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Hello! I am a Business graduate from a South Asian country looking to switch to Econ. I ultimately want to work for international organizations (especially IMF), so I'm looking for a Master's program that will allow me to get a PhD - not necessarily top 10/20, but definitely macro-focused and ideally a shorter duration. Profile: Undergrad: Bachelor's in Business Administration (BBA), with a major in Finance and minor in Economics. Top 5 University in South Asian country but not significant ranking/well-known internationally Undergrad GPA: 3.79/4.00 GRE: 170Q, 166V, 6.0AWA Math Courses: Mathematics for Decisions - A Business Statistics - A Quantitative Analysis - A Econ Courses: Microeconomics - B+ Macroeconomics - B+ Econometrics - A Public Finance - B+ Other Courses: Most of my other courses are focused on finance, accounting, management, and marketing Research Experience: Negligible in terms of economics, was part-time RA for a professor for Human Resource Management. Work Experience: Joined PwC as an analyst last month. Work here involves primary research and market analysis as well as econometric modeling. A Levels: Economics (94%), Mathematics (98%), + 2 other subjects, also A* The Masters programs I've considered so far include: IHEID International Economics Bocconi Economic and Social Sciences CERGE-EI Economic Research University of Cambridge Advanced Diploma BGSE Economics From my understanding and research on the forum so far, these programs tend to accept non-econ backgrounds. How likely would I be to get in? Do you guys have any other recommendations for similar programs? I would especially love to hear from people who have similar backgrounds or non-econ backgrounds who got admitted into such programs. Thank you!!

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: First Class Honours Economics and Minor Mathematics at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.54/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: N/A Predoc: At another T3 Canadian University with relatively well known, albeit younger profs. GRE: 168 Quant (92nd percentile), 166 Verbal (97th percentile), 5.0 writing (92nd percentile) Math Courses: Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra 1 (B+), Honours Linear Algebra 2 (A), Intro to Statistics (A), Probability (A), Statistics (A), Analysis I (A). Econ Courses (grad-level that I took as an undergrad): Game Theory (A-), Micro I (B+) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Honours Intermediate Micro (A-), Honours Intermediate Macro (B+), Honours Intermediate Stats (A-), Honours Econometrics I (A); Honours Econometrics II (A), Honours Advanced Micro (A), Honours Advanced Macro (A); various econ courses outside the core classes, some honours some not (All A- or A). Other Courses: Foundations of Programming (A), Intro to Computer Science (A) Research Experience: two internships in economic policy with well known think tanks in Washington DC, part time RA for labour economist while in Undergrad, part time RA for a different labour economist at another institution during undergrad and summer after undergrad, part time RA on NBER project summer after undergrad, Predoc at a different top 3 Canadian University. Letters of Recommendation: All from professors I've been an RA for. Two have published decently however are quite young, another is more senior. Research Interests: Primarily in Urban, but also interested in Public and Applied Micro in general SOP: Going to talk about realizing my late interest in graduate economics in tandem with my upward performance in my grades. My GPA is bad because I wasn't very focused on school at the start. I started my undergrad as a geography student and got bad grades in those courses, the gen-ed freshman courses, and the math courses. I switched into econ 2nd year, enjoyed it, and started taking school more seriously and have gotten significantly better grades since (3.33 average for first two vs 3.84 average for final two years). Additionally, I got straight As in the math courses I took in the latter half of my degree (Honours LinAlg 2, Analysis, Probability, and Statistics) vs the B+ and C I got in the first half in Calc 3 and ODEs. Other: Deans list, 2019/2020 academic year. Received an award for being the graduating student with the highest academic standing in the economics department. Applying to: Would love some advice as to the caliber of school I should be applying to, open to anywhere in US, Canada, or Europe. A very tentative list would be Reaches: University of Pennsylvania, NYU, Columbia, Brown, UCLA, UCSD, Oxford Target: University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, USC, UC Irvine, Boston University, Queens, University, Maryland, UCL, Toulouse School of Economics, Georgetown, University of Washington. Safety: McGill University, University of Pittsburgh, CU Boulder, George Washington University. Is that list realistic? Should I shoot higher/lower? Are there other places I should look at specific to my research interests? Thanks in advance!

