mmoya

I was under the impression that Canadian Masters programs primarily accept domestic applicants? As for the the international applicants that they do accept, if I'm not mistaken, most have the credentials to place into lower ranked PhD programs in the US. I'm caught between a similar dilemma as Brandonakusa and I've been advised not to bother applying to UBC, UofT, Barcelona GSE, etc. Or if I decide to apply, that I should be aware that the probability of them accepting me is low

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Hello Catrina, Thank you once again for your input, I greatly appreciate your advice. What masters programs would you recommend? I noticed a lot of the US Masters programs are very expensive and I have not bumped into to one that provides funding.

Thank you Catrina and Setsanto it is not that I am underestimating, trust me, from reading most of these responses and the advice I've received from both my friends who have been recently admitted into graduate program have been helping me realize what's worth aiming for and what's entirely out of my league. Therefore considering they are graduates from UF I do weigh their result more than most profiles on urch(for schools in the US). For instance, one of my friends was recently accepted into UC Davis, and his profile was worst than this individuals profile http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/146668-profiles-results-2013-a-2.html#post947983 my friend made a C in Linear Algebra, and a B on Adv Calc I. The Adv Calc class that he took was the engineers Adv Calc versus the proof based one. He did not have a 3.9, but he did score a 169Q. He was accepted into UC Davis full funding fellowship and TA position. He had solids LoRs and he built great research experience from the same economic research bureau I'm currently working under. It's not that I want to be unrealistic, but sometimes acceptance/rejections can be a toss up. Sometimes it literally all depends whether you're a candidate that satisfy what that particular program is looking for. Applying to a school that has a lower ranking does not imply one will be accepted. Most of the "safety" schools my friends applied to rejected them or put them on the wait list.One of my other friends was accepted into Rochester and Duke, both full funding, but rejected to a lot of his lower ranked "safety" schools. LoR, SOP, and research helped all of my friends. Most people state on this forum that LoR and SOP have little to no weight on them which is not true. Also my GPA is actually not as bad as I thought it was, it's around a 3.4 close to a 3.5. I was reading it incorrectly from the website, I was reading another GPA which I thought was my cumulative GPA. Still a 3.4, even a 3.5 still sucks I know. point is, I wanted to better understand which range should I apply and especially more about Canadian schools. Even if Top 30 are out of the questions I will try to apply, but from what I gathered I should focus more on Top 50 instead.

Hello Catrina, how do I look up the profiles for students applying to specific schools? I looked up UBC under the Profiles and results 2014 thread but most of them seem to be applying to PhD. How do I look up a program and it's Masters?

If a PhD does not necessarily work out, I would much rather complete a masters and start working. I would like to work in research, idk if most positions that involve research in the world bank are reserved with those who have a PhD? A plan B is to pursue a career in the World Bank, IMF, United Nations, etc. I want to engage in more research pertaining to economic development, therefore I feel as though UBC's Masters would be a better fit than a Masters program in the US. So maybe a more reasonable plan should be to stick to doing post bac and postpone applying this october. Opt out of taking the graduate level micro theory class and adv calc 2. Instead take adv calc I and an econometrics course. Then by Fall of 2015 I should focus more on obtaining a masters in economics rather than a PhD. I would still apply to PhD programs, but if I do not get into one I would like to attend, I should focus more on the Masters in econ and if I do a masters in econ, be done with it and work as a researcher for the World Bank. I guess where I'm trying to get at is, after post bac and I take the rest of the math I am supposed to take, would applying to UBC Masters be feasible? If a decent PhD program is out of the questions, I would like to work towards a good Masters program that emphasizes on research, especially one that specializes in development.

Hello colacoca, Honestly I appreciate the fact that you are blunt and share a general concern for a fellow gator. However, as far as upper level math is concern, I have gain much exposure to it besides this semester, I'm taking linear(which you know is our weed out class for math majors), and so far I'm doing good. Could having a good proof based background help compensate for my weak performance in my calculus series? I found calc I more of a nightmare than linear because going into that class I did not remember what point slope was, the parent functions of graphs, or how to do simple arithmetic such as dealing with fractions. I was in a class full of premeds most of which who had already taken AP calc in high school. I remember walking in not know literally anything that was expected knowledge and UF treats it as a weed out for premeds. As for calc 3, I was taking that class with sets and logics AND the honors empirical research class where I was teaching my self STATA while writing my first empirical paper. I had forgotten all what I learned in Stats I, so understanding how to understand and construct regressions was not fun. A few of my friends have been recently accepted into pretty solid programs such as UC Davis and University of Iowa. The ones that were accepted into Davis and Iowa had C's/B's for their proof based courses, however, they had A's for their calculus sequence. I would like to aim for Top 30 specific to Trade & Development. Do you think that's out of my league even if I do well in Linear, Adv Calc I/II, differential equations (which everyone tells me is ridiculously easy at UF), Intro to Prob, Regression Analysis(which should be easier to understand now that I've taken the research course), and the graduate level Micro Theory course? As for the graduate level course, the only reason I feel as though I would do great is that my friends have taken the course and one even gave me the practice exams that he gives for his mid term and final. They have told me how to get an A in the class. I'm a transfer student, when I took intermediate micro, it was the first econ course I took at a 4yr university. I thought stacking my econ classes my first semester as a transfer student would be a great idea because I breeze right through the principle courses in community college. I understand I should be realistic, but I cannot help but think a lot of my weak performance was due to catching up or making poor choices in stacking certain classes together that should have never been stacked together. As I am in my linear alg class, I FINALLY feel as though everyone is just as clueless as I am lol. I feel as though the material is new to everyone and prior knowledge is not assumed. given that, do think that is still reasonable to shoot for a Top 30/40 after post bac? If not, besides sociology, are there better alternatives? I want to to develop a plan B and C just in case econ really doesn't work out. My plan so far is to maybe apply for Stats Masters this october and work as an analyst at the world bank? I would love to work in the World Bank as well if academia does not go as planned. I really love my research class, I'm currently working on my second paper. I would like to pursue something probably more rigorous than political science, but I definitely do not waste my 20's or invest so much time into something that is not worthwhile.

