Frunze

I'll make it clearer in the SOP that academia is my career objective and explain the preference for studying abstract problems at a university instead of structuring transactions at a financial firm. There are several threads on this forum indicating that the US Econ MA programs aren't recommended as a stepping stone for PhD programs. Is that no longer the consensus in light of, for example, the relatively solid PhD placement from the Duke MA program (Duke University | Economics: Placement Information), rthunder27's excellent placement from JHU Applied Econ MA, etc. For personal reasons, I need to remain in the US and can't enroll into an MA program abroad.

Thanks very much for your responses. I've posted my profile on this forum as was suggested. http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/123821-roll-call-2011-a-12.html I'd be grateful for any further comments on the profile and the next steps that I'm considering. (a) Taking real analysis and other advance math classes part-time, or possibly even enrolling into a full-time Math MA program (would appreciate comments re whether a Math MA would be more beneficial than an Econ MA); (b) Attending econ seminars that are open to public in order to become familiar with econ research and to meet graduate students and faculty; © Applying to Econ PhD programs below top 25 and to Econ PhD program at business schools.

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Engineering (scl) / Business Economics (mcl) from a large US public unversity (1999) Undergrad GPA: 3.9 Type of Grad: JD from a top-5 US law school (2002) Grad GPA: 3.17 (law school) GRE: Q 790, V 690, A 4.0 (2nd try); Q 750, V 760, A 4.5 (1st try) Math Courses: Calculus I-III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations (all As) Econ Courses (grad-level): none Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Econometrics, Macroeconomic Theory, Microeconomic Theory, International Monetary Policy, International Trade Policy (all As) Other Courses: Grad-level : Mathematical Physics (A), Quantum Mechanics (B) (completed before 1999) Law School: Colloquium on Tax Policy and Public Finance (A), Tax Policy Seminar (A-), Corporations (A-)(completed before 2002) Letters of Recommendation: Chair of undergrad Economics Department (taught Econometrics), theoretical physics professor (taught Mathematical Physics), law professor (taught colloquium and seminar on tax policy) Research Experience: Editor of a law journal; research assistant to an international law professor; prepared a colloquium paper in the area of tax law and economics Teaching Experience: TA and student tutor during law school Research Interests: industrial organization, financial economics, public finance and tax policy, law and economics, international economics and economic development SOP: I described how my work experience at the investment bank relating to taxation, regulation of securities and derivatives, and advising governments on establishing international financial centers made me interested in studying these issues in an academic setting. I outlined several specific areas for future research. Concerns: (a) extensive work experience; (b) only one LOR from an economist and no recent academic experience; © no real analysis or other proof-based math courses. See http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/130632-applicants-extensive-work-experience.html Other: Tax lawyer with a major NYC law firm (2002-2007); tax lawyer, and more recently international corporate lawyer, at the top US investment bank in US and Europe (2007-present) Applying to: Top 25 Econ programs

I'd love to hear what people think about admission prospects of applicants with extensive work experience. I have a senior position at the top US investment bank relating to financial products and developing markets. Over the years working there, I've learned a great deal about financial markets and legal instutions, which helped define my research agenda in the SOP. Previously, I graduated from a top 5 US law school and worked as a tax lawyer at a major US law firm. Despite strong undergrad records, including advanced math and physics, and competitive GREs, I haven't been accepted by any top 25 Econ PhD program this year. (UCSD is the only program, which I haven't yet heard from.) NYU, for example, says that work experience "cuts both ways," but they only provide examples where such experience is unhelpful. Does anyone know how Economics PhD programs at business schools view applicants with work experience? http://econ.as.nyu.edu/object/econ.faq.doc Does work experience count? Good question. The answer is: it depends. If you have been --- say --- an investment banker for 5 years before you applied to a Ph.D. in economics at NYU, you probably have serious work experience but probably none of it will point towards your success (or failure) in a research program. So far as the doctoral degree in economics is concerned, you're probably better off applying just after graduating from university. [This is not to denigrate investment banking at all, but only to point out that it signals very little about the kind of skills we're looking for.] If you have been, say, at the World Bank, or an intern at the Fed, very similar considerations may apply. It all depends on exactly what you have been doing, but in general don't expect to jump into a priority queue because of this sort of work experience. While experience certainly counts as a positive attribute, it also means that you've been out of touch with academic research for a few years. While experience helps you ask a new set of questions, it can also sometimes close you off to new academic methodologies or ideas. Work experience cuts both ways.