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Hello all. I'm a current undergraduate and I'm looking for advice on my chances at getting into a PhD program. I'm not very concerned with the prestige of the program; I really just want the degree. I'm concerned my grades aren't quite good enough so I figured I could try and find some knowledgable people on here. Here's my profile: Top 20 econ program undergrad degree in economics (in progress) Grades (A:4.0,B+:3.5,B:3.0,C+:2.5,C:2.0,IP:In Progress) Math - Calc1,2,3(A,C+,C+)DiffEq©,Linear Algebra(IP, going well), Probability Theory (IP, going ok) Econ - Intermediate Micro/Macro Theory(A/B+) Intro Econ Stats (B), Intro Applied Econometrics (B), Masters Level Econometrics, 2 semesters (IP) Research - independent senior research project. Working closely with a faculty member and working on original research. LOR - One (probably) great one from my research advisor. ... a couple others that should be passable,..... Electives - a few econ and political econ courses that aren't important. Motly As and B+s. Overall GPA: 3.2 GRE Quant: 168 GRE Verbal: 163 (I've heard this doesn't matter) I plan to complete a course in Stochastic Analysis and Real Analysis before applying to programs. My theory is if I do well in future math and masters level econometrics courses, paired with my research and good LOR I can get into an ok program. Any comments or concerns are appreciated! I love economics and I really want to spend my life doing this stuff so please let me know if I have chance out here

Hi everyone, I'm applying for PhD programs for this upcoming cycle and would like some feedback on the schools I'm applying to and maybe some recommendations on where to apply to given my profile. I'd really appreciate any help. Profile: Type of Undergrad: Top 25 USNWR (general, not econ) Undergrad GPA: 3.62 Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: NA GRE: 168 Q 164 V 5.5 W Math Courses(list the grades for each course): Calc 1: B Calc 2: A- Intro to stats: A- Multivariable Calc: B Linear Algebra: B+ Foundations of math (proof writing class): A- Differential Equations: B+ Nonlinear optimization: A Mathematical Economics: B Probability and Statistics: A Real analysis: Got a C first time, but currently retaking at a different school, projected to get an A Econ Courses Undergrad(list the grades for each course): Princ. of Micro: A- Princ. of Macro: A- Intermediate Micro: A Intermediate Macro: A Prob and Stat for Economists: B+ Econometrics: A Money and Banking: A Money and Banking (this was a separate course with the same name I took abroad): A Economic Forecasting: A- Econ Courses Msc(list the grades for each course): NA Other Courses: Don't think these are relevant, but I was also a polisci major and got mostly A/A-s in my courses. Letters of Recommendation: One from former econ professor, used to be very high up in one of the federal reserve banks. Another from a professor I TA'd for and also helped a little with research. Last one from a math professor whose class I did well in and likes me. I expect all three to be pretty good letters, the first will likely be great since he really likes me and is tailoring his letters. Research Experience: Was an undergraduate research fellow in the political science department, co-wrote a study I presented with a partner at a small conference, helped a professor I TA'd for a little with his research (mostly just coding data). Will be doing research at my current job (data analyst) soon (I hope) on unique data. Teaching Experience: Was a TA for intermediate microeconomics, as well as a course in labor economics (did not really teach in this role, but made the class slides) Other (Notes, concerns etc.): Schools on my list right now are University of Washington, University of Notre Dame, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Syracuse University, University of California Irvine, University of Southern California, and University of Colorado Boulder. I'd really appreciate any insights into how competitive I am to get in (with full funding) at these programs, and also recommendations of other programs I should apply to. I'm mostly interested in labor and history, but political economy and macro are interesting to me too if that makes a difference. Thanks a lot

How disadvantaged are international applicants compared to citizens/permanent residents? Aside from the general tips for applicants, how can international applicants increase their chances of getting admission in a top school?

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Hi All! I'd like to ask for your guidance and advice as I'm planning to apply for PhD by the end of this year (for Fall 2021 intake). I'll graduate from my master in economics this May from T30 US university. So, I delivered subpar performance for some of the core courses needed to apply for PhD, which I knew it'd definitely hurt my chances for getting accepted. Here's the following info: Grad-level Microecon: B- Grad-level Stats: B Applied Linear Algebra: B Grad-level Macroecon: A Grad-level Econometrics: A- Grad-level Applied Econometrics: A I've talked to two of my letter recommenders and they said doing research would help for my chances for admission. And now, I've been working on finding research assistantship opportunities both in the US and in my home country. My question is, do you have any suggestions on how could I remedy my subpar grades in those core courses? Would be doing research help for admission much? Also, I'm planning to apply not only to PhD Economics, but also to PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics. What do you think are my chances? Thank you all! Please stay safe and healthy!

