Santigarza

There is no problem!!!!!! Mine expires in June 2016 and I got my Visa without any problem. The rule is that it can not expire 6 months AFTER you arrive to the States. After that there is no problem and you can even leave the contry with an expired passport. When you get your new passport you have to travel with both, the old one that has the VISA and the new one. You will receive your VISA for five years, counting from the day after your visit. Then you can extend it at anytime until the end of June of 2020. That is because the system does not allow to give a VISA for more than 5 years. Relax, you will be fine, go to the interview and you will get your VISA :-).

I got 165 too in Q. I got admitted into schools such as WUSTL and lower ranked ones. Nevertheless, I don't think I got rejected in higher ranked ones because of that, I would not retake! 95% of Universities will look to your file with 165.

Also, thise gives you access to 6 free tests, which were the bets ones I took.

Totally agree! Magoosh is great.

Our program put us in touch so we could arrange that. I have been told that many classmates share apartments, at least in the first year. It is a common thing. I will share an apartment with one classmate. We got in touch through email and decided some basic principles, on which we agreed, and started looking some stuff on the web. I guess it could work or not... But I preferred not to be alone! I know I won't be talking about economics the whole day, I am not that kind of person. But, if you have to choose someones, I think it is better is he is in your program. That way, in the first year, your schedules will much and will save a lot of problems (unless he or you could be very lazy). One thing I think you should keep in mind is culture. We all have different backgrounds and sometimes we are used to very different arranges regarding food, hygiene, etc. It is highly likely that you you could have better chemistry with roomies from some places. I will tell you how things works lately!

Well... first of all.. it is not summer for me, hehe. For me it is winter... Anyway... I am planning to work until the end of June and probably will be traveling to Phoenix 3 weeks before the start of the program. I would like to get used to the city and sightseeing a bit around... Just relax and prepare my new home for the next (I hope) 5 years! Also, I will review some math and try to get used to some Real Analysis.

Agree with that. The only thing you can find there is everything you would like to avoid being, as a person, in the future! Actually the only informative thing you can find is hires at Departments. Talk to people, send emails to graduate students (trust me, they are really nice), send emails to professors you mail know or asks to professors that have experience or know people in the right places.

Took it in July, never got anything. Do not worry, it is not relevant at all.

Finally, I received an email from WUSTL that I am waitlisted. I already declined but wanted to let you know they were expecting to make some offers next week, as their waitlist was moving very slow.

Have you asked the programs? I don't think it is rare for them to process last minute declines and send offers to waitlisted candidates a few days later. Do not lose hope it, at least without asking the Departments!! Good luck to you!

The final day is coming! Good luck to you all, my friends! For those of you on waitlists wish you get the offer you are waiting for. For those of you struggling to decide between different offers, there is not bad choice, follow your guts and don't look back. For everybody, thank you very much for your valuable advice. You really helped me with my anxiety, my mood and my decision!

I forgot to say that, brilliant!

What a valuable advice! Are you bored and decided to make trouble here?

They take into account published papers for those rankings. Papers are considered according to the ranking of the Journal where those were published. You can check this ranking here: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.journals.simple.html They do not adjust by Faculty size in the case of Institutions. They explain the methodology in diferent webpages

Yes, definitely! BSGE is one of the best Masters in Europe. It has excellent placements in top 20 schools. Check it out in their website! Good luck to you And congratulations!

I don't see the point of being so rude with OP without giving any feedback! Why scare people away? You started a thread and people was nice to you.

As Econhead says, you should look at placements and match those with your interests. I don't know about financial aid but it seems that UD Davis UW Seattle dominate the others, while Oregon and Missouri fall behind.

