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Hi everyone, I'm an Indian woman aiming for PhDs in Public/Social Policy or International Development. I'm unsure of where to start looking for universities in USA or UK because I cannot figure out where I'd be a strong candidate. Profile as below: Undergrad in economics, 1st rank from a top Indian university Masters in development studies from a top UK university but an overall Merit (about 60-65%), not the highest grade. Working for 2 years now as an RA with young profs/economists from the USA. Have also held internships with large non profits and government in India. GRE 165 quant, 160 verbal. Also completed some additional math coursework in linear algebra, vector calculus and real analysis from Harvard Extension. Have a co-authored publication in a local journal on labour / gender. My dream programs would be Stanford's Economics of Education or MIT Urban Planning PhD's International Development focus (my research is education and labour in cities). But wondering if I'd be a a more realistic strong candidate at NYU Wagner or Duke Sanford? Could anyone help with what universities I should be looking at? Thank you

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

UNDERGRAD: I graduated from a small private school in the US with a bachelor’s in finance (3.5 GPA). Relevant courses for this discussion include: intro micro/macro, stats, and calc (rest are predominantly finance-based). WORK:I am currently working in financial services as a trader but am strongly motivated and intellectually driven to pursue a graduate degree in economics for Fall 2021. INTERESTS: Particularly I am interested in international economics/monetary economics and its intersection with wholesale finance (repo’s, monetary/financial/banking system) and its implications for macroeconomics. As well as looking into depoliticizing effects of financialization/globalization which has started leading me towards political economy as well. Are their programs that excel in these subfields? COURSE PREP & CONCERNS: I am in the process of taking calc II, followed by calc III (multivariate), linear algebra and if I have time also some more statistics/probability. I am also reading through econ textbooks on my own (micro, econometrics) and looking into relevant literature to be economically literate. Ideally the best route would be to obtain an RA position so I can work, earn money and get invaluable experience doing research and strong LOR’s for a stepping stone into a PhD, but my qualifications just don’t bode well as I lack any programming/coding and still am working on bolstering my math. Another severe weakness is my letters of recommendations, during undergrad I basically got good enough grades so I could get an industry job and make decent money. I can think of one professor who I can use but it still wasn’t an economics course. PLAN: For this reason, I have been looking at terminal master’s programs in economics as a stepping-stone for a potential PhD to develop relationships for LOR’s and get more coursework and experience under my belt. It seems in the US, Duke and Tufts and maybe BU are the best options and I have heard recommendations to look at Canadian and European Master programs because their educational systems are designed for students to go (BA->MA->PhD) as opposed to the traditional (BA-> PhD) in the US for econ. And depending on the institutions have strong/decent placement in US programs. Or even European Ph.D.’s as long as I can work in the aforementioned sub-fields. GRE: Thus far my practice GRE’s have been Quant: 166, Verbal: 159 and A: 4.0 and I believe those can improve. In all frankness a lot would have to go well for a top 15 PhD program, but I wanted to get some thoughts on my plan. For someone who is interested in working with the Fed, or potentially international organizations like IMF, Peterson Institute for International Economics or think tanks if I’m unable to get into a research academia position, does this make sense? Is it absolutely imperative to get into a top program for those institutions? CLOSING REMARKS: Would a terminal masters be the best bet or would focusing solely on coursework and programming for a potential summer 2022 RA position? Or would a masters in a quant heavy topic like stats prove more fruitful for where I want to end up? I have been trying to explore as many resources online as I can as I don’t have many resources or support from others who have gone through this process, so I really appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

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?