Please could someone offer some advice about which MSc programs are the best to apply for to increase my chances of getting onto a US PhD course next year. I know that the EME MSc at LSE is the best but I don't have any chance of being admitted to that. I'm looking more realistically at somewhere like Nottingham or Essex, and both of them offer MSc Economics, but also MSc Economics and Econometrics. Am I right in thinking that the MSc Economics and Econometrics would be better for boosting my PhD application chances because of the more quantitative nature of the course?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but which option would be better for someone looking to bolster their chances of admission to a decent program? For some background, I struggled with personal issues my sophomore year which resulted in me getting a few bad grades in calculus that are really hurting my chances. I've since turned things around and have gotten A's in all of my upper level math and econ courses and should have a GPA of about a 3.6 by graduation in the spring. I'll be doing a guided research project next semester and will try to really improve my skills with things like STATA and SAS in order to be competitive for RA spots. I don't have any previous research experience (I contacted basically every professor in the department but they were either not accepting student assistants or just weren't interested), which I realize is another strike against my chances of getting into a PhD program. I realize that an RA job would really help boost my profile in this respect, but would it actually make up for the damage done by my one bad year? As for the masters, I've heard conflicting things. Some say it's a great way of making up for blemishes in an undergrad record while others have said that an MA in econ is basically worthless. I've even heard that admissions committees look down on them. Basically, given my personal situation, which path would you recommend I take? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

I am a Senior at the University of Wyoming majoring in Economics and Statistics with a minor in math (honors college). I have applied to graduate schools for a Ph.D. in economics, and was wondering of my chances of getting in (with funding). Here's what I got going for me: -3.94 GPA (3.9 in major) -Math: Calc III (A), Linear Algebra (A), Theory of Probability (B+), then taking Real Analysis and Diff Q's next semester. -Stats: Many graduate courses, 2 theory courses -Econ: Intermediates, econometrics, math econ, history -McNair Research Scholar: Funded summer research with a mentor -Several other research projects -Several research presentations -GRE: Q - 166, V - 152, AW - 4.0 -TA for College Algebra -Tutor for high-level statistics classes -3 solid letter of rec: 2 economics professors, one if which I did research with. And 1 from statistics which I did my McNair project with. -Notes: First generation, low income, Hispanic, graduating in 3 years instead of 4 I'm interested in econometrics, applied micro, and labor. I get free applications, so I applied to many schools. Here is a list (starred are my target schools, double starred are the schools I am shooting high for): Stanford** Harvard** Berkeley** Yale** Princeton** MIT** UC San Diego* UCLA* Johns Hopkins* Chicago** Colombia* Northwestern* U of Oregon U of Michigan Cornell (Applied Econ)* Brown U* U of Pennsylvania* UC Irvine New York U U of Wisconsin Carnegie Mellon U of Maryland Duke* U of North Carolina* U of Rochester * I have gotten very mixed answers of my chances for admissions, and was wondering if anyone would be willing to give their opinion. I also applied to the NSF-GRFP. After reading about other people's profiles being rejected, I am starting to get worried. Thank you for the help.

Type of Undergrad: State school, it's in the top 100. Not amazing but not terrible Undergrad GPA: At least a 3.5, possibly a 3.6 (have another semester to go) Type of Graduate: n/a SoP: working on it GRE: Haven't taken yet but expecting >167 Courses: Applied Linear Algebra (A), Linear Algebra (A), Elementary Differential Equations (A), Partial Differential Equations (A), Probability (A), Calc 1 (B), Calc 2 © (biggest concern), Multivariable Calc (B), Intermediate Micro (A), Econometrics (A), Intermediate Macro (B), Basic Stats (A) Have yet to take Real Analysis but will either in the summer or fall LOR: working on these, nothing definite so far Teaching: none Research: none, reached out to a bunch of professors but they either weren't interested or didn't take undergrad assistants. Hoping to get an RA job during my gap year As you can see, my math background is pretty solid aside from my poor performance in calc. I was depressed during this time and my GPA as a whole suffered during this time. Given this was confined to one year, how badly will it hurt my chances? I'm not trying to get into Harvard or Princeton, a PhD from a place like NC State or Clemson would be more than fine. Provided a get a good GRE score, would I be competitive for places like that?

