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tutonic

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Everything posted by tutonic

  1. tutonic
    There aren't many candidates from European programmes here. On top of speaking to your letter writers, you can also check with your programme admin on where past graduates from your MSc ended up at (if the info isn't readily available). Alternatively, you can browse through the past Profiles & Results page to see where others have gone on to in the past.
  2. tutonic
    You'll be hard pressed to get good letters from the faculty there for PhD applications.
  3. tutonic
    The best people that can answer that are your letter writers. Alternatively, you can visit the Old Profiles & Results stickied post to get a sense of where people with a similar profile got into in the past.
  4. tutonic
    Given that you are Spanish, is there any reason why you're not applying to Barcelona GSE or CEMFI? Those are one of the top programmes for students looking to continue on to a PhD since they offer PhD-level coursework. There are quite a number of schools that have mid-Jan deadlines for PhD applications, so you should check those out, if you wish to apply to some programmes this cycle.
  5. tutonic
    Given the shift to the new forum system, the old links are dead. Here are the updated links for the past couple years of Profiles and Results: Profiles and Results 2021 Profiles and Results 2020 Profiles and Results 2019 Profiles and Results 2018 Profiles and Results 2017 Profiles and Results 2016 Profiles and Results 2015 Profiles and Results 2014 If you want to go further back, you can just search for "Profiles and Results XXXX" in this forum and it should pop up.
  6. tutonic
    You should provide this list to your letter writers and get their opinion on it. Check out old Profiles & Results Threads from past years to see how others performed in the past. There are a couple students from the past 5 years that came from a comparable school, if I'm not mistaken. These are the 2 most recent ones (2020 and 2021). The stickied thread for Old Profiles & Results have dead links given the forum switched platforms a couple months ago. I'll update that thread some time in the coming few days, but you can just search for "Profiles & Results" in the PhD Econ sub-forum.
  7. tutonic
    1) Your CV should only be 1-2 pages max. I included my degrees (+GPAs), research experience, TA experience and awards/honors/scholarships (since those aren't immediately obvious from the transcripts). 2) The SoP is there for you to provide pertinent information that isn't cannot be obtained from your transcripts. So use this opportunity to talk about your research experience. The consensus is split on tailoring the SoP for different schools, but the way I did it a couple years back was simply have one paragraph at the end that is tailored to different schools (to show that I have read up on the faculty and the fields the school is traditionally strong in). 3) I didn't submit any Personal Statement, if I recall correctly. For those that explicitly require you to submit one, they usually have some guidance on what should be included. The general idea is that SoP/PS don't really make or break your application. Your prose (how you write) is arguably more important than the actual content (what you write), since that's also one opportunity for them to assess your ability to communicate well.
  8. tutonic
    The Quant section is the only important one. A 162 on Verbal is also quite high in and of itself. Just report the latest one.
  9. tutonic
    Coming from an undergrad in hard sciences will definitely help signal some degree of mathematical competence. That being said, the lack of real analysis is a bit problematic since PhD coursework is very different from what one encounters as an undergrad or even in most masters programmes. Communicate with your letter writers about the list of schools you intend to apply, and get their opinion on which schools to omit and what other schools you should add to the list. That'll give you a sense of how strong of a letter you can expect from them, as well as a first check of how competitive your profile is, relative to others in the past. Do note that this is mostly relevant if said faculty member regularly writes letters for people applying to grad school (so they have a large and credible information set to draw upon when making such a comparison). Strong letters speak to your ability to do research, and very rarely about your academic abilities (since that can be inferred from your transcripts).
  10. tutonic
    If you are applying to PhD programmes in the US, the USNEWS Ranking might be more informative than the QS one, since that is the ranking that we typically refer to.
  11. tutonic
    Departments receive hundreds of applications each cycle. They don't have the time to review all of them. If the GRE is required by a school, your application package will be marked incomplete until it arrives. Incomplete applications won't be reviewed by the committee. You are right that the GRE is not a rigorous test, but it seems a bit problematic if you've retaken it thrice and still can't cross the 90th percentile. If the department screens out scores below the 90th percentile, then there's a nonzero chance that yours might get tossed.
