nathank22

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Large Flagship University (Top 15 Econ Phd) Undergrad GPA:3.9 Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE:166V, 166Q, 4.5 AW Math Courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A), Multivariate Calc (AB), Linear Algebra and Diff Eq (A) Non-degree credits (returned after RA gig to supplement math): Probability Theory (AB), Theory of Single Var Calc (A), Analysis I (in progress), Intro to Stochastic Process (in progress) Econ Courses (grad-level): Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro/Macro (A's), Economics of Healthcare (A), Directed Study (A), Game Theory and Economic Analysis (AB), Behavioral Economics (A), Intro to Economic Statistics (A), Econometrics (AB) Other Courses: Various Political Science and Southeast Asian Studies courses (my other two majors) Letters of Recommendation: 1 Chicago Econ Phd who oversaw my directed study and taught by beahvioral econ course, 1 Stanford Econ Phd who I worked as an RA for at economic think tank, 1 cosigned famous Psychology professor/Graduate student who I worked as an RA for doing behavioral econ experiment Research Experience: 1 year RA undergrad helping design and run behavioral econ experiment, 1 year at economic focused think tank after undergrad Teaching Experience: TA College Algebra while taking non degree math courses Research Interests: Behavioral/Experimental SOP: Focused on research and methods of behavioral econ experiment and think tank research experience. Attempted to draw cohesive narrative emphasizing my research experience and mathematical preparation RESULTS: Acceptances: Pitt($), Oregon ($), Arizona (tuition) Waitlists: UCSB (withdrew) Rejections: UC Berkeley, Brown, Caltech, UCSD, Stanford, NYU, Cornell Pending: --- Attending: Pittsburgh Comments: Overall I am very satisfied how it turned out. I wish there were some schools in the 20-30 range that had some more professors doing work in behavioral. Clearly, top 20 was out of my reach, but I felt I was constrained a bit in choice of schools by my interest in behavioral. Still Pittsburgh was a fantastic fit and I am absolutely thrilled to join the program! What would you have done differently? I knew I had no chance at Berkeley, Stanford, and NYU, but I couldn't help myself. Other than that I wish I would have found economics earlier. I would have tried to get closer to more famous/well known professors at my school. Although my undergrad institution has almost no one doing behavioral work I would still have benefitted from being an RA for a well known professor and just mostly getting known by people in my undergrad institution's econ department. Also more math earlier in my undergrad career. I actually really like real analysis and stochastic process. I think I would have really liked topology, real analysis II, and like maybe measure theory. Still I am sure there will be more than enough math in graduate school to keep me on my toes.

Hi all. My visit days are coming up and at both of my upcoming visit days I have the chance to talk with one or two professors. I of course picked professors I thought I may want to work with but I am a little unsure of what I should expect from the meetings. Is it mostly to talk about the department, their research, or maybe my potential research interests? Perhaps I'm just a little nervous not sure if I should prepare a bit by reading some of their work closely or if it is more relaxed than that. Any guidance from those who have attended these meetings would be much appreciated!

Well looky there lots of UCSD acceptances on the GC board. No email for me tho. Oh well I am so excited to start at Pittsburgh this fall. Only implicit rejections left for me. Well everyone its been fun (mostly stressful tho). I'm probably signing off this board. To those of you still waiting, best of luck. And who knows perhaps I will meet some of you wonderful people at a conference or something. Hope you all succeed wherever you end up!

Its my #1! I still care! I looked at gradcafe from previous years so I have prepared myself to wait but I still wanna know.

nothanks700 That sounds like a good plan. I know it is crazy competitive. I thought the same exact way as you until talking to a professor of mine my 4th year in undergrad. He told me how much math was the minimum and that it didn't matter one bit that I would graduate with honors and 3 majors. I mean it obviously matters that you have good grades, but for economics phd programs like 3.8 gpa, 165+ Q score on gre, one year research experience (or thesis maybe), and 3 calculus classes and a linear algebra is like the bare minimum to be competitive for breaking into the top 50. I was blown away by the quality of profiles in the "old profiles" in this forum that were getting turned away with all that at almost all the schools they applied to. Truth is economics is crazy tough for grad admissions. Get your math done, show you can take upper level economics courses and succeed, and get some research experience. Also sit down with your professors. One of the most helpful things I did was plant myself in the office of my behavioral economics professor and asked him what does it take to do this for a living. He gave me the truth and the truth was that I was 3 years away from applying. You can do it. Maybe not top 5 but a 30ish ranked school is doable. Good luck!

