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Hey guys, I am currently a 2nd-year Master's student at a top 5 college in my country. Type of Undergrad: Engineering in Electronics & Communication from a virtually unknown Asian university. Undergrad Percentage: First Class (62%) Math Courses: Maths - I, Maths - II, Maths - III (covered Linear Algebra, Calculus, Numerical Methods) : First class with distinction Master's degree - 1st year GPA : 8/10 Relevant Courses: Micro 1 - 9 (A+) Macro 1 - 8 (A) Micro 2 - 8 (A) Statistics - 9 (A+) Econometrics - 6 (B) :( GRE : 160 V, 166 Q, 4 AWA Internship Experience: Worked on applied micro Letters of Recommendation: Three good letters. My current program is specialized in environmental economics, but here on I am interested to pursue research in economic theory or macroeconomics. Will my econometrics grade significantly hurt my chances? I am trying to compensate for the low grade in this semester's econometrics course but I won't have that on my transcripts when I apply this year. Do I have a shot at any of the top 50 US programs or should I try getting some research experience first before applying? I am not so keen on enrolling for another Master's program since time and money both are a constraint. Which schools should I be looking at? Any other suggestions are also welcomed. Thank you!

Hello! I finished undergrad quite recently, and am looking to get a sense of how strong my profile might be. I don't think I will do a PhD immediately, and I would strongly consider doing a predoc as well. Type of Undergrad: B.A. Economics and Mathematics (joint major). Top 10 US News ranking. GPA: 3.92. Major GPA: 3.94 GRE: Not taken yet P - Pass on Pass/Fail grading scale. Econ courses: Intro macro/micro (A/A); Advanced Micro (A); Intermediate Macro (A); Mathematical Game Theory (A); Trade and Development (A); Development Economics (P); Econometrics (P); Spatial Economics (P); Note: I got written commendations for both Development Economics and Econometrics that state I was among the top students in the class for both. Also would have gotten an A in Spatial Economics. Math courses: Calc III (A); Linear Algebra (A); Real Analysis I (A); Vector Analysis (A); Complexity Science (A); Stochastic Processes (A-); Intro to Probability and Statistics (A-). LOR's: (1) Asst Prof at Top 10 US News, 9 month part-time research and finished top of their class (2) Full-time summer RA for Asst Prof at Top 20 US News; (3) Unsure who to ask Research experience: Lots of RA jobs throughout undergrad. I realize I have some holes to fill (figuring out who would be my last rec letter, taking the GRE). Still, wondering whether people might have insights as to what kinds of schools might be attainable with this baseline. Further, if anyone had any advice for things I should consider doing (for instance doing an RAship and take more math classes or something). Thank you in advance!!

Hey, thanks so much in advance. I'm a UK student looking to apply this round for UK Masters/PhD programmes. So far, I'm considering Cambridge MPhil Econ Research, Oxford MPhil Econ, LSE MSc Econ and LSE MRes/PhD. Any honest feedback on prospects or other options including funding (except for LSE MSc) would be greatly appreciated! Interested in research in development and political economy mostly. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA Economics, Cambridge University, UK - currently going into 3rd year so just have 2 years of exam results Undergrad GPA: 1st Class in 5/5 papers (1st Year), 1st Class in econometrics project (2nd year), no 2nd year exams due to Covid but 1st Class in 3/3 mock exams. GRE: 170Q/157V/6.0W Math Courses (list the grades for each course): Mathematics and Statistics - first year course in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, probability theory, statistical inference (1st Class) Mathematics and Statistics - second year course in static, dynamic optimisation, further linear algebra, set theoretic probability, inference, Bayesian methods (No exam due to covid, not even mock exam) Econ Courses Undergrad (list the grades for each course): Intermediate micro - first year (1st Class) Intermediate macro - first year (1st Class) Economic history (1st class) Game theory - second year (no exam, 1st Class in mock exam) Intermediate macro - second year (no exam, 1st Class in mock exam) Intermediate econometrics - second year (1st Class in coursework, no exam but 1st Class in mock exam) Other Courses: Politics and Social Aspects of Economics (1st Class) Letters of Recommendation: 1 from RA, relatively young researcher 1 from supervisor, fairly established 1 from supervisor and lecturer, fairly established Research Experience: 2 month summer RA (not a formal RA setup, just did some data-based work for a professor at my Cambridge college) Did an undergraduate research project in development studies part time during my first year. Tried to write an applied theory paper (still very early stage working paper) in first year, but without supervision. Other (Notes, concerns etc.): Self-assessment: Weaknesses: My main concern is the lack of second year exams due to covid. In particular, no formal maths course beyond multivariable calculus and linear algebra level stuff. I haven't done any formal pre-doc RA either because I've just finished my 2nd year. Any insights as to how this may affect my application are greatly appreciated! I'm looking to stay in the UK for PhD and so LSE is obviously the best option, and they're the only one with a direct application from undergrad so I thought I'd give it a try while I'm also applying to their Masters. Any advice about where I should think about applying too would be amazing as well. Strengths: Quite good grades in first year. Good Quant GRE.

