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Hi! I am writing an application form for the econ Ph.D. program this year (2021 Fall) However, I have some problems with LoR. As everybody knows, I need 3 LoRs and I've already got permissions from 3 econ professors who know me well. However, one of 3 professors also gave permission to another student whose application lists are pretty much same with mine. about 80%? I think it matters a lot. Should I find another professor for 4th recommendation ? (as long as the university allows 4 LoRs) Thanks

Hi! I am writing an application form for the econ Ph.D. program this year (2021 Fall) However, I have some problems with LoR. As everybody knows, I need 3 LoRs and I've already got permissions from 3 econ professors who know me well. However, one of 3 professors also gave permission to another student whose application lists are pretty much same with mine. about 80%?) I think it matters a lot. Should I find another professor for 4th recommendation ? (as long as the university allows 4 LoRs) Thanks

My profile is below. Underneath that, I’ve written a few questions about my application, specifically about how to ask for LORs given some bad signals to profs and whether to address a permanent physical illness that came about halfway through my MA. Thank you in advance for reading my post! Any input is greatly appreciated. Type of Undergrad: Honors BA in Economics + Minor in Mathematics from Canadian university (top 50), 2014 – 2018. Undergrad GPA: 81 Econ, 77 Math or 3.7/4.0 Econ, 3.3/4.0 Math Type of Grad: MA in Economics from same Canadian university as BA (top 50), 2018 – 2019. The degree was a master’s but students can take the full first-year PhD course sequence, with option to take the prelims as an application to the 2nd-year PhD program. Grad GPA: 86 or 3.9/4.0 Grad Courses: PhD Micro I (85) PhD Macro I (84) PhD Metrics I (89) PhD Economic Mathematics (98) PhD Micro II (82) PhD Macro II (74) PhD Metrics II (81) MA thesis (92) GRE: 165V/166Q/4.5AW Undergrad Math Courses: Single Variable Calc I (72) and II (71) Multivariable Calc I (76) and II (88) Linear Algebra: Intro (72), Intermediate (67) Ordinary Differential Equations (74) Real Analysis (76) Undergrad Econ Courses: Micro: Intro (71), Intermediate I (87), Intermediate II (77), Advanced (80) Macro: Intro (61), Intermediate I (90), Intermediate II (78), Advanced (74) Metrics: Intermediate I (74), Intermediate II (81), Advanced (88) Other Econ: Labour (80), Math for Economists (90), Political Economy (88), IO (88), Empirical IO (88), Economics of Human Behaviour (83), Senior Thesis (87 over 2 semesters) Letters of Recommendation: I haven't requested any yet, as I'm still looking for advice on this Each of my LOR writers would know me in the same capacity—as a student in their PhD classes. I had great attendance, and was always attentive and interactive in class. I did not speak to them much outside of class. The 3 profs would be from (1) Micro I, (2) Metrics I, (3) both Econ Math and Micro II Research Experience: MA thesis was a literature review + research idea proposal (we weren't supposed to actually carry out the research) BA thesis was mainly empirical research using regression analysis. Research Interests: Microeconomic theory: consumer/decision theory, revealed preference Econometrics: nonparametric methods Public economics: poverty, education, health Teaching Experience: 2018 – 2019: TA for Introductory Micro and Introductory Macro 2017 – 2019: tutoring for my department’s economics tutoring centre 2019 – Present: private tutoring SOP: Background: I mention my MA and explain why I want to pursue a PhD after a year working in the private sector (data analyst) Courses: I highlight my MA coursework and my favourite courses Research: I explain my research interests and my research experience Other: I talk about my programming work relating to statistics and data, from my job and from my personal work, and how I hope to apply it to my research Other: Programming skills: I currently use R, Python, SQL, VBA at work for data processing and some regression and machine learning analysis. I used STATA and MATLAB when I was in school. Notes and Questions: I mention programming skills under “SOP” and “Other”. Is this relevant? To what degree should I emphasize these skills? My performance began to decline during my second semester due to the onset of a permanent physical illness, however I was not visibly ill and I did not tell anyone. It wasn’t until after my MA that I was able to get the symptoms under control and get my life back to normal. My profs are not aware of this aside from knowing that I wrote my exams with disability accommodations. I was given the opportunity to take the prelim exams, where I passed only micro on the first try and failed macro on the second try. On paper, there’s no evidence of this since I was a master's student, but my profs are likely aware of my exam results. Before I ask them for letters, I was thinking I should highlight that I was a master’s student and not a PhD student, since they probably don’t know that and because I think it downplays the severity of failing those exams. I believe my illness greatly affected my performance, but I’m not sure if that’s something I should share with them--ultimately, is there a net benefit to disclosing this info to my letter writers? Or on my applications? And the main question: given all this information, what rankings do you think I can get into?

Hello! Am new to the forum. Looking at a PhD application for 2020. I have read all the advice about getting academic not professional LORs, but I am a real outlier case and trying to work out what to do for the best. Advice welcome! For context the PhD will not be in economics but a more general management field. Options: 1. My undergrad economics professor. Well published in his field. Really, really liked me and we have stayed loosely in touch even though it was 15 years ago (!). I graduated top of my (large) class from an Ivy-type school so I think this one should work (though it will be very, very old!) 2. My graduate tutor in asset pricing. This was over ten years ago. It was a MSc in Economics from a top school. Problem is he would have absolutely no idea who I am. We never spoke beyond maybe my asking a couple of questions in class (all the actual teaching was done by PhD students). I could send him my masters thesis on asset pricing and my transcript (I was #1 in the year in all my papers so the grades are great). But he would be writing it totally and utterly blind. He is a published person in some good Econ journals but not super “eminent”. My worry is this reference would add basically nothing to my transcript which they would have anyway. 3. A professional reference. I have a successful 10+ year career in a global “name” company that is related to my field but obviously isn’t actually in research. I would have a large choice of referees including “impressive” names in the world of business but of course they would be practitioners. My company will be sad to lose me to academia and these references would be great and very personal, but wouldn’t speak to research ability. Unfortunately none of the prime candidates to write the reference would have PhDs (they would all be MBAs) If I have to provide 3 then it has to be all 3, but my “dream school” only asks for 2 so I need to choose. What would you do? Am asking well in advance as whoever I ask will need appropriate “warming up”! I am looking at top 10 schools so I realise I can’t afford to get this “wrong”. I know I have got a fight ahead of me! Thanks.

