Florida State University

[YoungEconomist]

Anybody have any idea how competitive FSU is? Does anybody know what the average GPA, GRE, etc. are of people who are admitted to FSU?

 

By the way, I already checked out the Profiles and Results thread and only one person was admitted to FSU, and for all I know he might not be one of their average admits, he could be above or below the average so it doesn't help me that much.

[Olm]

Rank 161 on econphd.net... you sure you want to shoot that low? You want to be an academic, right? If so shoot for the top 50.

 

I'm betting 3.5GPA and a 700GRE Q is all you need to get in there, or any other school above the top 50 for that matter. The average econ student admitted to a phd program has a GRE Q of 700 or so.

 

Rankings: All Economics

[polkaparty]

It appears to be a very small program, but their placements aren't terrible. Nonetheless, like always, you should in general shoot for the highest ranked program available to you.

[YoungEconomist]

Rank 161 on econphd.net... you sure you want to shoot that low? You want to be an academic, right? If so shoot for the top 50.

 

Actually, lately I've been leaning more towards an economic consulting placement. But I definitely want to keep the option open to be a professor because it sounds pretty interesting. I'm 99.9% positive that I'll become either a consultant or a professor.

 

I'm betting 3.5GPA and a 700GRE Q is all you need to get in there, or any other school above the top 50 for that matter. The average econ student admitted to a phd program has a GRE Q of 700 or so.

 

Rankings: All Economics

 

Awesome! I feel relieved to know that even if my GRE or upper level math classes don't go that well, I'll still be able to find a PhD program that'll accept me.:D By the way, where did you get the info that says the average admitted econ PhD student has a 700 QGRE?

 

It appears to be a very small program, but their placements aren't terrible. Nonetheless, like always, you should in general shoot for the highest ranked program available to you.

 

I know. FSU will be one of my safety schools. I'll probably apply to like 10 schools between the 25 - 50 range. And then I'll have 2 safety schools outside of that range. I think my safeties are going to be University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and Florida State University.

[Olm]

econphd.net Admission Guide

[YoungEconomist]

econphd.net Admission Guide

 

I don't think that advice helps as much with FSU, as FSU is not very highly ranked (not even in the US News top 50).

[Tex Jansen]

A lot of mid ranked programs, like Florida State, are very good at putting their grads into teaching schools. You are actually more likely to get an academic job coming out of their than from Chicago, although the latter obviously has a much higher ceiling on the quality of academic job that you get. The downside is that it is far more difficult to go into consulting from FSU.

 

Make sure that you check out the teaching loads for grad students. I know that Milwaukee's is excessive.

[YoungEconomist]

The downside is that it is far more difficult to go into consulting from FSU.

 

Maybe in comparison to Chicago or other high ranked programs, but FSU has had some decent consulting placements. Some grads have went to work for the ERS Group and CRAI.

 

Make sure that you check out the teaching loads for grad students. I know that Milwaukee's is excessive.

 

Thanks for mentioning that, I haven't thought about this aspect before.

[wdoerner]

I am currently enrolled at FSU---was previously enrolled at a top 20/30 institution and took a big jump down in the rankings to come here. Lots of reasons why I changed but I am much, much happier with my move.

 

Rankings are changing and will change for FSU. When I originally applied to grad schools, FSU was 78th according to US News. People in the program say it's 50ish now but I am not sure about their source. Biggest piece of info I can give you: US News rankings is a bunch of b.s. They suck when it comes to fitting yourself with a grad institution. A major component is faculty research productivity but that does not imply they are dedicated professors or will want you to participate with them in your first two years. (Personally, I have found FSU to encourage faculty-student relationships and interactions.) My original grad school decision was influenced by US. News and other rankings, as well as professors' reputations. Not the best choice I have made.

 

FSU's program is going through an intensive upheaval. If the program continues in such a pattern, I expect its reputation to improve so that Olm's ranking comment might not hold anymore. His assessment of necessary requirements is probably accurate but I have no personal insights to admissions beyond my cohort's statistics. I had an 800 math and got a tuition waiver, a university grant, and a half-time TAship (meaning I cover two classes and I am supposed to put in 20hrs/week which, on average, might only be 10 in practice). The offer was generous when compared to other institutions and is even more enticing when you consider the low cost of living in Tallahassee.