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): Haven't taken yet, aiming for 165+ quant and verbal Undegrad GPA: 3.85 at an ivy in political science, minor in psychology Graduate GPA: N/A Research Experience: ~10 months of RA work with 3 professors at a top 5 business school. No relevant publications (only 1 in philosophy) Teaching Experience: 1 semester for a community service-based class Work Experience: summer internships at random schools, not really relevant Concentration Applying to: consumer behavior/behavioral marketing Number of programs planned to apply to: ~15 or so Dream Schools: Wharton (Penn), Stanford, Kellogg (Northwestern), Fuqua (Duke) Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? Love academia and interested in advancing general theories of human/consumer behavior. Hoping to frame my background in political science and TA experience for community service class as my motivation for possibly researching prosocial behavior Questions or concerns you have about your profile? Only formal stats experiences is a B in intro stats. Taking a PhD level marketing class in research methods next semester and have 3 computer science classes and 1 data science class under my belt (all A's), so hoping that can offset my lack of formal stats classes. Also concerned about not having any publications or co-authored papers in progress. I'm contributing significantly to the professors that I currently research with (e.g., helping formulate hypotheses, research methods, etc. in addition to lit reviews/data entry) so hopefully that should offset things via good LOR's? Any additional specific questions you may have:~

I´m struggling with this Manhattan question: "Jane scored in the 68th percentile on a test, and John scored in the 32nd percentile. A: The proportion of the class that received a score less than John’s score. B: The proportion of the class that scored equal to or greater than Jane’s score." The answer is supposed to be C, but suppose 101 people were graded, and all of them obtained a different score. If we order all scores in ascending order, John is in the position 33 and Jane is in the position 69. Thus, quantity A equals 32/101 and quantity B equals 33/101, which are not equal. I guess I must be making a mistake, although I cannot see it yet. I would appreciate any help on this. Thanks!

So I'm about to take a class called "Linear Algebra and Real Analysis" through Harvard Summer School to meet both the multivariable calculus and linear algebra prerequisites for most of the econ masters programs I want to apply to + to show that I've gone a little beyond that with the real analysis portion. The class is the equivalent of Math 23A in Harvard College and it's the class the Harvard undergrads take after calculus II if they have an advanced (for their level) math background. I've seen good reviews of the course here (apparently it's very hard and very intensive) and the professor claims that AdComs like seeing the course in people's transcripts. My worry is that if I take this course I won't have a class called "multivariable calculus" or "calculus 3" in my transcript. Will that be an issue?