Thank you for you're feedback, that was the concern I had, up to a certain point I did not know if it would really boost my credentials. That being said, should I apply to a masters at all this October? Are there any benefits to boosting my profile by attending one? Given that I am no where near competitive to even dare apply to a PhD this coming October 2014, what should I do? By Summer 2015 I should have up to Adv Calc 2, aside of the PhD Micro Theory course, I will definitely take you're advice to complete more econ courses but I still would not apply to a PhD program until October 2015, after summer if I did not apply to a masters, I do not know what else to do besides wait until I hear from which programs I will be accepted and rejected from. Perhaps sticking to post bac and stacking up on more math and econ along the way would probably be my best bet? My university allows me to take PhD econ courses so long as a satisfy the prereqs. If I am successful in diff eqs and intro to prob this summer, do well in Adv Calc I and PhD micro theory course this fall(only those two for fall instead of a heavy course load so I can actually o well in them), try to ace Adv Cal II and regression analysis over spring 2015(where I would only enroll in those two classes, again, not stack up a heavy course load), retake calc III and take stochastic processes summer 2015, and take two other economic PhD courses that Fall 2015, by october 2015 would applying to Top 30 be feasible?

after looking over the admissions and rejections, roll call, etc I did notice either a.) most of those who were accepted into UBC's Masters program were Canadian or b.) most applicants from the US applied to UBC Masters as a back up plan, their credentials were strong enough to apply to a PhD in the US. I'm still going to apply, but that was definitely an eye opener. I underestimated how competitive it was and the feasibility of attending a Canadian Masters program. That being said my only other alternative would be to apply to a masters in mathematics or statistics instead for this upcoming october. That being said, if I can acquire funding for a masters, would a masters in mathematics or statistics really help or would it be a waste of time if I'm looking towards applying at Top 30? I'm concerned because that is delaying two and a half years: 1yr doing post bac and the other year and a half would consist of completing a masters in math or stats. This summer I will be taking diff eq and intro to prob. This Fall I will be taking Advance Calc I and a Graduate lvl Micro Theory class and spring I plan to take Advance Calc 2. if accepted into the masters in mathematics at my university, I will begin Fall 2015 and be expected to complete MAA 5228 Modern Analysis 1 MAA 5229 Modern Analysis 2 MTG 5316 Introduction to Topology 1 MTG 5317 Introduction to Topology 2 MAS 5311 Introduction to Algebra 1 MAS 5312 Introduction to Algebra 2 I know Topology would be a great signal, but that's if I am successful. A lot of the classes I am expected to take will not be applicable to econ, and though I love math, given my profile, I'm not the best at it(though I do not know if a lot of my poor performance is due to rushing math. I jumped from Calc 1 to the proof based linear alg course within a yr). If I'm looking to aim to the Top 30 range, I do not know if after obtaining a masters in math or stats would even get me there? I just would like to verify how feasible everything is Thank you so much for the feedback! It has been very helpful

I will try to aim for a masters UBC, U of T, or somewhere in Canada when I apply this October, along with several masters in statistics as a back up. Unfortunately I do not know what European master programs compensate for financially. I know LSE is ridiculously competitive. I have no idea how competitive some of the masters program are in Canada though

Hello econphd14, unfortunately it will be difficult to study abroad because I have to catch up. As for a summer RA I notice from your previous posts you were interviewed for a summer RA position at a top 5 university, would it be possible to know the details? I would love to apply for the same RA position if possible

Hello econphd14, thanks for the support.I noticed your strong academic performance, calc II at 16 and real analysis by the first year of undergraduate is impressive and congrats on Northwestern :) I looked into applying for McNair within my current institution, unfortunately because I am considered a graduating senior I do not qualify are there any other research opportunities you would recommend?

Thank you Catrina!!!! :) you give great advice! I really appreciate your feedback

also, in my SOP am I allowed to mention that I pretty much rushed through math? Literally just last spring I was taking Calc I and by this spring I managed to catch up to linear(which my program does the proof based linear, not the applied linear)