Johnnie Walker

Definitely second Zubrus' opinion.

Actually I took it three times and every time the AWA score was posted on my personal ETS webpage exactly 14 days after the test day. To me it's a bit puzzling you managed to get your AWA result way earlier than usual...

Simon & Blume doesn't certainly contain everything you'll need to cope with econ phd courses, but I think it may work out for you given the intention to learn math described in a not-purely-abstract way you stated in your first post. That said, as always, the more you read over, the better.

Definitely go for Simon & Blume.

I have nothing against Essex, just to be clear. But, given what you wrote in your first post, it seems like you do not look very concerned about the time factor, i.e. the possibility to stay in grad school for a longer period by doing a 2-year MSc at Bocconi + a 5-year PhD program somewhere soon after instead of doing a (2+3)-year PhD at Essex. If this is the case, then Bocconi is definitely the way to go, as the MSc there will very likely lead you to a great PhD program in Europe (better than Essex's, I am pretty sure). It is perfectly possible to also consider the case in which you may not want to be finishing your PhD at Essex in 2 years from now after getting your MRes there, as the Essex grad school can't force you to keep studying there if you finally decide not to. However, as long as you are not 100% certain that the median PhD placement of the MRes at Essex has consistently been better than the Bocconi MSc's one over the recent past (which is something I honestly doubt of), then Bocconi is again the way to go.

Hi rms, and congrats for your acceptances first of all! I recently got admitted to Bocconi's Economics and Finance PhD program and had the opportunity to attend their Visit Day at the beginning of last March, so I am quite familiar with their econ graduate programs. As far as I heard from some grad students, faculty at Bocconi used to pay significantly more attention to MSc students' needs rather than PhD students' and this different treatment can be somehow seen in their master and PhD's placements, although the job market for people coming from the two programs is not the same of course. I think it would useful for you to consider that it is not uncommon at all to see many MSc graduates at Bocconi willing to pursue a PhD eventually ending up into top 10 US PhD programs and/or LSE, UCL or Oxbridge. Moreover, the micro faculty there is really good, with Botticini and Battigalli both very well known internationally. I can't be any helpful about the MRes at Essex as I know absolutely nothing about it, unfortunately, but I guess the ultimate purpose of any MRes program in the UK, which should ideally distinguish such a program from a MSc, is to keep all valid MRes students there for the 3+ years of pure research which they would be doing right after the MRes itself. So I guess a MRes may really not be what you are looking for right now, given your current plans. Good luck!

Thanks my friend! Hope you'll enjoy your stay in Houston!

So, it finally seems like I'll be heading to the UK next Fall! This application season has been a long and exhausting journey, but I am happy about how it turned out. Wish you all best of luck in your future!

I guess splitting up the nickname "chateauheart" into "chateau" and "heart", copying and pasting both words on Google Translate and then setting the translation of the whole from French to English and back may be helpful... Too few Europeans on this forum, what a disappointment! :)

This.

Most appropriate quote in these final days: "The longer you have to wait for something, the more you will appreciate it when it finally arrives. The harder you have to fight for something, the more priceless it will become once you achieve it. And the more pain you have to endure on your journey, the sweeter the arrival at your destination. All good things are worth waiting for and worth fighting for." (Susan Gale)

About BC, I also inquired about my application status by emailing the GSAS and got the following very generic reply: "Admissions decisions are sent by postal mail only to the local address provided on your application form in advance of the 15 April doctoral reply-by deadline". As far as I can see on GradCafè, mail notifications have been used to send rejections only, but it's been already a long time since the first rejections were sent out. I keep checking my post every day, but haven't gotten anything so far. Not that I am desperately waiting to hear back from this school, to be honest... I just want this draining process to end as soon as possible.

...aaaaaaaaaaaand it's finally THAT moment of the application season: the week of April 15. Let the mayhem begin.

Hi Namelessly, I did not apply to UW-Madison's PhD program but am quite familiar with the place. Feel free to PM me with any question about the environment, the faculty, etc.!

Thank you, chateauheart, I'll take your great advice. Yes, I am still on Maryland's waitlist with also other fully funded offers in my hands.