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Hi all! I am in a bit of a tricky situation. I want to apply for PhD programs in the fall. I am interested in Organizational Behavior. However, I am not sure if I am 'ready' to get in. I finished my undergad in 1 year (did dual credit in highschool), and most of that 1 year was during COVID, so I didn't have a lot of opportunities for research. I just started my Master's (MHA) and will graduate Spring 2022. Here's what I have so far. Undergrad (Public Health) GPA: 3.7 Current graduate GPA: 4.0 I have not taken the GMAT yet, but my scores have been around 710-720. I am currently on a research team for my school's business department, and I am authoring my first research paper. I will also be the co-author on other papers, although none will be published in time for applications. I will continue this position until Spring 2022. I am hoping to gain another research assistant position over the summer, but I have not heard back yet. I have two great professors that I could get letters of recommendation from, but I could get more if I get an additional research position over the summer. Now that I've written it all out, it seems that I don't have anything at all :miserable: What do you think? Should I apply in the fall or just wait? I'm trying to do my best with the limited time available, but research opportunities are hard to come by.. even for something like data cleaning! I'm 21 and I got started right out of highschool, so I hope it's understandable that I don't have a huge amount of research under my belt. I'm just worried that applying this fall will be a waste (especially considering the application prices!). I'm not picky, a top 50 school would make me happy as long as I get to do some great research!

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.

Technology, while apparently aimed to simplify our lives, only makes our lives more complicated. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. People Should use technology on their necessity, not to submerge in it to spoil themselves. Thousands of years ago when human first discovered the use of fire that was the first incident of using technology. That invention made them stronger against wild beast, also human used it for cooking. That was the first evidence of using technology to make life easy, but now Technogym is more complicated and creating convoluted lifestyle. For example, the mobile phone was invented with the purpose to have a conversation even on the go. But now people are not using the phone only for talking, but also for gaming, social media, watching videos etc. which make them addicted to it. That makes life complicated instead of easier. Another thing is that people are becoming lazy because of technology. They are now can order food, shopping or buying something from online which inhibit them to go outside. After the discovery of internet Americans become more obese than before. People are now failing to burn minimum calorie they need to fit themselves. The primary purpose of social media was to make people closer to each other even if they can't meet them in real life. Instead of that, people are becoming more isolated and become depressive. There should be no doubt that technology makes life easier, but people should understand that purpose of that technology and should refrain it, from the abuse of that technology. There was a story that a magician taught his son how to drive a broomstick for cleaning home. His son learned spell command incantation, but didn't know how to stop the broomstick. Technology doing, the same thing to humans. Technology, while apparently aimed to simplify our lives, only makes our lives more complicated. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. People Should use technology on their necessity, not to submerge in it to spoil themselves. Thousands of years ago when human first discovered the use of fire that was the first incident of using technology. That invention made them stronger against wild beast, also human used it for cooking. That was the first evidence of using technology to make life easy, but now Technogym is more complicated and creating convoluted lifestyle. For example, the mobile phone was invented with the purpose to have a conversation even on the go. But now people are not using the phone only for talking, but also for gaming, social media, watching videos etc. which make them addicted to it. That makes life complicated instead of easier. Another thing is that people are becoming lazy because of technology. They are now can order food, shopping or buying something from online which inhibit them to go outside. After the discovery of internet Americans become more obese than before. People are now failing to burn minimum calorie they need to fit themselves. The primary purpose of social media was to make people closer to each other even if they can't meet them in real life. Instead of that, people are becoming more isolated and become depressive. There should be no doubt that technology makes life easier, but people should understand that purpose of that technology and should refrain it, from the abuse of that technology. There was a story that a magician taught his son how to drive a broomstick for cleaning home. His son learned spell command incantation, but didn't know how to stop the broomstick. Technology doing, the same thing to humans.

Although sound moral judgment is an important characteristic of an effective leader, it is not as important as a leader’s ability to maintain the respect of his or her peers. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. The makeup of a great leader is not clearly defined. This is evident is presidential debates and elections. However, it cannot be denied that one component of an effective leader is the ability to gain the respect of his or her peers.In order to implement effective change, a leader must understand the needs of their peers. This understanding develops from forming authentic relationships that involve in depth conversations and spending quality time with them. Once a leader understands where their peers are coming from they can implement effective change that has a positive impact.A leader that works hard to get to know their peers gains their trust. Trust is important for maintaining peace and order. If peers do not trust their leader its possible that leadership could be overthrown or it will be harder to win re-election in the future.Perhaps during the time of war or civil unrest respect cannot be at the forefront of a leaders mind. During war and civil unrest quick decisions must be made and its impossible to take the time to listen to everyones concerns.Morality alone does not make an effective leader. Many dictators have led on a self proclaimed basis of morality only to lead their countries into war and turmoil. Effective leadership involves moral judgment and respect from peers.