I'm a senior economics major and math minor. My GPA at graduation should be at least a 3.5. At the end of my senior year, I'll have taken multivariable calculus, two semesters of linear algebra (one applied and one more theoretical), two semesters of differential equations, probability, an introduction to proofs class, and I will take real analysis during the fall of next year (doing a gap year). I've also taken a basic stats course, econometrics, and intermediate micro and macro. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I expect to do well as I've always performed well on standardized tests. I've gotten A's in my advanced math courses, but during my sophomore year when I was going through a period of depression and a lack of motivation I slipped up and received a C in Calc 2 and a B in vector calc (after withdrawing from the course and retaking it). I realize this is a pretty big red flag considering the importance of calculus to economics, but how much will it hurt me given it was confined to one year and I've excelled since then? I also haven't had any RA experience (I reached out to tons of professors but none were interested) Given all of this, what are my chances of getting into a decent program? I'm realistic enough to know that Harvard, Stanford, etc. are out of reach, but what about other schools? I'd be perfectly happy getting into a school like NC State or Clemson. If my chances of getting into even schools of that caliber are low, what would you recommend doing to boost my chances? I've heard conflicting advice from various sources. Some strongly suggest doing a masters and using that to make up for any blemishes on my undergrad record while others say that's a complete waste of time and money. Others say the best way to boost my chances is to find an RA job. Any advice would be really appreciated since I'm pretty much undecided as to what to do after graduating.

Hi. At the moment I am thinking on applying for a Phd in the US (intl student). I have B.A. in Economics and I am currently finishing my master thesis (not before applying). I have good grades on math courses at Undergraduate (170 Q in gre), game theory and macro (at graduate), I am well placed on the ranking of undergraduate class (top 5%) and I did RA for the people who will write good letters. However, I did not so well at Micro and IO courses at the master's degree. I have no excuse. I just did not well and I have some bad grades. I know this hurts a lot my chances of a Top 30 program. But, how much this hurts my chances for a 30-50 program? Is there anything I could do to improve my chances?

Hi guys, thinking about reapplying. I'm still waiting for a couple of results, but I'm not so confident anymore. 0a/1w/5r + 2 implicit. I think I overshot my chances (applied to a mix of ranked 1 ~ 70 with a goal of something between 20 ~ 30), but I'm not quite sure. Type of Undergrad: Mathematics & Business (120 ~ 130 ranked undergrad) Undergrad GPA: 3.88 GRE (V / Q / AW): 162 / 161 / 4.5 (hoping to improve GRE to 166+ next time.) Math Courses: 1st Year Calc series, Multi Calc Series (All A's), Linear Algebra Sequence (A, -A, A), Probability Courses (A, A), Ordinary Differential Equation (A-, one in progress), Topology (All A's), Intro to Complex Analysis, (A), Game Theory (in progress), Advanced Calculus (A-, one in progress), Intro to CS (A) Econ Courses: Intro + Intermediate Micro/Macro (All 4 A's), Intro to Econometrics (A), Industrial Organization (A), International Trade (A) Teaching Experience: No in-class experience. But I was a reader/ out-of-class TA for a business professor for 2 quarters Research Experience: No publications. Math research that's more related to CS. Was a RA for a business professor a couple of years. Research Interest: Economic History. Developmental Economics. Concerns: Non-Econ major. Low GRE score, hope to fix this next time around. I took it once without studying for it. Underestimated the time crunch I guess. SOP quality. 2/3 letters from Economic professors. The third is from a math professor. UC Davis is my goal. Do I have a chance if I up my GRE? What can I do during my one year of break?

