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Hi all, I need some expertise on which US schools to target (since I am not from there). I am little afraid that my lack of "official" maths courses will reduce my chances. Primarily I am interested in the straight PhD Econ program. Yet, some business schools offer PhD financial econ programs (through a management phd track), which seems appealing given my background. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BSc Econ Top 20 UK - Top 150 World Undergrad GPA: 3.4 (much stronger GPA in stats than econ courses) Type of Grad 1: MSc Econ Top 5 UK - Top 50 World Grad GPA: 4.0 (PhD courses in macro, micro, metrics) Type of Grad 2: MSc Finance LSE Grad GPA: TBA GRE: will be taken in the next few weeks Maths Courses: calculus (A), algebra (A), applied mathematics (B), 4 semesters of statistics and probability (A*), real analysis (online course) Econ: PhD macro (A*), PhD micro (A) and 5 semesters of metrics classes (usually A* or A), quant. finance (A), various electives ranging from monetary econ (A*), intn econ (A) etc. [i don't think those are too relevant] Letter of recommendations: Former Harvard PhD Econ (supervisor), former Oxford PhD econ(school director) and an economist I RA'ed for Research experience: one year as part-time RA in financial economics. Throughout 17/18, I will be an RA at the ECB Research interest: monetary, macro-economics, intn. finance, time series metrics Given my background and research interest, what schools are realistic to target? Many thanks in advance!!!

Hi everyone- I've been lurking for a while, but I'd like to ask for some help on starting my graduate schools search process with the goal of applying in the Fall or Winter of this year. I just graduated from my BSc Hons and I'm taking a year to work and apply for graduate programs for the Fall 2018 term. So far I'm primarily interested in Canadian MA programs (UofT, UBC, Queens, McGill) but I'd like some feedback on my profile to determine whether it's worth it to apply to any top international programs like LSE, UCL, Boston University or Duke. My long term goals are to work in the public sector in Canada, an international organization or in a think tank. If I can accomplish this with only an MA then I'd be open to it, but I'd also like to keep the door open to pursue a PhD if need be. If anyone has any tips on applications, or any suggestions on programs that I ought to look into, that would be much appreciated. Here's my details: PROFILE Type of Undergrad: Mid-level Canadian research university, with a reasonably strong MA and PhD programs. Undergrad GPA: 4.06/4.3 *Note: the Canadian GPA system is essentially the same as the US, with an A grade receiving a 4.0, but an A+ grade (above 90) receives a 4.3. GRE: Still have to write. Reasonably sure I can do well- my fundamental math skills are very good and my analytical writing is superb thanks to beginning my undergrad as a philosophy major. Math Courses (Undergrad Level): Calc I-II (A+,A), Statistics I-II (A,A), Linear Algebra (A-), Multivariate Calc for Economics(A+). Econ Courses (Undergrad Level): Standard Intro and Intermediate Micro/Macro with A/A+ in all. Labour (A+), Public Finance (A+), Poverty and Inequality (A), Advanced Micro and Macro (A+ in both). Econometrics I-II (A+, A). Bunch of other economics electives with A- to A+ in all (except for a B+ in international finance!!!). Econ Courses (Grad Level): Took a masters level Health economics course with a well-published prof and received an A+ Other Courses Taken: 7 philosophy courses with A+ to A- grades. A few Poli Sci with A/A-. LOR: I have commitments for 3 letters. Strong commitment from a very well known prof in my field of interest- Yale grad, visiting prof at Oxford, published 100+ articles and over a dozen books. Another from a reasonably well-known prof who taught me the graduate health course (UBC grad). 3rd is basically unknown but was my honours advisor and knows me very well. Research Experience: Econometrics term paper, won award for best econometrics paper. Honours thesis (also won award for the best honours thesis). Currently working as a research assistant in the Canadian government. Teaching Experience: Private tutor for 1 year. Research Interests: Poverty and Inequality, Public Finance, Population Health, Labour Concerns: I realize after reading this forum that many top students take many more math courses than I did. I do very well in math, but I elected to pursue a philosophy minor instead. While I do not regret it, since I feel that it's benefited me personally and intellectually, I wish I had taken Analysis. I will almost definitely graduate top 5 in my class, but I feel like that would mean more if I had gotten an A grade in an advanced mathematics course. Hopefully doing well on the GRE will signal that I have math ability.

