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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.

Hello Everyone, who is planning to take the fpgee this coming October?

So I’m not sure if this is the best place to ask this but I’m not sure where else to start. I have been accepted to a few programs so far but some of the best ones are 9+ hours from where most of my family and friends are. I have epilepsy and have had 4 seizures in the last 2 years even on medication. In extreme cases , I have had to take a week or two off of work to recover (like if the seizure is especially long or when I got a concussion when I fell during the seizure). As of now I live alone a few hours from my support network and I am wondering how I would ask my professors/program about this (especially those far away). How likely are professors or students to be willing to help in these situations? (e.g. hospitals may require I leave with someone else, etc). How should I go about approaching this? Also how much better is a program ranking 55 vs 63 (the better ranked is much further)? Do you think the career opportunities are substantially different?

I’ve been fortunate to have offers from Berkeley ARE and HKS’s Public Policy PhD. I plan on attending Visit Days at both. I worry, though, that I’m still going to feel conflicted even after visiting the two schools. My interests are in environment/development economics and the policy implications of research in those areas. My general impression is that within this field, Berkeley ARE is the gold standard, and the curriculum seems more rigorous overall. However, HKS still has amazing faculty and potentially beats Berkeley in branding. Looking at recent past placements, I think Berkeley ARE places slightly better than HKS. My goal as of right now is to teach at a liberal arts college or work in a regulatory body or at a think tank, so I’m tempted to say I don’t need to worry about marginal differences in placement. Another thought I have is that Harvard as a whole is better funded than Berkeley as a whole. Would this affect opportunities at the graduate school level (ie. being able to attend conferences that are far from campus)? Does this seem accurate? I’d also appreciate suggestions on best questions to ask during Visit Days. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone! So, I’m planning on doing a Canadian Econ Masters at UofT, but I have an issue: I recently got my midterm mark back on my Advanced Microeconomics test and didn’t do so well. It looks like the highest I’ll be able to get is an A- and that’s being REALLY optimistic. This is the last semester I can take the course in, and still have it show up in time on my transcript for admissions. These are some of my other marks, for reference: Overall cGpa: 3.92/4.0 from UofT Relevant Courses: linear algebra (A+), intermediate microeconomics (A), statistics (A+), econometrics (A+), advanced macroeconomics (A+), and some other miscellaneous Econ courses that are all A- or above. Basically, I’m conflicted. Should I drop my Advanced Micro course now, or should I keep doing it and settle for a sub-par mark? I’m not sure which is more important: taking in and getting a not great mark, or just not having it on my transcript at all. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi all I’m currently in my first year, thinking of my re-application for NSF GRFP. I applied last year and got Honorable Mention, so I know I’m marginal, hoping to make it over the edge this time. I’m on the fence between applying this year or next year (note now you can only apply once after starting a program). Looking for tips, especially from any faculty lurking who may have more direct insights into how NSF apps are reviewed. There are two main Q’s that I think would help clarify things for me: - Does it look weird to not include a rec letter from anyone at your current institution? As a first year I don’t know any profs that well, so they wouldn’t be able to write a terribly informative letter. But does it look weird then if I apply this year with no letters from my program? If I apply next year instead, I could RA this summer and include a letter from my school that way, which I imagine would be a solid letter. I think my letters this year are pretty strong, so I’m not overly concerned about adding a strong letter; I think the strength of letters could marginally improve if I wait a year, but the larger factor might be whether or not I actually just need to have one letter from my current school. - If I apply next year instead of this year, how much will reviewers weight my first year grades? I’m sure I’ll do fine, but I’m guessing more in the B/B+ than A range. Maybe that would be taken as a negative if that’s the case? So the main tradeoff seems to be a possibly better set of letters next year versus the risk of non-strong grades being weighed heavily. Any insight on how reviewers weigh these things would be helpful. Also open to any other thoughts on applying first vs second year that I haven’t touched on. Thanks!

My school, University of Hawaii at Manoa, has a number of teaching assistantships for graduate students both PhD and MA, and I’m applying for the MA, and I want to maximize my odds of getting this award for two reasons: have funding for the MA and get teaching experience prior to a PhD program at another school outside of Hawaii. The application asks for special skills and reasons why I should get the TA. What would help me win one of the TAs? I’m going to learn 3-4 programming languages, study math textbooks, and core graduate level economics as well as popular economics (mainstream books). What else can I do?

I figure since things are slowing down and the last thread I found was from years ago maybe we could have a new laptop thread for incoming students. I get to pick a new laptop for my program and I could use some help and I’m sure other incoming students could as well. I’m a pc person debating between XPS 15 or Asus Zenbook myself. Maybe we could post what area we are in and what laptop we have and pros and cons.

Where can I find real analysis, topology, and probability theory? I’m looking for fully online courses.

Since many of us are starting to hear back from programs and weighing each one to find the perfect match I had a few questions I didn’t find using the search bar. I know sometimes there can be hidden University fees that will reduce a stipend but how can we tell and what else could reduce a stipend and make a program much less competitive for applicants that aren’t initially thought of? Some things I was wondering about was research, do all programs pay for or provide access to any research tool you need or will you be shelling out your own money if you need something not available at your university? What about software I don’t know what is needed for research in each field but if it is widely used do university’s usually provide it? I’m sure there are other things I don’t know about since I’m not a student yet but from current students what are hidden costs that took you off guard and how do prospective students make sure that our stipend isn’t gonna be a few thousand less than what’s on paper due to fees.

So I just got an offer and from one of my top programs so I’m very excited. I’m married and my spouses career he’s spent 15 years making is at home almost 11 hours away from the college so I understand if he isn’t willing to move until after I’m out of school and in a TT position. Unfortunately that means long distance lots of travel. I was wanting to hear from other current students about holidays and vacation time. When can you leave for Christmas get back after New Years? Can you go home in the summer for a few weeks I f you still can get work done or is FaceTime necessary. Does this change after you complete your comps? Im an accounting student if that makes a difference. My offer makes no mention of vacation just 20 hour RA position.