rwm4768

This is my first post, but I've been lurking here for a while. I'm trying to decide whether I should apply straight to PhD programs or get a Masters first. I'm currently out of school and considering taking a few classes to improve my resume. Here's my profile. Undergraduate GPA: 4.0 at a small liberal arts public university; Economics major (4.0), Political Science minor (4.0). GRE: 163V (93rd Percentile; 650 on old scale) 165Q (93rd Percentile; between 790 and 800 on old scale) 4.5 AW (72nd Percentile). Economics Courses (all A's): Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Industrial Organization, Econometrics, Economic Development, International Monetary Theory, American Economic History, Principles of Micro, Principles of Macro, Freshman/Sophomore Economics Seminar (included research paper), Senior Seminar (included journal style research paper). Statistics Courses (all A's): Statistics (with calculus), Linear Regression and Time Series. Mathematics Courses: Calculus I (AP test in high school), Calculus II (AP test in high school), Matrix Algebra (introductory Linear Algebra) A, Calculus III (taken credit/no credit; would have been a B). Other courses (all A's): (Political Science Minor) Intro to Political Science, American National Government, Comparative Politics (included journal style research paper), International Relations, Political Science Methodology (included journal style research paper), Politics of War (included journal style research paper), Public Policy, (included extensive research paper). Letters of Recommendation: unknown Economics professor, unknown Statistics professor, unknown Political Science professor. Applying to: Mostly mid-level Midwestern schools. Most ambitious will probably be WashU, University of Illinois, and maybe Northwestern. I feel more likely to get into lower ranked programs, though. And as the thread title suggests, I'm also considering getting a terminal masters first. I'm considering taking a few math courses: Differential Equations, an introductory proof-based course, and Real Analysis (which I won't be able to take until the spring before I would start grad school). What other math courses should I consider? I'm also thinking of doing a combined Economics and Applied Mathematics Masters at the University of Missouri. I have the feeling my math and stats courses are not good enough. Thank you in advance for evaluating my profile.