Hi everyone, I'm currently a student at a mid-sized state university in Texas. I have a background in computer science and software engineering, but I chose to study economics for my undergrad because I wanted to research and understand issues like economic inequality and poverty. I realized after about a year of taking economics coursework that I wanted to go into economic research, and to that end I wanted to get a PhD in economics. At that point, I added a mathematics minor to my degree plan and planned to take as many math courses as possible by the time I graduated. I have significant experience in computer programming (internships at relatively prestigious companies), and I have also applied to a fellowship that would enable me to contribute to economic research for a semester. Here are what my stats look like, along with my projected classes/experience by the time I graduate: GPA: 3.8+. My first semester of college I had pretty bad priorities and got, like, a 3.02. That includes a C in principles of macroeconomics (because I never attended class), and similar grades in some general prerequisites like Art and Introduction to Philosophy. Since then, I have received all As in all of my coursework, but that one semester still haunts me (and my GPA). I will have some buffer room in my last semester and sometimes consider retaking Principles so I can have a perfect GPA in Economics/Math coursework, but on the other hand, I got an A in the intermediate class, and I could just take more math classes with those hours. I think that's probably better. Any thoughts? (At my university, if you retake a class one time, that grade will replace the old grade on your transcript and GPA). Economics Coursework: Intermediate Microeconomics (A+), Intermediate Macroeconomics (A), Money and Banking (A), Mathematical Economics (A), Econometrics (A+), Public Sector Economics (A). I am currently taking Labor Economics and Game Theory and am doing well in both. Mathematics Coursework: I took Calculus 1-3 dual credit in high school, as well as AP Statistics. At my university, I have taken Linear Algebra (A+) and am currently taking Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, and TCalc (the intro to proofs class). I am doing well in all of these so far and expect to complete them with As. Before graduating, I will also be taking Numerical Analysis, Mathematical Analysis 1 and 2 (Real Analysis), Abstract Algebra, and Probability, for my minor. I have previous experience in software engineering, and I have accepted a software engineering internship at Facebook this Fall. I will be interning at a large financial technology firm in NYC for software engineering this summer. I have applied for, and am hoping to receive, a fellowship so that I can contribute to research at a think tank in DC this Spring. I am also active in a lot of stuff on campus (positions in student government, clubs, etc.) but that's just because I enjoy it, and I don't think it's going to do anything for me after college. I have kept doing work in software because it pays enough to help me make it through my undergrad, and I think it could help me secure an RA position. What I am trying to plan for is what to do next summer and after I graduate, in 3-4 semesters. What positions/internships would I be competitive for to apply for my last summer in undergrad? Should I apply to intern at the Fed? Here are some options I am considering: 1. A master's degree in Economics from UT Austin, or an APE from the Paris School of Economics (PSE). I believe I have good chances of getting into one of these programs, and that they could potentially help me get into a better PhD program. However, I have heard that master's programs aren't very well regarded in academic economics anyways, so I am also considering: 2. Trying for a RA position, at the Fed or at a T5 school. I think I could get one of these because of my strong programming background. Is that true? What can I do to prepare for something like this? I'm trying to figure out if I should just go ahead and apply to PhD programs, or if I am competitive for a RA position (ideally at the Fed), or if I should get a master's degree. Any advice is appreciated.

I have recently received my fall grades after submitting all the applications. Unfortunately, I got a B+ for the PhD Microeconomics class. My other grades are fine ( three As in other economics class and an A- in a math class). I have sent the fall grades to some schools which request them but not to some schools which say it is optional. Should I send the grades? I heard that it is a bad signal if I have a B+ for the graduate class but I feel like not sending the grades is also a bad signal. The fact that my other grades are not bad also makes me want to send the grades. Thank you so much for your advice and good luck to everyone who is applying this cycle.

Hi all, I graduated with a BSc in Econ and Finance degree a few years ago from one of the top 3 universities in HK, and is planning to apply for Operations Research/Computer Science Master's programs (mainly targeting top US schools, with UK schools as secondary options). A professor (associate professor grade) who taught me financial statistics (with topics in probability functions, regression models and time series models) has agreed to write LORs for me. I have also asked the head of the econ department who taught me intermediate micro econ theory to write me LORs (pending his confirmation). I'd like to know whom should I ask as the third person to write me LORs? Below is a summary of the relevant courses I took: 1. Elementary Calculus and Linear Algebra: Topics in matrices, differentiation and integration etc. Taught by an associate professor; the class size was too large so most likely he wouldn't recognize me. 2. Elementary Statistics: Topics in probability, sampling distribution, hypothesis testing, regression etc. Taught by a lecturer; again the class size was too large so most likely she wouldn't recognize me. 3. Math for economics: Topics in linear models, optimization and multivariable calculus. Taught by a visiting scholar; while the class size was small, I did not have much interaction with her so again most likely she wouldn't recognize me. 4. Econometrics: Topics in simple and multiple linear regression, instrumental variables, simultaneous equations models, limited dependent variables etc. Taught by an associate professor at UBC (during my exchange study); again the class size was too large so most likely he wouldn't recognize me. 5. VBA programming: Topics in excel formulas, VBA programming fundamental concepts (for loop, while loop, object-oriented programming etc.). Taught by a lecturer; again the class size was too large so most likely he wouldn't recognize me. I also contemplated asking lecturers who taught me finance courses in derivatives pricing, portfolio theory, and financial management, respectively, since these courses also involve certain level of math, but I am not sure as to whether LORs from finance professors weight much for OR/CS master's programs. For all of the courses mentioned above, I either got grades of A+ or A. Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks you so much!