  12. tutonic
    Given that you have very little math, it would be wise to temper your expectations of how you will perform in a rigorous masters programme. Graduate economics is very different from what you learn during your undergrad. The first year coursework is more applied math than economics - in my opinion -, which is why there's an emphasis on mathematical preparation. If you are adequately prepared, you can spend your time trying to understand the economics/intuition of what you're taught in class, instead of having to divide your time between that and trying to also comprehend the mathematical arguments.
  13. tutonic
    The lack of math classes will definitely hurt you, if you are applying to rigorous masters programmes. Your GRE is slightly under the threshold. I think 166 or 167 Q is the 90th percentile when I took it 3 years ago. The pass/fail won't hurt you as badly as your B- since the former happened during covid. If it's for a masters application, I think a strong letter from your employer would be better than a lukewarm one from faculty since it's only a masters programme. You should also consider PSE's MAPE (M1) as well as BGSE and Bocconi's masters programmes if your eventual goal is a PhD in Economics. The PSE option is a two year programme that also has a research component (which would be beneficial for you).
  14. tutonic
    Echoing what startz said, a course in mathematical statistics will make taking the metrics class a lot less painful. Without it, unless you are really solid in linear algebra and matrix notation, you'll suffer quite a bit.
  15. tutonic
    You say that you are applying to a couple top 20 and a few top 100 US programmes, as well as Oxbridge? Why is there such a huge range of schools that you're applying to? If you really want to get into Oxbridge, get into their MSc/MRes programme and then achieve a Distinction (70% or higher) overall, to get into the PhD programme. That's the easiest way to get into the PhD programme. Note that the programme, itself, is going to be quite tough since you're essentially required to get a Distinction (i.e. all As) in the first year PhD classes. The UK schools don't curve grades as aggressively as they do in the US, so getting a 70% or higher is already quite a feat. Plus, virtually everyone in the masters programme at Oxbridge are there to try to get into the PhD programme, so the competition will be quite intense. Also, after a quick look at the JHU page you linked, it seems that you can only take 2 electives, so I have no idea how you are going to fit in 4 classes (Micro I&II, Macro I&II) as electives since those are all full 3/4 credit classes. If they are listed as half-credit classes, then they clearly won't be sufficiently rigorous to pass off as a graduate class. It would be additionally informative if you can list your profile thus far using the standard template. If you already have good grades, you're almost always better off doing a pre-doc as opposed to a masters, especially given that your undergrad is from Cambridge.
  16. tutonic
    That's not really a concern since you're eyeing predocs primarily this cycle. A letter from the predoc can be used in place of your weak letter. With regards to the graduate classes, I might not have been sufficiently clear, but I'm mostly referring to PhD micro and/or metrics (if you have the time during your predoc, ideally), and less about graduate math/stats. If you are going to be applying to business school programmes, you are better off sitting for the GMAT as well, rather than limit yourself to schools that allow the GRE as a substitute.
  17. tutonic
    Yes, the Pass will be problematic if your school has the graded option and you elected for a Pass/Fail system during lockdown. That being said, it will definitely hurt you a lot more if the Pass/Fail occurred pre-covid. Yes, grad level courses matter quite a bit, especially since a good grade in them can very easily demonstrate a minimum ability to survive the first year classes. A weak letter will definitely be problematic. That being said, why do you think that they'll produce weak letters? Your verbal scores look fine.