I understand at this time it may be too late to ask this question, but I certainly would love some advice. I have already submitted all the applications, but I am not sure what chance I have to get into one of these programs. Any comments on my profile and on the programs that I am applying to are welcomed. Many thanks to my fellow applicants. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 10 LAC in US, very good relation with all the schools I am applying to Undergrad GPA: 3.90 Overall / 3.97 Economics Major Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: V164+Q170+AW4.5 Math Courses: Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Probability Modeling Econ Courses (grad-level): Macroeconomics, Game Theory, Real World Organizations Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Econometrics, Adv Micro, Adv Macro, Adv Econometrics, Economics of Immigration, International Trade Theory, Behavioral Economics (IP), International Macroeconomics (IP) Other Courses: Semester abroad: Probability Modeling, Macroeconomics, Game Theory (Excellent), Real World Organizations (Very Good); taken at a very prestigious master program in France (graduate-level) Letters of Recommendation: 1 from the professor who initiates the exchange program, the author of a widely-used textbook in the field, in very good relation as our school is the first US institute to have an exchange program with the French school, and I was the first ever nominee 1 from my academic advisor, professor of intermediate micro/behavioral, knows me well 1 from my intermediate macro/adv. macro professor, I survived his to-be-said hardest econ class on campus although personally I did not talk to him as much as I did to the other two professors Research Experience: 2 RA experiences, one in Behavioral Economics, one in Geography Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Behavioral and Experimental Economics SOP: average, nothing too special, plainly stated my ambition and relevant academic background (I chose econ courses only in advanced level beside the cores, and seized the opportunity to take graduate courses in France) Concerns: mediocre resume, no significant RA experiences, did not do very well at semester abroad (one Excellent, one Very Good, one Good, one Satisfactory, by French standard actually not too bad) Other: I am an international and a recipient of college scholarships, which rarely offered to internationals Applying to: MPhil Oxford (Oxford, UK), 2nd deadline MSc LSE (London, UK) MA Sciences Po (Paris, FR) M1 International Track TSE (Toulouse, FR) MA Columbia (New York, US)

Hi all, I'd really appreciate it if you could help evaluate my profile for a PhD in Economics. I am aiming for the top 15, and I have been worrying about aiming too high. Undergrad institute: UCLA, but non-US citizen Undergraduate Majors: Financial Actuarial Math, with a minor in French Undergraduate GPA: 3.80 overall, 3.73 major GRE: V161 Q170 AW 4.0 (worried about AW, retaking it in a week) Quant course works: 2 Multivariable calculus classes(A and B) , 2 linear algebra classes (A+ and A), differential equation(A-), real analysis (A-), 2 probability theory classes(A- and B+), loss models(statitsics-heavy) (A and A+), Intro to statistics (A) Econ classes: 2 Microeconomics classes (A+ and A), Macroeconomics(A-), Econometrics(A+), Economic Forecasting (A-) Other certifications: passed 4 SOA actuarial exams. I'm hoping that they will tell my quant abilities. Not sure whether they could compensate for my B and B+ in math. Research Experience: 2 researches in econ department, one in exchange rate and another in financial market (about 6 months each). Paper on exchange rate ready for submission. Relevant internship experience: actuarial internship with California Department of Insurance (mostly statistics and finance) LOR: research advisor (who also taught my econometrics and economic forecasting classes), faculty advisor for internship(who is my statistics professor), and a math professor with whom I took two math classes related to statistical modeling. Another professor in Econ and my internship lead this summer (who works in the government agent) are also willing to submit LOR. Current school list: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, CalTech, UChicago, Stanford, Duke, Brown, UCB, Cornell, Northwestern, JHU Any feedback will be appreciated. What are my chances of getting into these schools? Any program recommendations?

