joetheplumber

Did you get into these schools? I think MIT is clearly the best of the list though I don't know enough about some of the others to rank them.

I thought ya'll might like to take a look at this. Not surprisingly, applications were up 30-50% for many finance programs. Business PhD Applications on the Rise - Yahoo! Finance

Business and Broadcasting are not exactly the toughest majors in the world so you might need to do some work to convince the adcoms that you can handle work in PhD level classes.

I know this isnt what you want to hear but the number one thing you can do to improve your profile is to increase your GMAT. This would help more than picking up another degree in econ. Schools in the 10-20 range for finance include the likes of Duke, Yale, Michigan, UCLA (these are guesses....there are no exact rankings really) would be out of the question with a 660. Even schools ranked closer to 50 have people with impressive credentials and high GMAT scores (730+) that they reject.

The econ classes you are planning to take sound good (though macro prob isnt that important but still good to have). taking math classes is the most important thing. It is a given that you should have calc, intro stats, linear algebra and ode before applying...but it would be VERY helpful to have more advanced grad level math classes...what math classes are you planning on taking?

I would question the intelligence of anybody who brags about being in mensa...

Well a higher GMAT certainly would not hurt but since you're not going for finance a 720 is prob fine. As far as recs, if you're already at Booth you should def try to get at least one letter from a prof. They will have connections at other schools and their letters will carry more weight.

that would help both for the experience and would probably get you a better rec. Is there any chance you can do research over the summer?

Well more math is usually always a good thing. Most people who get finance admits have calc, linear algebra, ODE, and some stats so you dont really stand out here. If you want to try for top schools it might help to have some more advanced courses (PDE, real analysis). You don't mention if you have any research experience. This is a very important part of the application. I'd say you have a pretty good chance at getting admits from schools outside of the top 20. This assumes you can get 700+ on the GMAT. It might be slightly easier to get in to the school you are at now because you know the profs although I don't know if this would be enough for the top big 10 schools like Northwestern, OSU, or Michigan.

Could you share your profile?

I think you have an outside shot at Duke, Michigan, Yale. The top top schools like Chicago, MIT, etc require a god profile (as its called on the econ board). I'm not sure how much math you have,but I assume it includes ODE (maybe PDE), some stats/probability, and maybe real analysis. This is good but for top 20 schools I feel like its the norm. Many admits to the big name schools have a really sexy quant background (hell, some have PhDs or ABD in physics/math). Also, your research experience is a bit light for big name schools. The good news is that I'm sure you can pull some good recs since you are at a solid program now (is it UCLA or Yale...I know both of these schools have international econ programs). Also solid grades/gre. I like your chances for the second batch of schools you mentioned.

I havent seen this guy on the board for a while, and I've been wondering where he ended up getting into. Such a great profile, I would not have been surprised to see him get into MIT/Chicago...

lol...speaking of this I just saw an article the other day about how McDonalds has some specialty items by region...for instance there is a lobster sandwich in new england! I also know that McDonalds in Mexico has a radically different breakfast menu. In my humble opinion, it is superior to the US breakfast offerings.

Placement counts most but if it is a small difference between schools, I think it is ok to take into account general quality of life. Plus, placement is largely dependent on your work...not what program you are in.

although ohio living expenses would be less if you got to OSU than USC, keep in mind that we are talking about ohio vs. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. In terms of intangibles (stuff besides academics/placements), the edge has to go to USC (better women, weather etc). If you are worried about it being expensive just eat alot of pasta :p