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stillhopeful

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stillhopeful last won the day on September 9 2010

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  1. I am currently in a PhD program in economics. Im beginning to question whether a PhD in econ is really what is best for me. Im considering dipping with a masters after a few more credits. Id like to consider law school, if even after a few years of work, but I have zero interest in spending any money. Whats the availability of scholarships like these days? Do law schools even offer full rides? Whats the likelihood of receiving money with the following resume: Grad: Econ (at least MS via PhD program) - 3.3/4 - 2nd tier large public Undergrad: Math and Econ - 3.3/4 - 2nd tier large public Work: GTA (in PhD program) Note: By no means am I failing out of this PhD program. Im in good standing, passed prelims, etc. Any other advice greatly appreciated. Danke.
  2. Im looking for a good/great/the best book on the history of economic thought. Any suggestions? I see a few on Amazon (E.K. Hunt, Rothbard ... ) but its hard to trust the reviews. Thanks.
  3. Personally I think people worry a little too much about their GPA. The feeling I got when I applied (last Spring) was that you basically needed a 3.5 to be considered/granted admission. I almost didnt even apply because of my relatively low grades (3.0 overall). I think more important than your GPA is the trend in your grades and the classes you got those grades in. I should note that my GPA over my junior and senior years was in the 3.7-3.8 range. So, while my cumulative was just barely a B average, I had a strong trend toward mostly A's in the end. I think this type of progress speaks strongly in your favor. Secondly, to be blunt, I would say a B in an advanced MATH class probably means more than an A in an ECON class. Many people will undoubtedly disagree and tell you a B is a "bad signal". Well, I disagree with them. Noones perfect, and very few dont get anything but A's. You may not be a shoe-in at Wharton, but hundreds of people get PhD's every year outside of the top 10. To wrap it all up, if I were you (which I once was), Id focus more on how your grades are progressing rather than your cumulative. Sometimes people can get a little high and mighty about needing a 4.0 and 800 and 19 years of research to even have your application read. The fact of the matter is that that represents the top hundredth of a percent. The rest of us are mere mortals with sup-perfect records. Chances are that if youre actually interested in getting into grad school you can make it happen somehow. Dont get discouraged, you cant change the past. I realize that didnt really answer your question directly, but my point is apply to schools that fit your interests, location preferences, etc. Span a wide gap of "prestige", just to hedge your bets, and im sure you wont be disappointed.
  4. Jehle and Reny, Advanced Micro Theory. Not the be all and end all of micro texts, but i find it very useful. Its closer to MWG in treatment, but much more accessible - especially for the first year.
  5. Couldnt agree more. My biggest issue was the use/implication of the word 'useless'. I was math way before I was econ so I get a little touchy when people start describing discrete math as useless.
  6. And my response is the same ... never. Why would it cease to be useful to know more in any field? I understand the OP's point was that a class in number theory will have almost no bearing on economics, so maybe we can live without it. But my point is that you take away more from a math class than solely the math. Methods of proof; stupid manipulations and tricks that save us from tedious work; the ability to understand what you need to show and how you should get there; practice sitting in your room and grinding out proofs for days; the ability to understand what the math is saying ... the list goes on. And I can see how someone may brush these points aside but I still believe they are of value. So in the end, can you get through a PhD without number theory? Absolutely. Is number theory useless if your an econ PhD? Only if youre ignorant enough to think so. The second fact of the matter is that (from my limited experience) advanced econ is math supported by economics, not economics supported by math. just as an aside, these forums tend to get heated over disagreement on occasion. If any of my comments come off as abrasive I apologize. This is merely one man's opinion and in no way do i intend to attack anyone.
  7. Right and wrong. First year PhD in econ is an onslaught of math. Very little economics. Personally, I feel students would be better off trading some econ classes for higher math classes, but Im a simple man. To the OP, asking what math you dont need for econ is like asking what supplies you dont need live. Yea, you could survive on bread and water but your life is beyond unenjoyable. Take every math class [that interests you]. Math is liberating because it establishes indisputable knowledge on which you can build. As opposed to the loose intuition most undergrad econ classes supply. I also get the feeling that math = assistantship
  8. Yes, apply there. If he didnt think it was worth your (or their) time he would have said so. He was probably just suggesting you also look at other programs and that his 'dissertation chair' may know of good fits for you.
  9. You shouldnt be studying for the GRE for more than maybe 10 hours? total? Maybe a little more if youre learning mad vocab. But I think its ridiculous to drop a class to study for that test. If youre already loaded and another class will make your life unbearable they dont take it on that premise, but not for one test. In the end, spending significant amounts of time on GRE's is probably one of the least productive things you could do with your time.
  10. I have to somewhat disagree with Nanashi ("That being said only ask him for a letter if he can write specific things about you. You need 3 letters to apply to most schools. If thats your third letter then thats your third letter. Not everyone has 3 glowing letters from profs they know extremely well. I had a relatively shallow letter or two. All that means is that you didnt become close with everyone at your school. Also, I think youll be surprised by how willing even an acquainted professor will be to write a letter for you (I presume youre at least a decent student). Its part of their job to get you into grad school. Their prob not dying to write a another l.o.r. but theyd much rather send their kids to grad school than have another 10 minutes of free time this winter. ps 4 days later ... HA ... hope it helps anyway
  11. how much math did you use in your MBA classes?
  12. If one or two B's takes you out of the running at any particular school, you had no shot to begin with.
  13. Im an incoming PhD student, and my department said theres going to be a math "placement" test right before classes. I assume this is just to gauge ability rather than actually place students in different classes, considering Math for Economics is a required class first semester. My question is whether or not anyone has any experience with similar circumstances regarding material, difficulty, etc. I cant imagine theyre looking for us to make considerable leaps in math over the summer, so maybe some basic linear alg/analysis? A little calc? I have a knack for asking unanswerable questions, as you may see here, but any input would be great. Thankya much.
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