Hello, I really appreciate any thoughts on my profile. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Economics with honors, Math, and poli sci Majors from Top 15 economics program Undergrad GPA: 3.97 overall, 4.0 in econ and poli sci, 3.9 in math Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA:NA GRE: GRE: Q170 / V166 / AWA 5 Math Courses: calc 1-3, probability theory, linear algebra, Analysis 1, intro to Stochastic Processes, all A's , diff EQ's, and Theory of Single Variable Calc (AB's), Abstract algebra (IP). Econ Courses (grad-level): , Phd micro theory (IP) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): into micro and macro, honors intermediate micro and macro, stats for econ, econometrics, behavioral econ, public finance, senior thesis class Other Courses: Three poli sci classes I wrote data based analytical papers for. Letters of Recommendation: One from a Poli sci professor who knows me well and I wrote a quantitative paper for. One from my Honors thesis prof. He is a senior lecturer not a professor, but has a PhD from a top program and has taught at top programs. One from CEO of the research company I work for who also runs a research center at my University, PhD in public Policy from top Program. Research Experience: Data driven papers in 3 poli sci courses. Senior thesis for econ. Worked full time last summer and about 25 hours a week during this semester at an education research company, working with large data sets in R. Will work as a full time research analyst after graduating in December. Teaching Experience: Tutored for the athletic department. Worked a lot there last year and a few hours week this year. Tutored a variety of classes, intro intermediate micro/macro and advanced electives. Met with students individually and in groups on a weakly basis so I feel its comparable to TA. Research Interests: Public Policy, labour, political economy SOP: talked about papers and work experience. Emphasized my interest in public policy. Spent way too much time looking at it so hoping its pretty good. Other: This is my fifth year of undergrad; I am only in two classes right now. Applying to: Mostly top 15 with a few 20-40 range, and Harvard Kennedy school for Public Policy PhD Concerns: working a lot and spent a lot of time on apps and GRE. I couldn’t put as much time into PhD Micro theory as I would have liked, at least that’s the excuse I am currently using haha. Will likely get a B, maybe an AB. I’d be personally happy with that, but I have heard this does not look good to graduate schools, and am worried I will have overreached with most of my apps if this is the case. Very grateful for any input!!

Dear all, I’m going to apply to some American/European universities next year, but I have doubts about my real level, I don’t know if it’s enough to get a place in some of the PhD Economics programs I’ve in mind. I would appreciate your feedback. PROFILE Type of Undergrad: Bachelor in Economics, from a top university in a South America country. Undergrad GPA: 4.0 Econ / 3.8 Math / 4.0 overall (first class honours) Type of Grad: Master in Economics, from one of the best program in South America, with a good PhD record. In the last recent years they put people in the PhD program of Harvard, MIT, Chicago, Stanford, Berkeley, LSE, NYU, UCLA. Grad GPA: 3.2 (graduated with academic excellence). RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Internship in the Research Division of Central Bank. Working Paper about fiscal policy (coauthored). Working Paper about monetary and macroprudential policies (DSGE model with financial frictions). My master thesis has two distinctions (the best qualification in the master program). I’ve skills in Eviews, Oxmetrics, Stata, Matlab and R. TEACHING EXPERIENCE I’m a teacher of a top public university in my country. I teach Macroeconomic Theory II and Dynamic Macroeconomics (RBC and Neokeynesian Models). LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION Two of them from my teachers of the master program, both have PhD from MIT but are seniors (> 60 years old), one is a distinguished academics and the other one is more oriented to public policy. The last LOR is from one of the most reputed academics of my country, PhD from LSE. All of them are macro oriented. CONCERNS I don’t take GRE and TOEFL yet, maybe in May of the next year (2017). I'm macro oriented…maybe more than is necessary. APPLYING TO I have these universities in mind: UCLA, NYU, LSE, UC Berkeley, Boston U, Northwestern, Columbia, Minessota, Pennsylvania, Cornell, Duke, Brown, Rochester, BGSE, CEMFI and UC3M, Conditional to a good GRE and TOEFL scores, do you think is it a competitive profile for universities I plan to apply? Thank you for the opinions.