Hello all, I am currently finishing a Research Analyst position at the IMF, and am considering getting a PhD and going into academia as an alternative to working in the public, private or non-profit sectors. I am very interested in researching comparative economics and economic history, and would love to teach in these subjects, or general economics as well. I love learning for the sake of learning, thinking about new ideas, and think that academia would be a good place for. However, I am unsure as to whether a PhD in economics, public policy or history would be the best fit for me. My biggest issue is math, where I am able to understand well the concepts, but when it comes to doing well in the classes themselves, I have struggled. I am a great writer, however, and had no problem acing economics, history and policy classes. I know that if I decide to do an Econ PhD,, I would need to retake Calc II and II, as well as take Linear and Real, at a minimum. Given my background, interest and qualifications, what kind of program would be best, and where does the forum think I can get into. My profile is posted below. Type of Undergrad: Double BA in Economics and International Relations - Top 40 LAC Undergrad GPA: 3.36, Econ: 3.6, IR: 3.6 GRE: 163 Q, 160 V, 5.5 W Math Courses: Calc I - III: B-, C+, C+ Stats (Undergrad and Grad): A- Econ Courses (Undergrad): Intro to Econ I/II: A-, A-, Intermediate Macro/Micro: B+/B+, Econometrics: A-, Econ Development: A-, International Trade: A-, Senior Seminar: B+ Grad School: Johns Hopkins University SAIS - MA in International Economics and Finance Grad GPA: 3.3 Econ Courses: Macro: A-, Micro: B+, Econometrics I/II: B-, B, Time Series Econometrics: B+, Economic Development: A-, Advanced International Macro: B+, International Finance: C+, International Trade: B+, International Financial Organizations: A- LORs: I feel pretty confident that they will be really good and will speak to my interest in research and teaching Research experience: Several internships during college at economic think tanks in DC, the Council of Economic Advisers, and an RAship for an undergrad IIPE professor. Currently an RA at the IMF Teaching experience: Undergrad Intermediate macro TA Research interests: Economic development, comparative economics, economic history

Hello everyone, I'm struggling to figure out whether I have a chance of being admitted into any good econ masters programs (I have 0 chance of being admitted into any decent econ PhD). I have almost no background in economics, which is why I'm looking for advice here. Undergraduate Degree: BA in International Affairs from a top 10 IR school, virtually unknown for economics Undergraduate GPA: 3.55/4.0 GRE: Q 168 V 169 AW 5.0 Math Courses: Calculus I (A-), Calculus II (A), Statistics (A), Linear Algebra and Real Analysis (A-) (this last one is an intensive, proof based linear algebra and multivariable differential calculus class with a real analysis module) Econ Courses: Intro to Macroeconomics (A), Intro to Microeconomics (B), Intro to Int'l Economics (A-) Related Experience: None. 2-3 years in industry doing policy (sometimes economic/financial) work, and I have some policy research experience, but no economics research experience. Letter of Recommendation: Two letters from former and current bosses (which would be 10/10 for policy programs, probably not worth too much in this scenario, and one letter academic letter that I still have to figure out (I graduated over 3 years ago and haven't kept in touch. Possibly will be from an international finance professor that I had a friendly relationship with). Research Interest: Development economics, impact evaluation. Programs I'm thinking about applying to: Barcelona GSE MA Economics, PSE PPD, Bocconi ESS, IHEID MA International Economics, SAIS MIEF, LSE Two Year MSc(I don't think I make the GPA cut for this but maybe my GRE can push me over the edge?), UCL MSc. I think the ideal program for me would be something like the LSE Two Year MSc that's specifically made for people with very little background in economics. I unfortunately haven't been able to find any other programs like this one, though. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! I know that my chances would increase substantially if I took intermediate micro and macro but my local academic institutions do not offer open enrollment and I need to save money for grad school so I can't take any more online classes.

Is the JM in anyway discriminatory against international students from India/China because of the green card issues? Also, how tough is it to get an EB1 visa for a new professor?

Hello everyone, I'm planning on applying to Business Ph.D programs this year. I would appreciate any suggestions and advises as to what I should do to improve my prospects Test Scores (GMAT): 760 (Q: 50, V: 42, IR: 8, AWA: 5.5) Undegrad GPA: 3.88 (Magna Cum Laude), Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in accounting at a top US public university Research Experience: Did a directed research with a business school professor when I was an undergraduate student. Researched and wrote a paper about a topic of my interest (international trade agreement's impact on the trade of IT products), but did not publish it in any journal. Teaching Experience: None Work Experience: I'm currently serving in the Air Force as an officer. This year is my third year in the military and I plan to exit the service at the end of this year. I've been working as a combined operations coordinator/interpreter and my job generally involves coordinating with foreign military officers or serving as an interpreter for high ranking officers. I received a few commendations from my commander and the commander of the foreign forces I work with. Math/Statistics: Statistics for Economists, Econometrics, Calculus of several variables Concentration Applying to: Finance (I'm interested in international finance and, more specifically, the role of international financial institutions) Number of programs planned to apply to: Around 20 Target Schools: Top 20 schools Questions or concerns you have about your profile? - Should I be concerned that I did not take any classes in Linear Algebra? - Should I take some additional statistics or math class through online extension programs? - Would the lack of journal publication hurt my application? Thank you and I look forward to any and all advises you may have V/R

