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Hello, I plan to apply to a few PhD programs this Fall. The constraint is that I have to be in a city in the NE corridor. My profile is not strong enough for a top 40 program so I am looking at top 50 or beyond. I have identified the following programs: (GWU in DC, Drexel and Temple in Philly, possibly UDel but it is not in a city, Rutgers (close enough to trains) and Northeastern in Boston). I am quite interested in GWU's and Temple's programs. Is anybody familiar with these two programs? I have heard good things about both. Living in DC is expensive while Philly is a bit cheaper. Temple's department seems to be rebuilding and they seem to have a young and active crowd but I am somewhat worried about their reputation. I am planning to get in touch with current grad students and the DGS to get a bit more information about conditions (I heard stipend is around 20k for 5 years with the possibility of either teaching in the summer or getting a research award). GWU is also a good program - I am interested in macroeconomics, but I am not certain I will be competitive.

I am interested in applied micro. My research experience has been all in development economics. Nonetheless, I know that my interest my change. UMD AREC offer me 4 years of guaranteed funding (I don't know how easy it is to get year 5 and 6 funding if I need it, although a professor told me that students usually get RA position or get employment in many agencies in DC). The connection to the DC organizations such as WB and IMF is great. It's also located in DC (city life), although the stipend is the same as Notre Dame. The placements are of course greater than ND, although I have heard from EJMR that the department is not a pleasant place (I take this with a grain of salt though, if anyone have more insights into this that would be appreciated). With ND, the funding situation is great as I am guaranteed for 5 years of funding. The department is on a fast upward trajectory from hiring like crazy with good faculty members across the applied micro field, which would give me more options in case I change my field. The department is also very collegial, with close interactions between faculty members and student. That said, the placement aren't as great as UMD AREC for academic positions. South Bend is also not inspiring as a city. Currently, I am indifferent between academic positions or private sector. Any advice would be very much appreciated ! Thanks guys

Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? To some people, big city is always their favorite residential area. Others prefer to live in a small town. Personally, I always want to live in a big city. Living in a small town does offer us a number of benefits. In contrary to a big city, the environment in small town is much cleaner. There, we can hardly see the crowded roads but large area which is covered by trees. Thus, a small town is perfect place if one wants to avoid polluted air. By living in a town, in weekends, we can also easily have picnics with our family due to the proximity of the town to other camping area. Additionally, people in town seem to be very friendly. Far from the busy life in a big city, people there are always very sociable and willing to help each other. Therefore, a small town will be the best residential area for people who want to enjoy the tranquility and interact with frank people. However, benefits from a big city are much more significant than ones in a small town. First, infrastructure is very developed in big cities. There, roads as well as subways are always available in good condition so we can easily commute to work without spending hours on muddy roads. Additionally, living in big cities, we do not have to concern about electricity and running water supplies as they are universally accessible there. More than that, as big cities are centre of education and health care system, they are critically important to a number of people. For example, many parents want to raise their children in big cities. There, their children can have the best of the top-notch education environment, where teachers, curriculums, and facility are all well-qualified. People who have chronic diseases also have stay in big cities in order to get quick access to hospitals if their diseases progress. In short, although life in a small town is very is salubrious, I still prefer to live in a big city. By living in a big city, I can get access to modern infrastructure, good education and health care facility.