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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.

Hello, I've been reading up on people's opinions about various economics masters courses on the forum here but, as I'm in a slightly different position to many, I haven't found quite the perspective I'm looking for. I'm hoping there may be others out there who have been in similar situtations, or can comment on alternative aspects. I'll try not to get too specific though, as I don't want to make this (hopefully useful) thread only applicable to me. I'm also aware that reputations and experiences can change over the years so some advice and opinions, such as personal rankings, from several years ago might no longer be entirely valid. Firstly, I'm not looking to go on and do a PhD in the US. I'm perfectly happy with the UK or continental Europe for any future research opportunities. Secondly, I'm a mature student returning to university education many years after my first undergraduate degree, which means that I have different barriers to cross when getting into a Masters programme (non-standard entry course and explaining why I'm doing this now) - plus I find I care more about quality of life whilst studying (as in a supportive academic environment, good location, etc) than I did when in my early twenties. That said, I want to study somewhere at a high enough level and I know it will be hard work. Living costs aren't a huge problem, but heavy course fees could be. My interest is in development economics, but I want to make sure I'm covering a good amount of general economics with enough quantitative rigour. My relevant background is an undergraduate degree in Maths from a top-tier UK university (alas, I only got a 2(ii)) some years previously, plus I'm now taking a graduate diploma in economics (well-known in the UK as an accelerated degree 'conversion course') on track to come out with a distinction (equivalent to a first). I've been advised by both professors and a post-doc friend to go for 'straight' economics masters (as long as there is at least one development optional course), rather than a development economics masters, since this will be seen as stronger for any potential PhD. N.B. I haven't done the GRE test yet, but I will soon! At the moment, my thoughts are as follows. In the UK: - Oxford MPhil (strong econ and good dev, although two years and expensive if no course funding, also rather hard to get into!) - UCL MSc (good econ, one dev option, just one year so a little more affordable, I think I have a reasonable shot of getting a place) - Essex MSc ?? (a bit of an emergency back-up option perhaps) I've discounted Cambridge, LSE and Warwick for personal reasons, to do with cost, location, timing of dissertation/thesis, etc. In Europe: - Tinbergen Institute (seems to be a rigorous course with some dev options, inexpensive, Amsterdam nice to live, seeming guarantee of PhD place, need to commit to five years there though, quite competitive to get into) - ECARES (similar reasons to TI, although fewer dev options, Brussels nice to live, lesser commitment of two years) I'm not sure about Barcelona GSE (nice location, quite expensive unless course funding is realistic, speedy course like LSE), Stockholm SSE (free, too cold?, not many dev options), Toulouse TSE (bad reputation on the forum), Carlos 3 Madrid (mid-priced I think, but need to take relocation into account). I'd appreciate the views and input of anyone with knowledge of these economics departments so I can try to get a sense of whether I'd have particular issues as a mature student. Or, really, I'm happy to hear everyone's latest views. Many thanks for your help!