  18. tutonic
    The forum has more or less settled in the transition, so I think I can start reply. Don't know why I missed this post. Anyway, yes you should re-take the GRE. The GRE is mostly used as a first-round screening mechanism to thin the pile of applicants the admin have to sift through for the adcom to take a look at. I can't speak to the marginal benefit of a 167 vs a 166, but a high GRE (at the very least) will increase the likelihood that you survive the first or second round of mechanical cuts to thin the number of applicants, so it's definitely recommended to retake till you get in the 90th percentile for Q. If your interests are more finance-related, you should definitely apply to more finance programmes. The stipend is usually better, and the job market is also a fair bit better (if I'm not mistaken). Don't apply to schools solely based on the USNEWS ranking. Make sure the school that you're applying to has people working in your field of interest. Top (10) departments usually have people working in almost all the big fields, but the same can't be said for lower ranked schools (even in the Top 20s). Lastly, if it hasn't crossed your mind, either ask your letter writers about the range of schools you ought to apply to, or provide them a list of schools that you want to apply to and get their feedback on the list. That'll also implicitly tell you how strong of a letter you can expect from them.
  19. tutonic
    Hi all, I found an (aptly titled) Public Goods website that compiles/aggregates a bunch of free resources online that's relevant to budding/current PhD students, compiled by Christine Cai, a fourth year PhD student at Princeton.
  20. tutonic
    I vaguely remember one other person from NUS getting into a Top 15 school a couple years back, but can't seem to find that post. Maybe it's stuck in the Admissions & Rejections page somewhere. You might want to re-check the admission requirements for TOEFL for each school. When I was applying back then (to the Top 20-30s), a number of schools required the TOEFL. I don't think the TOEFL score does anything. It's usually a requirement from the university (not necessarily the econ department) when accepting an international student that their TOEFL/IELTS scores be above a certain value. Do note that if you are applying to a school that requires the TOEFL, your application package won't be considered complete (and therefore won't be evaluated) until you submit the TOEFL scores. Same goes with the GRE, so you need to make sure it gets sent and that they've received it.
  21. tutonic
    Your letters aren't from econ faculty and their connections aren't with the econ department. Unless they're really going out on a limb for you, I wouldn't put my hopes entirely on their connections, unless they are huge in their respective fields. You definitely need to retake the GRE (and also take the TOEFL, in case you are unaware). I feel that you're aiming too high for an Econ programme, and yes, you might be better suited to apply to Business school programmes instead (where your letters might hold more weight). You should also check the past 5 years of Profiles & Results. I remember a few people from NUS/NTU on here a couple years back. That'd be a better/more relevant yardstick to measure your profile against.
  22. tutonic
    In case you are unaware, there is a YouTube channel called Arizona Math Camp that essentially covers everything that you need to know before entering a graduate programme. The videos are very lengthy and goes through stuff pretty slowly, in my opinion. Watching a video of someone explaining things to you is definitely going to be better than going at it on your own.
  23. tutonic
    Machine Learning might only be relevant if you want to do econometrics since there are a fair number of people incorporating machine learning into econometrics now (as compared to a couple years ago), but if your interests lie elsewhere, I don't think it's worth it. I get what you mean, but remember that the main purpose of the pre-doc is to get some solid research experience and secure a good letter, not load up on more classes. Virtually everyone there will have the same goal, so it'll take a fair bit of effort to stand out. Keep that in mind.
  24. tutonic
    Is there any reason why you're not considering PhD Micro I? The first one is usually more mathematically rigorous one (and usually the one that people take). As it currently stands, you have more than enough coursework. If you're so inclined, you can maybe take measure-theoretic probability, PhD Metrics I, Macro I and functional analysis (if you are entertaining the possibility of doing macro in the future). Other than those few courses, I don't think you really need more coursework. You should focus on doing well during your pre-doc to lock in solid letters for application.
  25. tutonic
    It'd be better if you post your profile using the standard template. As it currently stands, the information is all over the place. That being said, scoring well in the GRE isn't going to be a good reflection of mathematical ability since GRE is basically just tricky high-school math. It would definitely be beneficial to take proper math classes if you don't have any so far, since this will also make your life in grad school a lot easier. One math class in undergrad is definitely not going to be enough. You can remedy this by either taking more math classes, or doing well in PhD-level classes, since math grades are essentially a way for them to measure your ability to survive the first year. There is little use if that BGSE MSc isn't Finance or Economics since the other masters at BGSE are very applied and thus, aren't really that rigorous. Since your interests are in Monetary, you should also consider a Finance PhD.
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