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Bachelor of Arts in Economics in a Latin American University placed around 100th in QS Ranking. Undergrad GPA: 3.89 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Q:165/V:162/AWA:4.0 Math Courses: took 3 courses of 75 class hours each, all with highest grade (A). Covered main topics of calculus and linear algebra. I also took Statistics I -and prob.- (A-) and Statistics II (A) Econ Courses: Intro to Economics (A), Intro to Micro (A), Intro to Macroeconomics (A-), Descriptive Economics (A), Advanced Macroeconomics (A-), Economic History (A), Game Theory (A), International Trade (A), Econometrics I, II, III and IV (all with A), Economic Development and Growth (A), Industrial Organization I and II (both with A), Public Sector Economics (A), Digital Economics (A), International Macroeconomics (A), Monetary Economics and Monetary Policy (both with A), History of Economic Thought (A-), Economic Policy (A), National Economy (A), Economics of the Firm (A), Thesis (A). Other Courses: N/A Letters of Recommendation: I used 5 different recommenders, selecting the more suitable ones according to the program: 1- Teacher, thesis advisor and actual boss at the Central Bank. Ph.D. from UCLA. Well known and really strong letter. 2- Professor who gave a DSGE course at work. Afterwards I worked with him in the development of a DSGE model for our country. Has a good reputation, many publications (some in American Economic Review). Holds a Ph.D. from Duke and works at a Central Bank and an University in Latin America. 3- Former workmate. He holds a Ph.D. from Iowa and is Teaching Assistant in the Department of Economics at University of Houston. 4- Teacher and former workmate. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Leicester (UK). Has published some papers in relevant Journals and in the last years he has held important positions in Government, mainly related with Industrial Policy. 5- Teacher and workmate. He holds a Ph.D. from Toulouse, Jean-Charles Rochet was his Advisor and also worked with Tirole. Has some publications in top Journals and has an important position at the Central Bank. Research Experience: Worked at the Department of Economics and the Competitiveness Institute of my University for 4 years (started before finishing undergad). Since mid-2013 I have worked at the Research Department in the Central Bank. I have been involved in several projects. My undergraduate thesis was a relevant and innovative project. I received an Honorable Mention in a prestigious Latin American prize and then published it in a peer-reviewed Journal. Teaching Experience: TA for Introduction to Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics and Monetary Policy. In 2013 I was appointed as Primary Teacher in Introduction to Macroeconomics. Research Interests: Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics and International Trade. SOP: Why I would like to pursue a Ph.D.? Relevant academic experience, relevant research experience, Teaching experience, why I could not apply earlier (tight financial constraint), future research interests (very broad), mentioned Faculty members which I would like to work with, finished showing commitment and enthusiasm (not that much). Other: Won scholarship during undergrad and for short programs abroad. Received a Research Candidate Grant from the Research Agency in my country. RESULTS: Acceptances: Arizona State University ($$$), Notre Dame ($$), U of Houston ($$), IU ($), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (IDEA) (tuition waiver + partial scholarship in 1st year), CEMFI (tuition waiver), UC Santa Cruz (no $), BGSE Msc (no $), UCL Msc (no $) . Waitlists: None. Rejections: Columbia, Princeton, NW, MN, UCLA, Georgetown, NYU. Pending: Washington University in St. Louis, Warwick, Carlos III. Attending: Arizona State University! Comments: Go Sun Devils! I am extremely happy with my results and the program I have chosen! However, it has been a really difficult choice, I have been torn between ASU and ND. I choose ASU because I feel it is a program with a great reputation, it is well established and has been growing consistently in the last years. The cohort is small -you get plenty of attention from professors- but not that small that you can't find someone to work with. Faculty is really great in macro -they have hired another too top seniors for 2015- and the environment in the department seems great and students are happy there. Also, in a second order thought, Phoenix/Tempe is nice and the weather is great for 9/12 months (if you I survive the heat in the summer). What would you have done differently? -Short run: I got admitted in all programs ranked 36 (ASU) and below, considering US News Ranking, and rejected in programs above that ranking (implicit from WUSTL which is ranked 27). Nevertheless, I did not applied to programs in the range 15-27 and just one in the region 27-36, so I guess I missed a HUGE region of the ranking where I might have been competitive!! Also, I think I could have improved my Q GRE a bit (I just took it once). That said, after the whole process, I don't think I had a shot in top-15 programs. -Long run: I may have applied earlier (I am closer to 30 than to 25), but I got many letters and connections in the last years, which I think were crucial. Also, things happen and sometimes you need to find the right moment. I could have got a master in my country or abroad, that could help in higher regions of rankings. Remark: If you are from Latin America, unless you get excellent letters from RA and TA, your best path to top-10 programs is to do a Master in Europe, or the best one in your country/region, and have a high GPA.

I know the feeling, I have been torn between two offers until a few days ago. It is a difficult decision. However, I think that your logic works. Considering you don't need to invest that much, you have an almost perfect prior research fit and the higher rank of the school makes its a no brainer. As an additional advice, in case you did not think about it yet, you can look at placements and attrition rates. You may would like to avoid a place where they kick out students if you need to borrow. Also, I recommend you to email students. I talked to some of them in the programs I was interested, even had some Skype chats, and they were extremely helpful! That said, is just to gather more information, I do agree with assessment!

Hello! What your friend told you happens in every single program.... but for international students!! Actually, if you can't prove you can pay for the school you don't get the F1/J1 Visa, so you can't even enroll at your program. They ask you to provide a "Financial Guarantee Form" for the first year, where you state and prove that you have enough funds to cover the tuition and living expenses. That said, I don't know what is the case for US students. I guess it is different process. May I ask whether the other schools are very far away in ranking? What about your research fit? Is just 1st year unfunded? Do you have to borrow a lot? You seem sure but... just in case!

I have the same issues regarding math/preparation. I have read a lot that Simon & Blume is a great book to review. It covers most of the basics needed. Then, regarding Real Analysis you can use Rudin, which is a classic. Also,I have found in another thread that someone recommended a book from Krantz "Real Analysis and Foundations", which seems a bit easier to understand before cracking Rudin.

Hey, relax! Don't panic. If you have the proper funding and a clean record not even coming from a developing country should be an issue. Enjoy the moment and please, don't drop a "bomb"!!!

My vote is for Econhead!

Thank you all for your comments!

I don't either. WUSTL is doing the same. You end up kind of hating them...