Hello, I am planning to apply to PhD in economics programs (Fall 2022). My profile is as follows: Undergraduate: BBA with a Major in Finance (University of Dhaka, the best university in my country Bangladesh, although not highly ranked) CGPA (3.94/4.00). Graduate: MSc Finance from The University of Manchester (Grade: DIstinction) Graduate : MS Economics in my home country (Ongoing, finished 24 credits out of 36, current CGPA 4.00/4.00) Graduate Coursework: Under MS mathematics in my home country (completed four courses, currently taking 4 more but the result will not be available before application) Math Courses: Completed : Calculus I,II ; Partial Differential Equations, Integral Equations, Mathematical Statistics, Business Statistics, Matrix theory with Linear Algebra (This is a P/NP course, prerequisite for MS mathematics courses) . All are A/A- Currently Taking: Real Analysis (P/NP course), Discrete Mathematics, Dynamical systems, ODE, Stochastic Processes (Results will be available in February) Economics Courses: Undergrad Level: Intermediate Micro (I,II), Intermediate Macro (I,II) Graduate Level : Advanced Micro, Advanced Macro, Cross-sectional Econometrics, Time series econometrics, Applied Econometrics, Advanced Econometrics, Mathematical Economics Other Relevant Courses: International Finance, Asset Pricing, Empirical Finance, Labour Economics (All Graduate Level) GRE: Quant 169, Verbal 153, AWA 4.0 (Planning to retake in early November) Research Experience: Independent Masters Thesis in Manchester (Got distinction), Econometrics courseworks with good remarks, Doing another thesis for MS Economics in my home country Teaching Experience: Working as Lecturer in one of the Universities in my country. Taking Advanced Business Maths Course. LoR: Supervisor from Uni of Manchester, Two top economists of my country (I have taken multiple courses under them and have done good in research coursework) I am planning to apply to 9/10 schools from the top 20 and 3 from 20-30. MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Berkeley, Wisconsin Madison, John Hopkins, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Vanderbilt, UCSD, Boston. Some suggestions would be helpful: 1. Do you think I am too much ambitious in case of selecting schools? 2. Do you think the less known schools (from where i have done econ and math courses) will be a disadvantage for me? Although I have done good in rigorous programs like MSc Finance in Manchetser which was mostly proof based masters. 3. Since some of the math courses will not be shown in transcripts though i am currently undertaking those, how do I mention those? In My SoP? Thanks.

Undergraduate - Top 85 US in Economics & Finance Field : Major in Economics with Minor in Mathematics Undergraduate G.P.A - 3.91/4.00; Econ G.P.A. (4.00/4.00); Math G.P.A - (3.85/4.00) Economics courses (Undergrad) : Principles of Micro (A+), Principles of Macro (A+), Intermediate Micro (A+), Intermediate Macro (A), Public sector Economics(A), Environmental Econ (A+), Mathematical Economics (A+), Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A+), Mathematical Economics (A), International Trade (A), Industrial Organization (A+), International Finance (A+). Mathematics Courses (Undergrad): Calculus-I(A-), Calculus- II(A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Linear Algebra (A+), Theoretical Concepts of Calculus (A), Abstract Algebra(A), Differential Equations (B+), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A-), Complex Variables (A) Graduate(completed this Fall-2021) - Phd-stream M.A.in Econ at Top-4 Canadian School (3.90/4.00 gpa) Graduate Courses (all Phd-level courses) : Mathematical Economics (84/100), Econometrics-I (94/100), Macro-theory-I (86/10), Micro-theory-I (90/100), Econometrics-II (85/100), Micro-theory-II (84/100), Advanced Research (90/100), Macro-theory-II (83/100) GRE: 168 Q 165 V 4.0 AWA ( will retake if necessary) LORS : Profs from graduate metrics class (Penn-state), graduate micro (Brown) and grad research course (Virginia)They know me well from their courses. Applying to : US TOP (25-50), Canada - Top 3 Phd and some back up ( McMaster, Mcgill, York) Research/Teaching : I have been teaching (mathematics and statistics to business students) in my home country since undergraduate.Worked on data analysis with a research institute..Was TA for Undergrad Micro and Macro at my MA institution. Concerns : There was a considerable gap between my Undergrad and MA (about 7 years).The work I did back home didn't entail much of research experience.Also, don't have perfect gpa at phd level courses. Looking for : Absolutely hardcore honest opinion where I have a chance, given the tough adcom cycles and my choppy profile and lack of research. Thanks so much to all of you:eager:

