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EasternLance

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  1. I think you made the right call man, developing those kinds of intimate relationships are what really set you apart. In all honesty I was ignorant that Western had an MA program in Econ since all I've ever seen talked about was UofT or UBC. If I could do it all over again I would've applied to both Queens and Western, but it's best not to dwell on the past. I'll be doing some math and metrics review in Toronto with someone else in the UofT MA program, you're more than welcome to join. If it isn't against Urch's rules then I'd be open to exchanging numbers via a PM. let me know what you think.
  2. Alright so I'm sure other people are more qualified to answer this question...... but since no one is doing so, despite it having nearly 250 views, I thought I'd give it a go. Canadian MA programs - Cheap(ish), High quality, Good placement (especially into other Canadian schools), decent funding available *It's a lot easier to get into these programs if you're a Canadian citizen UofT, UBC, Queens and Western are the big four. Western offers a PhD steam but in general every program listed will allow students to take PhD core classes if they're deemed qualified. I personally elected to attend UofT because it's easier to find a private sector job given the location. If you want a government job then Queens is definitely the place to go. More information can be found on Urch about these programs, just know that a strong performance in any of these universities will send a great signal to adcoms - Reasonable PhD expectation: Top 20 W/funding. McGill, McMasters, SFU, Other? are outside of the top 4 but they're still good programs nonetheless. Personally I find that SFU is very generous with their funding and honestly places pretty well in Canada. The MA programs offered at these school seems to be great ROI wise but may fall a little flat in terms of adcom signaling - Reasonable PhD expectation: Top 50 W/funding American MA programs - Expensive, Can be high quality, More terminal in nature, funding is suspect My knowledge is somewhat limited on these but from what I do know it seems like Duke is a top choice (I mean the average Q score here is 169). If you got tens of thousands of dollars burning a hole in your pocket and the mental fortitude to handle the program then Duke is a great choice - As evident by their placements. - Reasonable PhD expectation: Top 15 Other American programs can be good but it'll depend on your field of study, for example Yale apparently has an excellent MA program for international development but that might not be your interest. Value wise, the University of Cincinnati has an MA program that is often overlooked as it places 70% of its grads in high paying jobs at great companies before they even graduate. Oh and I guess Wisconsin has a good MA program but I got rejected there so we're not going to talk about that. UK MA programs - Pretty good, maybe, I don't know My knowledge on this matter is limited, and I limited I mean near nonexistent. Somebody help. Please. But from what I do know, Cambridge offers a great program, The London School of Economics has a fantastic placement record and by all accounts a strong performance from these schools can get you into top 10 programs. Anyway I hoped that helped. I was going to attempt to cover French MA programs but I figured "Does OP really seem like the type of guy who'd want to live in France?" and I came to the conclusion of no. Best of luck man
  3. Thank you tt11qj, Out of curiosity, did you decide to attend UofT? I ask because I remember us talking about our profiles, I felt like we had a similar background. I'm glad you got so many great offers, I think you'll be successful anywhere you go. Best of luck man, maybe i'll see you in Toronto.
  4. Institution: University of Toronto Program: MA - General Decision: Accepted Funding: None, but in all likelihood I'll be approved for a TA ship ( Notification date: 3/24/2017 Notified via phone, snail mail, or email: email As someone who grew up in Toronto and had to do their undergrad in the states, this is outcome is the best I could've hoped for since I always planned to return to Toronto at some point. I mean sure, getting accepted into the PhD stream would've been nice but I'm 21 and my desire to pursue a PhD might change, so paying 8.5k for a top quality MA is a decision I won't regret. Other than that, I honestly feel like I got placed appropriately and I'm confident I can do well in the general program. If you're reading this and you've decided to attend UofT's MA program next fall then shoot me a PM, I'll be refreshing (Calc and real analysis during June and I'd love some company :P). P.S - Special thanks to ecomath for putting my mind at ease about this whole process, i'd love to meet you one day on St. George campus - Lunch will be on me :)
  5. The application deadlines made an immense difference for me. In my case, and probably many other 4th year seniors, it was imperative to have my fall semester grades in so that I could make my application more appealing. Additionally, having a deadline after the winter break provides applicants the opportunity to study 2-3 weeks for the GRE (Which is a godsend for applicants who did research over the summer and took a rigorous course load in the fall). So given the above, I only applied to schools with a Jan 15 deadline. Honestly though, I find it strange that more grad programs don't require applicants to submit their application when their spring semester grades are in. Logically speaking, wouldn't the Adcom lessen the degree of asymmetric Information if this were the case? Or perhaps my question is naive and I'm failing to account for the intricacies present in the application process.
  6. Hey Dutch, As someone roughly four years ahead of the point you're currently at, let me offer the following advice 1) Most Universities offer some sort of math tutoring program up until Calc 2 - Take advantage of this 2) Take one tough math class per semester in your first 3 semester so you can establish a solid math GPA. During this time make sure you take all the stats/econ classes you can realistically handle. 3) Have a growth mindset. I dropped calc 1 in HS but now I'm pulling an A in Real Analysis. In my case, it was my love of economics that made me persevere in my math classes. And most importantly - Don't let the prospect of retaking a class demotivate you from this path. Finally, the next four years will pass anyway, is there realistically a better outcome you can imagine in that time frame than obtaining a a degree in Math/Econ? Anyway, from one guy in need of a reality check to another, I wish you the best of luck.
