okun

Visited Brown last week, super friendly environment and beautiful campus. The city looks a bit boring, but has all the basics plus it is 1 hour away from Boston. Given your interests, it is really tough to find a better place than Brown out of top 10. I dont know much about Michigan, but I seriously doubt they can dominate the group at Brown. Regarding Ann Arbor, look closely at weather conditions, i think they are much worse there.

fully agree with tutonic. Go to cemfi.

Madrid > Barcelona > Getafe > Bonn

Oxford, specially because you want to reapply to the US. I agree with the above that Barcelona GSE would be better though.

According to Tilburg's Research Master in Economics website, they expect you to stay at their own PhD, like Tinbergen... You can see they say something like.. those who don't stay at our PhD go on to the private sector or government agencies, basically. This probably reflects their spirit on the issue.

I think that is a good idea. And it will help you at obtaining good LoRs after doing the advanced track, since you will have been around for 2 full years already and professors will probably have gotten to know you. Regarding your question about Oxford vs. BGSE standard track, Oxford MPhil's = BGSE advanced track. But let fakeo confirm that. Fakeo was also right about Toulouse M1... I would say that is similar to BGSE standard track. The problem with all these programs is that they wont get you straight into a top PhD; you'll need to do the "easy" master's and then the "hard-mode" master's in order to get good LoRs. Just as the example of the two one-year master's at BGSE. Thus, you may wanna think about doing the "easy master's" at your home country, and then attending the "hard master's" at a good university. This should make it easier for you, specially in terms of costs and adaptation. (BGSE is more or less expensive; Toulouse has quite a bad reputation regarding student atmosphere; Paris School of Economics, another possibility for the M1, is freaking expensive to live in Paris;... etc)

Well you can check the 2-year tracks at LSE for doing the MSc in economics or the MSc in EME. In Barcelona GSE you also have the standard track which probably isn't that hard. From your friend's comments I bet he was doing the advanced track. The problem is that you most likely won't get good LoRs out of the standard track; but well, one step at a time, right? In any case, you can check in each programme's website that many times they publish the syllabus of the main courses. That way I was able to compare CEMFI's to Barcelona's coursework and saw that they cover very (VERY) similar stuff in the 1st year. (And I'm talking about the advanced track courses at Barcelona).

I was in your situation a few months ago and after all the research I've done, I hope I can be of help with a few thoughts I came around: 1) The only real problem with a 1 year master's is that you have to spend a gap year between the master's and the PhD. Therefore, it is a matter of whether you want to spend 2 years preparing yourself for the PhD or only 1 (less preparation but more work experience & money). In any of the two cases you would apply during December of your second year; if you were doing a 2 year master's you would only have your first year grades at that time, thus it is the same than doing a 1 year master's application-wise. (There could be details that pull in both ways... such as: under a 1 year master's you probably have done a thesis already, which is a piece of research that might enhance your chances of admission; under a 2 year master's although you may be able to spend the summer working as RA for a professor... etc) 2) I don't see why the MSc in Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona GSE, to be precise) would be more difficult than Bocconi for example. I think you should definitely include it in your list. If you excel at Barcelona you will have very good chances of making it to top 20. And definitely also add Oxford's M. Phil. I don't know much about Cambridge's, but from what I've read, I would add it too. 3) Unless you are Italian, and specially unless you did your undergrad at Bocconi, I would take Bocconi off the list. They keep the good LoRs for Bocconi undergrads that do the master's and have been closely followed by the faculty since their final year of the undergrad, usually working as RA or TA. You can google "IGIER visiting students" and you will see that every year they have a list of c. 15 selected students that come from their own undergrad... Besides, it is a massive programme, with around 150 students every year... even if they didn't favor their own students, you would have a difficult time getting good LoRs in a programme like this. 4) You are missing probably the best place in Europe to do a master's if you want to apply for a top PhD... CEMFI (Madrid)! Not only they have great placements every year, they also have a very small cohort (about 25 students per year), they say the place is awesome in terms of relationship with professors and other students, and they even have lots of funding opportunities. 5) I cannot tell about your ranking because I don't know much about SSE, Mannheim or Zurich... But I definitely tell you that CEMFI (1st) and Barcelona GSE (2nd) are on top of Tilburg, Bocconi, PSE or UCIII in terms of placement to top PhD programmes. From the MSc/MPhil programmes I know, I would rank: CEMFI, Oxford, Barcelona GSE, 6) Having said all this, keep in mind that you will have to be a top student in any programme you attend. PhD applications to top programmes are extremely competitive. If you are not sure you will be a top student, you might want to "adjust" your ranking with an extra variable: your interest for the PhD programme at each university. Staying for the PhD at the same university where you did your master's is usually the "safe" option. You will still have to be a very good student to be admitted, of course. And it is not a bad option at all, since you would spare yourself 2 quality years of your 20's! Well, there go my two cents. Good luck!