Hi I am doing a degree in economics and applied maths and took a total of 14 maths and stats courses. Out of those all except for 4 are As (As in many proof based courses like functional analysis, ODEs, Complex Analysis, Real Analysis). I have Cs in PDEs, Bayesian Inference, Stochastic Processes and Stochastic Simulation. Three of those were because of poor health during prep and exams and I missed the deadline to apply for a resit. I m definitely going to retake PDEs and stochastic processes wherever I do my pre-doc/just any uni close to me that offers the course because I know that those courses are important. Do I need to retake the bayesian and stochastic simulation courses as well? I honestly can't be bothered to do it. Also what do you think about my overall profile in terms of maths prep? I have strong As in all my Econ courses. Thank you

Hello everyone. I am an international student from Korea. I majored in econ and math as undergrad and I am doing masters in econ in Korea and I am going to apply next year. I've already taken several math graduate courses( eg) Graduate real analysis, algebraic topology, financial mathematics, etc) and got good enough gpa in math( 4.32/4.5 and 4.0/4.0 in 4.0 scale). Is taking more math just for fun a waste of time? I want to take functional analysis 1,2, convex optimization, harmonic analysis and some probability theory courses. I have my GRE, Toefl scores ready and and I am also doing my research. What are your thoughts?

Hi Everyone, I am a master student in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at Tilburg University. I'm currently hoping to apply to Econ and Finance PhD programs for fall 2022. Hoping to get feedback on my profile to help narrow down the range of schools that I plan on applying to. Thanks in advance for the feedback. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.S. in Economics from Beijing Normal University Undergrad GPA: 2.70/4.00 overall Econ Courses Bachelor: Principles of Micro(B), Principles of Macro(B), Intermediate Micro(B), Intermediate Macro©, Econometrics(B) Math Courses: Calc I ©, Calc-II©, Linear Algerbra©, Probability Theory (B), Mathematical Statistics(B) Type of First Grad: MSc. in Economics and Business, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam Grad GPA :6.8/10(approximately 3.0/4, B) Type of Second Grad: MSc. Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, Tilburg University Highlighted courses: Data Science: 8.0/10(A); Microeconometrics:8/10 (A); Panel Data Analysis:8.5/10 (A) GPA: 7.5/10(approximately 3.5/4) Thesis: working, estimated grade would be 8/10 (A) GRE: Will take this fall LOR's: 1 LOR from my thesis supervisor. He's a recent graduated PhD, the letter would be strong as I am expecting, but he's not famous. 2 lecture LORs from an Econ professor. One of them is a very famous professor with 54 h-index and high ranking in the (microeconomics) field; another is an AP and she'll be my third choice. Both of these lectures are interactive lectures, I earned top ranking on both of them. However, I did not have the opportunity to know if the letter would be strong or not(but you know, how strong a lecture LOR could be). Research Experience: Thesis works Research Interests: Macro-Finance, Asset Pricing, Monetary Economics Applying to: Top EU Econ + few Finance programs, listed below [TABLE=width: 0] [TR] [TD]Name of School[/TD] [TD]Program[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Tilburg[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]F&E[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Tinbergen[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Groningen[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]SSE[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]E&F[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Stockholm U[/TD] [TD]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Aarhus[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]CBS[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Finance[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #C9DAF8]BI[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #C9DAF8]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #C9DAF8]Glasgow[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #C9DAF8]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Boston College[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Maastricht[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFF00]Finance[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #CFE2F3]Sfi-Lugano[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #CFE2F3]Finance[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=bgcolor: #D9EAD3]Lund University[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #D9EAD3]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Aalto University[/TD] [TD]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Barcelona GSE[/TD] [TD]Economics[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]INSEAD[/TD] [TD]Management[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Goethe University Frankfurt[/TD] [TD]E&F[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Concerns : Bachelor, first Grad and Math courses are a piece of ****, lack of publication. Even failed to get excellent GPA in second Master. Didn't have sounding research experience. I know my experience is a piece of ****, so if you think I'm not qualified to any of the listed school, it's always welcome if you can recommend me to somewhere I deserve. Thank you very much no matter you replied or just take a glimpse and read till here.

I am from fourth or even fifth world country (considering the courses in my BA in Econ). I have taken only one math-related course: Linear Algebra with the mix of real analysis and one probability+math-stat course in my Econ BA. So, what can I do to cover up my gaps in terms of math? I've been admitted to Europe Econ master's but there PhD-level (mathematically rigous I think)courses starts from second year, at the time of my US PhD application I would not have taken those serious courses in MA.