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BBA, major in Economics and Mathematics, relatively good business school, had strong placements in the last two/three years (top 20) Undergrad GPA: 3.84/4 Type of Grad: Msc Economics, same school Grad GPA: 3.86/4 GRE: 167Q, 165V, 4.5 Math Courses (all undergrad): Statistics I (A+), Statistics II (A+), Mathematical modelling (A+), Stochastic calculus (A-), Real Analysis (A-), Linear algebra (A+), Topology (A-) Undergrad econ courses: Intro Macroeconomics (A+), Intro Microeconomics (A+), Intermediate Macro (A+), Intermediate Micro (A+), Econometrics (A+). Grad econ courses: Advanced micro (A), Monetary Macro (A), Time Series Econometrics (B+), Industrial Organization (A), Advanced Econometrics (A) Other Courses: Bunch of finance class, not relevant Letters of Recommendation: Professor for whom I've been a RA, from top 15 US econ dep. Thesis advisor, will be pretty strong. Faculty director, will be pretty strong too. Research Experience: 1 year RA in Energy economics at my school (although with the department of statistics), 1 year RA at a top 15 US university in econ. Teaching Experience: 3 years TA (undergrad statistics/undergrad maths/undergrad intermediate macro/grad advanced macro), 1 semester instructor having my own class (undergrad statistics) Research Interests: Monetary economics, International Trade, International macro SOP: Other: Concerns: My B+ in a grad class is a concern, even though the average is B- (which is unusual for a master's class), especially with it being in time series, which is directly within my research interests. I am wonderring if I should retake that class, even though it won't appear in my GPA at the time of candidating. If I retake it and state it in my SOP, will it be considered? Coding skills: R, Python, Stata, LaTex. Applying to : that's a bit my question here. What should I aim for with a profile like that? Top 30? Top 20?

Hi, I will be joining KU Leuven for an MSc in Economics this month. My intention is to graduate with top honours, work for one years as an RA (if I don't get RAship, I shall continue in my old career of management consulting for a year) and then apply for top 20 phD programs globally. Here's a brief description of my profile: 1. Bachelor of Technology from a Top 20 Engg. school in India (2010-14)- (Grade- 6.51/10, First Class) 2. Master in Business Administration from a Top 5 B School in India (2014-16)- (Grade- 65%, First Class) 3. Worked for Ernst and Young in as Consultant in the Management Consulting department (2016-18, 26 months) 4. GRE Score: 168 Q, 161 V My question is: Is KUL's reputation sufficient in the Economics domain to land me a top 20 phD opportunity post completing the course. Thanks

I'm entering my final year of undergraduate studies - looking to go to a good school for a Master's program (like LSE's MSc in Econ or MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics). I have a lot of econ and a lot of math, but the 'pure, proof-based math' I have really is only a few courses in probability theory and the standard Rudin RA. I received an A- in the latter which sounds bad by American standards, although in my country there is lower grade inflation (that A- represents the top 10-15% of my class - about a third of the class failed). In my final year, I have a choice between either Real Analysis II or some more applied statistics/econometrics classes that I find really interesting. I'd prefer to take the latter, but I'd like to ask - given my background and graduate admissions aspirations, would it be necessary/helpful for me to take RA II? I'm just concerned I don't have enough pure hard math but I don't know if it's really as necessary given that I both already have a decent mark in my transcript for RA I and I am not applying for a PhD program. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

I'm entering my final year of undergraduate studies - looking to go to a good school for a Master's program (like LSE's MSc in Econ or MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics). I have a lot of econ and a lot of math, but the 'pure, proof-based math' I have really is only a few courses in probability theory and the standard Rudin RA. I received an A- in the latter which sounds bad by American standards, although in my country there is lower grade inflation (that A- represents the top 10-15% of my class - about a third of the class failed). In my final year, I have a choice between either Real Analysis II or some more applied statistics/econometrics classes that I find really interesting. I'd prefer to take the latter, but I'd like to ask - given my background and graduate admissions aspirations, would it be necessary/helpful for me to take RA II? I'm just concerned I don't have enough pure hard math but I don't know if it's really as necessary given that I both already have a decent mark in my transcript for RA I and I am not applying for a PhD program. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi All, I'm currently a third year at an okay university (~50 US News, lower in Econ) double majoring in Math and Economics. For the math major, I have to take a math modeling class (more of an engineering class than math imho) and PDEs. In the math modeling class I'm doing poorly, and will probably end the semester with a B-, but a B isn't out of the question (neither is a C+ :upset:). I'm obviously trying to bring this up as much as possible, but it's too late to drop the course or take it pass/fail. In PDEs I'm in the B/B+ range, so not horrible but not amazing. Keep in mind that my math department strictly curves even upper level courses to a B- (at least that's what the modeling professor said). These courses aren't the traditional litmus test for success in Econ grad school, but it seems like the conventional wisdom is that if you take any math class, you're expected to do well. My other math grades are: Calc 1-3: AP, A, A Intro Stats with Calculus: A- (Econometrics: A) Linear Algebra: A ODE: A- Math Reasoning (Intro to Proofs): B+ Real Analysis I: A So how much are lower grades in these courses likely to affect my chances at getting into grad-school or getting a position as an RA, assuming all other Econ classes are A's or the occasional A-? The other math courses I'll be taking before graduating are Numerical Analysis, Topology, and potentially Math Logic or something similar.

