Thomas Malthus

Institution: University of Ottawa Program: Economics PhD Decision: Accepted Funding: TA (~$10,000 CAD/year) and scholarship (~$9,000 CAD/year) Notification date: 03/17/16 Notified through: email Comments: Of the three acceptances I have, this is my top choice. Still waiting to hear from two schools. Institution: Dalhousie University Program: Economics PhD Decision: Accepted Funding: TA and scholarship (~$25,000 CAD/year) Notification date: 03/17/16 Notified through: email Comments: Will probably decline.

Institution: Carleton University Program: Economics PhD Decision: Accepted Funding: TA (~$10,000/year) and scholarship ($8,000/year) Notification date: 02/18/16 Notified through: email Comments: Happy to get in somewhere but I'm still waiting to hear from everywhere else.

Type of Undergrad: Mid-rank Canadian school, Honours program in economics Undergrad GPA: B+ Type of Grad: Mid-rank Canadian school, MA in economics Grad GPA: slightly higher than B+ but not an A- GRE: N/A (applying within Canada, probably worth mentioning that I'm also a Canadian citizen) Math Courses: Intro to Calculus for Social Science ©, Linear Algebra ©, Calculus Calculus 1(A-), Probability and Stats for Economists (A+), Mathematical Economics(C+), Calculus 2 with intro to real analysis (failed - no point in hiding it and I talk about it in my SOP), Applied Linear Algebra (C+) Econ Courses (grad-level): Labour 1 (A+), Labour 2 (A), Microeconomics (B-), Econometrics(B-) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro 1&2 (C, B+), Intermediate Macro1&2 (B+, C+), Advanced Micro (B), Advanced Macro (A), Applied Econometrics(A-), Financial Econometrics ©, Intro to Econometrics (B), History of Economic Thought (A-), Central Banking (A), Fiscal Policy (A-), Region and Urban Economics (A), Labour Economics (B+), International Trade (A-) Other Courses: French Grammar ©, Political Science Research Methods (D+), Modern Political Thought (D+) and some other electives. Letters of Recommendation: 1 full professor, 2 associate professors. Two are the professors I did my MA labour classes with and the other is the professor I did my undergraduate Applied Econometrics with. Research Experience: One semester as a research assistant, about to start a second. Professor in my graduate labour class asked me and my partner to continue working on a paper and is sponsoring us for confidential data access. Teaching Experience: One semester of TAing a managerial economics class that required weekly tutorials. Assigned an intermediate micro and a labour class this semester(half assignments each). Research Interests: Labour economics, Indigenous economic policy, applied econometrics SOP: Nothing unheard of - Started in political science and had 50s in math in high school, didn't know what a derivative was. Fell in love with economics and switched. Math is my weakness but I'm working on improving it. Concerns: My GPA isn't great at either level and my math skills (or lack thereof) are a big red flag. Other: Undergrad program was a CO-OP and so I have several years of experience working for the Canadian government Applying to: Simon Fraser University, University of Ottawa/Carleton University (joint program), Dalhousie University, University of Victoria

Thank you for the great responses everyone! I was thinking that sitting in would give me the opportunity to judge my current level of math abilities based on the level that will be required for graduate school. That way, I'll know how far I have to go and what areas in particular I should focus on taking courses in.

My GPA for third year so far is halfway between a B+ and an A-, so that's good to hear. Because I started in political science, I didn't take the Math early on that would allow me to take more advanced classes. So now that I've fallen in love with economics I'm in the process of doing what I should have from the start (had I known this was what I wanted). I still have quite a bit of time and I can take courses while in co-op, so I think I can complete the Math I want to and then maybe some more advanced courses if I'm capable. I'm not sure that I want to pursue a PhD, but I do know that in Canada having your MA gives you opportunities for employment (not usually in academia of course). Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it! No, I don't. I go to a school outside of the top 4.

Hi there folks, I'm new here and thought I would ask a some questions that have been on my mind lately.Hopefully my questions haven't been asked before but I apologize if they have been (I did a couple quick searches first but wasn't satisfied the answers matched my case). I'm a Canadian undergrad currently in an honours economics with co-op program. My CGPA is halfway between a B and B+, but my grades are improving as I advance. Specifically in the classes I'm told are the "core" variety, I have an A in Advanced Macroeconomic Theory, an A+ in Statistics for Economists, and a B in Intro to Econometrics. I have yet to take Advanced Microeconomic Theory. I am planning on having taken Calculus I and II, Intro to Linear Algebra and Applied Linear Algebra, and possibly Multivariable Calculus and/or Probability. I've taken a Mathematics for Economists course but botched a midterm and didn't get a good grade and so I'm either going to retake it or move on and take the next level while hoping that a better grade will better show my true ability. I think I have strong extracurriculars with co-op and some student politics but I really have no idea what those count for in graduate admissions. I'm hoping to get an MA from a Canadian university and because of co-op I'm about a year and a half to two years out. 1. Assuming that my GPA stays where it is or improves to a B+, what schools do I actually have a chance of being accepted to? 2. Of those schools, what is the general ranking order? 3. I see that in some other posts people refer to the big four - UoT, UBC, Queen's and Western. Which "tiers" are the other Canadian universities located (I guess more specifically the universities I am likely to be accepted to, if any)? 4. Are there any classes that anyone would highly recommend taking to improve my chances of being accepted? (This is where I'm assuming Real Analysis will pop up, but I really don't know if I have the chops to come close to an excellent grade). 5. Do you have any other advice you would mind throwing my way? 6. I'm thinking about asking to sit in on the math boot camp at my university that the incoming graduate students do, does anyone know of an undergrad being able this? Sorry for all the text, I know it's a lot, but I really appreciate the time anyone takes to give an answer to any of the questions I have. Thanks a lot!