I'm a highly motivated third year History student at a top European university, where because of the nature and content of my course, cannot take official math courses. However, a.) having self-taught advanced calc/prob theory/lin algebra/real analysis, b.) RA under macro economics proff, c.) having been published in 2 economics journals, and d.) taking certain optional econometric and economic theory courses, I have tried to make my profile very economics centric. I was able to land an analyst internship at a well funded think tank for this coming summer, and at European Central Bank for the next month. However, as you're aware, these have virtually no academic standing for PhD admissions. I have found certain online programmes, which include assignments and exams that are graded and are of expected standards, which can possibly attest to my mathematical capabilities. This includes paid courses at MIT OCW (Advanced mathematical modelling, advanced statistics, prob theory) and Harvard Extension School (calc II, multivariable calc, linear algebra, real analysis I & II, and real analysis - convexity and optimisation). I hope to complete all of these in the next 2.5 years and would have had greater exposure to economic research by then. What else can I do? I am willing to work extremely hard and give my very best. And before you say it - Yes, I know it's crazy/impractical/possibly useless/weird and Yes, my chances are really low and I'm possibly not going to cut it. EDIT 1: GRE: 170(Q)- 167 and GPA ~ 3.9. Extracurriculars - starting a software product company with 6 digit annual turnover/ consultancy internships/ volunteering EDIT: Do you suggest any master's programmes? Are there master's programmes in economics which have placements in top 10 for econ PhD? other aspects ~ 3.9 GPA, with a letter from my college's vice-chancellor and econ proff.

As the cycle is mostly over for most people, starting this thread now. Some people have been interested in knowing whether some programs have shrunk their target cohort size, so if you have that information and are willing to share, please do! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Undergrad GPA: Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: Math Courses: Econ Courses: Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Research Experience: Teaching Experience: Research Interests: SOP: Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: Waitlists: Rejections: Pending: Attending: Comments: What would you have done differently?

Hi, I'm planning on applying to Econ PhD programs in fall 2022 (for fall 2023 start). I am targeting top 50-150 schools, plus a few stretch schools and a few business and public policy schools with econ focus. I'm a working professional and my math is quite old, so I'm going to be taking courses over the next several semesters. My plan is MV Calc, Linear Algebra 1&2, Stats 1&2, Analysis 1. How much does it matter where I take these courses? I live in Atlanta so have Perimeter College (community college), Georgia State, and Georgia Tech. Tech is a lot more expensive (and presumably harder?) - how much would that help an applicant? My working thought is to go with Perimeter + GSU, and spend my extra hours trying to do research with an econ professor at GSU next summer. Thanks for any advice!

Hi, I'm taking a bunch of math courses and a few econ courses before applying in fall '22 cycle. Some schools have deadlines in early December. In these instances, will they look at the courses that I take in fall semester 2022? I'm planning on taking Analysis during that semester, and want the course grade to have posted by the time they consider my application. Are those fall courses generally taken in to account by adcoms?