Haven't heard back from a few places still (Cornell, Brown, NYU) I am assuming those are implicit rejections. Just UCSD left to hope for. Come on! Let me in!

I don't mean to pile on because I am sure all of this information is a bit disheartening given what you thought beforehand, but you can still get into a decent financial economics program. Story time! I was in my 4th out of 5 years in undergrad and I fell in love with economics. Problem I had only a course in econometrics and calc 1 (not unlike you). The summer before my last year I took calc 2, then that fall multi variate calc (this is what people are referring to when they say calc 3) and that spring linear algebra and differential equations. I was an RA all that last year on a behavioral economics experiment then graduated and was an RA for a year at a think tank doing economics research. I wanted to go to graduate school, but I clearly was unprepared mathematically which I found out thanks to these forums. So I finished the year at the think tank and went back to my undergrad university to take Theory of Single Variable Calculus (Introductory proofs at my Uni), Probability theory, Analysis I (i.e. real analysis), and Stochastic Process. With all of these math courses under my belt/in progress and 2 years of research and similar GRE scores to you I am very competitive for economics programs ranked 30-50. Anything 15-30 is absolutely a reach for me and I am unlikely to get in. I think what people here are trying to tell you is that to get into a top 20 you have to be extraordinary. To think you can get into a top 5 is simply unrealistic. What you need to do, if you are serious about this, is to discuss with professors at your university. Likely take a full year of non degree courses in almost exclusively math and stats. Also you will need research experience maybe an RA gig during your non degree courses or applying to a masters program after your non degree math/stats year. Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but if this is what you want, be prepared for a minimum 2 years of preparation before you would be competitive for anything in the 20-50 range. If you get lucky and RA for someone well known you might have a chance for a 10-20 rank school. Hope that helps!

Exactly! Just let me know so I can make some decisions!

I grew up in Chapel Hill so I will always have a soft spot for the triangle area. It is a nice place to live.

Oh are you going to visit day? I am and it would be cool to see you there!

Now that most of us are just waiting to hear back from a few more schools, where are all of you probably going to end up? Just curious. Myself it will be Pitt unless I get into UCSD, but that is looking less and less likely to me. I am super happy though, Pitt is a great fit for me.

Food4Thought I had the same experience. I turned down an offer at Oregon and it just felt so weird like I don't know why, but I was so nervous even though I knew it was what I wanted and it would be better for them to know as well. I think the high stakes of economics admissions has made me anxious about everything. I found myself re reading my statement of purpose while waiting to hear back from my reaches and I caught myself and wondered why the heck I was doing that. It doesn't make a bit of difference and nothing was factually wrong with it because I checked it about a million times before sending it. Yet there I was re reading it. I also am not really the type to get all anxious I am usually pretty chill, but economics phd admissions does crazy things to you lol.

Lot of crying on the GC board today about Chicago rejections. Some people are so entitled lol

First of all congrats those are some great options. I am definitely not the right person to answer that question. I suspect the opportunity cost is too high given your strong offers but I might be completely wrong. If you are seriously questioning it post a thread there are many really experienced and knowledgeable posters here. Or ask an advisor/professor who knows you well. Best of luck chyu1040!

I am quite sure (admittedly based on no real evidence) that probably a select number of applicants who just didn't make the cut were sent this email. It probably suggests you have pretty strong profiles. I think I generally agree with your conclusions that absent any clear gap in research experience another year as an RA might help to get into one or two more top 10's (and you would probably be safe in assuming Stanford was among those) but if you've already got a good top 20 offer you like I personally would just go there. However, I am no superstar who is thinking about winning awards and reknown so perhaps getting in to a top 5 matters more than I think it does. Either way I'm sure you two will be fine.