Hi, I am applying for the 2017 admission cycle, and I am focussing on behavioral/ experimental economics for my PhD. I am looking forward to getting through to an Economics PhD program in Europe, and the following is my shortlist for now: University of Zurich, Stockholm School of Economics, Oxford, LSE and Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). The deadlines to most of these places are approaching, which is why I need any feedbacks that you may offer urgently! My profile is as follows: Type of Undergrad: Electrical Engineering, from a top 5 department in India Undergrad GPA: 7.96/10, placed in top 30% of my class. Type of Masters 1: M.A in Economics from top department in India Maths courses: Analysis (68/100), Probability and measure theory (72/100) Linear Algebra (70/100) Econ courses: Game Theory (60/100), Intermediate macro (70/100), intermediate micro (70/100), econometrics (66/100) Masters 1 grades : 63%, in the top 30 percentile of my class. Type of Masters 2: M.Res in Economics from University of Glasgow, UK (the program is new, but taught by professors who are well known). Courses: Intermediate maths (multivariate calculus, Real analysis, linear Algebra etc): A2, intermediate micro A5, intermediate macro A5, Econometrics B1 [ where A1-A5 correlates with 80-100 points in a 100 mark paper, and B1 is just below A5]. Ranked within the top 1-2 students in class. Dissertation: Currently in progress, should be a nice writing sample, not publication level work but promising according to my supervisor. Awards: I have received full University funding for my 2nd masters course. Letters of recommendation : 2 of the most senior professors in my current department, who are well-known in the Econ Theory community, but not behavioral economists. The letters should be quite strong. Research exp: I worked as an RA for 1 year between the two masters degrees listed above, and I am currently collaborating with a professor from the law faculty on a joint paper on internet economics. My dissertation is a paper on internet economics intersecting with IO. Teaching exp: none SOP: Since I shifted my concentration after my undergrad, my first Masters grades were below par. But with my second masters by research I have tried to fill up the gap, and thrown in some research exp in the mix GRE: 168 Q, 164 V, AW 4.0 Research interest: Behavioral/ Experimental econ. Am I aiming too high? Are there any schools, of a similar stature, that I should consider in addition to these? Please note, receiving funding is crucial for me, for example in places like LSE, where quite a few students self fund/ receive external funding. I would love to hear any suggestions/ thoughts that you may have! Thanks a lot

Hi everyone! Please look at my profile and tell me your thoughts and feedback. As an International student from quite un-kown university and no MS degree, I am still pretty much on the fence about the whole applying to PhD thing. Do you guys think I have a chance at all on this or am I really just delusional? Should I just go find a master degree first from a reputable US or at least top European schools then come back later? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! International female student from a Non Popular International University (Though top research one in my country) major : Pharmaceutical Science | GPA: 3.60 GRE : 322 (163Q159V) | TOEFL: 119/120 Research Experience: 2 years (started as senior thesis and now still working on it as research assistant) - the use of protein cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell (including nanoparticle formulation, antibody conjugation, cell cultures, electrophoresis, etc) 1 summer internship in Serbia - examining substance's anti-genotoxic effect on damaged cells (comet assay) 1 short (5 months) independent group research project on in-vivo test of plant extracts One publication under review on international journal (middle author) and one paper still on writing stage (probably won't help any) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Government research grant - for the group project Uni merit-based scholarship for one academic year Finalist on International chemical product design competition Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 1 Semester TA in lab 1 month RnD Intern at pharmaceutical company Currently research assistant in my undergrad uni I am applying to PhD in these universities: PennState University - Molecular and Cell Biology University of Maryland, College Park - Biological Science Georgetown University - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Florida State University - Cell, Molecular Biology University of Delaware - Biological Science Let me know what you think, thanks!

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: top 5 in the country (East Asia) Undergrad GPA: 3.82 Type of Grad: econ MA, may not finish the degree if I get admission for fall 2017 Grad GPA: 3.9 GRE: 154V, 170Q, 3.5AW Math Courses: Cal1 (B+) Cal2 (A+) Linear Algebra (A+) Analysis1 (B+) Analysis2 (B+) Statistics for econ (A+) math for econ (A), grad-Mathematical statistics (A+) Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro1 (A+) Macro1 (A+) Labor2 (A+) Metrics1 (A) Metrics2 (B+) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Cores - intermediate Micro(A+), Macro(A), Metrics(A+) advanced Micro(A+), Macro(A+) Fields - Labor, IO, public, game theory, financial derivatives, money&banking (all A+s) Other Courses: a few courses using STATA, R Letters of Recommendation: One for well-known micro professor, from whom I got two A+s. One associate professor, who has a very close relationship with me One assistant professor, who is my advisor and knows well about my research and skills Research Experience: a couple of short-term RA experiences won excellence prize in domestic research conference Teaching Experience: TA for undergrad econ course Research Interests: applied micro, labor, IO SOP: not finished Other: Toefl 108 with sp26 Concerns: I'm not sure about which range of rank I can target. Is my whole profile solid for top 30, or at least top 50? need some advices from sbd with experiences. Thanks.