Hi, I'd be very interested and grateful to read your thoughts on my situation. I'll start with my profile: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Maths, US News Global Top 10 (I'm from outside the US); econ courses from a programme that's little known internationally, but that's well-respected and places well onto master's programmes. Undergrad GPA: First class. Type of Grad: Not started yet; offer for Econometrics and Mathematical Economics MSc at LSE. GRE: Will take later. Math Courses: Real analysis (B+), Calculus & probability (B+), Linear algebra (first year A-, second year A-), Metric spaces & complex analysis (A-), Topology (B+) + quite a few more that are very pure and not very relevant. Econ Courses: Intermediate micro (A/A+), Intermediate macro (A/A+), Intermediate econometrics (A/A+), Maths for economics (A/A+). Research Experience: None that's relevant, will aim to do an RA/pre-doc after my master's. (Grades are listed using standard conversions -- we don't use A, B, C etc. in my country.) I couldn't take econ courses during my undergrad (students study specific programmes and outside options are very limited) but since graduating, I've taken classes in intermediate micro, macro, econometrics and maths for economics, all A or A+, depending on how you convert. I don't have any stats courses on my transcript but I've self-studied first and second year stats and second year probability. I did well in my undergrad overall but, as you can see, my grades in the courses that matter most for econ PhD applications aren't great. My undergrad was very rigorous and tough, so I'd like to think that these grades aren't as bad as they look, but they certainly don't look very good. It might be relevant that the first three (up to first year LA) were first year courses and I have an upwards trajectory from there. I have an offer for the MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at LSE, which I'll probably accept. I'm wondering how much these undergrad maths grades will matter for PhD applications after the MSc. I have some time to study before the MSc so I'm considering re-taking important courses/filling in important gaps, e.g. via NetMath from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign -- this was recently suggested on another thread. If my undergrad grades will be largely superseded by my MSc grades though, then it doesn't seem worth doing any formal study for credit before the MSc. (I would still self-study to prep for the MSc as it's very demanding, but I would go about this in a somewhat different way.) My questions are: (i) How much will my undergrad maths grades matter for PhD applications after my master's? (ii) How much would re-takes/additional courses compensate for my not great undergrad grades? (iii) If I take some courses for credit, which courses should I prioritise taking? Any other thoughts or suggestions are very welcome! Details on course content (feel free to ignore if not helpful): I'm not entirely sure how my maths courses map onto US courses/sequences as the system is quite different here and not at all standardised. E.g. My calculus course included some material I think is found in US differential equations courses. Calculus had some proofs but everything else was heavily proof-based. For brevity, I won't list everything but will hopefully give you a sense of what was covered. Analysis: sequences, series, continuity, differentiability, Riemann integration. Calculus: ODEs, partial derivatives, simple PDEs, parametric equations, line integrals, Jacobians, double integrals, surfaces, directional derivative. Probability: probability space and axioms, conditional probability, law of total probability, discrete and continuous random variables, joint, marginal, conditional distributions, conditional expectation, random walks, probability generating functions, Weak Law of Large Numbers. Linear algebra (first year): using matrices to solve systems of linear equations, vector spaces, subspaces, bases, linear transformations, Rank-Nullity Theorem, bilinear forms and real inner product spaces, eigenvectors, Spectral Theorem. Linear algebra (second year): abstract vector spaces, rings, quotient spaces, dual spaces, adjoints for linear maps, orthogonal maps. Metric spaces: metric spaces, isometries, continuity, completeness, Contraction Mapping Theorem, connectedness, compactness. Topology: abstract topological spaces in terms of open sets, continuity, connectedness, accumulation points, basis of a topology, product topology, quotient topology, abstract simplicial complexes.

Hi, everyone. It's been such a tough cycle. As someone who is going to apply this fall, I would love to know how you guys think my chances are for T20. Thank you everyone for your comments. Type of Undergrad: Small private undergrad USNEWS T20 (T50 grad econ department tho) Undergrad GPA: 3.78 Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: NA GRE: 165v+170q+4.5aw Math Courses: Analysis I and II (both As), Econ Stats(A), Intro to Proofs (A), Linear Algebra(A-), Cal I-III (As), Regression Analysis (A), Grad level Real Analysis (plan for next semester) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro and Macro (both As), Econometrics (A), Labor(A), International Trade(A-), International Finance(A-), Game Theory(A-), Independent Research Course(A), Senior Thesis(A), PhD level Micro and Metrics (plan for next semester) Other Courses: many government/political economy courses Letters of Recommendation: 1 math department chair prof (took analysis courses for 3 semesters), 1 IMF economist I ra for, 1 labor econ prof Research Experience: 2 independent research (1 from independent research course, 1 for senior thesis), RA for IMF International Economist, 2 non-econ social sciences ra Teaching Experience: 1.5 years of language TA Research Interests: Labor Econ/ International Econ/ Political Econ Coming from a school that specializes in political econ, I am worried about the math background, so I feel like I should ask my math prof to write one rec letter. I would also love to hear how you guys think. Besides, do you guys think a 2 year predoc is worth it if aiming for T10? Thank you everyone for your comments!