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA in International Relations (Top 10 IR school, terrible for economics) Undergrad GPA: 3.55 Type of Grad: n/a Grad GPA: n/a GRE: 163 Q /165 V/4.5 AW -- Retaking and pretty confident of getting a Q166 or 167. Don't think I can get a perfect score, though. Math Courses: Stats I (A), Calc I (A), currently taking Calc II (at Harvard Extension) but I already know most of the material and I'm pretty sure I'll easily get an A. If I do get an A I'll be able to take a class that combines Linear Algebra and Real Analysis next semester, along with Calc III (multivariable). If not, I'll only be able to take Calc III and Linear Algebra next semester. Econ Courses: Macro I (A), Micro I (B), International Economics I (A-) Research Experience: Only political science research, 6 months at a DC think tank (internship) and 2.5 years in industry. Teaching Experience: n/a So clearly my profile is nowhere near enough to get into a decent PhD program (particularly because I haven't really even studied economics that much), so I'm going for a Master's as (hopefully) as a stepping stone to a PhD. Here's the list of masters I think I'd like to apply to, ranked in order of preference: Duke MA Economics PSE PPD UCL MSc Economics Bocconi MSc Economics and Social Sciences Barcelona GSE Masters in Economics and Finance Yale IDE SAIS MIEF Cornell MS Applied Economics and Management IHEID MA International Economics Columbia MA Economics BU MA Economics Tufts MA Sciences Po Master's in Economics Warwick Diploma + MSc in Economics Sciences Po Master's in International Economic Policy Simon Fraser MA w/ qualifying year Mcgill MA Economics w/ qualifying year Now, obviously this list is kinda long, I can't apply to 17 programs, but which ones do I cut? 14-17 I consider "safeties" that I think I should easily get into. 10-13 I'm fairly confident about these, 50-50 I guess? (Except for maybe Columbia, but I know nothing about how competitive this program is). 1-9 Are all dream programs but I'm kinda skeptical about getting into any of them. Maybe you guys can help me out here? Do I even have a chance with those? Thanks in advance for the help!

Hi all, I'm trying to work out the budget for the next 5 years, and even though the PhD stipend for business is relatively generous comparing to other fields (my offers were all around 35-38k), it's still gonna be quite tight if my SO cannot find a job (she's an international student). I wonder if one could be considered for a fellowship after admission? I know that there are extra fellowships at the schools I'm accepted to, but my offer letters don't include those, and I'm not sure if I'm eligible or not.

Hi: I'm hoping to start my MA in Economics next fall (2020) at the University of Hawaii, but really want to get another graduate degree from Harvard Extension School during my spare time to beef up my qualifications, and wanted to see what you guys thought, if I should choose (a) International Relations, or (b) Data Science. To me, data science seems redundant from what I learn in the economics curriculum, and maybe not as useful as a background in international relations, particularly since my research interests are either policy-related or international in scope. What do you think I should pursue?