 

Only one person obtained a quarter-time TAship. Not everybody will receive funding as a TAship. Foreigners should not expect much funding because FSU is a state institution and taxpayers foot the education. Do not let the TAship (or RAship) scare you off. My original institution did not require anybody to perform TA duties in the first semester. On the contrary, FSU expects you to get involved. There are arguments of pros and cons to both methods but I have found the TA duty to be reasonable. I have learned to manage my time much better.

 

If you get a TA-ship, you will have an office to share with two or three others. Every office has at least once computer, some have more. As part of your TA duties, you will (sometimes) attend classes, grade papers/essays, and serve 3hrs/assignment each week in the undergrad lab. FSU's website doesn't give much info on the duties so I hope that sheds more light on the topic.

 

If you want to do experimental or applied micro, FSU is a decent place. Beyond that, I am not sure where the department intends on making investments. You would need to contact Dr. Zuehlke or Dr. Bullock for details.

 

As far as the content of our program, our cohort is the first to go through a change in the sequencing. Previously, there were three classes in Micro and Macro that come to completion after the first semester of the second year. This year, they have combined everything into two classes over the first year. Prelims/comps are still at the end of August.

 

Following most legitimate programs, FSU instituted a "math camp" held in August prior to beginning the first year. Real analysis, optimization, matrix properties, etc. will be covered and you receive a grade (goes on in the fall term) for the three-week course. If you have not taken any discrete math or real analysis, you need to brush up on it. Rudin is a decent reference for proofs. Schaum's makes a mathematics for economists text that will start you out. Otherwise, go through Simon and Blume.

 

For the first semester, we take micro, macro and econometrics (You will also have to pick a weekly seminar to attend. Choices include quantitative methods, micro/macro, urban issues). The texts are MWG, Sargent's Recursive Macro, and a combo of DeGroot and Davidson, respectively. These are standard texts at any top 50 program. You will have trouble if you stick to things like Nicholson's or Varians in Micro. Even if the program is not in the top 20 or even top 40, you will have to study if you come here. Others grad students' comments on TM about average study hours per week seem consistent with our cohort.

 

As mentioned, the program is undergoing significant changes in a drive to improve its image. Placements have been decent. Always keep in mind your final goal when choosing a grad school program. You need to do a double-check if you think you're going to teach at a top 10 school after FSU (it's possible, just not probable); however, the program has a strong history of placements in research institutions and, like mentioned, seems to do well with consulting opportunities. Typically, we have been more applied oriented but that does not mean you should assume an applied Masters in economics is sufficient or necessary preparation. The program may be applied-oriented but it still requires you to understand and utilize theory.

 

I think that covers the questions that were raised. PM me if you want more because I don't check TM with regular frequency.

[buckykatt]

Great post, wdoerner! I wish we had a snapshot like that for every school out there...

[corolla09]

I am bumping up this thread for any of those who are non top-30 and considering FSU if there are any.

[Peruano929]

Anybody have any idea how competitive FSU is? Does anybody know what the average GPA, GRE, etc. are of people who are admitted to FSU?

 

By the way, I already checked out the Profiles and Results thread and only one person was admitted to FSU, and for all I know he might not be one of their average admits, he could be above or below the average so it doesn't help me that much.

 

If you are considering FSU, why not UF?

[corolla09]

Namely, I didn't apply UF and was admitted to FSU. I guess I was turned off by UF's every other year admission cycle (even though theyre admitting for Fall 09).

[breakz]

If you are considering FSU, why not UF?

 

FSU is working very, very hard to grow its experimental expertise. They want to push places like Pitt and UCSB for "great non-top10 experimental programs."

[Peruano929]

Namely, I didn't apply UF and was admitted to FSU. I guess I was turned off by UF's every other year admission cycle (even though theyre admitting for Fall 09).

 

I believe they do this so they can give all their incoming Ph.D.s all the resources they can (small classes, generous funding).

[untitled]

Just as a note, I've added fsu to the analysis. Please, let me know if there are other schools I missed. From what I can see, lower ranked schools generally see slightly lower GREQs - a 750-770 looks pretty standard (there aren't many applications below that). Also, I think most students who are rejected from lower ranked schools don't report their results on TM, or don't visit TM at all, so this is missing quite a bit. Also, I didn't scan the non-top-50 threads (such as here), as they are mostly posted in the regular thread. But there may be some profiles there that I missed.