  7. Yeah I wouldn't mess with a near perfect GRE score, that exam can be fickle and there's always one math question that might sneak up on you and stop you from obtaining Q170 again. Besides, your SOP might serve as a better indication as to how well you can write. It'd make more sense if Adcoms judged applicants over how well they're capable of writing with ample time and consideration rather than in a stressful 30 min setting. The level of effort and care you put into your SOP will be more indicative of the level of effort you'd put in your publications anyway. By the way, if you already come from a good school and have great grades, why not pursue a PhD program?
  8. Ids1 that last point you made got me thinking, once you clear the threshold for a Top 20 MA, which Jayd and I agree is 160Q, would those same schools require you to retake the GRE for their own PhD programs? For example John Hopkins has both an MA and PhD program, if one does well in their MA program and takes PhD level classes while they're a masters student, perhaps they wouldn't have to allocate any time into retaking the GRE since they've already sent the adcoms a very strong single they can handle the PhD level they would have to take in their first year. I know I keep asking rather unconventional questions but I hope you guys find them interesting nonetheless.
  9. Thank you both for the input. It appears we can all agree most good PhD programs need at least a 165Q and the elite schools need as close to 170Q as you can possibility get. However what about MA programs? I set the bar at 160Q, as in once you have 160 or higher, you'll pass the screening stage and will be judged on your math classes more than your GRE score. Would you guys agree with this line of reasoning or have I under or overestimated something?
  10. Wouldn't it be better for him to work as an RA after he finishes his masters? That way he could improve his chances of attending a top 20 school (Assuming his MA went well).
  11. Hey, I just had a question that may be of interest to future visitors of this forum What are the general GRE Quant cutoffs for econ MA/PhD programs? My thoughts on the matter are as follows As we all know, most schools use the GRE to screen applicants, In general, I believe this cutoff tends to be Q160 for decent - good master programs (Canadian and European schools included). A Q160 also seems to be the cutoff for below average - Average PhD programs (Assuming your math GPA is around a 3.5) For top 30 phD programs, I believe the GRE cutoff tends to be 165. However keep in mind, these are all my opinions. I could be completely wrong, feel free to chime in and give me your input. It is my hope that this thread will help the community create a general consensus regarding the GRE Q score. P.S - From my own personal experience, the Canadian MA's I'm applying to didn't really care that I improved my quant score to 167 from my first attempt (157V,160Q,5 AWA).
  12. Out of curiosity, given that our profiles are sort of similar, what have your professors said about your chances at UofT and queens? I've noticed that some people here conflicting evaluations on profiles (Mine included). Since you're at a Canadian undergrad I figured your profs would have a pretty good sense of placement potential (Ideally through years of experience regarding the process).
  13. Thanks for the advice man, I've looked into queens and I honestly think their program is a perfect fit for me (And their MA placement speaks for itself). I suppose my final concern is application deadline dates, I know the deadline is January 15, however most schools recommend that applicants apply by December 15. Unfortunately, given that my GRE is on the 22nd, I wouldn't be able to apply by the 15th. How should I proceed with this dilemma? *note: In your honest opinion, conditional that I score above 165 on the GRE Q section, what would you say my chances of getting into queens are?
  14. Since we're both applying to Canadian MA programs, and have a decent amount in common, feel free to check my post history and see what people said about my chances. Overall I'd say McGill is a 100% lock, the others might be noisy. If you want to really help your chance I'd suggest taking the GRE. I and many other US applicants (Some of which will also be Canadian citizens like me) will be measured on both our UGPA and our GRE math score. In a sense the GRE is the only equal playing measure every applicant could have, so doing well will help you stand out. Plus, you don't have to submit your grade if you don't want to. Personally, I'm strongly considering taking a 5th year and finishing up a degree in math (5 classes off) along with strengthening my base and TA'ing for a lower level math class. If you are presented with a similar opportunity then maybe that'll be something to consider.
  15. I don't think you're being a dick at all, if I wanted to live in a fantasy world I'd be trying to find an apartment in Cambridge right now. The way I look at my situation is as follows, If I do well on the GRE then I'd most likely - Have a 7/10 chance at Toronto's regular MA, no funding - Maybe have a slightly better chance at UBC's MA, no funding - Same with Queen's MA, no funding but hopefully a TA offer - Have a really good chance at McGill's MA, however I'm not sure if it's worth going there instead of taking a fifth year. If I get into one of the first 3 programs I mentioned, and do well, then maybe top 30 is open. If I wanted to better my chances I could be an RA for a year and see where that gets me. And if nothing pans out, as in I get rejected to every program I apply to, I'd pretty much just have to take a 5th year and retake my proofs class or just take higher level math classes and pull A's in them (Which might just be possible because I wouldn't have to take 7 classes a semester and tutor 20 hours a week if I were to take a 5th year, I could just take 2 classes a semester since it's free for me anyway). No matter what the future holds, I think all of the above options provide me with some upside going forward. I appreciate all the advice you've given me Zubrus and, like always, if you feel like I'm aiming too high or I'm underestimating the difficult of getting into a certain program, feel free to give me a reality check.
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