Hi everyone, I am currently a junior and taking intermediate macro theory this semester. I am a math and econ double major. But the problem is that this professor who's teaching my intermediate macro is just giving everyone a very hard time and no one is doing too well (he's on his two-year term at my school and this is his last semester lol). I was wondering if dropping this class and getting a W in it would significantly hurt my chances of getting to top 20 phd programs? I will be re-taking the course with my advisor in the coming fall, and I expect to do well in that class maybe my advisor could even mention in the recommendation letter that I am doing it fine (assuming that I do) in that class. Let me know what you guys think! FYI: I have gotten good grades in other challenging courses including multivariable calculus, real analysis, comp sci courses, etc.

Hi all, Keen to get opinions on my chances at admission to a master of economics program at top UK schools (Oxbridge / LSE) and the EU (Toulouse, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Bocconi etc.) Undergrad and Honours: Studied at the University of New South Wales in Australia (ranked in top 3) Distinction average in economics courses (GPA around 5.5-6 out of 7), major in econometrics 2:1 overall (82%, cut off 85% for 1st class) in Honours year (5 advanced coursework subjects (postgrad/phd level) + 1 thesis), 1st class thesis, ranking was probably around 7/16. Work experience: 2 years at a top economic consulting firm 2 years in group strategy team for a $10b market cap+ company GRE score: 90th percentile

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Hi, I would like to seek advice on managing a fourth letter writer for econ PhD applications. I think I'm in a situation where three of my letter writers dominate the fourth letter writer. The profile of my letter writers (profs who have agreed to write me an LOR) are roughly: A: My thesis supervisor. Relatively younger, but has a pretty good publication record. B: A pretty senior prof. I did well on his/her field course. He/She was also one of my thesis graders. C: Moderately senior prof. I took his/her real analysis class. But it is not evident at all from my transcript that the class resembled anything close to a real analysis class. Aside from this, the only other math module on my transcript is a "math for economists" type of module. D: Fairly junior prof. I did well on his/her field course. He/She was also one of my thesis graders. Slightly below the other 3 in terms of tier of school attended. My impression is that if all four letters are roughly equal, then the conventional approach is to mix the letters up. But in my situation, I think that A B and C form a dominant set of letter writers. If so, how should I manage D, and what should I tell D? e.g. do I tell D that A B and C have already agreed to write me letters? - but if so, is that not essentially conveying that his/her letter is subpar or unnecessary, which is just not very nice overall? Additionally, I think one other relevant consideration is that the two more senior profs B and C aren't the most responsive to emails, and D could still serve as a backup writer if necessary. So I'm hesitant to convey that I don't need his/her letter. Appreciate any advice on this, thanks!

I've been seeing A LOT of request for speaking partners. But this worries me a bit. One thing is that just speaking with another TOEFL candidate, while possibly somewhat helpful, is not really going to advance you that much. In fact, I can see that it might even re-inforce some of the mistakes and myths about TOEFL that are out there (you ever see those posts by people that have been stuck at 22-24 points for months, or even a year or more?..... most often, they are repeating the same mistakes about TOEFL again and again, and they do not even know it!). The other problem is security. Giving your skype or other info out to strangers, though probably not a bid deal, just makes be naturally nervous. So, I talked with our school's administration and they agreed to make an online room available for students to workshop their speaking sections, and it will be moderated by a teacher! Now please understand, this is not a class led by a teacher. Rather, this is an online "classroom" where students can speak with each other, and give each other feedback, securely. A teacher will moderate the speakings and will provide some comments, but the idea is that it will be generally student led. This is free. There is no charge or anything like that. If you are currently a member of our system, just follow the links and log in, if you are not a member you may: 1) PM me with your name and email and I will make you an account OR 2) If you are not sure about that yet, then just follow the link and then join as a GUEST. Later, if you like it, you can request a membership The "workshops" begin at either 9AM or 6PM California time (PST, or -8GMT). If you try to join too early you will get the message that the "meeting has not started yet". Here are the times and links: Monday starting at 9AM -- Adobe Connect Login Tuesday starting at 6PM -- Adobe Connect Login Wednesday starting at 9AM -- Adobe Connect Login Any questions or concerns, PM me! Thank you, Tino