Hey mates,
I have taken advantage of this forum for a while. Now, I finally took the courage to ask you some questions I have about the application process for the PhD in economics around the world. I hope you can help me.
I'm planning to apply to 15+ programs in this year.
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA in economics top Latin American school.
Undergrad GPA: 3.7/4
Type of Grad: Msc Economics, same school
Grad GPA: 3.5/4
GRE: 166Q, 159V, 3.5AW
Math Courses: Calculus I-III(A), Linear Algebra (A), Real Analysis ©, Statistics I-II (A+), Econometrics I-III (undergrad) and Econometrics I-III(grad) (A).
Other relevant Courses: Micro I (C, grad), Micro II (A, grad), Macro I (A, grad), Econometrics I (A, grad), Econometrics III (A, grad), Labor Economics (A, grad).
Research Experience: 5+ years as RA. Bunch of topics: labor, applied econometrics, trade, development, IO, environmental economics and economics of education. 5 different profs (3 potential LoRs).
Teaching Experience: 4+ years as TA: Statistics, Econometrics, Micro and Macro for both undegraduate and graduate levels.
Other: Honor undergraduate thesis and a master thesis published in a fair journal. Participated in 8 conferences (national and international). Top 3 in undergrad.
Letters of Recommendation:
1 - Undergrad. supervisor (PhD at a top 10), very famous in my country, sent lots of students to PhD in the last 10 years. I've also been his RA and TA. Tenured.
2 - Grad. supervisor (PhD at a top 30), not so famous, but I consider a strong letter. Also sent some students to PhD in the past. Tenured.
3 - Prof. I've been RAing for 1+ year (also my teacher in undergrad) (PhD at a top 5). Very young.
Concerns:
1 - My lack of math courses (at least in comparison with the folks in this forum).
2 - My C's in Real Analisys and Micro I.
3 - My 166 in GRE quant (should I retake, I have plenty of time, but not plenty of money).
Could it be that my strong recommendation letters combined with my extensive experience as TA and RA compensate for these flaws in my transcripts? In other words, can the selection committees give more/less weight at any of these points and this increase/decrease my chances of being admitted?
I know these questions do not have objective answers, but I would like your opinion on how high I should aim when I decide which schools to apply to (top 10, 20, 50, etc.).
Could any of you give me a light?
Cheers!