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Thanks for coming back and bumping your thread so people can see how you got on. It would be great if more people did this. Has your profile changed at all from the original post, and if so can you post another one? I would guess that you're LoRs and Research Experience was a big advantage when applying. Finally, any tips or advice or those yet to apply?

Based on what you've said you are at Oxford. As a non-American I can't accurately say what the reputation of Oxford is in American industry, however I'd be confident in saying that it is good, which will be of help to you. How many years of your DPhil do you have left? I have no experience of working at economic consulting firms, but I'd recommend in your dissertation focusing on econometrics and topics in applied micro. As you've said you're interested in litigation and so on, IO would be your ideal field. I've also seen advice (not sure if here or elsewhere) to be a teaching assistant, so you can demonstrate your communication skills, and you can also say you're good at explaining complex economic ideas in more concise terms, which will be relevant for industry. Out of interest, why are you interested in litigation and antitrust? As I say, I have no experience of such economic consultancy firms, but the work appears to be rather repetitive and uninteresting (could be down to heterogeneous preferences!). Have you done any previous internships in this area before, and if so can you comment on what it was like? Thanks

Unless I am mistaken, you haven't actually posted your profile in the usual format (see the profile and results thread), thus making it difficult for members of the forum to comment on your chances. Considering your MBA/masters/masters thesis, are you really sure you want a degree focused on economics? Your thesis looks marketing focused, not economics. If you wished to gain admission to an economics program within a business school, you will probably need at least a couple of years of part time coursework in economics and maths. Letters of recommendation are very important in the admission process. Do you have a good relationship with at least 3 economics professors (ideally, who regularly publish and have recommended students for economics graduate programs before)? If not, then this will mean that you need even longer before applying to programs. Considering the time required and lost income through preparing for economics admission, I would recommend applying for a management/strategy/marketing degree within a business school, as your MBA/masters degree/ work experience may be of more use. MBAs are not helpful for economics graduate admissions, while your masters degree and work experience are not relevant either.

I think that chateauheart is not negative about people's profile, but (s)he is honest. Considering (s)he is currently in a PhD program, and I believe that program is Harvard, more fool you for ignoring his/her opinion and comments. I've re-read the post above by chateauheart and it is very detailed to help you, so don't shout down other people's well-informed and time-consuming posts so easily in future. If you are interested in research and economics, you can have a career in this area without doing a PhD program. AFAIK many think tanks that work around economics/public policy hire people without PhDs. I hope your anxiety and nervousness continues to get better, but it is unlikely that a PhD will do you any favors in overcoming these hurdles, nor will seriously worrying about every grade. I think your best bet is to find a good study/life balance so that you are not endlessly studying, try to not worry about every grade (I'm sure this is easier said than done), get some research experience after UG, and continue to overcome said hurdles. I think you should only apply for PhD programs if your anxiety is completely under control and the research experience you get means that you definitely want a PhD. Who knows, you many enjoy working for a Fed/think tank so much after UG you may pack in the idea of a PhD after all, and I do not think that this would be a bad outcome for you considering you circumstances. Good luck.

contextual, Although using the search function is good and it can be very useful, crwu was last active on the 15th April 2011, and so I think it is virtually guaranteed that you will not get an answer. If you wish to compare your profile to others to see where you stand, go through all the 'Profile and Results' threads, and keep a look out for profiles that are very similar to yours and where they were accepted/declined. It's worth remembering the most useful profiles will be the most recent ones, as admissions are competitive and the required standard to be accepted can (and does) change over time.

Speak to Professors at your current university and find out where former students went to study. Also use the search function and see if that brings up any useful threads.

Thanks for the reply senorfluffy, but I won't be applying for PhD programs for at least a couple of years, I was just curious. @tm_member If economics students tend not to live with each other in the first year, do they just rent a flat on their own (assuming no partner). Is that not a bit lonely for when people aren't studying, as well as more expensive? Is it common for students to post up on a Facebook page for incoming graduate students (of all subjects) at a particular school to try and group together for housing, meaning that engineers could be living with economics and so on? Apologies for all the questions, but as a non-American who hasn't been through grad school 1st year I am interested as to how it all works!

If I may add to the original question, out of those who do live with fellow 1st year students, how do you meet and arrange the accommodation? Of course if one does not attend the open day then the only obvious way of organising it is through Facebook. Does this happen frequently and is it successful - do the housemates get on?! Thanks

Post a full Profile like those in the 'Roll Call' thread, as any deficiencies in your profile may affect which masters degree is best for you.

Have a look at the LSE job market page. There is a candidate with a LSE PhD (currently a post doc elsewhere) who did the BSc in Economics and Econometrics from Nottingham, and got into LSE MSc economics. I don't see why you would be at any disadvantage coming from the MSc at Notts. I believe that I have also read on this forum (from 2012?) of a student getting into UCSD for PhD with a masters from Notts. For the OP, if you already have decent LoRs sorted from undergrad/your current masters, take the Notts MSc offer and during your year at Notts apply to PhD programs, and you should get into UCL for MRes/PhD. A word of warning on UK PhD admissions though. They tend to be conditional on your masters grade, which is different to US PhD offers. Whether you choose Notts or UCL, work your socks off during the masters to get a distinction.

Based on my limited knowledge they were at their worst period around the Millennium, but they do seem to be improving with some decent hires (e.g. Munshi, Matt Elliott, Carvalho, Linton). Their placement looks OK as long as you don't want to work academically in the US. One thing that I do find confusing is that they only have a 1 year masters, whereas Oxford and Warwick have two year masters degrees and LSE and UCL both require a MSc and then a MRes and a MPhil respectively. Could anyone on here shed any light is to how good the masters preparation is for research? How well it compares to the US and other PhD programs (such as those already mentioned)?

This needs to be in the 'FAQ about Grad School and Useful Links' thread alongside similar posts. Thanks for the great post.

You need to post a complete profile for users to give you some advice. Look a the Roll Call 2015 thread for examples. For modules like 'Mathematical economics', state in detail what is covered, as this can vary a lot from university to university.

My personal view is that the start date of the RA job may be a factor in how strong the letters can be (if the OP is applying to PhDs in Autumn 2015). If the job starts in the summer (Let's saying beginning of July) that will be two or so extra months of full time work RAing compared to a autumn start (eg mid September). That extra two months in the summer means that the potential letter writer will be able to write a stronger letter. Anyway, regardless of the start date, I think you should take the RA job. Duke is your dream school and you like development. The job is RAing in development topics at Duke. The job couldn't really be a better fit for you.

See link below: http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/154609-worth-visiting-when-wait-listed.html