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My husband just got accepted! Does anyone have opinions - good or bad - about the program? Tips, recommendations? Any other students starting this May?

Hey everybody! Let me begin by noting that this is my first post on urch so I apologize in advance for any lack of information on my part, double posts, or inappropriateness of this post in any way. As it is getting near the April 15 deadline to choose schools, I am faced with the dilemma of choosing between American University in DC or UCSC out west. I come from a physics background so my knowledge regarding economics programs is somewhat limited. Additionally, my fields of interest are probably more likely to change than someone who has had more exposure to the dismal science than I. Currently, however, I am most interested in International Finance, Macroeconomics, and possibly Macro-Development. From many of the rankings that I have seen, UCSC out ranks AU handily and is exceedingly strong in international economics as a whole. I have visited both schools and would not have a problem living in either city; although, I think that I would slightly prefer DC. On the other hand, the location, relative visibility, and internship opportunities of AU compared to UCSC would seem to be a huge bonus for AU. Given that my post-graduation plans as of now are to work in the private sector or for some type of policy organization (places like IMF/WB), does the location of AU more than make up for its ranking deficit? Also, I noticed that AU uses Klein for its math camp whereas UCSC uses Simon and Blume. From what I have gathered on these forums is that this would indicate that UCSC's program is more mathematically intense than AU's. Is there any way that I could make AU's program more mathematically intense based on my chosen fields and research track? My worry is that I will be stuck doing basic calculus (a bit of an exaggeration) if I attended AU's program. I appreciate any feedback you all could give me.

My graduate thesis will not be complete till next summer and I plan on applying this fall. I had some extremely poor grades during my sophomore year and into my junior that i know will limit my acceptances. I made up for this by getting near 4.0 for the last three semesters of my undergraduate and 4.0 for my entire time in graduate school but I am still afraid I may have trouble. I have a publication with a world renowned research organization and will likely have several other acceptances by this fall. Can anyone provide me some feedback/ suggestions about my chances and school choices??? HELP + ADVICE???? Type of Undergrad: Large Public University (Not Flagship). Undergrad GPA: 3.2 (3.6 for Econ) Some poor grades Soph/ Junior year But 3.72, 3.85, 4.0 Consecutively for Last 3 semesters. Type of Graduate: Interdisciplinary economic development graduate program at same school. Graduate Concentration: Interdisciplinary program for Economic and Social Development of Regions Graduate GPA: 4.0 (Expected Near 4.0) Undergrad Major/Minor: Economics Major, Poli Sci and Bus Admin Minor GRE: N/A Taking this summer (expect 700+) Math Courses: UnderGrad: Calculus I, II, Stats I,II, and Linear Algebra Graduate: Econometrics, Quantitative Research Methods, Regression Analysis Econ Courses: Undergrad: Introductory Micro, Intermediate Micro, Introductory Macro, Intermediate Macro, Labor Economics, Government Business and Society, Financial Markets and Monetary Policy, Public Finance, Business Finance, Investments, and U.S. Economic History, Seminar on Dominique Foray's Economics of Knowledge Graduate: Inequality in Organizations, China and India in the Global Economy, Political Economy of Employment, Foundations of Comparative Regional Development, Organizational Dynamics in Regional Development, The Effects of Work Technology and Training, Dynamics of Power and Authority. Letters of Recommendation: Rec. from two well known/ highly published heterodox graduate professor, Rec. from local policy maker whom i have served as a research assistant for. Teaching Experience: Limited but I served as a research assistant in the departments research center Next Fall/ Spring. Research Interests: Political Economy, Labor Economics, Industrial Organization, Regional Development. Research: Co-authored research publication from world renowned organization, Completed local development analysis of the financial crisis on minority population (forthcoming publication), Working on project which analyses the effects of cyclical economic trends on the high tech industries of a specific region. Internships: Intern position with local policy maker with a specialization on economic development Other Resume Stuff: Epsilon Omicron Delta, Lots of volunteer work, multiple conferences attended and coordinated Plan to apply: University of Utah, American University, UMB Public Policy, UMass Amherst, New School, University of California Riverside, UKCM, Colorado State University, and possibly the University of Manitoba.