Hi, as a fourth-year undergraduate student, I am quite anxious of my application for PhD Program on Marketing (CB track). Please help evaluate my competence. My profile stats are as follows. 1. Standardized Tests: GRE: Verbal 164 (94%); Quantitative 168 (95%); Analytical Writing 4 (56%). TOEFL: Reading (29) Listening (30) Speaking (24) Writing (29) Total (112/120) 2. Undergraduate School: Bachelor of Science on Economics; Bachelor of Science on Psychology GPA: (Economics) 3.95/4.00 (top 5%); (Psychology) 4.00/4.00 assessed by WES Tsinghua University, China (Top 2 University in China) Exchange Student on Economics GPA: (Economics) 3.84/4.00 University of Mannheim, Germany 3. Graduate GPA: null, I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student. 4. Research Experience: a) Independent Research as Term paper for the PhD Course Consumer Behavior Research I: Judgment and Decision-Making. Accepted by SPSP Annual Conference Undergraduate Poster Session. Proceeding as my Honor Thesis. b) Summer Research Assistant at Top10 U.S. Business School for 11 weeks, assisting with one part of Job Market Thesis. Designed Four surveys with data from MTurk. c) Research Assistant on Psychology for one semester. d) Research Assistant on OB for one semester. This research has been published at JAP but I had no authorship as RA. e) Training Editor for Journal of Marketing Science (Leading Scholar Journal in Chinese). 5. Teaching Experience: TA-ed One-Week EMBA Overseas Session at New York City 6. Work Experience: one irrelevant summer internship 7. Concentration Applying to: Consumer Behavior 8. Number of programs planned to apply to: over 20 9. Dream Schools: Any PhD program that gives me an offer. 10. What made you want to pursue a PhD? I simply want to be a professor rather than anything else. Research is inherently fascinating for me while industry is tedious and depressing for me. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? 1. What are my chances of getting into the Top 20 programs? 2. I have learned quite much courses (44 ETC) on economic theories, econometrics, statistics and industrial organization as an exchange student at one of the leading Econ institutions in Germany. But now I am determined on CB research. Do you think these Econ courses (typically for quant track) will destroy my application? 3. If I fail to get enrolled in any Ph.D. program this year, what research master programs on Econ or Psycho do you recommend for me to pursue my academic goal? 4. Do you think it is a better idea to get a Master Degree first if I wish to become a competitive Job Market Candidate in five to seven years? Best Regards and Many Thanks.

Hi All, Requesting honest opinion on my chances of getting into the Top 20 Economics PhD program in the US? I’m an Indian and all my schooling as well as work experience has been in India. Thanks in advance! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Bachelors in Telecommunications Engineering Undergrad GPA: No GPA system. Top 3% of class. First Class with Distinction. Type of Grad: Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA with specialization in Finance) Grad GPA: 3.07/4.00. Top 3% of class. GRE: 168Q, 164V, 5.0AW (Within top 95 percentile) Courses: Engineering – A+ in all Mathematics courses MBA - A/A+ in subjects like Statistics, Microeconomics, Financial Statement Analysis, Risk Management in Commercial Banks, Firms Markets and Global Dynamics. B+ in other subjects like Financial Institutions and Markets, Financial Reporting, Macroeconomics, Indian Economic Environment & Policy, Accounting, Risk and Valuation, Options Futures and Swaps, Asset Liability Management Research Experience: No formal research experience. Earlier this year I had written a 5-page research note (empirical analysis) but was not allowed to publish by my organisation due to conflict of interest. Letters of Recommendation: 1 Statistics Prof and 1 Economics Prof who can both write about my academic ability. 1 person who works at the Central Bank of my country and has a PhD. He guided me with inputs on the research note and should be able to write about my research potential. Work Experience: 7 years total. 3 years as a software engineer in a leading US aerospace corporate. For the last 4+ years, I have worked in a leading US Investment Bank as a Risk Analyst. The knowledge I gained here, was the basis of my interest in putting together the research note. Teaching Experience: None Research Interests: Macroeconomics, Public Economics, Risk Management Applying to: Northwestern, Chicago, UPenn, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, NYU, Columbia. Also some business schools such as Chicago Booth, NYU Stern, CMU Tepper, Wharton Upenn, Insead. Not applying to: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Berkley Concerns: None of my recommenders have a PhD from the US or are globally well known. They all have PhDs from India. Is this a drawback? Are the subjects highlighted good enough for the admissions committee to evaluate my level of proficiency in Math. Is my lack of research experience a problem? Any suggestions on what colleges I should target? Planning to apply to 20 max.

