srslee

(Double posted; sorry)

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 15 USNWR/Top 30 Econ Undergrad GPA: 3.97 Type of Grad: US Master's Program Grad GPA: TBD GRE: 164/170/5.0 Math Courses: Analysis I-II; Linear Algebra; Abstract Algebra; Topology I-II; Probability and Stochastic Processes; Stochastic Calculus Econ Courses: Standard UG + PhD Math Methods; PhD Micro I-II; PhD Metrics I; PhD Information Economics (since application: Metrics II, Development field course) Other Courses: A smattering of French and Anthropology Letters of Recommendation: 1) UG major advisor (PhD Math Methods; Micro I), Harvard PhD; 2) UG game theory professor (PhD Micro II), Princeton PhD; 3) UG math research mentor (Topology I-II; summer thesis); 4) MA thesis advisor, Yale PhD. Research Experience: UG: 2 years part time in math; summer math thesis. MA: thesis; development RA work. Teaching Experience: Calculus peer mentor for two years in college. Research Interests: Microeconomic theory; political economy; development economics SOP: Fairly standard. Other: NA RESULTS: Acceptances: Princeton, Northwestern Kellogg, Caltech, UCSD Waitlists: Chicago (declined), Chicago Harris (declined), NYU, UPenn (subsequently rejected) Rejections (selected): HYSM, Berkeley, Chicago Booth, Brown, Penn State Pending: NA Attending: Princeton Comments: Relieved! What would you have done differently? 1) Taken more statistics/programming classes earlier in my career; I haven't used any algebraic topology in my Master's program but I've cleaned data in STATA a fair bit. 2) Applied to an RA job in the NBER/on the west coast. How accurate were others' predictions of your range of admissions? Reasonably accurate, though probably a bit too optimistic.

I second Princeton. But I'm biased...

Fellow theorist here. Both are excellent choices, though I've heard that Caltech also places in top 10 political science programs, while NYU is a more traditional economics department.

I emailed the admissions office.

Stanford results out by March 1.

Institution: Northwestern Kellogg Program: PhD in Managerial Economics and Strategy Decision: Accepted Funding: TBD Notification date: 2/21/17 Notified via: Email

Good luck! I'd love to chat if you have any questions about the process.

No news either.

Institution: Princeton University Program: PhD Economics Decision: Accepted Funding: TBD Notification date: 2/16/17 Notified via phone, snail mail, or email: Email from DGS

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 15 UG, Top 30 Econ Undergrad GPA: 3.97 Type of Grad: MA, Top 5 Econ Grad GPA: TBD GRE: 164/170/5.0 Math Courses: Honors Calculus (A), Matrix Algebra (A+), Intermediate Statistics (A), Abstract Algebra (B+), Intro to Analysis (A), Intro to Lebesgue Integration (A+), Linear Algebra (A+), Number Theory and Cryptography (A), Topology I (A), Topology II (A), Probability and Stochastic Processes (Grad, A-) Econ Courses (grad-level): (UG) Quantitative tools in Economics I (A+), Microeconomics I, II (both A); (Grad) Econometrics I (IP); others TBD. Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Microeconomics (A), Intermediate Macroeconomics (A+), Intro Econometrics (A+), Applied Econometrics (A), Current Macroeconomic Issues (A), Game Theory (A+) Other Courses: Assorted French and Anthropology classes Letters of Recommendation: (1) Research advisor, Summer mathematics REU; (2) Game Theory/Microeconomics II professor, Princeton PhD; (3) EITHER Quantitative Tools/Microeconomics I professor, Harvard PhD, OR MA thesis advisor. Research Experience: (1) RA for two different professors doing harmonic analysis; (2) Summer RA in low-dimensional topology - I proved that a certain class of ordered manifolds induces an ordering on the boundary of the closure of the hyperbolic plane; (3) MA thesis, either in microeconomic theory or political economy. Teaching Experience: Calculus peer tutor for two years in college. Research Interests: Microeconomic theory; Political Economy SOP: Pretty standard. Concerns: Being able to forge strong relationships in my grad program in the short time I have there. Other: Applying to: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Chicago, Chicago Booth, Berkeley, Northwestern Kellogg, NYU, NYU Stern, UPenn, Wharton, Yale, UCSD, Caltech, Brown

What are the econ electives you have taken? The effect of a B+ in Intermediate Micro can be minimized if you took subsequent classes in Game Theory, or the like.

Seconded, albeit with some qualification. Name recognition is a problem; I'm not sure about Hong Kong (I've heard of success stories from HKU) but in the Singaporean case, I haven't heard of anyone going from quant finance to a top-20 economics PhD program without some sort of MSc at LSE in between. (Source: anecdotal evidence from peers/former high school classmates at NUS/SMU) I wish I had that option. In fact, I remember hating introductory micro in high school; in a certain part of Asia, one writes essays giving plausibility arguments for changes in supply and demand for one's A-level economics examination, sans computations or proofs. I'm glad I took econ in college...

Thanks chateauheart! I do not have access to a PhD field course next semester (because of a time conflict) but I can take an economic theory seminar class, listening to talks given by academics from other universities. Also - should I be taking more econometrics at the undergraduate level, given my interest in it as a potential area of specialization?

Hey everyone! Thanks for your great feedback on my previous thread, and congratulations to all who have received offers from their favorite programs. I have more questions as I move into junior year, namely: Other than the classes listed below, I need one more class to round out my schedule for the semester; I am currently deciding between Complex Analysis I (Graduate) and Applied Econometrics. The latter seems to be a no-brainer, but I wonder if there are any devil's advocates for the former... How much in the way of numerical methods should I learn? I have the option of completing a Masters degree in the fourth year if all goes well; I understand that there is no point doing one in Economics, but I am weighing my options in Mathematics and Finance. Thoughts? Thanks! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Rising Junior, Mathematics/Economics Double Major, Top 15 USNWR, Top 30 USNWR Econ Undergrad GPA: 3.97 GRE: Fall 2015? Math Courses: Advanced Calculus (A); Linear Algebra I (A+); Abstract Algebra (B+); Intermediate Statistics (A); Analysis I (A); Linear Algebra II (A+); Measure and Integration (A+); Number Theory and Cryptography (A); taking Topology I and a Probability/Stochastic Processes (Graduate) class next semester. Econ Courses: Mathematical Economics (A+); Intermediate Microeconomics (A); Intro to Econometrics (A+); Quantitative Tools in Economics I (Graduate, A+); Game Theory (A+); taking Microeconomics I (Graduate) and Intermediate Macroeconomics (sigh) next semester. Other Courses: More French and humanities electives, including a writing class in which my proposal to do an introduction to game theory for the layperson was shot down... Letters of Recommendation: 1.) Game Theory/Microeconomics I professor, a Princeton PhD; (he is a very energetic professor who, on the first day of Game Theory, asked me to prove/disprove the equivalence of two "closure" concepts concerning vNM preferences. That turned out to be the hardest question of the course) 2.) Graduate MathEcon professor, a Harvard PhD who also happens to be my major advisor; 3.) Mathematics major advisor, a CalTech PhD with whom I am doing research into wavelets and an assortment of applied mathematics topics. Research Experience: Data analysis for an engineering design start-up competition team; part-time Mathematics research on wavelets/applied mathematics. I have one paper on arXiv. Teaching Experience: 1 month as a substitute teacher in my high school; residential peer mentor for calculus from 2014 to 2016. Interests: Microeconomic Theory, Applied Microeconomics, Econometrics, Financial Economics, Health Economics Concerns: What next? Applying to: Still the usual suspects! Although I am also considering PhD programs in finance.