"Success in any realm of life comes more often from taking chances or risks than from careful and cautious planning." The term ‘success’ usually comes as a result of a lot of efforts done. We cannot say that successful persons reached to their positions by luck or waiting a chance. It is a long way requires planning and preparations. The methodology of taking chances or risks to achieve success does not as effective way as does careful and cautious planning, because planning is the guideline of the way of success, and good planning takes into account chances and risks. Success has a long way to pass with efforts and patient, and this way has to be organized and full of preparations. Such ways could not guide to success without good planning, which is the guideline for such ways. Many successful persons achieved their positions by a lot of efforts and planning, rather than waiting chances. Tareq El-Suwaidan, a pioneer in the field of management and leadership sciences, might be a good example of such issue. As he raises the value of planning and preparation for success, he says that he had not waited for any chances, but he had worked hard in planning, and after being fully prepared for possible chances, they began to come. Thus, planning usually guarantee to achieve success, and it might be considered as the guideline of the way of success. In addition, making plans does not negate the chances might come and risks might be involved with. In fact, it is preparing for them. Good planning takes into consideration alternative scenarios and calculates probabilities of chances or risks that may happen, and then plans how to deal with them all. Therefore, when a chance comes, it would be a plan for taking it, and if any risk occurred, it would fully prepared to avoid it. Hence, we cannot rely on chances and risks for seeking success. Rather, we have to plan for all possible was, and work hard to reach to what we had planned. Therefore, success surely comes more often from careful and cautious planning.

I'm planning on applying for some RA positions at top institutions, and I have some concerns, primarily GPA and grades. (my school is known to be hard with some grade deflation). I was wondering what my chances are for getting into such RA position. And just advice in general will be very helpful :) (which math/econ courses to take, etc, what to do to maximize my chance for top 20's) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 20-25 Private Research University Undergrad GPA: 3.5 GRE: N/A TOEFL: N/A Math Courses: Calculus I-III (A,A,A), Intro to Proof ©, Intro to Matrix Algebra ©, Advanced Matrix Algebra (A), Discrete Math (B), Differential Equations (A), Algebraic Structures (A), Operations Research (A), Stochastic Methods (A), Linear Algebra (A), Real Analysis I & II (A,A) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro, Macro (A, A), Microeconomics I (Grad level; A) Econometrics (B, B), Market Design (B), Econometrics I (Grad level; A) Letters of Recommendation: N/A Research Experience: RA for my macro professor for more than a year, an independent study under him, plan on working with a well-known professor/author for a standard economics textbook Software Skills: Proficient - STATA, R, SAS, EXCEL, python Concerns: GPA, grades Thank you very much.

Hi everyone, I am currently a junior, looking forward to apply for a Ph.D in Economics sometime in the future.I would say two of my biggest concerns is that 1) I go to a small liberal arts college (although it is top 5), and 2) I didn't consider going to grad school under this year, so most of what I did in the past are irrelevant (marketing, finance, etc). I wanted to ask you for advice on what I should do during my senior year (still try applying to schools or just focus on full-time RA & etc?), where to apply, and for any additional comments/recommendation (also about what classes I should take next? Since I still have a full year left). Do you think I have the chances to be admitted to a top 15? Type of Undergrad: B.A. in economics from Top 5 LAC Undergrad GPA:3.84/4.0 at the moment Type of Grad: Grad GPA: Econ Grad Courses: TOEFL: Math Courses in the undergrad: Calc III, Linear algebra, Diff eq/modeling (all As); Econ stats (A-); Probability and math analysis in progress Econ undergrad Courses:Applied econometrics, Accounting and financial analysis, Micro (all As); Macro (A-); Development econ (B+); Adv econometrics and an elective course about poverty in progress GRE: planning to take soon Letters of Recommendation: I haven`t talked to them yet. But 1) most likely from econometrics prof I TAed for, and wrote a research paper for his class & he loves it and considers it one of the best papers written for his course BUT I don't think he's well-known 2) labor economics prof from MIT 3) not too sure about my third one... hopefully my thesis advisor? Research Experience: independent research supervised VERY closely by one of my letter writers (perks of LAC i guess) My supervisor thinks it's publishable. Planning to work as an RA for another one of my letter writers Teaching Experience: Teaching assistant/grader for econometrics course, and writing mentor for 2 econ courses Research Interests: Labor economics, Economics of gender & family Working Experience: I have so many working experiences, as I mentioned above that I wanted to go into industries after college but not anymore :( Worked as intern for the last 3 sem in private equity firm and consulting firm. past summer, analyst intern in investment/wealth management firm, marketing intern for the summer before SOP: n/a Other: Concerns: Too many, to be honest... 1) LAC 2) Letters from profs not well-known/no big connections 3) too much irrelevant work experiences (I am really not thinking of going into finance despite all my finance backgrounds. I wanted to go into finance and "sell-out" initially because of family financial reasons, but realized that that's not what I want to do) 4) No grad level courses Applying to: Also, MA is really not an option for me because of financial reasons as well (unless I go abroad and get scholarships). Do I have any chance (for both top PhD programs and competitive RAship programs)? and please give me all the advice for my senior year and this upcoming summer! Thank you very much your help!

