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Sorry for reviving this thread. I am in a similar position to Freeman and will be RAing at UChicago for the next couple of years. Freeman, which classes did you end up taking?

I see you received an offer from NY Fed. Did you receive a specific salary offer in the 50-55k range you were mentioning?

How much does the NYC Fed pay? Also how much would you expect the Boston Fed to pay?

Great! Thanks for posting those links. Also, do you know how much the Fed in Boston or Chicago pays? Glassdoor shows RAs get paid about $60K. Does this sound about right for a first year hire? Or is this number closer to what senior RAs get paid?

What jobs/roles would you suggest as a first job for an undergrad looking to make a career out of development related work. The eventual goal is to either work in organizations such as the World Bank or to join politics or a government arm in a country and influence the policies for the nation. I know that a lot of people get their PhDs before entering organizations such as the WB but I would like to get some experience before going to grad school. Right now, I have the Fed as one of my choices. Do you guys have any other suggestions?

Catrina, most of my other classes weren't proof based but were considered to be upper level electives. The only proof based class I took was Number Theory which I unfortunately got a B in. This poor performance was mainly attributable to me doing a bunch of other stuff during the semester and not being able to put in the required amount of time to become acquainted with proof writing. Here is a list of my classes with the grades I received in them. Here is the part of my profile that is relevant to this discussion: Type of Undergrad: Top 30 US Liberal Arts college Major: Mathematical Economics GPA: Cumulative 3.81, Econ 3.94, Math 3.8 Relevant honors: Graduated magna cum laude, received distinction in mathematical economics, and was awarded award for most outstanding senior thesis GRE: Yet to take but should be able to get 165+ on the quant with practice Math Classes: Calculus I II III (A-, A, B+), Linear Algebra (A-), Number Theory (B), Ordinary Differential Equations (A), Partial Differential Equations (A), Probability Theory (A), Probability and Statistical Modeling (A), Stochastic Processes (A), Numerical Analysis (A). Econ Classes: Intermediate Micro (B+), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Mathematical Economics (A), Labor Economics (A), International Finance (A), International Trade (A), Environmental Economics (A)

Here are the course topics copied directly from the syllabus. Book to be used: Introduction to Real Analvsis. Third Edition, Bartle & Sherbert, John Wiley & Sons, (2000) Catalog Course Description: This is the first course of a two-semester sequence which includes a treatment of calculus with emphasis on proofs of theorems. The topics covered will be selected from: struchKe of the real number system, infinite series, vector calculus, applications of partial differentiation, integration, and function theory. (Senior Experience) Topics: PRELIMINARIES A. Sets and Functions 1. THE REAL NUMBERS A. The Algebraic and Order Properties of R B. Absolute Value and Real Line X. The Completeness Property of R D. Applications of the Supremum Property E. Intervals 2. SEQUENCES AND SERIES A. Sequences and Their Limits B. Limit Theorems C. Monotone Sequences D. Subsequences and the Bolzano-Weierstrauss Theorem E. The Cauchy Criterion 3. LIMITS A. Limits of Functions B. Limit Theorems C. Some Extensions of the Limit Concept 4. CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS A. Continuous Functions B. Combinations of Continuous Functions C. Continuous Functions on Intervals D. Uniform Continuity E. Continuity and Gauges F. Monotone and Inverse Functions 5. DIFFERENTIATION A. The Derivative B. The Mean Value Theorem C. L'Hopital's Rule D. Taylor's Theorem 6. THE RIEMANN INTEGRAL A. The Riemann Integral B. Riemann Integrable Functions C. The Fundamental Theorem D. Approximate Integration 7. A GLIMPSE INTO TOPOLOGY A. Open and Closed Sets in R B. Compact Sets C. Continuous Functions D. Metric Spaces

I am beginning to think that I don't necessarily need to get the Analysis class from a good institution for admission purposes. I say this because I have already taken a host of math/economics classes and done well in them at my undergraduate institution. In addition, I should be able to get excellent recommendation letters from professors in the department. These two points make me feel that I don't need to signal my ability to do well in Math classes any further. The only reason I am considering taking analysis then is because it is a prerequisite and I am afraid the adcoms will frown upon me for attempting to get into a program without possessing the required knowledge. Am I correct in thinking that the RA class in this case will not signal my ability to do well in math but will only serve to tick the box for prerequisite knowledge, but this won't be a problem since I have already done well in other Math classes at my undergraduate institution?

The institution as a whole is unranked. It is a very uncompetitive state school in one of the mid western states and I believe it accepts close to 100% of its undergraduate applicants. However, I took a look at the syllabus for the Analysis class and it seems to cover most if not all of the topics that one might expect a rigorous class to cover (I figured out what to look for by referring to previous posts on URCH).

Thanks for your quick reply. I definitely intend to get an A in the course. I was just wondering if getting an A from the program will make a big difference as far as signaling to phd programs is concerned.

I just graduated from a top 30 Liberal Arts College and am interested in applying for PhD programs this fall. However, I didn't take Real Analysis while at college and am considering taking it as a non-degree student at a nearby college. Unfortunately, the only option for me is to take the class at an unranked institution. Is there any point in taking this course from such a university? In other words, will adcoms entirely discount my analysis course at this university due to its ranking or lack thereof? Furthermore, can it have any negative impact on my application?

I can't seem to see chateuheart's latest post. I am just posting this to see if this fixes the problem.

You seem to have most of the Math and Economics prerequisites for PhD programs. I don't think you need to attend another masters program especially since you have taken over 4 econ courses at the graduate level. You will definitely be made to retake the micro, macro, econometrics sequence that you seem to have already taken and received A's in. I can't see how redoing these courses will be of much help as far as signaling your ability to PhD programs is concerned. The real deficiency in your profile seems to be a lack of proof based math classes and research experience. I would suggest taking up a research assistant type job while enrolling in Real Analysis and any other proof based courses that appeal to you at a nearby college. This will allow you to save the money you would have spent for a masters degree while beefing up your math background - something some Econ Masters programs don't allow. You should take my advice with a grain of salt because I am just graduating college and applying to PhD and Masters programs myself. I wish you all the best.

Once again, thanks for your reply chateauheart. Would you mind shedding some light on why you think my range of schools is going to be fixed at 10-25 even if I get a good Masters? In other words, what about my profile makes you think I won't be able to crack the top 10 even with a Masters? Do successful admits at T10 usually go to T10 or better ranked undergrad institutions? Alternatively, do these admits tend to be the ones who have taken a barrage of proof based math classes such as Measure Theory? I hope I don't come across as being angry at you for having suggested that I should aim at 10-25. On the contrary, I am rather glad that you guys think I have a shot at such highly ranked programs in such a competitive discipline. I am just curious about what would make my profile T10 material and I think future readers of URCH would find it helpful to refer to a write up that outlines these reasons. Thanks a ton.