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Well, it's not that Minnesota is weak in those fields. Theoretical Econometrics is none existent and applied metrics for Macro they actually despise it, they have been trying to get rid of VARs for decades. You should do to your research about this issue, I'm sure you can fin more info about in this forum. So if you like metrics Minnesota could be the worst place to go.

Oh, never mind, ignore this part. I apologize, I misread the 3rd point of his reply. It means that it's hard for candidates everywhere (not for only for those from Penn State) and Collin Raymond is just an example of this, right?

@fatso: I'm glad it was helpful for you. Thanks for sharing his reply, I think it's an important opinion. Although, I'm a little confused because Collin Raymond is not from Penn State (at least the Collin Raymond I found). Anyways, there are some theorists from PSU in the market this year. One of them is Yu Awaya who got a job at Rochester as Assistant Professor, his CV is very impressive.

About studying during the summer. You can ask somebody in the department for the syllabus of last year's math camp and first years courses. Some students sometimes have notes or some instructors have, you can check that. Be aware that the material en the second half of the courses is considerable harder than in the first half, so don't panic! If you have a clear idea then you can consider if you need to study during the summer. I'd recommend to relax as much as possible, have fun, enjoy your hobbies, read, etc. You'll need a lot of energy and your mind in the right place, don't over-burn yourself. Remember it's a marathon and not a sprint. Something that you should not underestimate is that the first semester feels like is one month longer due to the summer camp. The math usually will cover and review most of what you need to get started, so if you have a similar level, it won't be a problem. About skiping the summer camp: even if you have a strong background it's still useful to go. You get to know your classmates, your new city, you prepare yourself for whats is coming in terms of way of living and how to study, etc. If you find it easy then you can also enjoy the summer in your new destination. Plus, you don't want to feel like an outsider when the semester starts. However, if you have strong reasons to not attend it then it's not crucial and you can always find somebody to send you the material or at least the topics. About the weather: it's not trivial. I'm also an international and I do feel that my productivity is reduced significantly. I work less and with less enthusiasm than at the beginning of the fall or right now, something between 3/4-1/2 of the hours I normally work. People sometimes underestimate the weather effect but it's not trivial. So take the precautions, your motivation and your productivity could drop. Avoid the cabin fever taking some walks periodically (I know, it's cold outside but it's a good investment), take your vitamin D and eat enough meat (or the right substitute). It's not only the cold but also being inside all day, the short days, etc. Some places have long winters, it gets worse. But again, you can mitigate this, talk with the locals and ask them for their advice, they know how to deal with it. Don't wait to the winter to prepare yourself. Remember, motivation is the key through gradschool, do whatever it takes to keep you motivated. About this: Itai Sher is leaving Minnesota because he didn't get tenure. I know ITAM (Mexico) hired last year Piotr Evdokimov from Minnesota, he does Micro Theory. I heard he's probably the best Micro Theorist in the last years from Minnesota (the only one??). So, Why don't you try to reach him by email? I don't know him personally but I know he's a nice guy. You can ask him about his experience and how's it like to do Micro Theory in Minnesota. This question has been present in the forum lately and that'd be first hand information( Who'd be better to answer this?). Send him a polite email, subtly compliment him on his research and ask him a few short and direct questions. Worst case scenario, you'd be in the same situation as now, but if he answers, then that'd an invaluable piece of information. If the information doesn't compromise him, you can share it here and it'll be very useful for current and future applicants. It's worth the try, I know this is very common for recent graduates because they just had the full experience of the program. I did this (not with him) and it pays off.

I only know these programs through friends, so don't take my words to serious. Both invest in students and the interaction is very good. Placement wise both are very similar, so the differences depend on the field. Columbia has had one of the best placements for the last 3 years and it reflects the big changes in the program since 2006-07. The faculty invest a lot of time in their students. They're one of the top programs for Macro, International mostly, and also for Trade. NYU for Macro and Micro Theory. Columbia also has the GSB that has great economists and a nice group in Micro Theory. Columbia has opened a new Masters program in Economics (or something related) and they'll need TAs and Instructors, so the attrition is going to be lower and the stipends won't be a problem, which reduces significantly the competition among students, they work closely. I guess it's the same for NYU.

No way, I don't know the exact figure but AFAIK the attrition should be close to 20-25% which is the norm for most programs, maybe some UCLA student can confirm this. I remember this has been discussed several times before. The thing is, as may programs, they have bad reputation for the past but the current situation is much different. Anyway, half of the first year class is absolutely not true, not even close.