Hello Urch Community! This is my first time posting here, so bear with me if I flout some rules. Following is my profile and I am currently in the process of applying to PhD programs in economics. I have applied to a few universities already but I need tips on where else I can apply (and soon!) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Applied mathematics and economics at top 5 U.S. University Undergrad GPA: 3.563 overall, 3.63 in applied math Type of Grad: London School of Economics M.Sc. Econometrics and Mathematical Economics Grad GPA: Not available yet GRE: 168Q 167V 5.0A Math Courses: All the basic stuff: real analysis, linear algebra, probability theory, discrete topology, advanced complex algebra, differential equations Econ Courses: intermediate micro and macro, political economics, advanced game theory, public economics, macroeconomic finance Letters of Recommendation: One Nobel Laureate I did research for (he thanked me in his book), three other professors of economics (all MIT or Harvard PhDs, well established, one most cited in his field), and one math lecturer with whom I took real analysis and discrete topology Research Experience: UG thesis (received a bad grade), several short research projects with professors, two research-focused classes Teaching Experience: taught introductory calculus to freshmen/ sophomores Research Interests: labor, urban, political economy SOP: standard, some description of past research experience and future plans Weaknesses: Horrible undergraduate grades, though As in all math courses I am currently applying to the following: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Stanford GSB, Chicago, Northwestern, UCLA, Berkeley, UPenn Where else should I apply considering my bad grades? Do I even stand a chance at these/ should I be looking at universities ranked much lower? I really, really need a response by tomorrow so I can send recommendation requests to professors. Thank you so much, you guys!

Honestly, I'm still considering whether a PhD will be right for me. I like reading about my interests (international macro and monetary) but I don't know if I like the academic research aspect, which is quite different. I need to figure that out to know if I should apply. Nonetheless, I would love to get an idea of how well (or not so well) I stack up. Thank you for your opinion and time in advance! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BComm at a good Canadian school. Econ department in T50 according to RePec overall rankings. Undergrad GPA: 3.58 (Econ: 3.92) Type of Grad: Master's in Economics, same school Grad GPA: 3.55 GRE: Haven't taken yet. Math Courses: Calculus single var: A Calculus Multi-var: A- Linear Algebra: B+ Economics Courses: (Undergrad) Advanced Macro: A- Advanced Micro: A+ Metrics: A- Public Policy Analysis: A (Grad) Micro: B Macro: B+ Metrics: A- International Macro: A Financial Econometrics: B- Energy: A Financial Risk Management: A- Macro forecasting: A Letters of Recommendation: I know I can secure two good letters from undergrad profs who are well known. One prof I've TA'd for for two years and I did well on his course. The other from prof whose class I've taken and had a little RA experience with. For the third one, I'm thinking of the prof who taught me Intl. Macro in grad school but I realize his will most likely be lukewarm. Research Experience: Undergrad level. Helped aforementioned prof with two projects of his and he seemed to like my results. Other than that, half the classes I took in grad school had a research/project component. Wrote a bunch of papers and very hands-on data experience. Teaching Experience: TA in third and fourth year in undergrad and during grad school Research Interests: International macro/international finance, monetary, macroeconomics SOP: My aim by the time I apply is to have a good idea what my research topic is gonna be (I realize I'm very reaching with this goal). This is both to have a good idea where I should apply and show I'm serious about this. Will try to explain the weak parts of my application (grades) Concerns: 1. Not that much math. I would need a couple more courses, definitely real analysis. Might even take some pure statistics courses. 2. My grad school grades are meh, particularly the theory courses. I wasn't fully focused in my MA, honestly. I believe this will be the major weakness of my application. Applying to: I'm thinking BU, CMU, Minnesota, Duke, Penn State, Queen's as possible realistic targets. Daydreaming of Columbia, NYU. Really reaching with Berkeley.

