NeoKeynesian46

What economics books would you recommend a pre-PhD student read before attending grad school?

Thanks everyone, this has been very helpful.

Can anyone recommend the best way to go about becoming a RA? Thanks.

Some of the schools I listed I have not looked into fully; so there may be some discrepancies. However, American was kind of a last minute add. I noticed it was ranked near the bottom of the top 100 and I wanted to see if people would say I was more competitive for schools within a certain range. I should mention that the Calc classes I took were analytical calc classes. However, they were not very proof-intensive. But they will appear as Analytical Calc on my transcripts.

I have a revised list of schools I am interested in applying to: University of Washington-Seattle (top choice), Boston University, Boston College, University of Florida, Rutgers, University of Oregon, Northeastern University, University of Mass (Amherst), Washington University (St. Louis), Syracuse University, Georgetown University, Notre Dame, and American University

Right, makes sense. Do you not think I will be able to get into any of the PhD programs I listed in my first post? You can be honest, I am just curious.

my undergrad is from a US university.

Also, let me add that I plan on taking grad courses before applying. I plan on taking Econometrics, Macro Theory, and Micro Theory, and perhaps another math class.

I am contemplating applying to Ph.D programs in the near future, but am afraid that I will not be competitive. If someone could relieve my stress and tell me whether or not I will be competitive for the programs I list below I will be extremely appreciative. Also, if I am not competitive could someone please recommend a 1 year or 2 year M.S. or MSc program in Europe or the U.S. that has a reputation of being a stepping stone into a PhD program. Thank you very much. Type of Undergrad: BA in Economics for a top 50 national renowned university GPA: 3.8/3.8 GRE: 760Q/680V Math Courses: Calc I (A-), Calc II (A), Calc II (A), Differential Equations (A), Linear Algebra (A), Stats I (A), Probability (A-), Regression Analysis (A), Economics Courses: Introductory courses (A), Intermediate Micro (A-), Intermediate Macro (A-), Game Theory (A), International Trade (A), International Macro (A), and Labor Economics (A) Other Courses: Pre-Calc (A) & Intro to Calc (A) Letters of Recommendation: Still in the process of asking professors Research Experience: planning on doing one semester of an independent study this year Teaching Experience: None Research Interest: Macroeconomics, Labor Economics, Microeconomics, and International Macroeconomics Concerns: Well, for starters my Math background is weak at best at least in regards to applying to a PhD program. Also, I feel like classes such as Pre-Calc & Intro to Calc will have a negative impact on me when my application is reviewed. Finally, my GRE scores are on the lower end of the spectrum. Interested in applying to: University of Washington-Seattle (top choice), Boston University, Boston College, University of Florida, Rutgers, University of Oregon, Northeastern University, University of Mass (Amherst), Washington University (St. Louis), Syracuse University, and some others that I have yet to determine.