Test Scores: GRE 163 Verbal (92%), 161 Quant (79%), 4.5 Writing (82%) Undegrad GPA: 3.82, Top 5% Graduate GPA: n/a Research Experience: completed senior honors thesis, 2.5 years as research assistant Teaching Experience: none Work Experience: 1 year internship in communications, 1 year as analyst at market research firm Concentration Applying to: Consumer Behavior Number of programs planned to apply to: around 10 Dream Schools: Stanford, UChicago, UPenn What tier of schools should I be looking at? Are my scores too low for top schools? What makes an applicant stand out?

Hi I'd appreciate it if you can help me assess my profile. And currently, my dream program is the PPD in PSE, though I'm not sure whether it requires a GRE score (I can't find detailed requirements on the PSE website). PROFILE Type of Undergrad: Financing and Banking, Zhejiang University (Top 5 in China) Undergrad GPA: 3.95/4.00, or Overall Marks: 89.49/100 Math Course: Calculus I-III(92, 98, 91), Linear Algebra(89), Ordinary Differential Equations(92), Probability and Mathematical Statistics(97) Econ Course: Microeconomics(94), Macroeconomics(96), Experimental Economics (90), Econometrics (86), Intermediate Macroeconomics (87), Intermediate Microeconomics (90), Intermediate Econometrics (92), Financial Economics (94) Fin Course: Accounting(90), Management (92), Finance (94),Financial Management (84), International Finance (97),Financial Markets and Institutions (90) IELTS: overall 7.5 Intern: KPMG (Hong Kong), Bain (Hong Kong), CITIC Securities Research: Solution to Nonpoint Source Pollution, based on experimental economics RL: two from professor in school of economics in ZJU. Both of them are highly respected and actively publishing in China. Extracurricular Activities: President of Debate Team of ZJU (that's why I love policy research) Research Interest: development economics, policy research. Concern: My major is the elite program of finance, making the major courses half economics and half finance. The advantage lies in that some courses are Master equivalent while the greatest disadvantage is that I don't have much research experience in economics. Thanks a lot:excited:!!

Hi, I am applying for ECON Ph.D. for Fall 2017. I am interested in Development Economics. I plan to apply for top-tier and mid-tier schools but I do not know whether my background qualifies and what schools have good standing in development economics. My profile is as below. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Double major in Honors Economics and Mathematics, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Undergrad GPA: 3.77/4.00 (Cumulative), 4.00/4.00 (Economics), 3.79/4.00 (Mathematics) Type of Grad:N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Not yet taken. Taking one in November. Math Courses: Calculus II & III (A), Linear Algebra (A), Intro Differential Equation (B+), Intermediate Differential Equation (A), Intro Probability (A-), Intro Modern Algebra (A-), Advanced Calculus I (A-), Intro Math Logic (A-) Econ Courses (grad-level): None Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro Theory (A+), Intermediate Macro Theory (A), Intro Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A), Developing Econ (A), Environment & Resource Econ (A), Undergraduate Seminar (A), Honors Research (A) Other Courses: Business courses with mostly B~B+ Letters of Recommendation: One from my UMICH thesis advisor, one from Yale faculty whom I served as an RA, and one from either UMICH Econ professor or Math professor (NOT yet decided) Research Experience: On-campus RA, senior thesis, full-time RAs at IPA/Yale (1 year) and World Bank (2+ months, till June 2017) Teaching Experience: None Research Interests: Development economics, behavioral economics SOP: Struggling. Going to focus primarily on my RA experiences in development economics. Applying to: Top-tier programs (Harvard/MIT/Yale/Priceton/UC Berkeley) + mid-tier programs (still looking for) Concerns: 1) I do NOT have clear idea of what schools I should apply for considering my background and interest. I know MIT/Yale/Harvard/UC Berkeley have good faculty in development but I am afraid I may not qualify. I would like to know other schools which also have good standing in development econ with less competitive admission. OR at least I want to know how to find good programs which fit my interest. (should I focus on faculty?) 2) I changed my undergraduate major (Business -> Econ) in my second semester of junior year so I wasn't able to take as many ECON courses as my ECON friends. My GPA from previous major (Business) is NOT good (which is why my cumulative GPA is low), so I wonder whether this (less ECON courses taken & low cumulative GPA) will significantly affect my status. 3) I JUST started my GRE preparation so I only have a month to prepare. I am little less worried in quant with my math major background, but pretty much worried about verbal/writing as an international student. It seems that what really matters is quant section, but I just hope I don't get too low scores in verbal/writing to be out of application pool... 4) I have two ECON professors who could write rec letters for me, but I do now know whether I should ask the third one from another ECON professor or a Math professor. I would sincerely appreciate any answers, comments or advice. Thank you and best luck!

