tcttc

USC is strong in microeconometrics

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: University in China ranked between 3-5. Econ department is not so famous. Undergrad GPA: 3.79 overall, 3.92 last 2 years Type of Grad: Master of economics in US university with top 20 econ department Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE: V640+Q800+AW3.5 Math Courses (undergrad-level): calculus, linear algebra, ODE, probability, statistics, complex analysis, functions of real variables, stochastic process, intro to topology, abstract algebra, measure theory, numeric analysis, dynamic programming Math Courses (grad-level): measure and probability, linear models, Functional analysis Econ Courses (PhD-level): RA for economists , Micro 1 & 2, metrics 1,2, Metrics 3.a & b Econ Courses (undergrad-level): primary + intermediate micro, macro and metrics sequence, several math econ courses Other Courses: Finance 1 in B-school Letters of Recommendation: 1 young Associate professor from UCSD (know me quite well, took class with him), 1 new hired assistant professor from Northwestern (took class with him and get an A+), 1 young associate professor from Univ of Florida (took class with him and get an A), 1 senior full professor from Harvard (my director, know me well, work with him). None of my references are famous economists. But they are all very kind persons. Two of them think I am strong. I didn't talk with the other two too much. Research Experience:1. undergraduate thesis (excellent thesis award), 2. 2 course projects in my first year in US. 3. worked with my director on a conference project. And finally he converted it to a working paper and put my name on it. not published and not theoretical. I feel very grateful for him to put my name on it but I didn't talk it too much in my sop. 4. Now RAing for a professor in Law school. mainly coding in R and run all kinds of regressions. Teaching Experience:none in english, undergraduate metrics in Chinese Research Interests: metrics theory SOP: Pretty good I guess. Although my AW is low, I ask for help from my friend who is good at writing proposals and my directors. Concerns: Low AW, funding Others: TOEFL 110 Applying to: (all econ PhD) USC, U Washington, UC Davis, UT Austin, BU, Duke, NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, UCSD, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT Results: Acceptances: Duke($$), BU(waitlisted for 1st year/$$ from 2nd year), UT Austin($$), USC($$$),UC Davis(?), U Washington Seatle(asked about my other offers, then withdrew), Rejections: NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, UCSD, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT.

Hi, thanks for doing this. Could you provide more details on second year metrics track? Except the financial econometrics lunch group, do the department hold any other pure metrics search seminars or study groups? Appreciate your input. Have a nice spring break.

Me too. It is from Simon, right?

Yes, I do get accepted by Duke Econ Phd Program this morning. And I think the other two on TM are definitely real. Congrats. What I want to say is I didn't post any piece of information on GF. Someone else pretended to be me and post the duke admission on GF and comment "E-mail to check website TM:tcttc". That is so horrible.

Yes, bholly is correct. Sorry for the confusion.

Delete

I just find my name and my duke admission on GF. But I am pretty sure I didn't do that. Someone is doing a spy on TM. And he didn't even know I am a domestic or international student and put me into the "other" category. Never thought this thing will happen on me.

Institution: Duke Program: Econ PhD Decision: Accepted Funding: TBD Notification date: 2/22/2011 Notified through: E-mail to check website Posted on GF: No Comments: Now I am relieved

Institution: UC-Davis Program: PhD Economics Decision: Accept Funding: will decide at the end of March Notification date: Feb. 17 Notified through: E-mail from Paul Bergin Posted on GC:No Comments: Yes, after reject by Yale

Stanford Econ: email your transcripts to Susie at srmadsen@stanford.edu MIT Econ: email your transcripts to Caitlin at pike@MIT.EDU Harvard Econ: they will not receive any documents. Princeton Econ: email them to gradapp@princeton.edu Duke Econ: email them to Jen at jennifer.counts@duke.edu

I think some basic knowledge of norm linear space as well as the concept of uniform convergence (or Ascoli's theorem) is enough. This course seems at the level of introduction to the functional analysis to me. The staff is very cool and maybe useful in some metrics research (because L2(R,dx) is a Hilbert space). But I don't think it is helpful for the first year economics phd courses.

Hi, so happy that all my letter writers have submitted their letters. I am done with application (hopefully). Best luck to everyone. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: University in China ranked between 3-5. Econ department is not so famous. Undergrad GPA: 3.79 overall, 3.92 last 2 years Type of Grad: Master of economics in US university with top 20 econ department Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE: V640+Q800+AW3.5 Math Courses (undergrad-level): calculus, linear algebra, ODE, probability, statistics, complex analysis, functions of real variables, stochastic process, intro to topology, abstract algebra, measure theory, numeric analysis, dynamic programming Math Courses (grad-level): measure and probability (A), linear models (A), Functional analysis (IP) Econ Courses (PhD-level): RA for economists (A), Micro 1 & 2(A,A+), metrics 1,2 (A+,A+), Metrics 3.a & b (A, IP) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): primary + intermediate micro, macro and metrics sequence, several math econ courses Other Courses: Finance 1 in B-school (A) Letters of Recommendation: 1 young Associate professor from UCSD (know me quite well, took class with him), 1 new hired assistant professor from Northwestern (took class with him and get an A+), 1 young associate professor from Univ of Florida (took class with him and get an A), 1 senior full professor from Harvard (my director, know me well, work with him). None of my references are famous economists. But they are all very kind persons. Two of them think I am strong. I didn't talk with the other two too much. Research Experience:1. undergraduate thesis (excellent thesis award), 2. 2 course projects in my first year in US. 3. worked with my director on a conference project. And finally he converted it to a working paper and put my name on it. not published and not theoretical. I feel very grateful for him to put my name on it but I didn't talk it too much in my sop. 4. Now RAing for a professor in Law school. mainly coding in R and run all kinds of regressions. Teaching Experience:none in english, undergraduate metrics in Chinese Research Interests: metrics theory SOP: Pretty good I guess. Although my AW is low, I ask for help from my friend who is good at writing proposals and my directors. Concerns: Low AW, funding Others: TOEFL 110 Applying to: (all econ PhD) USC, U Washington, UC Davis, UT Austin, BU, Duke, NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, UCSD, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT

I think you should keep in contact with the top economics professor guy and find out if he is enthusiastic about you. A lukewarm LOR even from a top professor is not so useful based on my friend's experience. Upenn is strong in metrics. So it fits your interest. I know someone who transferred from a stat (top 20 maybe, I do not know the stat ranking) to top 10-15 finance. It seems business schools are more willing to admit students with different background. And most economics phd program ask its applicant to have a economics background at least at the intermediate level (which you lack). Grad micro and metrics are very important but I guess (just guess) they are not sufficient. By metrics and micro, you mean two semesters courses or just one semester for each? Maybe you can look at chicago booth and NYU stern. Booth has a statistic program and I think it has people focus on Bayesian. And you have Bayesian statistics in your course list. If you are interested, that will be a match. Stern has program focusing on econometrics. In fact, I even think NYU econ do not focus on metrics because most of the econometricians in NYU are in Stern. Both of two are in business schools, which means they might care less about the fact that you do not have a deep economics background. And the two programs purely focus on metrics which fits your interests. And thirdly, I will not apply for them... All in all, I think you have a decent chance in top 20 if the most important LOR writer say something nice for you. Best luck. PS: Apply for all the top place if you are a theorist. Not so many people doing metrics theory outside the top 15. Have a look at Duke econ, they have Mr. GARCH, Tauchen, Rossi and Shakeeb Kahn which are all very good theorists.

UT Austin is strong in macro, metrics (time-series, my reference mentioned this) and mathematical econ. Don't know about its economic policy though. Best luck!