newguyfromindia

Thanks for the response. Can you elaborate on the reasons for your choice? The faculty at CEMFI is a better match for me. It's just that the cost of attending CEU is almost half that of attending CEMFI for me, so I wanted to know if CEMFI’S value addition outweighs the higher cost of attendance.

Hi, I have been offered admission to the Masters programs at CEMFI and CEU and I have to decide which one of these should I attend. My main concern is the placements of these programs to US and Europe PhD programs. I know some people at CEMFI who are now at top 10 US colleges and the faculty also seems to be great. CEU's placements were also comparable to CEMFI earlier but they seem to be not as good now. However, I have been offered some funding at CEU which makes it the cheaper option. It would be great to hear some opinions regarding the two programs and how they compare against each other. Thanks, in advance!

HI, not a UT Austin student but I was actually looking for information about the program. Will you be able to tell me how the program serves as a stepping stone for Phd? what are the placements of previous grads like?

So does this mean on average, 17 percent of applications are accepted. If so, which colleges are likely to have acceptance rates around this mean?

Hi poli95, Thank you for your comprehensive reply. Doing an RA at a US college seems like the best option but from what I have read on this forum, getting such an RA is as tough or even tougher than getting a PhD in the US. But yes, I can try to do that. It will be better than potentially spending a lot on getting another degree. I'm currently working with a prof who is at a top UK department so I guess that letter will also help my case. I underestimated the importance of letters in the Phd application process. But I am starting to feel they are as or even more important than academics. Anyway, thank you for your help.

Can the MRes programs at colleges like UCL, Warwick, Tinbergen, Tilburg, etc. be used as a bridge to a PhD program in the US? If so, how tough is it to get into them and how good they are in terms of PhD placements? I already have a 3-year bachelor's and a 2-year master's from India. I have topped the class in master's but my undergrad GPA is very low. I'm considering doing an MRes before a PhD to increase my chances of getting a US PhD. Does that seem like a good plan? What else would you suggest to compensate for a low undergrad GPA? I have also gathered a lot of research experience by doing two research internships, one at a think tank and another at a business school, a term paper, a masters thesis, and now I'm working as an RA after graduation. I'll have one year of RA experience by the time I start the said MRes program. Please tell me if this seems like a doable plan. Any suggestions would be helpful. If instead of an MRes program, another masters program is better for me, please suggest the kinds of programs i should look at. Thank you, in advance.

I would like the ranking which would correspond the most to the competitiveness in getting into the particular college. Eg, based on that ranking, getting into a top 30 would be more difficult than a top 40

Okay, that helps! Thank you

There are a lot of rankings available on the internet these days (QS, USNews, etc). IS there any way to decide which one is the most reliable one for economics phd rankings?

Profile: Undergrad in Econ from top state school in India. Master's in Econ from tier 2 private research uni in India. Was a Teaching Assistant for 2 Graduate-level macro courses and 1 Bachelor's Micro course. Currently, working as an RA with a prof from a UK university. Undergrad GPA - 6.1/10 (Second Class) Master's GPA - 9.52/10 (Batch topper) GRE - Q167, V156 Coursework (Master's): Two-course sequences in Micro (grades A- and B), Macro (both A's) and Econometrics (both A's), Mathematical Methods (A grade), Computational Econ (A grade). Electives in Labor Econ, Time Series, Trade, Development, Political Econ, International Finance (All A's except Trade in which I have a B) Research Interest: Macro and Applied Economics Research Experience: I have done several term papers and other research projects. Currently working as an RA. Previous experience as a research intern in a B-school and Think tank in India for a couple of months. Concerns: 1. No math courses from the math department. Only taken mathematical methods courses in undergrad (B grade) and masters (topped the class) which covered topics like multivariate calculus, linear algebra, optimization. To compensate, I'm taking online courses in Multivariate calc, probability, stats, linear algebra, differential equations, although I don't know how much they would help me. 2. Very low undergrad GPA (probably equal to a low B or a C in the US). Not sure how much my performance in the master's program and research experience would be able to compensate for that. I am looking for suggestions regarding ways to improve my profile and what kind of colleges should I target for PhD in the US. I am not looking at top 20/30. Would something in the top 50 be achievable with my profile? I am also considering doing another master's from Europe before applying for a Phd in the US however there are significant time and monetary investments required for that. Any advise regarding this would also be appreciated. If possible, the kind of master's programs I should be looking at would be helpful. All suggestions are welcome! :)

Hi, I am looking for suggestions to apply for a PhD Program in the US. Profile - I have completed my bachelor's in Economics from a top state college in India and my master's in Economics from a Tier 2 private research university in India. I am currently working as a Research Assistant in a project. I have done several term papers and other research projects and I have some professors who would vouch for my research skills (although they might not be very well known internationally). I have also been a Teaching Assistant for the two graduate Macro courses and one undergrad Micro course during my masters. Undergrad GPA - 6.1/10 (Second Class) Masters GPA - 9.52/10 (Highest in Class) Gre - 323 (167 - Quant, 156 - Verbal) Master's Courses - Graduate level two-course sequences in Micro (A- in first course, B in second), Macro (A in both courses) and Econometrics (A in both courses). Electives in Labor Econ, Development Econ, Political Econ, Time Series, Trade, International Finance (All A's except Trade in which I got a B). My research interest spans Macroeconomics and Applied Econometrics. Problems - 1. The only maths courses I have taken are the mathematical methods courses which have covered everything from analysis to optimization and multivariate calculus briefly but I know that they are not worth much to PhD admission committees. I am taking online courses while working in Multivariate Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Probability and Statistics but I don't know how much that would it help my prospects. 2. My undergrad GPA is very low (might be equivalent to a low-B or a C). I guess the high master's GPA would compensate for that to some extent but since it is from a lower ranked uni, I don't know how much good it will do exactly. I am looking for suggestions to improve my profile and the kind of universities I should target. I am also considering doing another Master's in Europe to compensate for the low undergrad GPA, do some math courses and get better LORs. Any suggestions regarding European master's programs will also be helpful. I will be applying this year for admissions in Fall'21.