Hi All, I am a PhD (Finance) aspirant and would like to seek your advise for it. Can you please tell for what all B-Schools can I try in US, UK, HK. My credentials are as given below for your perusal. 1. Bachelor's in Electrical Engg. - Delhi College of Engg, New Delhi. 2. MBA - Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. 3. MS in Financial Engg. - National Univ. of Singapore. 4. GMAT - 730: 38 (V), 50 (Q). 5. Professional experience of 10 years in BFS analytics. 6. Areas of interest - Credit Risk Stress Testing, Stochastic Optimisation of Portfolios Looking forward to your reply. Thanks.

Hello Urch Community, I would like to thank you all for taking your valuable time out in helping applicants. I have been going through the forum for quite some time now, though this post is my first one. Once I have gone through the admissions process, I would like to help other candidates in their applications. I want to pursue a PhD in finance from the 'best possible' university in US. I am interested in the area of International Finance, specifically, Foreign Exchange, and Market Micro-structure. I would request the Urch community to shed some light on my chances of admission to the top programs and also recommend few schools where they think that I have a good chance of admission. Here is my profile: 1. Graduated last year from M.Sc. in Management - International Business program from the No. 1 business school in Canada. GPA - 82% (above average) 2. Currently working (after graduation) in a famous Management Consulting firm (Not McKinsey but close) in Canada. 3. GMAT Score: 750 (Q51, V40) 4. Bachelors degree in Engineering - Computer Science from one of the top engineering schools in India (not IITs but close). Here is one of my concern, though my maths skills in general are very strong, my maths grades are average (even had to retake few courses which is very common in this institute but I was also going through tough times) and my (undergrad) GPA is also just above average. I do not know how the admission committe will view this. Any ideas on how I can explain this part? GPA - 69% (First Class); last 2 year GPA: 74%; WES converted GPA: 3.24 and WES GPA of last 2 years: 3.5. 5. Research experience: I have kept myself engaged in research in finance for past 6 years (since sophomore year). I have published 3 research papers in finance (1 in undergrad and 2 in grad school). Two of the papers (published during grad school) are sole author papers. All 3 papers have been published in well-regarded journals (nothing top but nothing obscure) published by major publishers in the field. I have also presented in a well-regarded finance conference (nothing top, again) and done about 3 research internships (in finance) during my undergrad as Research Assistant during summers. I worked on data collection, writing programs to fetch data, literature review, writing reports, etc) My goal is to become a research professor in finance and publish in the top journals in the field. My three recommendations are from professors who taught me during the M.Sc program. I am sure they will be good as I was the most enthusiastic student and contributed the most to class discussions. I look forward to hearing from the Urch community. I really appreciate each and every comment you make. Thank you very much. Thanks, Urch member

Hi guys, I am planning to apply for Econ PhD starting on Fall 2017. But I am not sure which range of schools I should apply for. Hope you can give some advice. Specific school recommendations are welcome. Thanks. PROFILE: Type of Undergraduate: Bachelor in Economics, top university in China, not well-known worldwide Undergraduate GPA: 3.6 (Top 15%) GRE: TBD Math Courses: Mathematical Analysis(for three semesters), Linear Algebra, Intro to Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics. Econ Courses: Micro and Macro, Financial Economics, Economic History, Econometrics, Mathematical Economics. Electives: International Trade, Environmental Economics, Investment Principles, Law and Economics, Game Theory, Derivatives Analysis and Experimental Economics. RA Experience: RA at the Financial and Economics Experimental Lab of my university since October 2014; RA for one project led by one Harvard professor, stayed at Harvard for one month last winter and work remotely now; Research internship (12-week) at UBC now. Letter of Recommendation(Probably): 1 from Harvard professor(well-known), 1 from one professor of my university (also teaching in one good U.S Liberal Arts College) and 1 from my research internship supervisor of UBC. How much chance do you think I have of being accepted by Top 10 and Top 20/30? Where? And should I apply for a master program firstly? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

