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.

I've found my class on measure theory and lebesgue integration to be rather helpful with the game theory class I'm taking now (e.g. the set of static games with an odd number of Nash Equilibria are a set of measure zero) but that can be a bit overkill. I will be taking topology next year (and have questions on probability vs measure theoretic probability theory, which will appear in another thread) so PM me if you have any questions!

Update: Thanks everyone! I'm postponing Micro I till junior year, and I'm taking Real Analysis, Linear Algebra, Introduction to Econometrics and a PhD Math-for-Economists class.

That's right! It would be good to see a different part of the world and be immersed in a foreign culture while learning math at the same time. It sounds like a great deal to me. @Fantinity: What is the academic/social culture like in a Moscow/Russian university? I'm quite curious... @Sevet: Jokes aside, I think I have a long way to go...

Thanks for the tips. The reason why I was thinking of taking grad micro early was because I wanted to fit in a study abroad program in the spring semester of junior year (the Mathematics programs in Budapest, Moscow or somewhere else), and I did not want to delay grad micro to senior year. Would such a study abroad program be compatible with my plans for an Econ PhD?

Hey everyone! This is my first post on this forum, and my main concern is - am I rushing to take classes that are too advanced? My intermediate micro professor gave me the thumbs up to take graduate microeconomics I next semester, but I figure I need a second opinion. Also, if anyone has any general comments about what other classes I should take to help bolster my profile, that would be great too. The obvious gaps are in intermediate macro and advanced probability/statistics, but I might have missed something else. Thanks! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Rising Sophomore, Mathematics/Economics Major, Top 15 USNWR, Top 30 USNWR Econ Undergrad GPA: 3.94 GRE: Fall 2015? Math Courses: Advanced Calculus (A); Linear Algebra I (A+); Abstract Algebra (B+); Intermediate Statistics (A); Taking Analysis I, Linear Algebra II and auditing Optimization in Function Spaces (graduate) this fall. Econ Courses: Mathematical Economics (A+), Intermediate Micro (A); Taking Microeconomics I (graduate) and Intro to Econometrics this fall. Other Courses: A bunch of French and humanities electives (Possible) Letters of Recommendation: 1.) Microeconomics professor. He taught me intermediate micro and will teach me advanced micro I next semester. 2.) Advanced Calculus professor. 3.) TBD. Probably my thesis advisor in Math/Econ; we'll see! Research Experience: Data analysis for an engineering design start-up competition team; looking for a research mentor in math/econ for summer 2015. Teaching Experience: 1 month as a substitute teacher in my high school; residential peer mentor for calculus in 2014-2015. Concerns: Possibly ugly grade in Abstract Algebra; rushing to take advanced classes. Applying to: Presumably the usual suspects!