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As an outside observer of this site straddling management and economics, I thought I would post this here. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/bolotnyy/files/bbb_mentalhealth_paper.pdf PhDs are immensely stressful and isolating. A recent study (linked above) shows that Econ PhDs at top schools are about as mentally distressed as incarcerated people and as lonely as retirees. The collective economics profession is currently going through serious soul-searching on mental health in light of recent tragic events at Harvard, Princeton, and other schools (quick google searches can provide more information). Our profession is incredibly hard, both mentally and emotionally. Unless you are steeped in an academic research environment from a young age, you often don't fully understand the rigors and challenges of research academia until you enter a PhD. As PhDs and faculty, we often tie up too much of our identity in peer recognition of our work or our status in the field. In many cases, the norms of academia lead us to be inappropriately confrontational and coarse in interacting with our peers and their work. This environment is intensely personal but often does not promote the idea that each person has intrinsic self-worth. This has to change now. We are living in extraordinary times due to COVID. Check on your cohort-mates, colleagues, and friends in academia. A little kindness goes a long way. You never know when an interaction with them will be your last.

Hi, I am wondering if adcoms would care about a big mental health problem that I have. I stress out so much about school, grad school and grades that it leads me to have panic attacks, constantly worry, has led to self harm, and has almost gotten me placed on medical leave. I have struggled with this since I started college, and it has negatively impacted my grades. Would that be a good explanation for a GPA of a 3.55 or a 3.6 instead of a 3.7/3.8 like the adcoms want? By the way, I want to go to a top 25 - top 50 school, I am not aiming for top 10 schools or Ivies. Below is my profile. I am currently a sophomore studying at Occidental College, a top 40 liberal arts college, in California. I am interested in getting a PhD in Econ. Below are my stats: Major: Diplomacy and World Affairs (International Relations) and Economics, minor in Mathematics GPA: 3.49 (With projected grades for this semester) GPA (Fall Semester, Freshman): 3.0 ((French 201 (C+) screwed it up)) GPA (Spring Semester, Freshman): 3.85 GPA (Fall Semester, Sophomore): 3.43 GPA (Spring Semester Sophomore): 3.68 GPA (Economics): 3.47 (with this semester, projected, factored in) Principles of Econ I: A- Principles of Econ II: A- Intermediate Microeconomic Theory: A (so far) Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory: B+ Economic Development: A- Calculus I: B- GPA (Mathematics): 3.23 (w/ this semester, projected, factored in) Calculus I: B- Calculus II: B+ (so far) Statistics: A- Planned Courses (Economics): Game Theory Applied Econometrics (Fall 2015) International Economics Senior Seminar (Honors) Planned Courses (Mathematics): Multivariable Calculus (Fall 2015) Discrete Mathematics (Prereq for real analysis) (Fall 2015) Linear Algebra Real Analysis Probability Mathematical Statistics Planned Courses (Computer Science): Intro to C++ (Fall 2015) Intro to Java I Intro to Java II and Intro to Computer Science Research Experience (Planned): Honors Comps in Economics Internship at Economic Policy Research Institute (South African think-tank) over Summer 2015 Summer Research on Campus Research with Polish Economics Professor (my mom knows the dean of a top twenty business school in Europe that I can do research with) GRE: not taken Target Schools: Top 30 – 50 University of Washington Georgetown George Washington University University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Boston University University of California – Santa Barbara Rice University Reach Schools: University of California – Los Angeles London School of Economics Brown University Columbia University University of Michigan – Ann Arbor New York University