For the longest time, I have been under the impression that my profile is not good enough for a T20 US Ph.D admit. The reason I have doubted my chances for a T20 admit is because unlike many successful applicants who post on URCH, I have not taken upper level proof based math classes such as Real Analysis, Topology, Measure Theory, etc. As a result, I have considered applying to good European Masters degree with the hope that having such a degree under my belt will make up for my lack of these classes and thus, improve my chances for a T20 admit. However, an acquaintance who currently attends a T15 recently told me that I am worrying unnecessarily about my lack of proof classes and that I should apply to Ph.D programs. He also thought that since lack of RA was the only real shortcoming in my profile, paying 24,000+ pounds to get a masters in Europe might be a waste of money and time. Instead, he suggested I take RA in a nearby college as a non-degree student if I really thought I needed to get a boost in my profile. Can you all please take a look at my profile below and let me know if I have a decent shot of getting into a T20 Ph.D program in the US? Am I overreacting about my lack of proof based classes? Will it be a waste for me to attend a good masters program such as LSE's Msc Economics, Oxford's Mphil Economics or Cambridge's Mphil Economics given that my end goal is to attend a top Ph.D program in the US? Type of Undergrad: Top 30 US Liberal Arts college Major: Mathematical Economics GPA: Cumulative 3.81, Econ 3.94, Math 3.8 Relevant honors: Graduated magna cum laude, received distinction in mathematical economics, and was awarded award for most outstanding senior thesis GRE: Yet to take but should be able to get 165+ on the quant with practice Math Classes: Calculus I II III (A-, A, B+), Linear Algebra (A-), Number Theory (B), Ordinary Differential Equations (A), Partial Differential Equations (A), Probability Theory (A), Probability and Statistical Modeling (A), Stochastic Processes (A), Numerical Analysis (A). Econ Classes: Intermediate Micro (B+), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Mathematical Economics (A), Labor Economics (A), International Finance (A), International Trade (A), Environmental Economics (A) Research Experience: Wrote a thesis that won the award for most outstanding senior thesis. Advisor was impressed and we are trying to publish the work. I have also worked as a research assistant for three other professors, with one professor publishing the paper I helped him with. The work with these professors mainly involved writing Stata code, importing and cleaning datasets using excel and SAS, and creating pretty graphs and tables for the final paper. Recommendations: Should get excellent recommendations from all of the professors I researched with, especially my thesis advisor. My thesis advisor, who also taught me two advanced mathematical economics classes, will be able to talk to my aptitude for econometrics and mathematical economics since I aced all of his classes. He also saw me self-teach myself time series econometrics for the thesis. The other recommendation will come from the professor who had published the paper I had RA'd for. He also taught me two econometrics classes, both of which I aced. Teaching Experience: Worked as teaching assistant and grader for multiple economics classes. Also worked as a tutor at the college's mathematics tutoring center for three years. Concerns: Main concern is lack of RA and other proof based classes. Secondary concerns include B/B+ grades in Calc III, Intermediate Micro, and Number Theory. I am hoping that my straight A's in advanced math and mathematical economics classes will mitigate these low grades.

Undergrad: Top Ten US News GPA: 3.5/4.0 Single Major in Statistics GMAT: 730 (V40, Q49) letter of recommendation: 1 from statistics professor, 1 from economics professor, 1 from accounting professor Work: Internships at a small investment bank and a nonprofit consulting firm Research assistant: Worked as a research assistant (data entry) for an accounting professor University Employment: Math tutor for my university's tutoring center and paper grader for multivariable calc and linear algebra Math background: Calc 1-3 and ODE's at regional university during high school (A's), Real Analysis in college (B+ average), Abstract Algebra in college (A- average) Accounting Background: I am not an accounting major but I have taken two accounting classes and I sit in on the doctoral accounting research classes Economics Background: Micro (A- average) Awards: Dean's List My interest is mostly financial archival. I am especially interested in accounting standard setting, for example how the debt/equity structure in a country affects the demand for disclosure in that country. I am not sure where I would be competitive for PhD's directly out of undergrad. I know I really fit the standard profile of someone with an accounting or economics undergraduate plus a few years of work experience or a master's degree. I don't feel like I would be competitive at top 5 programs given my GMAT/GPA and lack of accounting experience, but would I still be competitive for places like Emory, USC, Ohio State, UT Austin, etc? Would a place like Utah be more of a match or a safety? I understand that fit is important (the schools I listed above each have 2-3 professors whose work interests me), but I want to make sure I am applying mainly to schools that are in the right ballpark for me, competitiveness wise.

