rogo22

I pulled an 800/6?0/6.0 and studied in small doses over an entire summer while working full time. I grabbed the kaplan and peterson books and reviewed the word lists every once and a while and did all of the computerized and paper review questions. I found the peterson book to be the better of the two, but the more computer question sets you can get the better. I'm north of the border, but I was able to book my test less than a month in advance.

I seriously considered attending the New School for my graduate studies, but was advised against it for reasons of future employment. I figured that it was better to try to do heterodox work at a more mainstream school with excellent resources and strong placements than to try to make my way it the NSSR. If you have guts though give it a shot, it would be awesome to truly experience a heterodox program with such history behind it. I can tell you that they at least grant tuition wavers to international students as I received one.

If you plan on doing the PHD I would simply go for it and skip over the MA. In my case maybe the lack of math on the transcript kept me out of the top 5 programs, but if you are shooting top 20 and not top 5 why set yourself back a year or two?

I'm sure it wouldn't hurt, but I doubt that it is necessary. I made it into several top 20 schools with a very weak math background (coupled with excellent economics grades and strong references).

I'd say that you definently won't need a car within Madison. I was told that the co-op apartment building near the east side of campus is a great deal.

Going to Spain/France/Belgium/Holland for all of May. Preparing a valedictorian speech during that time:grad: Keeping up my RA work at the lab and possiblity heading over to Quebec to work on my French for a while. It should be a good last summer in the great white north prior to the upcoming five year hiatus.

I think I'm going to be headed to the University of Michigan unless I wake up a changed man tomorrow morning. I still feel guilt at the possibility of passing Wisconsin up, but everyone at Michigan, students and faculty alike, just seemed so much happier.

Hey Wisconsiners, After visting both Michigan and Wisconsin I am likely going to be accepting the offer from Michigan; it has been a tough decision. Madison is such a beautiful city while Ann Arbor feels sterile and gentrified. However, Michigan just seems to treat their graduate students better. There is no significant fear of flunking out and the department as a whole seems just as serious academically, but with an easy going attitude. Combined with the strength of Michigan's labour group, it is too hard to pass up, even with the history and beauty possessed by Wisconsin. It still feels wierd passing up a school that I have wanted to go to since I knew I wished to study economics.

I'm know that I don't want to discount the New School, but almost feel that it would be irresponsible to not to do so, especially given the fact that my significant other would be forced to attend Stoneybrook rather than either Michigan or Wisconsin as a result. Maybe someday I could do a postdoc there if I get lucky. Vqlong you've got guts to make that decision with so little hesitation; hopefully we'll get a chance to meet at some form of heterdox conference in the future. I think it's also important to note that when considering the "why are so many smart people going for mainstream?" the use of a certain approach is not evidence that is, in fact, correct. The present paradigm does have a rich history, but I feel it is important to quesiton whether it is a desire to maintain that economic tradition that has helped it thrive.

Point well taken, my social democratic background along with an interdisciplinary undergrad just makes me naturally wary of the paradigm. It is, however, a big step to enter into a department that may back a paradigm that one is not presently convinced by. While that may certainly change with time, if it does not that would put the person in an awkward position.

Although I was very impressed by Madison, I'm just not sure if I could handle five years of RBC. If my trip out to Michigan isn't very enjoyable I will without hesitation accept the offer to Wisconsin, but RBC + High Failure Rate == little fun.

Thanks for your response asquare, I am definently leaning towards Michigan at present even with the awesomeness of the city of Madison leaning in Wisconsin's favour. I find it really sad that there are effectively no well respected departments left at which one can pursue non-neo-classical economics. Do you have any idea if there are at least a few Keynsians around Michigan to help me keep my sanity in this dismal science? BTW, I've heard that the failure rate on the prelims isn't too bad at Michigan (relative to the 50% as Wisconsin), is that true? Also, if you by chance come across any information on that comparative economics seminar let me know. I saw it on the website and became very excited[clap]

Open as in for hiring? I would say that over half of my profs have American degrees and the general advice given to good students intending to shoot for academia seems to be to head south of the border for the PHD.

I feel fortunate in that my only real goal directly associated with graduate studies is to come back to Canada and teach at any decent university that is not the University of Toronto. Hurrah for not needing a top 5, 10 or even 50 school to achieve the goal. :grad:

Hey everyone, I'm in the apparently frequent position of choosing between Wisconsin and the University of Michigan. I've also been accepted to the wonderful heterodox program at the New School, but have been advised to avoid it at the risk of destroying any potential academic career if I attend. I initially intended to pursue work in labour economics (and may continue with the plan), but I have recently become attracted to macro and have always enjoyed comparative economics. I am in no way an RBC'er and would consider myself to fall somewhere between the Keynsians and the synthesis models (I also have a romantic attraction to Marxian and socialist economics). I went to Wisconsin hoping that some institutionalists would be around, but it seemed that they had all died :crazy: Does a heterodox movement exist at the school or is it long gone? How does Michigan compare? I've noted the existence of the transition economics group at Michigan, but I may find it too upsetting to work on transitions from socialism to capitalism :doh:. Does anyone know if there is the potential to do theoretical comparative work at Michigan? My thanks for any assistance that anyone can provide.