Lionel Ronaldo

This is the fear, when professors don't want to say no and hope you just go away. The thing about talking to them in person is some people are out school, in the work force, others are foreigners who have gone back to their country. My case is easier, I'll be on campus but for others, like my friend. Email might be the only option.

I have a fried applying to some advertising PhD programs. He had 3 professors in mind for his LOR. He sent them emails, 2 replied, so after waiting a week, he send another professor as backup, he didn't reply, sent another one and she didn't reply. 2 out of 5. What should he do really. I'm afraid when it's my turn to apply later this year, that can happen to me. I've started developing relationships, but still if you are in that situation, what do you do? Email them again? send just 2 and hope the schools are cool with it? or ask his dad since he works for his dad in a role that is applicable to his program. But family recommendations are biased. Anyone in that situation before?

I worked as an abstractor for two years in the campus library. Basically I read publications and wrote abstracts on them and put it on the database. That and data entry and creating urls and managing pdfs. It's not an RA but does it say something.at the very least.

I guess this is just a commentary on how some economists like Steven Levitt and David Romer for example occasionally work on papers than are 'non-economics' in nature. Steven Levitt has a lot of those actually, but David Romer has some,like the one about students skipping class or the one about going for it on 4th down in American football. I just find it interesting and cool

Very well said. Thanks a lot

spoke with an econ professor, he says a public policy phd is suitable for what I need since I want to it still helps me get analytical and quantitative training. At this point only God knows what I'll be doing in August of 2014.

I think masters is a good idea, it's just that as an international student having paid for my masters (which took 3 years instead of 2 because of money issues), but if you say there are programs with good funding opportunities. Do you know especially the lower tier ones? I bet there are threads about it, but I've tried to find them, the ones that pop up are the highly regarded ones like NYU and Duke. Thanks a lot guys

I get what you are saying. Makes sense when you put it that way

I've though about it, not enough schools to be honest. The few ones attract the same people that apply to top 50 econ schools.

Good point. What about funding though, that's a factor.

you bring up great points. I think you hit it right on the nail. My grades are mediocre, I would say that my school is not bad. Top 35 in economics, top 20 in econometrics top 20 in Agricultural economics, but yeah, a PhD is kinda a requirement for many research position I'm interested in. I know of a political science professor at my school that is a research analyst at the ECB, so you make some good points. But I've always believed nothing compares to Econ, so you might as well do that. Public Policy PhDs are quite rare to be honest. I'm certainly not getting into Berkeley, Harvard, UM or Duke with my profile. Thanks for the input though.

I respect your opinion but what did I write that makes you think so. I want to do research for a living, whether it's for the government, an institution like world bank or in academia. I went into MPP thinking it was what I wanted, but it clearly wasn't. I'm interested in third world economies, so naturally I gravitate towards ARE and development fields. Those schools are pretty decent in one of those areas.

Hi, First time posting, while not dive right in and get chewed up for my lousy profile. I'm applying for the 2014 cycle, so I can take a year up and load up on math and stats, and maybe get a research job. I'm 24, so waiting a another year kinda irks me but if I want a PhD I have to do it right. Type of Undergrad: Top 100 National Public University in the Midwest Undergrad GPA: 3.3, Econ GPA 3.27 Type of Grad (same school) : Masters in Public Policy Grad GPA: 3.2, might get up to 3.3 after my grades turn in. GRE: Q:159 V:155 A:4.5. Retaking it Math/Stats Courses: Business Stats 2.5 (yikes) Calc 1 (0.0 first semester didn;t take the final, language barrier) Retake (3.5), Calc 2 (took it online at another private school (fast pace) (B), Calc 3 and LA all online (A, B+). Grad classes: Quantitative methods I, II, III (3.5 , 2.5, 3.0) Econ Courses: Undergrad level: Tons of them, lots of 3.0s and 3.5s with a 4.0 in international econ Letters of Recommendation: My thesis professor, my financial crisis prof who worked on the presidential committee, the other will be determined over the course of the year Research Experience: Thesis about the economic impact of some agricultural policy in my country with empirical work. Might improve depending on what I do this year. Teaching Experience: Volunteer teaching in my home country but nothing big Research Interests: agriculture, resource, international development SOP: The standard, while I want a PhD and how I want to use it to help my country. Tempted to talk about how civic unrest in my country affected my focus in grad school but I'm probably going to own up and accept irresponsibility.. Concerns: Nothing stellar. Low GRE (will retake it), poor GPA in math and economics. Applying to: Still tentative, but KSU, Reno, Oregon State, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wayne State 1) What math and stats class should I take during my gap year? 2) Will the poor math grades affect my chance at a low ranked school or would they still signal that I have a working knowledge of math? 3) Should I apply to higher ranked schools than the ones mentioned? Thanks