I am just graduating from college and have a couple of questions regarding my chances for admissions to PhD/MA admissions. Could you please take a look at my profile below and answer the questions that follow? Type of Undergrad: Top 30 Liberal Arts college Major: Mathematical Economics GPA: Cumulative 3.81, Econ 3.94, Math 3.8 GMAT: 740 Math Classes: Calculus I II III (A-, A, B+), Linear Algebra (A-), Number Theory (B), Ordinary Differential Equations (A), Partial Differential Equations (A), Probability Theory (A), Probability and Statistical Modeling (A), Stochastic Processes (A), Numerical Analysis (A). Econ Classes: Intermediate Micro (B+), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Mathematical Economics (A), about 6 other electives (all As) Research Experience: Wrote a thesis that won the award for most outstanding senior thesis. Advisor was impressed and we are trying to publish the work. I have also worked as a research assistant for three other professors, with one professor publishing the paper I helped him with. Recommendations: Should get excellent recommendations from all of the professors I researched with, especially my thesis advisor. Questions (i) What are my chances for PhD admissions? What range of schools should I be looking at? My biggest concern for PhD admissions is the lack of upper level proof writing classes like Real Analysis and Mathematical Statistics. Furthermore, I am concerned about the B/B+ grades I received in Number Theory, Calc III and Intermediate Micro (ii) What are my chances of admission for masters programs in finance, economics and financial economics? I am currently looking at LSE's Msc Finance and Economics, LSE's Msc Economics and Oxford's Msc Financial Economics. Are there any other schools I should be looking at given my profile? (iii) How much will a Msc from a good program help me with PhD Finance admissions later on? Specifically, will the Msc help me overcome the lack of upper level proof writing math classes such as RA or Math Stats? I don't think I will have the opportunity to take these during the program.

Please take a look at my profile and tell me what you think. What are my chances at the schools mentioned below, or getting funding at a top-50 in general? Thanks -Dan PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.S. Math from Washington State, B.S. Economics from Oregon State (good but not great public schools) Undergrad GPA: 3.77 Math degree, 3.85 Econ degree GRE: 94th percentile quant, 72nd percentile verbal, 90th percentile written Math Courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (B+), Calc 3 (B+), Linear Alg (B-), Intro to Proof writing (B+), Differential Eq (A), Combinatorics (A), Modern Algebra (A), Real Analysis (A), Optimization (A), Prob & Stats (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All A's except Econometrics (B+) Other Courses: Physics for scientists and engineers 1 and 2 (A, B), modern physics 1 (B), programming in C (A-) Letters of Recommendation: 2 from math professors 1 from economist that I RA'd for. Research Experience: about 7 months of being an RA Research Interests: international, macro, public finance Teaching Experience: 2 years as undergraduate TA, 3 years teaching middle/high school Concerns: my second degree from Oregon State was online. Our econ courses didn't use much advanced math. Applying to: (I haven't narrowed it down completely)Maryland, Virginia, Boston College, Illinois (Urbana), Vanderbilt, U Washington, Indiana, Georgetown, Syracuse, UC Boulder, Notre Dame, U Kentucky, George Washington, George Mason, U Georgia, (possible: U North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia Tech)

Profile: 2.49 GPA from ranked state school with well regarded professors. Taking the GRE in a month Majored in Economics, took other courses (Computer science, chemistry, bio, business classes..etc) Currently a research intern for a professor at Harvard University Reason for low GPA - I have a learning disability that I only recently decided to get checked out after hitting a new low post-undergrad. It's my fault, and I understand that I should have seen a psychiatrist sooner. Either way, I managed to 'pass' undergrad.. and regardless of my inability to perform well in school without therapy/meds.. I knew from the first economics course I took in UG that I wanted to pursue this all the way to the PhD level. My internship is pretty awesome, I am getting more experience in research than I have in any opportunity I took in UG. My question to everyone is: How can I make myself look appealing to admissions board members? Saying I have a learning disability and not proving that I am improving is quite difficult. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, what chance would I have of getting in to Harvard (I know it's a long stretch) knowing that I am working under a professor in the legal department? Thanks!