Nations should pass laws to preserve any remaining wilderness areas in their natural state, even if these areas could be developed for economic gain. Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position. We’ve have only one earth to live in. If the current pace of deforestation continues, soon enough we’ll lose all the wilderness across the globe. This will lead to a complete imbalance in the ecosystem which might lead to total destruction of human civilization. So, in order to mitigate this danger of doomsday, nations should implement laws to protect the existing wilderness. The economy around the world has grown because of the exploitation of the natural resources. To meet the demand of food for the growing population, more forest is cleared each year. In order to supply daily supplies like toilet papers and towels, printing paper and newspapers a vast swath of forest is cleared. Some of these actions are irreversible. Those cut trees cannot be easily be replaced. A lot of wild animals gets killed during the deforestation. Soil erosion can occur in these barren land and become infertile. The end result of the destruction of wilderness due to human activities will be life threatening for all the flora and fauna living in this earth. The imbalance in ecosystem will lead in extinction of a lot of animals and plants. Therefore, it is imperative that nations make laws to protect whatever wilderness is remaining. To have laws to protect the wilderness is easier said than done. It will be a challenge to meet the demand of food and other consumables for growing population without the expense of the wilderness. Therefore, in parallel to the legislation to protect the wilderness nations must also invest in science and technology to increase production so that the available space and resources is utilized to meet the demands of its subjects. Nations should also invest in educating its citizens to minimize waste and be environmentally conscious.

Dear Friends, I am very soon starting my Pharmacy internship and would really appreciate if anyone in this forum could guide me how to start preparing for Naplex exam? what are the best materials/books/resources to use for this exam. Is any one in the same position as me , then we can form a study group online Many thanks in advance for your great help. Rakesh Parbatani

Hey everyone. First off sorry if this is a repeated question-- I looked around but didn't find an answer. Of course mods should feel free to delete this if it is. I'm a senior in undergrad and just applied to a boatload of PhD programs (I posted my profile evaluation here http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/160633-okay-why-not-do-i-have-shot-funding.html). But, after spending some time on this forum looking through old threads it seems the consensus is that someone from my background (high GRE & GPA, strong LOR, but no RA or TA experience and coming from an unknown LAC) can really benefit from some time as an RA. I'm not at all opposed to this idea; my goal is to teach and research at a university (not necessarily a famous or highly ranked one) and if RAing for a year or two was necessary I think it'd be very worth it (and that I would enjoy the work!). My question is this: given that I've applied to a bunch of programs, and that I do think I have at least a decent shot at getting an offer I'd take, I'm not in a position to be hunting for RA jobs right now or applying to internships with the Fed. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that until I know whether I'll be accepting an offer or not, obviously. But I'm worried that by mid-march I'm going to be too late to land a decent RA position for 2019-2020. Is this a reasonable fear? What are my prospects for good research jobs going to look like this next spring, after grad school decisions role out? Any advice about timing for RA applications, or anything related to it is welcome. You all are such a great resource thanks guys !

Hi Guys, A colleague of mine has an open RA position for quant marketing. This would be a great position to strengthen your profile if you're looking to apply in the next year or two. Dropbox - RA job description.docx

Under what circumstances is it better to try and get an RA position between undergrad and PhD? I've heard that it's not very value adding if you've already done a lot of research in undergrad, or that it's mostly valuable for someone coming from a non-econ background. Does that mean it's a mistake to apply for a full time RA position after undergrad if I've done math, econ and gotten research experience?

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.

I'm planning on applying for some RA positions at top institutions, and I have some concerns, primarily GPA and grades. (my school is known to be hard with some grade deflation). I was wondering what my chances are for getting into such RA position. And just advice in general will be very helpful :) (which math/econ courses to take, etc, what to do to maximize my chance for top 20's) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 20-25 Private Research University Undergrad GPA: 3.5 GRE: N/A TOEFL: N/A Math Courses: Calculus I-III (A,A,A), Intro to Proof ©, Intro to Matrix Algebra ©, Advanced Matrix Algebra (A), Discrete Math (B), Differential Equations (A), Algebraic Structures (A), Operations Research (A), Stochastic Methods (A), Linear Algebra (A), Real Analysis I & II (A,A) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro, Macro (A, A), Microeconomics I (Grad level; A) Econometrics (B, B), Market Design (B), Econometrics I (Grad level; A) Letters of Recommendation: N/A Research Experience: RA for my macro professor for more than a year, an independent study under him, plan on working with a well-known professor/author for a standard economics textbook Software Skills: Proficient - STATA, R, SAS, EXCEL, python Concerns: GPA, grades Thank you very much.

Prompt: Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. youth are building blocks for any nation. They are open minded, willing to experiment, try new things. It is important to analyze the trends of its youth to understand contempory culture. But I do not agree completly with the author. We can not ignore old people while understanding any culture as they and their behavior have huge impact on young people. First, Youth learn more from society and surrounding. Every youth receives cultural values from his parents. So in that way they are the blue print of the society. They reflect same thing which they receive in home, school and neighbourhood. For example if you meet an indian guy he will greet you by saying namaste in contract to a chiness guy who will welcome you by saying ni hao. Also, Youth mind is very open to try new things and experiment. They keep themselves up to date with current trends. They notice people around and based on respect and fame others receiving they follow them. Also movies have huge impact on their mind. After globlization, they come to know about new things every day. They know culture of other cuntry poeple because of internet and other communication mediuam and youth eagerness force them to experiment. For example, wearing batman tshirt is common trend amaong youth accross countries. However, we can not ignore old people while understanding contemporary culture. As we all live in era of globlization and whole wolrd has infulence on us. Being youth, we seek for instant name, fame and glory as our mind is not matured enough. So what ever is trending in one country youth same would be trending in other country youth as era of social media and internet has brought everyone together with vile. Where as old people continuous the tradition. For example, if you see youth of india you will not be able to understand indian culture as all youth are driven by western culture and our parents are actually carrying actual indian culture with them. Therefore, it is required to see trends among youth but at the same time we can not ignore older people to understand contemprary culture. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.