any thoughts on how I can improve this profile? Do another M.S/M.A from an Ivy/top5 (that'll be like burning money)? Maybe R.A and earn peanuts for 2 years? how to breach this academia paywall guys.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startz Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Do a serious pre-doc and earn a strong recommendation. That is the most likely way to get into a top 5, starting where you are currently. You should think carefully about your trade-off between money and other motivations. Getting into a top 5 is not guarantee of a top 20 appointment and if you have the talent to get into a top 5 you also have the talent to be making a heck of a lot more doing something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDeadFlagBlue Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 I do not have the qualifications to say this with high confidence: if you have a "top 5 or bust" mentality, a PhD in economics probably isn't for you! There are actually a non-trivial number of economists working at good departments or important institutions with PhDs from top 50-100 schools. The President of the SF Fed went to Syracuse! Why do people get so hung up on rankings and miss the fact that careers are built on publications? Whether you get into MIT or an unranked school, this is true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayes Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Doing an Econ PhD iff you get into a T5 indicates that you do not love the process of research/grad school. Therefore, doing PhD might not be in your best interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahududu Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thanks a lot! Appreciate the feedback. So the gaping hole is the Master's university ranking... I'll try to explain this in the S.O.P as eloquently as possible. I mean, I'm currently making more than what an entry level professor makes at a top20-top50 university. So there's no point in applying if I don't get into top 5 (other than the fact that I genuinely love the subject and want to change the world *pls stop rolling your eyes*) Any thoughts on how I can improve this profile? Do another M.S/M.A from an Ivy/top5 (that'll be like burning money)? Maybe R.A and earn peanuts for 2 years? how to breach this academia paywall guys.. If you really are considering solely salary, then academia isn't really for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messi Posted November 18, 2020 Author Share Posted November 18, 2020 Wow. You all really brought me to the ground with the castigation. As far as money is concerned, I couldn't care less (I know people say it but I mean it). However, I think it's always sensible to compute the opportunity cost, which (for me) is pretty damn high. Not solely in terms of money, but in terms of research/career/personal-life/saving-the-world goals. Also, based on what I've shared, it's easy to think of me as a person looking for accreditation rather than knowledge. You haven't seen me sleeping on the library floors trying to learn economics, so I don't blame you. I agree with you guys. Research is what matters and should matter. The problem though (and I think all the erudite folks here know this) is that economics in U.S is extremely hierarchical and institutionalised. Even when you have a groundbreaking idea from not-so-reputated state college, the probability that it will get published in AER etc. over somebody with an average idea but from top5 college is quite low. The barriers to entry diminish significantly once you're at a top institution (and this disparity really sucks). I wish there was a way to change this (I would've change this if I could!) I'd love to hear counterarguments and your ways to better academia for economists. Also, if anybody is willing to read my S.O.P, let me know. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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