Hi all! I hope you are reading this in good health.
PROFILE
Type of Undergrad: BA in Econ (Hons) (unranked)
Undergrad GPA: 3.98
Type of Grad: MPhil in Econ Research (PhD track) at Cambridge
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 167Q (87%)
Math Courses: No pure math course
Econ Courses: PhD: Micro I, Micro II, Macro I, Macro II, Econometrics; Undergrad: Micro I (A), Micro II (A), Econometrics (A), Econometrics of Cross-Section & Panel Data (A), Intro to Game Theory (A), and several econ elective courses (All A)
Other Courses: N/A
Letters of Recommendation: 1 from undergrad thesis advisor, 2 from full-time professors who I RA for (1 has a PhD from Duke and the other from Minnesota). I assume all of the letters are strong since I have worked with them for at least one year
Research Experience: Honors thesis, RA for 2 years on gender and development in multiple (unreputable) research institutes, RA for 3 months in a well-known international development organization. I also co-authored 2 published papers (Q2 according to SJR)
Teaching Experience: TA for 2 years for Micro I, Mathematics for Econ, Statistics for Econ
Research Interests: Applied Micro, Development
My questions are:
1. I am currently enrolled in MPhil Econ Research at Cambridge (PhD track) starting this fall. Some advise that I should apply for another PhD this year before finishing my master's so that I don't have to take a gap year and widen my options for PhD. What do you think?
2. Does taking no pure math course disadvantage my application despite having rigorous math training in Cambridge?
3. I plan to self-study real analysis through lectures video. Will this help on my application if I state this on my essay?
4. Do I have a shot at T10 US schools? How about T20? By this I also consider their Applied Econ PhDs. I also plan to apply for Oxford, LSE, UCL, UBC, and U of T. Are my chances better at these programs instead?
Thank you in advance!