Doesn't seem like there are any Roll Call threads anymore, but I'll still use the format from the old ones. I'm a rising 3rd year, and will be graduating in 3.5 years: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Honours Economics, Minors Mathematics and Urban Systems at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.5/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Yet to take Math Courses: Calc 1 and 2 (No grade, AP credit exemption), Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra (B+), Algebra 1 (A), Algebra 2 (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Analysis I (taking next fall), Analysis 2 (taking next winter) Econ Courses (grad-level): Game Theory (A-), Micro I & 2 (next fall & winter) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Honours Micro, Macro, Stats, and Econometrics (A- in all 4), Honours open economy macroeconomics (A), Political Economy of Trade Policy (A) Other Courses: Foundations of Programming (A), Urban Field Studies (may be relevant? taking next fall), will take a few more Computer Science courses, particularly Data Structures. Letters of Recommendation: Haven't asked yet but will be my pretty well known metrics prof, my game theory and open economy prof, and a younger prof who will be supervising my undergraduate thesis. Research Experience: Research internship with a well known think tank, undergraduate thesis Teaching Experience: Going to try and find a TA position in either the MATH or ECON departments this year, have worked as a tutor for the econ students association Research Interests: Urban Economics and Game Theory SOP: Haven't thought about it yet Concerns: My grades in computational mathematics suck lol. I got a D in Calc 3 during the first semester of my second year. I took a supplemental exam (essentially counts as retaking the class in one exam) and got a B+, which is decent I suppose. Other: Sorry that a lot of this is speculative. I'm really just trying to get a feel for where I should be looking for a PhD, or if a masters first would be better. Also, just to clarify, the linear algebra I got a B+ in was the 100-level version, Algebra 1 and 2 are the 200-level majors version. Applying to: Please tell me where I should be looking. I'd prefer to stay in Canada or go to Europe, but am not against somewhere in the US.

Doesn't seem like there are any Roll Call threads anymore, but I'll still use the format from the old ones. I'm finishing my final year of undergrad and will be applying to PhD programs for Fall 2022 start dates. I will likely be attending a 1 year masters of economics at the same university I did my undergraduate at next year. I tried and failed to find a predoc position for next year, however with the decision deadline looming for the masters program I've been accepted to, it looks like I'm going to go with that and give up on being a predoc. Anyway, here's my profile: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Honours Economics and Minor Mathematics at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.5/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: MA Econ from the same school I did my undergrad at, starting next year. Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 168 Quant (92nd percentile), 166 Verbal (97th percentile), 5.0 writing (92nd percentile) Math Courses: Calc 1 (B), Calc 2 (B-), Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra 1 (B+), Honours Applied Linear Algebra (A, it's a more advanced course than the first linear algebra), Intro to Statistics (A), Probability (A), Statistics (In Progress, probably an A), Analysis I (A). Econ Courses (grad-level that I took as an undergrad): Game Theory (A-), Micro I (B+) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Honours Micro, Macro, and Stats (A- in all 4, all full year/two semester courses); Honours Econometrics I (A); Honours Econometrics II, Honours Advanced Micro, Honours Advanced Macro (In Progress); Independent Research Project (A); various econ courses outside the core classes, some honours some not (All A- or A). Other Courses: Foundations of Programming (A), Intro to Computer Science (A) Letters of Recommendation: One very well known metrics prof from our school, one prof who I am a research assistant to currently, then one of the ones I used for my masters admissions: Well known prof that barely knows me or very young prof who supervised my independent research project. Research Experience: two internships in economic policy with well known think tanks in Washington DC, independent research project, undergrad research assistant x2. Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Urban, Public, Applied Micro, Econometrics SOP: The two things I want to talk about are my strong upward trend in my undergrad grades (particularly with math courses) and my late realization that I am interested in pursuing an econ PhD. I had a 3.2ish GPA after my first three semesters of undergrad. In my three since I've gotten a 3.77, 3.94, and 3.86, leaving my GPA at a 3.51. Also, my bad grades in Calc 1 and 2 came when I was in high school and they let us take community college courses. For Calc 3 and ODEs, they came as a second year. I think I've matured a bit as a student since then, and went on to get As in Analysis, Honours Applied Linear Algebra, Probability, and (hopefully) Statistics. As for my late interest in an econ PhD, I originally wanted to go into the public policy world, however after my two internships I pivoted to academic economics, thus I didn't get my first RAship until my last semester of undergrad. If there's a way to frame my policy experience as a good thing I'll take it, but I've heard that PhD admissions don't really care about it. Concerns: My grades in computational mathematics suck. I got a D in Calc 3 during the first semester of my second year. I took a supplemental exam (essentially counts as retaking the class in one exam) and got a B+, which is decent I suppose. C in ODEs is tough, but the class average (which is given on my transcript) was also a C so I pray schools take that into account. I'm hoping my As in Analysis, Honours Applied Linear Algebra, Probability, and (hopefully) Statistics can lessen that blow, but I've accepted it will hold me back. I am contemplating retaking ODEs or taking another math class at a community college this summer to get a better grade, if people think that would help. Other: Published quite a few policy papers in housing and tax policy during my internships, one even had a regression in it!:glee:.Self or co-author on all. Applying to: Please tell me where I should be looking. So much of the advice out there seems geared toward people applying to top 10 schools and I don't think I'm at that level, even if I got straight As during my masters program next year. Fine with anywhere in the US, Canada, or Europe. I speak English fluently and French intermediately if that helps.