[lightyears]

You might have missed CEMFI and Tinbergen, I didn't notice them...Probably there are not many data for them, but still it'd be interesting for EU applicants I think. Great work anyway!

[corolla09]

I think Binghamton is missing, I'm prolly the only one on TM to apply.

[untitled]

You might have missed CEMFI and Tinbergen, I didn't notice them...Probably there are not many data for them, but still it'd be interesting for EU applicants I think. Great work anyway!

Ask and you shall receive. There are a lot of Tinbergen's this year, although fewer in the past.

[khrushchevandshoe]

Don't expect much in the way of anything international.

 

Experimental at FSU is good. I was taught an intermediate micro class that basically became an informal experimental seminar.

 

The problem with the storyline of FSU on the up and up is the severe budgetary meltdown in Florida. The ambitious university-wide cluster hiring (experimental in the econ dept) has since been abandoned and students have resorted to a 100k charity drive to keep professors from fleeing pay cuts.

[breakz]

Man, that's a damn shame. I'm not a Noles fan, but I love seeing programs work towards specialties to remain competitive amongst bigger and meaner schools.

[corolla09]

From the outside, It seems like a program that is really trying beef up its experimental and applied micro.

[wdoerner]

Sorry if this bumps up the post for others who are not interested in FSU. If you are considering the school, here are a few comments from a current student (I don't think any of our faculty read TM anymore...they're more entertained in the biting posts on econjobrumors if they read any forums at all).

 

Don't expect much in the way of anything international.

 

Very true. The webpage is explicit in mentioning this point. For some reason, we always have foreigners coming in who aren't on Fulbrights thinking that they'll be able to bend the rule and earn funding. I only know of two people who did this and they're quite stellar (even U.S. citizens aren't given funding if they don't start with it). The rest of the intl students are on aid from their govts or Fulbrights.

 

Experimental at FSU is good. I was taught an intermediate micro class that basically became an informal experimental seminar.

 

I would venture to say that the course was taken during the normal school year. Seldom do grad students, adjuncts, or lecturers teach the intermediate micro. Our recent micro-related hires have been in experimental. They use the lab as experiments because that's within their comfort zone so it's not surprising to me to hear that the class was heavily weighted in that direction.

 

The problem with the storyline of FSU on the up and up is the severe budgetary meltdown in Florida.

 

Yes, we have budgetary problems. No, the economics dept isn't in much trouble. We're one of the last ones they are going to cut because the provost and others are fascinated with our experimental group (we bring in grants...outside $).

 

The ambitious university-wide cluster hiring (experimental in the econ dept) has since been abandoned and students have resorted to a 100k charity drive to keep professors from fleeing pay cuts.

 

This is bad information. When I started, there was a push for a JD-Ph.D. program and clustering of those sorts of people. That has since fallen through (though I am about to walk downstairs to a Crime Conference being held for the "Handbook for the Economics of Crime"). I imagine the poster confused that cluster with the experimental one.

 

The university-wide cluster hiring has NOT been abandoned. It's thriving and hiring at a time when many institutions withdrew from the job market. Poli Sci and other depts have hired experimentalists this year for our XS/FS cluster. In the economics department, we hired at least 2 people this year (John Hamman from Carnegie-Mellon and Danila Sera from Oxford). Both are experimentalists. According to Econjobmarket, we may have also hired Shi Qi (Minnesota).

 

Finally, the 100K charity drive is a public opinion stunt. How many professors are going to avoid the ax because they have an additional 100K? It's a nice gesture, but the more appropriate fix would be to raise the terribly cheap tuition. If the university is allowing us to continue hiring during this time, do you really think they don't like our dept and might rid us of some positions? I'm not too worried.

 

From the outside, It seems like a program that is really trying beef up its experimental and applied micro.

 

I don't know about applied micro. It's supposed to be our specialty, but we're certainly hiring more in experimental and they are trying to bring in young faculty that have a broad range of interests (until now we were attracting similar academics). We've hosted an experimental conference each year I've been here (lab last year and game theory this one) so it seems like they're trying to bring in ideas and prestige to the program. If you're a grad student, it's a great opportunity to go to.

 

Having said all this, I'll admit that I'm not even in the experimental group. I go to their readings groups and interact with those faculty, but I'm leaning toward more urban issues. That means I may not be able to answer some questions on that area, but feel free to drop me a line if you have other concerns.