Hello, and thank you in advance for helping me out! :) I went to school at a top 20 undergrad business school. Just finished four majors (Finance, Mathematics, Accounting, Business Economics; CGPA 3.95) in five years including each summer and winter term (and many sleepless nights :sleeping:). I now hold an offer to the Financial Engineering track of MPhil in Finance 2012-2013. Here are the core courses, and here are the electives for this specific track. This degree is 9 months, and I am hoping to start a Finance PhD in the US in 2013. This summer I will take Advanced Econometrics at LSE. About me: Some general resume/interesting highlights: Attended Harvard's SVMP program Passed first level of CFA Gates Scholarship finalist Accounting Honors Thesis on Stock Options/Disclosure Policy (40 pages, lacking strong results, and not good enough to publish) Russian immigrant (came to US at 11..will probably include some of the hardship stories in my PS) Professional table tennis player Aside from a bunch of general education courses, I have taken the following: Finance: Quant. Financial Mgmt., Bloomberg Certification (Equities, Fixed Income, and Foreign Exchange), Corporate Finance, Investments, Real Estate Finance, Applied Investment Management (2 semester course, managing $1m) Mathematics: Calculus (1,2,3), Linear Algebra, Matrix Analysis, Analysis of Ordinary Differential Equations, Intro to Mathematics of Investing, Introduction to Proof, Real Analysis (Audit), Theory of Probability, Theory of Statistics, Mathematical Modeling, Advanced Applied Analysis Business Economics: Int. Micro, Int. Macro, Game Theory, Experimental Economics, Economics of Strategy, Quantitative Methods in Economics, Intro to Econometrics (and will take advanced at LSE this summer) Accounting: Intro to Financial Acct, Intro to Managerial Acct, Intermediate Financial Acct (all 3 semesters, one of which was applied to Finance), Intermediate Cost & Managerial Acct., Analysis of Financial Statements, Accounting Information Systems, Audit, Federal Taxation Other: Python Programming, C Programming, Stat. Inference in Mgmt., Organizational Behavior, Intro to Marketing, Business Communication, Management Information Systems, Basic Operations Management MORE BELOW...

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top LAC Undergrad GPA: 3.8/4.00 GRE: Q780+ on practice exams Math Courses: Calculus I-III, Multivariate Data Analysis, Statistics, Linear Algebra(B+) (A’s in everything else) Econ Courses: Micro, Honors Macro, Honors Econometrics, Advanced Macro, Game Theory, Institutional Economics, Master’s level Public Economics, Behavioral, Labor (A- or above in all) Letters of Recommendation: Prominent economist at Fed, a few others who know me well but who are moderately well-known Research Experience: Senior thesis, Fed RA, will probably have at least one or two co-authored briefings (or possibly journal articles), Research Interests: Macro/Urban I’m debating between public policy (masters or Phd) and economics (Phd). If I decide on economics, I’ll take Real Analysis and Math Stats next fall/winter. In the long run, I’m interested in going into an applied econ area, likely gov/think-tank/nonprofit work. Econ is appealing because I’d learn more technical skills, but I’m not sure if my math background is strong enough for econ, or whether spending several years learning theory would be worth it based on my long-run plans. Any thoughts on this dilemma would be greatly appreciated, namely: -suggestions of policy-oriented econ programs or econ-oriented policy programs -what level econ programs I should target if I go that route (top 20?) Thanks!

Hi everyone. Long time reader; first time poster. I am applying to phD programs right now for next fall. I am looking for prestige, job/teaching oppurtunites upon graduation, money (cheap programs 3.5 or heavily subsidised), and I want to avoid the cold weather (I.E. Ann Arbor is out of the question). Which schools should I be looking at/setting my hopes on. GPA: 3.5 (T40 university) - Math and Economics double major GRE: 760Q; 580V Schools I have applied to: Rice Texas Vanderbilt Georgetown Ohio State Duke UNC BU Northwestern UVA USC UCLA UC-Berkeley UPenn :( Thanks!?!?!??!?!?