My professor, for whom I was/am working as a research assistant, just submitted the final draft of the paper I was providing her assistance for. This was a short-term project so I have only been working with her for about 6 weeks. I did okay in her class, top 5%. But I wasn't too attentive during the lectures or interact much with her back then. So her acknowledgment said " I am grateful to fatsho for her excellent research assistance." Now, I'm kinda hung up on the adjective there. I know I am micro analysing but I can't help it as I have no idea where my LORs are going to come from and whether or not they will be any good. Can I take this as a sign that a) she will agree to write me an LOR; and b) that she actually liked my work and the LOR might be decent; or is it likely that she is just being polite and sticking to some acknowledgement norm?

I couldn't find any specific advice on this anywhere so I was hoping someone might be able to help. I finished undergrad in Dec '06 and have applied to PhD programs twice since then -- first for 2008 admission and then again last year for 2011 admission. First time I got a couple of unfunded offers (Michigan and UCSD) and the second time all I got were rejects (applied to fewer schools, only in the NE). During the 3 years between applying I worked as an analyst in private sector in econ/finance and took 2 courses to improve my profile, but obviously didn't do enough. I've put the rest of my profile below. Anyway, to my question: how can I improve my LORs at this point? Though my 3 recommenders all have econ PhDs from top-10 places, only 1 is still teaching (another was my professor in undergrad but has since moved to a bank, and the other has always worked in finance since getting PhD). The only feedback I've been able to get on my profile is that it's a negative mark that I only have 1 "real" academic LOR. What can I do about that at this point? I've tried emailing professors at nearby (NYC) schools to see if I could work as a research assistant but no response. Does anyone know of any way to do this without going to Europe to get a Masters? I'm sort of stuck in the NY area, though if I have to I'll go where I need to. Thanks for any suggestions. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Small Lib. Arts,~35 per USNews, Math and Econ double Undergrad GPA: 3.7, 3.8 in Econ, 3.5 in Math GRE: 780Q, 620V, 5 AW Other: undergrad real analysis at Columbia (A+), phd macro theory at CUNY (A+) Math Courses: Complex Analysis (B), Multivariable Calc (B-), Topology (A), Number Theory (A-), Math Logic (A-), Groups (A), Intro to Proofs (A), Lin Algebra (B) Econ Courses: Econometrics, International Finance, Corporate Finance, Math For Econ And Finance, Game Theory, Macro Theory, Financial Econ, Micro Theory, Statistics-Econ Analysis, The Global Economy, Intro To Economics (As and A-s) Letters of Recommendation: 1 econ prof, 1 former econ prof, 1 econ phd working in finance Research Experience: 5 years in finance/econ (but none academic) Teaching Experience: Research Interests: monetary policy, macro theory Weaknesses: LORs, math grades. No thesis or anything. Maybe not enough upper-level core courses. Results: 2008: Accepted to UMich and UCSD. No funding. Rejected at pretty much every (other?) top 10. 2011: rejections!

Hi, i'm currently thinking about submitting 4 LORs if possible and i'm not sure whether i can register more than 3 recommenders on online account. Some schools say 'register 3 recommenders' but some other schools say ' register at least 3 recommenders' then does that mean the first kind of schools accept only 3 LORs but the second kind of schools accept more than 3? So far, i figured out that Yale, Berkeley, Chicago, Upenn, Northwestern are the second kind of schools. Are there more schools of this kind in top 20? please let me know if you have any info :p

I have two years left, and need to start working on getting Letters of Recommendation. Problem: I attend a top 20 econ school where all of my classes are taught by Grad Students. I have tried to email a few professors to ask if I could assist them but I never get responses back. So, how should I go about getting Letters of Recommendation? Thanks for your time & advice,

Hello, I am applying this year and one of my recommenders asked me to write a draft for him. However, i don't know how to start with the letter, i understand i have to state how he met me (i was his student, then RA and then TA) and that he thinks i'm going to be a well researcher, etc. but i don't know what shoud come first. I need al the help i can get, promise feedback =)

I'm currently working at an economics consulting firm doing antitrust work, having graduated from college a few years ago. In college, although I double majored in economics and political science, I focused mostly on poli sci. I TAed for a few economics classes, but my research was with a political science professor. My job involves a decent amount of Stata programming, but I don't think I have had the type of research experience that grad programs in Economics are looking for. I am applying to PhD programs and MA programs in England and Canada, and I have two LORs from Econ professors and 1 from the Political Science professor I worked with (the project was not data intensive or policy oriented). I doubt that I will get into the PhD programs, so what most likely will happen is that I do a 1 yr masters. Because it will only be a year, I still will need another letter of recommendation. I'm hoping that I could use the summer before the masters program to do research with an economics professor (and thus get some more research experience and a letter), but these experiences seem only to be open to undergrads. Any tips on how I could land such an opportunity?