I know somebody who's "high on the wait list" at BC. She received an email a couple of weeks ago but I don't know if the wait list is already completed or so.

One important question is what is the program doing to help you with the transition to do research. See if they have papers completed before graduation, this is usually a good signal (not a necessary condition though) or joint working papers with the faculty.

Yes but at this point I'm giving almost no weight to the next period...

I need some news soon, this calm before the storm is just maddening....:grief:

Yeah! That's the spirit.... I'm trying to keep the faith.

I'm not sure, but one of the reasons Brown is reducing its entering class size is because they want to fund everybody. So I guess you have a chance if that's true.

I guess the international troll didn't know the US ST.

You're right I should've said that. My advisor told me after talking with a Professor from Minnesota, nothing official. I didn't apply there but he told me all he knew about about the process. I hope this can be useful for those who haven't heard back from UMN.

For those who applied to Minnesota, AFAIK they have already rejected 2/3 of the applicants and offered admission to the top candidates (don't know how many). So there's still a lot of people without decision who are likely to be considered but they'll have to be patient. It could take some days or weeks to receive a response and even until April 15th to receive a final decision if you get waitlisted. Best of luck!!!

I was checking the applications and found this at Upenn's status: Congratulations, XXXX! All required questions have been completed and your Application has been successfully submitted. Almost had an attack when I saw the "Congratulations" . A second later, I put my feet back on the ground.

Yes, you're right. Put in that way it doesn't make sense to be scared...

I don't know, I'll be scared as f*** if I get an interview. There are some posts or threads about it but it seems that interviews are very different depending on the program.

Usually Princeton holds interviews and I think sometimes NYU. I don't know about business schools or applied programs.

Lurking during the past years was fun... Most of the time being in the game is better than being an observer. This is the cruel exception.

At this point, every single dollar hurts. Still, not as much as the waiting...:wallbash:

It was deleted...

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA in Economics from an unknown Latin American University Undergrad GPA: 8.5/10 Type of Grad: MA in Economics from a Top Latin American Program (solid placement record). Grad GPA: 8.4/10 GRE: 170Q/ 160V/4.0 AWA Math Courses: Real Analysis II, Real Analysis I, Measure Theory, Linear Algebra II, Linear Algebra I, Stochastic Processes, Dynamical Systems, Calculus III, Calculus II, Calculus I, Principles of Mathematics. Econ Courses (grad-level): Microeconomics, General Equilibrium, Game Theory, Macroeconomics II, Macroeconomics I, Econometrics, Macroeconometrics, Microeconometrics, Political Economy. Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All the standard; basic and intermediate Micro, Macro and Metrics courses. Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Very strong. One from a very well known Professor (Top 5%, IDEAS), one from a relatively well-known Professor, two from young Professors I'm working with. All of them know me as student and RA. Research Experience: Four semesters as a RA in a relatively well-known research center during the MA and one year during my Undergraduate. Teaching Experience: seven courses as TA (Math and Econ) and two as Instructor. Research Interests: Macroeconomics, Dynamic Game Theory and Political Economy. SOP: nothing special but with an interesting background. Concerns: GPA. Other: Applying to: Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Chicago, Berkeley, NYU, Columbia, UPenn, UCLA, Northwestern, Penn State and WUSTL.

You shouldn't be worried about late LORs. Professors send them late because they know there won't be any problem and it has nothing to do with the quality of the letter. Nobody is going to check if it was submitted after or before the deadline (some adcoms don't even know when the deadline was). Even if they're enthusiastic with your application they won't change the way they work. Relax, your application will be fine. Good luck!

You can't answer this question without more information about your profile, admission results, research interests, etc. Then you can see the placement for each department, see how do the stars/average students of the program use to perform in the market, talk to the students, visit campus and so on. In my masters program, the idea is to send you to a place where you can shine, where you can go with good funding and fit your interest but some professors recommend to attend your long shot if admitted, they say that you don't know precisely if you are a star or not, and that wherever you're you should have full commitment and you'll try to do the best etc etc... Obviously for the program is a repeated game while each student applies only once. Following Andronicus answer, the trade-off is between programs ranked similarly. Well, maybe after doing a masters you'll have a better idea of this but obviously there's no general answer. Toas mop