Hi there, hope 2020 has been good to everyone so far. New aspiring "economist" (hopefully) here looking for some general guidance. Here is my profile(expected as I still have two semeters and a summer ahead of me before the application season): [TABLE=width: 600] [TR] [TD]Type of Undergrad[/TD] [TD]B.S. MathB.A. Japanese [/TD] [TD]Top-30 public university in California[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Undergrad GPA[/TD] [TD]Overall 3.12/4[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Type of Grad[/TD] [TD]M.A. East Asian Studies (Finished)M.A. International Relations (Expected 2021) [/TD] [TD]Top-100 public university (full funding)Top-3 IR school in the U.S. [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Grad GPA[/TD] [TD]EAS 3.8/4IR 3.7/4 (as of now) [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]GRE[/TD] [TD]151V, 167Q, 3.5W[/TD] [TD]Went into the exam blind without one minute of studying in 2016, will probably retake and do expect better score[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Math Courses[/TD] [TD]Calculus I,II,III B Intro grp theory B+ Intro linear alg A+ Intro complex variab C- Intro Discrete Math B Adv Linear alg C Methods of analysis A Intro to abstr algb C Intro real analysis C+ Mod eucl & noneucl I,II A- Intro real analysis C+ Intro diff geometry B+ Abstract algebra C+ [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Econ Courses(Grad-level)[/TD] [TD]Statistical Method A Microeconomics A- (Taking now, expecting A-to A) Macroeconomics International Trade Econometrics Game Theory (Taking in Fall) International Monetary Environmental Economics Adv International Trade Public Finance [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Letters of Recommendation[/TD] [TD]Academic Dean/Former State Dept economist (Strong) Researcher at a DC-based think tank whom I worked for during internship(Mediocre) (Still looking for one more)[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Research Experience[/TD] [TD]Two Chinese local EPA Internships DC-based think tank Internship [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Teaching Experience[/TD] [TD]GTA at first M.A. school (EAS courses)[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Research Interests[/TD] [TD]Public Finance, International Monetary, Environmental Economics[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Concerns: My undergrad credential is simply abysmal--too many bad decisions made due to my naivete. How much would my undergrad grades hurt my chances? How much would my MA grades help? Should I reuse my old GRE scores? Comments: What I want from this post is to get a general sense of where I would most likely be admitted to. Right now my mind says somewhere around Penn State (~top 30), but my body says Cornell/Brown/Rochester(top-15 to top-20) :distracted:. Nevertheless, these are just my unrealistic, irrational guesses. I would really like to get my foot planted so I can plan my application strategy accordingly. Thanks in advance, cheers!

The recent news about Duflo/Banerjee/Kremer has made me really interested in doing development economics (my goal would be to participate in the impact evaluations/RCTs done by J-PAL/IPA/Etc). The thing is, I graduated 2 years ago with a B.A. in International Affairs (at a top school in the field). I took very minimal econ/quant coursework (Calc I, Stats I, Intro to Micro, Intro to Macro, Int'l Econ). This doesn't seem to be enough to get into most masters programs (even less for PhDs). Does anyone know of any well known programs that have a qualifyng year (or a bridging program of that nature)? Right now I think my best bet would be to get into Sciences Po's International Economic Policy program (which has no quantitative requirements) and use it to get into my dream program, PSE's Public Policy and Development Masters. Getting that PPD masters would let me advance into a real econ PhD with PSE. Does my plan make sense? Do any of you have a better idea of what I could do?

It seems like 2008-2012 was a golden age for Australian students applying to top US/UK PhD programs straight out of an Honours year. Since, there appears to have been a significant fall in matriculants coming straight out of an Honours year and an accompanying increase in Australians opting to apply to PhD programs after pre-doctoral fellowships. Is this really the case? While the below guide raises many points that remain useful, do any Australian or other international student matriculants or successful applicants have any additional advice to offer? How is the international representation in your program and do they fit a specific profile? For example, it would seem from the limited number of (public) matriculants coming out of Australia now have strong math backgrounds. For the ambitious, prospective PhD student: A Guide – Core Economics Looking forward to discussion and responses!

Hi guys, I have offers from UCSC and UC-Irvine for Economics PhD. I am an international applicant and was not able to attend the visit days. My interests are in empirical monetary economics and international finance. While UCSC has faculty doing good work in both, UC-Irvine seems to have people who have been doing good work in metrics as well. I will really appreciate it if I could get some constructive inputs on this.