Can anybody be so kind and give me a feedback about my profile. Test Scores (Current GMAT: 580 (Q39/V31/IR 5)- yes I know this is not good enough and I have been studying for several months now so I can take it again soon. Also started working with a tutor. A 700 would be fantastic but I am not sure yet if I am capable of achieving such a high score.): I am struggling with this part of the application which frustrates me because I am a really good student. Undegrad GPA: 4.0 - solid as a rock. graduated in the honors program and published an undergraduate honors thesis at the digital library of our university. Graduate GPA: 4.0 - Will be graduating with my MBA this December and expect to maintain this GPA until graduation. Received prestigious fellowship at my university for high academic achievement. Also other schoolarships Research Experience: Undergraduate research for honors thesis, independent study which is an ongoing process of collecting data and it could possibly result in a publication someday once we have enough data. The professor who did the study with me will write this in his letter of recommendation that the study is an ongoing process and not completed. Another professor invited me to participate in one of his projects and become co-author. He sort of acted like my mentor at the beginning and I liked and trusted him that's why I didn't mind investing 100+ hours for this project coding articles. Well the end of the story was: he can't use it. There won't be any publication coming out of this. He then said "I promise you I will put you on another project" 2 days later he proposed another project of which I could become co-author and 3 hours after our conversation he withdrew his offer because I didn't respond the way he had expected it. It was a huge disappointment .... and not a happy ending for me with this mentor. Big words and no action. Even though this did not result in any publication I can still write about it as research experience. Then our endowed chair took me under her wing which is phenomenal. I like her a lot. She is super sharp. She actually has a well known name nation-wide in her field. She gets things done!!!! Seriously.... she is so much better as a mentor and I know she can help me in many ways. So she is taking me to a conference in October where I will be presenting our paper. I am extremely nervous about this because I am not a great public speaker but there was just no way I could say no to this offer. My university pays for my travel expenses. This is great. In addition I applied to the pre-doctoral student consortium they are having at this conference. If I could get a spot on that... that would be just ..... be incredible. Letters of recommendation: The female professor will of course write me an awesome letter I am sure, so will the professor who did the independent study with me. I already knew him as an undergraduate and his research interests are very similar to mine. So he understands what I am interested in. Teaching Experience: No teaching experience. I worked as a graduate research assistant for a year helping professors with their research and did a few other things such as pre-grading assignments, helped to facilitate business plan competition day and so fort. Nothing big really. Work Experience: 10 years as a bookkeeper, tax consultant and management accountant. Self-employed for another 5 years Concentration Applying to: Management in Organizations, Org-Behavior, with a heavy focus on international research in terms of work place diversity. I am interested in individuals and how they contribute to the work climate and conflict. Overall I do want to focus a little bit on culture, not organizational culture but human culture. This is what I am truly passionate about. Number of programs planned to apply to: I was thinking 10-15 Dream Schools: I asked my two closest professors to give me their feedback on the schools I had picked. I sent them a list of 10 schools and said I needed to pick 5 right now before I retake the GMAT again. Our choices (I am fully convinced of their suggestions so they are mine too.): Rutgers, University of Arkansas, University of Oklahoma, University of South Carolina, Florida International, maybe Georgia State The other choices I have picked but I am not really sure about yet are: UTSA, UMASS Isenberg School of Management, University of Missouri, University of Connecticut, University of Utah, University of Arizona, George Washington, Temple University (Fox), [TABLE=width: 240] [TR] [TD]University of Florida, [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]University of Illinoit Urbana-Champaign[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] If you have any opinion or useful advice or information please let me know. Researching universities is difficult. All I know is that I want to work with someone who has international research interest in management. [TABLE=width: 240] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] What made you want to pursue a PhD: I am from a true blue collar family. A college degree was never in my cards and not supported by my parents. That's why it took me so long to finally get my undergraduate degree and then went straight on to my MBA. I truly like learning and I like being challenged intellectually. During my first semester in the MBA program I had a pretty ugly team experience and one of the guys said to me right before our end-of-semester presentation when his betrayal and his lies became uncovered "You better such it up because this is what you will experience in corporate America." That's when I made my decision that I don't want to become part of corporate America. I want to stay in Academia and hope that I will make a difference for at least a few students. Concerns you have about your profile: My concern is my age. I am in my 40s.... much older than the regular applicant. I need to find someone who can see the value in someone who is in mid-life with tons of work and life experience. A truly mature person who can definitely contribute ideas to research from a different perspective. Any additional specific questions you may have: Yeah... how much does the GMAT really weigh on the overall application. What score do I need to aim for? I am guessing a 700 would be good for many schools if the rest of the application is good. Also, what do you all think of my school selection. Granted they are not top 10 or top 20 schools but I still believe they are decent school which can provide a solid education and guidance for PhD students. I am looking forward to your feedback. Thanks Silvia