Jump to content
Urch Forums

Menzer18

Members
  • Posts

    8
  • Joined

Converted

  • My Tests
    No

Menzer18's Achievements

Newbie

Newbie (1/14)

1

Reputation

  1. I'm a current sophomore at a relatively unknown Midwest LAC with an econ/math double major. I'm beginning to look into potential summer internships/research experience, and I could use some advice. By next summer, my math experience will be Calc 1-3, Intro to Proofs, Linear Algebra, Math Modeling (taught in MATLAB), and Real Analysis. I'm taking the last two in the spring, and have received a ~3.9 GPA in the other classes. I will have also taken Int. Micro, Int. Macro, and an Urban economics elective. My econ GPA is similar to my math GPA. Unfortunately, I will not have taken a statistics or econometrics course by next summer. Currently, my plan is to apply primarily to math REUs. While I'm well aware that these are generally competitive, I think I stand a reasonable chance of being accepted to one. How are these programs looked upon by adcoms? If that doesn't work out, I have an assured spot doing a hybrid internship/research/consulting program at my home institution. I did this program last summer, and it involves doing applied math work for a local business/corporation. Given its relatively non-academic nature, this probably isn't the best for grad school admissions While both of these options have their perks, I would really like to do actual academic economics research. Most of the professors at my home institution are not actively publishing, and none are hiring RAs. This, combined with my lack of stats/metrics experience, seems to make it unlikely that I could find a summer RA position. There don't seem to be any economics REUs, and I'm not sure where else to look. Has anyone else been in a similar position? Is there another place or area of program that I should be looking into? Any advice would be much appreciated!
  2. I'm interested in studying abroad primarily to take courses, but there is definitely a cultural element as well. To some degree, I view it as a "life experience." I may look into studying at another U.S institution for a semester. However, I'm not willing to transfer entirely. I really enjoy my current institution for non-economics reasons, and I would do very poorly at a large school for an extended period of time.
  3. I’m a sophomore math/econ double major very interested in applying for an economics Ph.D in a few years, and I’m considering studying abroad during the fall semester of my junior year. I’m looking for advice on this, especially from those with experience studying abroad. I’ve posted the relevant parts of my profile below. My relevant academic background: Type of Undergrad: T-60 Midwest LAC, unknown economics department Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.96, Econ: 3.9, Math: 4.0 Math Courses: Calc I-III(AP, A, A), Transitions to Advanced Mathematics (IP, likely A), Linear Algebra (IP, likely A), Mathematical Modeling (Spring 2015), Real Analysis (Spring 2015) Econ Courses: Principles (A), Urban (A-), Inter. Micro Theory (IP, likely A), Inter. Macro Theory (Spring 2015) Other Courses: Intro to CS (Python) (A) Research Experience: Summer after Freshman Year: Hybrid research/consulting/internship doing math modeling for a major corporation through my home institution Summer after Sophomore Year: Either the same program, a Math REU, or (hopefully!) an Econ RA position. Semesters 2-4 (freshman and sophomore years): Part time RA for a math prof., working on a sports analytics/modeling project. This is very likely to result in a publication in a mid-tier applied math field journal. One of the primary reasons that I am considering studying abroad is the relative weakness of the economics department. There is very little history of sending students to Ph.D programs, and the department as a whole is highly non-quantitative. For example, there is no guarantee that I would be able to take even an introductory Econometrics course. It seems to me that my best option is to go abroad to a major European university and take more rigorous economics courses there. I’ve considered LSE, but I neither want to live in London (financial constraints) nor would it be possible for me to go abroad for an entire year, which LSE requires. What do you think? Do you have program recommendations? How do adcoms weigh a semester abroad in situations like this? In my situation, would going abroad to somewhere like York, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, etc. be beneficial?
  4. I'm in the process of registering for classes for the spring semester, and I could use some advice on course selection. Some relevant background: I'm a math/econ double major at a lower-ranked (t-70) LAC and I am very interested in pursuing a Ph.D in economics. I've been pretty set on that plan since the beginning of my first year, and being exposed to gradually more math and economics makes me more confident that it is a good career path for me. That said, the low rank of my school, and particularly it's economics department, means I have some hurdles to jump through to get into a T50. So far, I've taken Calc I-III (AP,A,A), Intro to CS (A), Principles of Econ (A), and Urban Econ (A-) in my first year. I'm currently enrolled in Linear Algebra, Transitions to Adv. Math (basically intro to proofs), and Inter. Micro Theory. I expect that I will get A's in Transitions and Micro, and either an A or A- in Linear. Here are my relevant course options for next semester. I'm looking to choose a total of 3 math and econ courses. Those distinguished by an "or" are at the same time, so I could not take both. Calculus-based Probability and Statistics OR Intermediate Macro Theory Mathematical Modeling OR Economics of Development Real Analysis I Health Economics My math advisor has strongly encouraged me to take RA, but I am very hesitant to do this. It seems to me that I would be better off, from a grading perspective, taking it in another year when I have more mathematical knowledge/maturity. He is the professor teaching RA, and has a bit of a reputation as a difficult grader. Given that I am at a low-ranked school, it seems like my RA grade would carry even more weight in admissions decisions. What do you recommend? Would it be a mistake to take RA this early, and potentially risk a non-A grade? Thoughts on other courses? I appreciate any advice!
  5. This is a rather sad testament to how much time I spend on a variety of forums. OP, I just posted in your thread on College Confidential (different username). Nothing wrong with posting on multiple sites, I just find this pretty funny. Since it Real Analysis seems to be the only major missing part of your app, would it be possible to take it at another nearby university, perhaps during the summer? You could also take it while working for a year after undergrad, before you apply to grad schools.
  6. This is very disappointing to hear. Transferring really isn't an option, as I have neither the desire nor the money to do so. My school offers a year abroad at LSE, so I'm definitely going to look into that. Does my undergrad institution hurt me for unis ranked in the 20-30 range? Thanks for all of the advice everyone!
  7. Hi all, I will be a freshman at a small LAC this fall, and I am very interested in the possibility of pursuing a PhD in Econ. I know that my interests may well change in the next 4 years, but I believe this to be a fairly likely path. I have read many of the posts on this forum and a few others, and I have a few questions. I get the sense that many prospective Econ PhD's wished they planned ahead earlier, so I'm just trying to set myself up in the best way possible. Some unfortunate circumstances prevented me from being a top applicant to Ivies and the like for undergrad, but I am really aiming for the top 15 for grad school. So here are my questions: I've seen a lot about the importance of math in high-level economics research. Is pursuing a double major in math/econ worth the potential hit to my GPA, as opposed to one as a major and one as a minor? Is a math major really the way to go? What math classes do you recommend? My undergrad institution is a LAC ranked in the top 70 on USNews. It is a great fit for me and I will be attending on a large merit scholarship, but will the relative lack of "prestigousness" hurt me as an applicant to top schools, all else equal? Will it hurt me to have less well-known professors writing me letters of recommendation? I've realized that one of the disadvantages I might face is that, because I will be attending a smaller school, I won't have as many of the higher level or graduate classes available to me. Are there (summer?) programs that would allow me to take those types of classes? Is it important to do this? And here's my biggest question: what do you wish you had known as an undergrad? What advice do you have for me? Thanks!
×
×
  • Create New...