Proponents of the International Style in architecture called for reducing buildings to purely functional form and found beauty in highlighting ____(i)_____ features. They rejected references to _____(ii)____ and historical styles and offered designs indifferent to location, a quality subsequently ____(iii)_____ by those who viewed the style as bland or unappealing. i : structural, aesthetic, hackneyed ii : oracular, vernacular, secular iii : disparaged, embraced, reclaimed

hey guys, i been admitted to an international business/business strategy program. i plan to do research on how the environment affects firms. i am a little worried to be honest, i have no institutional access to journals currently. my math is quite bad and my background is in political science, i do mostly qualitative work. will i be able to publish well with qualitative methods or basic ols regression in the field of international business?:shy:

Type of Undergrad: Top-Ranked Public Liberal Arts Undergrad GPA: 3.73/4.0 Major: Economics (with Honors), International Studies Master’s Program: International Economic Relations (More Policy than Quant) Master’s GPA: 3.9 GRE: Need to take (Over 5 years ago, scored in top 97pctile in quantitative) Math Courses: Multivariate Calc I (A-) Discrete Math (B) Differential Equations (B) Econ Courses: Micro Theory (A) International Econ (A) Intermediate Theory: Money, Income and Employment (A) Economic Statistics (A) Applied Econometric Analysis (A-) Advanced International Economics (A) Economics Honors Thesis Course (A) Letters of Recommendation: 1 from professor from my Master’s program 1 from Partner at my firm (quantitative consulting firm; partner is a PhD economist) Not sure about 3rd yet… Research Experience: 5 years of experience working on research projects for a quantitative consulting firm. Mostly program evaluations for the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as supporting econometricians and statisticians serving as expert witnesses in Litigation matters. Extensive experience in data management (Stata and some R), statistical sampling, predictive analytics, program evaluation, labor economics, report writing, and model validation. Teaching Experience: None Research Interests: International Development- Water Scarcity, Education Applying: I am limited to North Carolina (family reasons). I know most apply to 15-20 schools, but I will be unable to. UNC is my top choice; Will apply to NC State, Duke, Wake?, Please advise. Worries: - I have been out of undergrad for years now and have not kept up with many professors. I have one professor from my Master’s program who will probably write a strong letter, as well as an economist who founded the consulting company I work for. My other options are limited- there is a PhD statistician who I have supported on various litigation matters, but I am not sure how strong that one would be. I’m also limited geographically, so I cannot apply to multiple schools. I have to make these applications as strong as possible. Please advise on 1) whether I look like a good candidate for UNC Chapel Hill, 2) suggestions for NC schools to apply to, and 3) how to make my application stronger. Thank you in advance!

Hi, I'm planning on going to grad school, and am starting the application process now. However, I am unsure about whether an MPP or a Masters in Economics is right for me. I want a career in economic research with a public policy focus. I would love to work at a think tank like the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, or the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a government agency like the CBO, or the Fed/IMF/WB. I am ok with math, but not super great, but want to use lots of data and statistical tools like R, Stata, and Matlab in my work. I like regressions, data work, and statistical stuff, and want to use research to solve policy questions. I am also considering getting a PhD in economics later on to further my research career, but am concerned about the math (I am unsure as to whether I can handle real analysis, topology and stuff like that). My profile: Undergrad Degree: BA in Economics and International Relations from a mid-ranked liberal arts college in Southern California Undergrad GPA: 3.36 (Overall), 3.59 (Economics), 3.54 (International Relations) Math grades: Calc I/II/III (B-, C+. C+), Stats (A-) Economics grades: Intro to Econ I/II (A-, A-), Macro Theory/Micro Theory/ Econometrics (B+, B+, A-), Electives: Economic Development/ International Economics/ Macro Policy Since the Great Depression (A-, A-, A-), Senior Seminar (B+) GRE Scores: 158 V, 160 Q, 5.5 W Research Experience: RA for a political economy professor for two semesters, Intern at South African international development think tank, Intern at Council of Economic Advisers LORs: Described by people who wrote them as "glowing" Other: Experience with Stata and ArcGIS