You can check in grad cafe, there are plenty admits to berkeley and other top universities with analytical writings of 3 or 4. In the case of international applicants, adcoms only care about theTOEFL score regarding their English language skills

If you are international they won't care that much about your analytical writing. A friend of mine is at a top 5 and scored a 3.0 hehe

I would not retake it. It doesn't make that much difference to score a 170Q anymore now that there's the scoreselect option. The difference between a 168 and a 170 -from the view of adcoms- is that you just put more effort in retaking the exam. (From an angry first-time-score of 170Q -- damn scoreselect!!)

The deadline in my offer was 27 March... so probably during the first days of April there will be new offers released. I have accepted the offer btw, anybody out there also attending CEMFI 2015-2017??

I agree with santigarza! They might send admissions in several waves. In any case, the deadline to accept the offer they gave me is 27 march. After that date they will certainly send a new wave of admissions, as has been the case in recent years (see TGC)

I see, great, thanks for the quick answer!

Hi illogic. I just received an offer for the EME. Do you know how many students apply to PhDs after the EME every year? Do you know how many of them end up at LSE and how many at top 20 programs in the US? Do you know how many of EME students have a scholarship? (and maybe also extra money for living expenses?) Thanks!!

... And it will mean you go back to the working life and should be ablo to repay it easier

Thanks guys. Do tell when you receive the answer! Are you planning to take the offer MrSethward? (I know santigarza has his doubts ;))

how did it go guys? I'm in!!! so happy!!!

As far as I know, in both programs you will need to be a top 5 student to get good LoRs... and if your goal is LSE, then as JR said above, Cambridge sounds like a much better option due to faculty and idiosyncrasy proximity between the departments. BGSE is a great choice though, specially if you want to have a nice time living in Barcelona!

no one from BGSE around? :upset:

Hello everyone! I am sitting on an offer from Barcelona GSE and have some doubts about the advanced track (the one you take if you aim for the PhD). If any current or former GSE student (or anyone that feels to have good information on it) could reply I would be extremely grateful. First of all, the requirement of taking advanced micro, macro and metrics during the whole year is new or has it been there for a while? Does anyone know what % of students (of the MSc in Economics) choose to take this track? In case it is new or very recent, do you think chances of getting good LoRs will increase under this regime? (I was told chances of getting good LoRs is quite low if you are not a top 5 student in BGSE, mainly due to the large amount of classmates you have during the MSc don't letting you get to be well known by the professors. But maybe that was when the advanced courses -and thus the reduced size classes- lasted only for the first term...) And with regard to doing a summer RAship between the MSc and the MRes, could anyone provide information on how much people gets the chance to do it every year? The RAship could be with any professor or usually it is with the not-so-good ones? If you have any other comments or insights on the chances of getting good LoRs to apply for top PhD programs during the first term of the MRes, please don't hesitate to add them! Many thanks to all of you in advance :)

Thank you all for the answers! darcular21, one question on what you said. What is the point with what you said in ? Does that mean that if I take the "PhD track" I will be taking courses with only 20-30 students, thus getting a better chance at reaching professors for LORs? Anyways, I guess my main doubts are more personal now. I fear going to the masters and getting too comfortable in Madrid/Barcelona, and dropping my intention of applying to the US and just staying there for the PhD. And that puts me a bit into a trap, because if I knew I will apply to the US then CEMFI seems better. But if I end up staying there for the PhD, I will wish I had gone to GSE :p Thank you all!

Hi all, I'm reviving this thread in case anyone can provide information, please! I have been offered fully funded admission to Barcelona GSE and am currently waiting for CEMFI's answer. I tend to prefer CEMFI because it seems to have a better placement record and (at least for now) I intend to apply to a top PhD program in the US. On the other hand, my interests are more on macro and political economy, and not on metrics (where CEMFI seems to have its strength). So: is CEMFI still providing good placements as it did some years ago? And someone with knowledge about CEMFI and Barcelona GSE would please advise on my situation? :) Thanks!!

Hi Bonnie -- just wondering where did you go in the end and what are your initial feelings about the place you chose? I am going to apply for European master programs where I can get a good placement in top US/UK PhDs. What do you recommend?