I’m currently taking the first year Grad Micro sequence at a T20 Econ school and am struggling a bit - I expect to get a B+ this semester. Despite having a strong prior record in my math and Econ courses (A in honors level analysis, linear algebra, and probability theory) I am worried that this grade will stick out like a sore thumb even considering the other aspects of my application, so I’m wondering if it would be better to drop the class instead of continuing.

Hi all, I am a concerned undergrad who is looking for some brutal and honest opinions on my records regarding admissions to the following schools: - Northwestern - Umich - Wisconsin - U of Chicago - Berkeley ARE My biggest concerns are my undergrad's ranking, timing of some of the courses, and the fact that I am an international, but I might get a green card by the time I apply. I am planning to take some of the math courses and the senior thesis after or during the application period. Also I have a bad record (around 3.2/4.0) worth 25 credits from the former institution I briefly attended in a foreign country 5 years ago. Hope you can help me out. Thanx Type of Undergrad: Purdue University Econ Honors + MA STAT minors Undergrad GPA: 3.9/4.0 GRE: 168 Q 160 V 5.0 W Math Courses: (MA) Calc 1~3, Linear Algebra, Diff Eq, Foundations Analysis, Probability // (STAT) Applied Regression Analysis, Quality Control, Design of Experiments Econ Courses: Econometrics, Micro, Macro, Game Theory, IO, Banking, International Trade Letters of Recommendation: possibly from the Dean (UMich), professors in lab and courses (Stanford, Oxford, UMich, Berkeley) Research Experience: Personal RA to professors, ECON department RA to lab/institution, Honors Thesis Teaching Experience: ECON department TA for Econometrics, International Trade Research Interests: International Economics, Trade, Macro

Hi, I have orginially focused on Europe for PhD Programmes, but going to the US has always been my dream. I believe I have a pretty solid academic profile, but I can imagine that the US Programmes are extremely competitive so do I have a chance at all for a fully funded programme? Test Scores: GMAT 690/85% (considering to take the GRE) Undergrad (Bachelors in International Management): Top 3% at a renowned European Business School Graduate (one year Masters in Managerial Economics): Top 5% at the London School of Economics (I know several professors personally who would write me a distinguished reference letter) Research Experience: Two dissertations (for my degrees) + 6 months as a reserach assistant (however not as a co-author) Teaching Experience: none Work Experience: Several internships in Consulting + at the time of application ~1.5 year of full-time experience (not McKinsey/BCG/Bain, but a good name) Concentration Applying to: Management with a focus on Strategic Mangement or Managerial Economics/Applied Economics Number of programs planned to apply to: not decided yet Dream Schools: Something within the top 20 in the US, otherwise I would probably stay in Europe Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? During my Master degree I really enjoyed doing research and after starting to work as a consultant, I realized more and more that an academic career would be better suited to me than an industry job. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? -I had only few Economics courses and only entry level Maths/Statistics courses within my Undergrad degree (and only Applied Economics courses in my Masters). Do I therefore disqualify for most Applied Economics/Managerial Economics programmes? -Would a GRE score of ~85% be sufficient to have a shot? Having a 60h work-week, I unfortunately do not have the time for extensive preparation. Any additional specific questions you may have? --

I was formally accepted to a PhD program I am really excited about. In my SOP I stated that I would be taking some “proof-based courses this spring”, but I’d like to drop them. I didn’t mention it on a course list or anywhere else, let alone what courses they are — just one sentence in my SOP. Do you think I could drop the courses? Do you think they’ll be checking?

I was curious whether any current or former PhD students could comment on how common it is for economics PhD students to take graduate math courses. In undergrad I double majored in math in order to boost my profile, but ended up falling in love with it and really want to incorporate mathematics into my research. Is it possible/common for econ PhD students to take graduate math courses that are relevant to their research? This is something I probably would want to ask about when I receive offers, but I don't want to do that if it's a weird question.