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Delhi University (mid-tier college) Undergrad GPA: Quite bad. Below average. Type of Grad: MA in Economics from the topmost Indian college for a master's in econ. Grad GPA: We have percentages so 69%. Top 10% of my class, but I took the hardest courses made available so if you account for course load, I should easily be in the top 5%. GRE: Haven't given yet, but practice tests average around 167Q and I still have 5 weeks to go. Math Courses: Linear Algebra, Optimization, Dynamic Optimization, ODE, Topology and Stochastic Dynamics (includes stuff like Bellman Equation and Blackwell's Theorem etc) Econ Courses (grad-level): micro, macro, econometrics, game theory, social choice theory, dynamic macro, industrial organization, public economics, financial markets, issues in economic systems and institutions, topic in economic theory Econ Courses (undergrad-level): intro micro, intro macro, micro, macro, econometrics, development theory, money and financial markets Letters of Recommendation: One professor I'm RAing with (PhD from Cornell, best in her field- agriculture and nutrition economics), two professors whose classes I did well in-- one taught topology and advanced game (PhD from Princeton, pretty renowed), the other taught Industrial organization (PhD from an Indian University but he just one of the most prestigious awards in India for an economist). Research Experience: RAing for the past two months! Teaching Experience: none at all Research Interests: Game theory. Experimental econ. Behavioural econ. SOP: not yet written Concerns: my LORs are in all likelihood going to be lukewarm. I have done well in classes but not taken initiative and not particularly interactive with professors. ****** undergrad too. Other: Applying to: US top 30. Mostly top 10-30. Not going to apply to top 10 for obvious reasons. Basically, is there any chance I'd make it to top 30 with funding? Or should I wait a year and work on my writing sample/ LORs? Any comments will be very much appreciated by this super-confused soul.

Hi I'm from an East Asian university and our grading system is on a 4.00 scale. However I realised after randomly stumbling upon a grade conversion post that my university's grading system differs from the general grading system. For example an A is 85%-100%, and a B is 70%-74%. My overall GPA is about 3.40 (75-79%). p/s I haven't done my GRE yet. Thx!

Hi, I'm an international student and I am applying for Experimental Psychology program to a number cal-state universities. I currently moved here from India. My question is - is it mandatory to email or call professors and talk before applying? I have read that it is an extremely important step for Phd admissions. Is it true for MS admissions as well? In India we never had to contact any professors in advance and I really have no idea about how to approach them in the first place? Do I call or write email? What do I mention in the email? Do I have to tell them my test scores? Can somebody please help me? Most of my friends who are studying here are enrolled for Engineering program. They never contacted their professions in advance. So I really do not have any sources for Psychology admissions. I have a fairly good academic background. I have 3.5 GPA and very good TOEFL score (English proficiency test) and good Recommendations. I do not want to lose out on my chances of getting in because I did not contact my professors. Can you guys please help me with this? http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/unsure.png Thanks!

