martingalewho

No, my profile didn't change except for securing my LORs. I still think the LORS were nothing spectacular, as only one of them came from a star faculty member. The others were from a pretty average theorist and a senior fed economist. I also took much effort in my SOP to explain how I've matured as a student and as an aspiring economist since my college years. I don't think there was any magic involved, so I don't have any tips.

Very late update: turns out I got an offer from a top 10. Also, offers from about half in the top 10-20. Always take urch advice with a grain of salt.

How about the top 20?

How much of a boost in GPA do you think one gets from graduating at a top Ivy League-level econ and math program? I'm thinking Harvard, MIT, Yale, UChicago, Princeton, etc. For example, would a 3.4 be as good as a 3.6 or 3.7 from other schools? A 4.0 from other schools would be equivalent to what GPA at the elite colleges?

Anyone want to suggest some good departments where I will have a good chance of getting in? Thanks! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.A. in Econ and Math, Top 10 U.S. University, Top 5 Econ Department in the U.S. Undergrad GPA: 3.6 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 166Q, 165V, 5.0 Math Courses: Honors Calc (A-, B+), Real Analysis (A, B), Numerical Analysis (B+), Abstract Algebra(B+) Econ Courses (grad-level): Topics in Empirical Macroeconomics (A-) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Econ (B, A-, A-), Econometrics (B+), Finance (B-), Labor Economics (B+), Financial Econometrics (A) Other Courses: Computer Science (A-) Letters of Recommendation: Fairly average Research Experience: 2 Year Undergrad Experience with Econ Professor, 2 Years as an RA at a regional Fed Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Unsure, TBD SOP: TBD Concerns: Some W's on my transcripts for econ classes. Should I retake?