Using the profile format I've seen in this site: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 20 by USNEWS, BS with Honor in Econ, BS in Maths Undergrad GPA: 3.95/4.0 Type of Grad: - Grad GPA: - GRE: 161V, 170Q, 4.5W Math Courses: Cal I (A+), Cal II (A+), Cal III (A+), Honors Differential Equation (A), Linear Algebra (A-), Real Analysis (A-), Numerical Method (A), Modern Algebra (A), Probability (A), Theoretical Stats (A), Maths of Finance (A) Econ Courses: Inter Micro (A), Inter Macro (A), Game Theory (A), Ph.D. Math Camp (A), Ph.D. Micro I, II, III (A-, A, A), Honor Thesis (A+) Other Courses: - Letters of Recommendation: 1 from my undergraduate professor, 1 from my Honor thesis advisor, 1 from my RA experience at Fed. Not sure how they've written, but I trust that they wrote nice things. Research Experience: 2 years of RA at Fed Teaching Experience: - Research Interests: - SOP: Wrote how my classes and experience as RA prepared me to excel in PhD, and wrote about my possible future research topics. Other: - RESULTS: Acceptances: Waitlists: Rejections: Stanford Pending: UCB, UCLA, Michigan, NYU, Cornell, Columbia, Yale, Chicago, Wisconsin, WashU, ASU, UPenn, Rochester Attending: Stanford just sent me a rejection letter (way earlier than I thought), and I'm starting to feel nervous. It's only 1 rejection out of 14 I've applied, but I fear that I may be rejected by all. Did I aim too high, and should I have applied to more safety schools?

Hi everyone. I'l try to keep things as short as possisble. Undergrad: Top 50 USNEWS with a 3.7 in economics. The problem is my transcript looks terrible (semesters with low courseload, only math taken was calculus 2, B in intermediate micro). I was dealing with medical problems throughout undergrad so I didn't really focus on my courses too much. But I aniticpate completing 2 masters programs at LSE. One in applied mathematics which would cover graduate level math courses and the EME. Assuming I were to get top marks and rank highly in both of them, would that be enough (along with RA experience, good recomendations etc) to get into the top 5 or at least make my poor undergrad performance not such a big deal? Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone! I am currently in my last year of undergrad, and I am interested in getting my PhD in accounting. I am really unsure as to where I should start in this entire situation, and I was hoping I could gain a little clarity as to what I could focus on. Undergrad: 3.86 GPA in Accountancy and Finance. Graduated in 3 years from a top accounting school. Graduate: Will be completing my MAcc in the upcoming year. GMAT: Never taken an actual exam, I have scored in the 740-750 range on practice exams. Courses: Have completed a variety of courses related to accounting and finance. Macro, micro, and intermediate micro economics. A variety of statistics courses. Calc 1 and 2. Teaching experience: I am the head TA for a course related to business management, and teamwork. I am, also, planning on teaching accounting courses for duration of my MAcc. Research: I have little research experience, but I am looking at being a research assistant at my University in the upcoming semester. Work experience: I have held an internship in the past, and I will be interning at a big four accounting firm next Summer. Letters of rec: I have multiple people that I know would be willing to write a letter of rec for me. One of them has a strong background in research, and others are in accounting academia. Weaknesses: Most obviously my work and research experience. Letters of rec I think are also something I could improve on. Also, my math background is also very weak. Questions: Are there any courses that you think I should try taking over the next year? Should I apply to PhD programs in the upcoming Fall, or should I wait until I have more tangible work experience? What are my biggest weaknesses to an observer? I am a little lost in this entire process, and I really appreciate any and all feedback that you guys have for me. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. :)

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Large public national university, with low ranked PhD program Undergrad GPA: 3.65 Type of Grad: 2 post-bacc graduate econ courses (one A-, one B+) Grad GPA: GRE: 166q, 166v, 5w Math Courses: calculus 1-3 (A,A,B+), linear algebra (A), real analysis (B), probability theory (B+), differential equations (B+), intro to proofs (A-), Econ Courses: intermediate micro/macro (A-, A), econometrics (A), math econ (A-), like 4 other economics electives (all As) Other Courses: business statistics (C+), business calc (A) Letters of Recommendation: one from a professor who I took two classes with and excelled in, two from FRB where I have been an RA for 1.5 years. I think they will be overall pretty positive but nothing like "this is the next friedman" Research Experience: senior thesis (presented at undergrad research conference), 1.5 years of RA at FRB, two summer undergrad RA positions in non-econ social sciences Teaching Experience: n/a SOP: just talked about my experience and interests and goals. very generic but clear. I'm starting to have those post-application doubts. Where do you think I'm competitive? I applied to 14 schools mostly in the 30-60 range. Am I too confident? Should I apply at more safe bets?