Hello, am new to the forum but I spent the past couple of weeks reading up posts and profiles. I'd like to receive a couple of ideas/suggestions about mine: am new to the 'PhD application' field, hence any advice will certainly help :)! I am an MBA student in the US, originally from Europe and I am looking to apply for fall 13 intake. I understand that time is limited, but any suggestion on how to improve my profile, correctly select the target schools and hone my application would surely be very helpful, particularly from you. About me: male, European, 29 Undergrad: Economics, well recognized business university in Europe Undergrad GPA: (translated in 4.0 scale) 3.9 / top 5% Grad 1: Economics, well recognized business university in Europe (same as undergrad) Grad 1 GPA: (translated in 4.0 scale) 3.9 / top 5% Grad 1 academic prize: 30,000 Eur scholarship for academic merits (top 2.5% of the class) Grad 1 research: 6-months financial econometrics research on asset betas in infrastructure investments (using eviews), culminated with honor thesis (same topic) and graduation magna cum laude Grad 2: MBA program, Wharton @ Upenn Grad 2 GPA: 3.8 Grad 2 research: nil so far, apart from independent study with Professor on application of new technologies for queuing systems (do ISPs count?) Work experience: 4 years - 2 years in banking (BB) and 2 years in consulting (McK) GMAT: 760 (but Q=49) - looking to get GRE to address Q part Math Courses: Mathematics (year-long math course that encompasses calc 1-2-3 syllabi and linear/multivariate/matrix) A, Quantitative Methods for Finance (grad-level) A Econometrics/stat Courses:econometrics A+, statistics A-, financial econometrics (grad) A+, thesis (grad) rewarded with final honors (laude) Econ/Finance Courses: micro, macro, finance, entrepreneurship... - A or A+ in all finance classes (incl. Wharton) LORs: can get 2 strong LORs from Wharton professors (finance and op.s), but I am not sure about where to get third one (work / undergrad professor / other wharton professor) Research Experience: as per above, 6-months research with financial econometrics prof. culminated with honor thesis, although not formalized as a US RA position Teaching Experience: TA position (as part of the grad 1 scholarship) in undegrad classes, although not formalized; volounteer teacher in a primary school in London (underpriviledged students) Research Interests: intersection between private and public markets in financing energy new technologies, especially renewable energy SOP: main focus on my research interest and steps taken towards it - i.e. research experience in infrastructure financing/ work experience in energy Concerns: - different math courses format vs. US (one class encompassing large syllabus) - lack of formal RA/TA -ships, although extensive informal econometrics research - general profile more geared towards private employment than research Questions/ potential improvements to profile: 1- Which schools should I target? Can I aim at top-10 US business programs or cast wider net? would love to get in Stanford, the big H or MIT, but is it worth spending the time of the application? 2- Which department would fit best my research interest (financing energy new tech / renewables) - BE, Strategy, Finance, or pure Econ? Is my research topic too specific for a SOP? 3- How can I best communicate that my year-long math course in undergrad encompassed what is covered by 3-4 classes in a US program? should I get in touch with the universities? any other international applicant... 4- Who should I choose as third recommender: another prof. from Wharton or somebody from maybe my summer work experience (I will be researching within a private company on fund-raising for renewable energy investing) or an undergrad prof.? 5- I have the opportunity to work as RA with Wh prof. next semester (just before the application) - will this be perceived as 'last-minute fishy enhancement' :), or could be positively evaluated by AdCom ? Hope I did not bore you too much! Thanks for reading all of it!! :)

Hello, this forum has been really helpful for gaining insights on colleges. I want to work after my Master in Economics and not directly pursue a Phd (maybe in the future, but not immediately) I mainly want to work in the International Development sector and with organizations like World Bank, IMF, UNDP etc. I am completing my undergrad in Economics from a very prestigious Indian University. Though my marks are average, my LORs are pretty good. I've applied to the following schools and which one do you think will give me a better opening in to the job sector I want to go to: UK: 1. LSE 2. UCL 3. Oxford 4. Cambridge 5. SOAS 6. St. Andrews USA: 1. Boston University 2. Duke 3. John Hopkins (I dont have much scope to get into US because Indian Undergrads are for 3 years relative to their requirement of 4 year undergrads and they usually prefer work experience before taking on people even for masters. Plus i dont think my GRE is good enough for Hopkins or Duke. But BU I am hoping for. ) other schools: Toulouse, Hong Kong University and Graduate Institute in Geneva. My main area of interest in Economics is: International economics and development.

Dear all, I am graduating in two weeks. I have no job lined up(had a lot of interested employers but end up not getting the interview because they learned of my non-resident alien status). My life is a mess. I am an international student graduating this december double majoring in finance and international business, and minoring in economics. Have a 3.96 and graduating top of class. a lot of on campus work experience(lab tutor, supplemental instructor, internship at a credit union, student office assistant, ..... ) Since I am a international student, I need a job that can sponsor me h1b. No one is willing. I don't know if it is because my school is in the middle of no where and it is quite a no-namer for business majors. I have a lot of people emailing me to apply for jobs including vanguard but when I did and tell them(actually they asked me) my need of h1b then I get shut down, like completely. So I am trying to find a job that can sponsor me h1b. Please tell me if you know how to go about that. Which free website has a lot of good h1b sponsored jobs? Or do just need to suck it up and go to grad school for a masters then come back job hunting? My grad school applications are not going so well either. I mean I have a bad history with my previous school and also my GRE and GMats are not high enough. I need help with some direction and assistance. Please help me out. Going nuts. Why do I have to graduate this semester? :(:mad::rolleyes::grad: