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UG Top20 Math (3.9)+Science (3.6), overall 3.7 due to not studying -- partying too much during UG. No econ courses. I did well in UG real analysis and stochastic process, but I did not take any graduate level Math courses. Master Top 20 management, 3.7 due to not studying -- I am working and doing research at the same time. Some Econ courses but at the B-school level only. My work is policy related; not a top place/big brand. GRE: 160/167/4.5. I did not study for it because I got research to do. I can try to invest several weeks to score a 169 on V/Q but I guess it is unnecessary. Math Course: about 20 undergraduate level math courses, including calculus series, analysis series, linear algebra, algebra series, ODE, PDE, geometry, probability, statistics, stochastic process, math-fin. Mostly A with few A- and one B, 3.9 subject GPA Econ Courses: Business school econ courses, not PhD level, mostly A, one B. Research: One top field with revision requested. Two top fields submitted with AE/Editor coauthoring. One other working paper that could be tried to submitted to top 5. My research is between consumer theory, IO, policy, and a bit finance-related. Presented in top Economics/Business conferences (like AEA AFA) for five times. Letter writers: Currently one strong econ letter from a senior in top 5 (coauthor, regular meeting); one b-school letter from a senior top 5 (coauthor, met for several times); one strong stats/math letter from a senior in top 5 (coauthor, regular meeting last year); one letter from an econ AP (non star) from top 20 (taking courses only); one letter from an econ AP (non star) from top 20 (coauthor). May invest more time to find better letter writers. # of school to be applied: Honestly I don't know. If the number would not cause a problem for letter writers, then I would try to apply to as many schools as I can. Dream Schools: US top 5 or UK top 2 As a nontraditional applicant, I know that in top places UGs with perfect grade and a good thesis are preferred. So what shall I prioritize? Here is my list: 1. Revising papers 2. Submit to Top 5 3. Get another stronger letter in Econ/B-school 4. Write an impressive SOP to explain my experience, non-traditional background, and my poor grades 5. Improve GRE Does it sound reasonable? Thank you in advance for your advices!

I've been pretty dead-set on pursuing an Economics PhD since my sophomore year of undergrad, but I came into college with a very bad math foundation. In high school I almost failed Algebra 2, and that poor early exposure has haunted me through undergraduate courses. I feel like I've definitely improved, and my math grades this semester should be As or at least A- (doing well so far), but I would like some blunt honesty here. There is no doubt in my mind that I want to do an Econ PhD, I just would like to know exactly what I'll need to do in order to compensate for my mistakes/deficiencies. I am open to RA-ships or masters programs to strengthen my application, but only if absolutely necessary. Thanks! Type of Undergrad: State flagship, ranked top 20 USNews for Public Schools, Top 40 Econ IdeasRepec Undergrad GPA: Overall 3.63, Math GPA 2.51, Econ GPA 3.81 Type of Grad: N/A (1 course taken while undergrad) Grad GPA: N/A (A) GRE: 170Q, 170V, 4.5W Math: Calc 1/2/3 (B-, A, C), Linear Algebra (B), Intro Proofs (B-), Math Probability( IP), Real Analysis 1 (IP) Econ: Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (B-), Wrld Econ Hist (A), Econometrics 1 (A), International Econ (A), Pub Econ(A), Global Econ Dev(A), Econometrics 2 (A-), Labor Econ(A), Graduate Micro Theory (A) Other Courses: Intro Stat Analysis (B+), Data Analysis w/ R (A), ArcGIS(IP), Land Use (IP), Econ Research Methods (IP) Recommendations: 3 currently ready, looking for more. One is my grad micro theory prof that I also RA'd for, he is an Assistant Prof. The second is full professor from our agricultural/environmental econ dept, she is my thesis advisor and I've been in her graduate research group for 2 years. Third is Fed economist that I RA'd for over a summer. Research Experience: RA for micro professor, RA for Regional Fed economist (top 10 PhD), senior thesis, NSF-REU internship. Research Interests: Rural/Urban economics, Labor Economics, Political Economy, Environmental Concerns: My math grades are abysmal, but I believe with an upward trend (will be too late for my real analysis/probability grades to show up on applications). Also my strongest/most passionate letter is from an AP who is well published (two top 5 pubs) but not well known. Other: I have the option to return to the regional fed I interned at and work as an RA for 2-3 years. I would take this option but I would much prefer to pursue a PhD now, unless I have a clear plan on how to maximize the return from the RAship. Applying to: I want to leave nothing to chance, so ~30 schools (using internship money to finance app fees). All top 10s (reach), majority of top 20, then regional preferences from 30 to 40. I would be very happy to get into specifically Penn State or Michigan State, but I know that I'm probably a weak candidate so I'll be grateful for anything.

Hello everyone, I have been a long-time lurker on this forum and finally made up my mind to post my profile for evaluation! I graduated in 2017 and am currently half way through my two-year predoctoral RA fellowship. I plan to apply to PhD programs in Economics and Finance this cycle (will post the same thread in the PhD in Business forum as well :)). Below is my profile. Please share your thoughts. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: State school, ranked 70-80ish on U.S. News Majors: BS in Economics, BA in Math Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.96 | Economics: 4.00 | Math: 3.85 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: V160 | Q168 | AW (still waiting for my writing score this time, last time I took GRE I got a 4) Math Courses: Calculus III (A), Linear Algebra (A), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Number Systems (A, this is the intro to proofs class in my school), Ordinary Differential Equation (A-), Real Analysis I (B+), Real Analysis II (A) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Monetary Economics (A), Intro to Econometrics (A, first part of Econometrics), Economic Forecasting (A, second part of Econometrics), Advanced Macroeconomics (A), Risk Management and Insurance (A), Research Seminar (A), Honors Thesis I-II (A, A) Finance Courses: Financial Management (A), Investment (A) Research Experience: 1) Currently a full-time research assistant to two finance professors working on monetary policy and banking related projects. The department is ranked among top 5 in finance according to the U.S. News. I have been on this job for a year and will stay here for another year. 2) 1.5 years of research assistantship to one of my undergraduate econ professors. The research I worked on was related to behavioral and experimental economics. 3) Honors thesis project related to household finance. Letters of Recommendation: 1) and 2) from the two finance professors from my full-time RA job mentioned above. They are both tenured professors and well-respected in their fields of expertise. I hope I can get two strong letters from them. 3) from the econ professor I RA for in college (same professor mentioned in research experience (2) above). The professor is also my honors thesis advisor. He is a junior professor but got his PhD from top 2. Should be a very strong letter. 4) from the Economics Department Chair from my undergraduate school. I took Intermediate and Advanced Macro with him. He is also the director of the senior honors thesis program. He could speak of my academic abilities. Should be a decent letter. Teaching Experience: None. Only tutoring experience. Research Interests: Household Finance, Public Finance, Financial Economics SOP: I have not yet written my SOP. Other: 9-month consulting work at MBB right after graduation, but I doubt it would have any positive impact on my profile. Concerns/Questions: 1) How would you view the trade-off between the verbal and quant scores in GRE? The first time I took GRE I got a perfect score in the quantitative section but my verbal score was a bit low (in the low 150 range). The score I reported here is from my second try. As you can see, my verbal significantly improved but I only got 168 in quant this time. Do you think I can survive the first-round screening process with my current score? Or do you think it's better for me to resit and aim for 170 in quant and 160+ in verbal? 2) I am a bit concerned about my B+ in Real Analysis I. Do you think my A in Real Analysis II can "make up" for it? 3) My undergrad education is not going to impress any admission committee and there's nothing I can do with it at this point. But do you think if there's anything else I can do (regarding other aspects of the profile) to strengthen my profile between now and December? 4) I plan to apply to both Economics and Finance programs. What range of schools do you think I should aim for?

I always believe that we can learn something from the helpful forum. So any comment is warmly appreciated! And in fact my profile may seem a little bit weird since I only spend 2 years in my home institution, then during my exchange period in Master 1 international program, which is my junior year, I was admitted into a formal master program (Master 2 ETE program in TSE)and will be granted a master degree in my senior year. Many thanks for your kind patience in advance. Type of Undergrad: Economics & Math, top university in China from 2016 to 2020. Undergrad GPA: 3.9/4.0 Ranking 1/239 (Freshman and Sophomore Year) TOEFL:105 Undergrad Econ Courses: Principles of Microeconomics(A-), Principles of Macroeconomics(A), Intermediate Micro(A), Intermediate Macro(A), Labor Economics(A), Economic issues in contemporary China(A),Economics of Money and Finance(A), Economic History of China(A), Public Finance(A), International Finance(A), Foreign Economic history(A). Math Courses: Mathematical Analysis (I A, II A, III A), Linear Algebra(I A, II A), Probability Theory(A), Statistics(A), Mathematical Programming(B+), Real Variable Function(A-), Mathematical Statistics(A-), Ordinary Differential Equation(A-) Type of Graduate: Master 1 internation track in Toulouse School of Economics Graduate Econ Courses: 1st semester: Markov Chains(18.87), R programming (18), Intermediate Econometrics(14.6), Game Theory(11.3), Macroeconomics(13.7) 2nd semester Ranking 2/ 70+ in master student: Program Evaluation(17.125), Industrial Organization(18.5), Time Series(17.45), Behavioral Economics and Experimental Economics(17.5), Dynamic Optimization(19), Advanced Macroeconomics(17.7), Advanced Microeconomics(16.8) Going to be admitted into Master 2 ETE program Programming: Proficient in R, Stata, Matlab RA in progress: 1. Theoretical Economics, Contract theory and mechanism design (Ecno Prof) 2. Empirical Econometrics, Data Processing and Treatment effect analysis (Ecno Prof) 3. Nonparametric statistics, Mathematical Inferences (Math Prof) Research Experience: 2 final projects paper. Questions: 1. Can I aim at Top 5 in USA 2. How should I bolster my math side of things? 3. Weaknesses in application? 4. How can I make up for my weakness

Hello Urch, I want to apply for a Ph.D. program this year, but I have a lot of concerns regarding my chances due to my low profile. At the beginning of this year, I finished my master degree, and I was very excited to get a Ph.D. But after I read several profiles evaluation topics on this forum, I'm concluding that it would be almost impossible to get into any Ph.D. in the US or Europe. But I really want to get some opinions to move forward (to apply, to take another way or to give up). My Profile: Type of Undergrad: Public Federal University in South America in Business Administration. But, unfortunately, my university is almost unknown outside my country. In the positive side, the public federal universities are the best Unis in my country. Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): Planning to take the GRE in July 2019. Undergrad GPA: 3,12 (7,8/10 in my country). Type of Grad: Master at the same university in Business Administration (Corporate Finance Track). Graduate GPA: 3,4 (8,5/10 in my country). Research Experience: My MSc in Business was research oriented. So I have almost seven research papers/working papers: A paper published in a peer review national accounting journal; A paper published in the most recognized national business congress. Two papers in the most recognized national accounting congress. Two papers in the best finance congress and one working papers that I have to finish. They are all in my SSRN.com page. I think I can submit two of them to an international journal at the end of this semester. Teaching Experience: A semester as a teacher assistant (Corporate Finance class). Work Experience: Internship in a public audit office. Finance courses (Undergrad-level): Financial Management I and II, Financial Mathematics; Finance courses (Grad-level): Strategic Planning and Control, Asset Valuation and Corporate Finance. Econ Courses (Undergrad-level): Business Economics :( Math/Statistics (Undergrad-level): Introduction to calculus; Applied Quantitative and Qualitative Methods; Statistics for Business Research; Math/ Statistics (Grad-level): Quantitative Research I and II (Those classes covered subjects such as exploratory analysis, univariate and multivariate hypothesis tests, cross-sections and panel data analysis). I did a lot of accounting classes, but I don’t see how these classes will help me in Finance… LOR: I have 3 letters of recommendation, but all of these letters are from professors in my country: A LOR from my master supervisor (he is a decent researcher in my country), other LOR from the professor who accepted me as a teacher assistant and another LOR from a professor who is the chief of my university applied social science department. My question is: Sincethe GRE and the research papers are the only variables that I can improve right now, let’s suppose I can get a good GRE (>90% for Q and V), what do you recommend? Should I apply for a Ph.D. or a MPhil? I know that I have a bad GPA, a poor econ-related number of classes, a bad work experience, and that I’m from an unknown university/ country. But I have a decent research background and my plan is to work with empirical corporate finance research Also, due to the exchange rate conversion, I can’t apply for dozens of programs, so I have to choose carefully (10 or 12 programs) and I have to get financial aid too, since I’m not rich (all my savings are divided by 5 due to exchange rate conversion). I was thinking about the programs in Europe, because the majority of them offer financial aid: UC3M, HDHEC, ESSEC, IESE, ESSAD, HEC Lausanne (Léman, Lugano or Zurich), St. Gallen, CBS, Mannheim, and Frankfurt, or in Canada: Alberta, Queens, Toronto or McGill. I’m accepting more suggestions since some of those universities are the ones that I find because they have professors who publish papers that I used to read. 2. So, I really need some advice to move forward. Because, if I don’t have any chances to get a Ph.D. or MPhil, I will not expend my time (I’m studying 4-6 hours a day to take the GRE) and savings trying to do something impossible or something that I can’t pay for. Any help will be appreciated!

Hi all, I am a senior set to graduate in May. I am looking into attending a PHD program within the next few years, but wanted to get some work experience (and money) first. My job will pay for my any courses I take, so on top of this being a profile review, I am wondering if there are any additional courses I should/need to take to bolster my application. Type of Undergrad: Top 60ish University, Private Majors: Statistics and Economics Minor: Psychology Undergrad GPA: 3.84/4, 3.95/4 GPAs for both Stats and Econ Grad GPA: None GRE: 168Q, 163V, 4AW Math/Stat Courses: Calc 1-3 (A,A,A-), Linear Algebra (A), Real Analysis (B), Stat 2 (A), Regression Analysis (A), Mathematical Statistics I and II (A-,A), Data Mining-4000 level Stat Class (A), Analysis of Variance (A), Time Series Analysis (A Expected), SAS Statistical Coding Course (A Expected) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Mathematical Macro (A), Game Theory (A), Econometrics (A), Financial Economics (A-), Urban Economics (A), Economics of Public Finances Taxation, Expenditure (A, A), Economics of Crime (A-), Economics Thesis course (A) Letters of Recommendation: 3 Professors lined up as of now. All three professors know me well through leadership positions, taking multiple courses, or long hours of office hour discussion over graduate school. First is a respected prof from a top 5 PHD and UG The two following both went to top 30 PHD programs All three publish extensively in their fields. Research Experience: Did economic research with a department in my school (mostly for one prof) on public policy economics - works councils and unions. Worked about 20 hours/week for first semester, then 10/week for the second. One published paper (through the prof, obviously). This work led to my senior year thesis paper as well. Also, will have interned/worked at economic consulting firms for extensive periods of time. Unsure where to put this, but it bolsters my economic researching skills at least. Teaching Experience: Only tutored for statistics for a year, not sure if that counts, but it's here. Research interests: I/O, Public Policy

I'm planning to apply next year, currently mulling over my best approach to the next 12 months. I just took Real Analysis/Linear Algebra combo course at the school I am a full time RA at (post-grad) and am awaiting my grade, expecting a B+ or A- Question is whether to take more advanced Real Analysis coursework this semester, or use it to focus on GRE prep, or something else. Further plans include retaking Multivariable Calculus, and/or Linear Algebra (a standalone course as opposed to the combo analysis course I just took) next summer term, and something else next fall term at the last chance before the apps. Also wondering if and how much energy should be put into editing my thesis to get published. I have one year to get whipped into shape, help! Complete other consideration is to attempt to be an RA for 3 years rather than 2, and potentially move to a different department, more rec letter options, etc.. Here is my "top school, weak grades" rundown: Type of Undergrad: B.A. Economics with Honors (Top 5 Econ research University) Undergrad GPA: 3.29 overall, 3.55 Econ Type of Grad:N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: N/A Math Courses: Multivariable Calculus (P - took on pass/fail for fear of bad grade), Linear Algebra and Differential Equations ©, Stats ©, Stats retake under different course name (A-) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Macro (C+), Micro(B+), Metrics (A-), Independent Research Seminar (A), Honors Thesis (A), Case Studies in Economic Development (A-), Poverty and Impact Evaluation (A-), Intro Econ (A) Other Courses: Computing with Data (Basically an R class) Letters of Recommendation: Thesis advisor (very prominent development economist), current PI (AP at a top policy department, econ PhD from a top 20), 3rd letter TBD Research Experience: Currently a full time RA at a top policy department (working on economics research for an economist professor); Two independent development papers written, one published in an undergraduate journal and other working on getting published in a real journal; undergrad RA position with a prominent economist 1 semester; undergrad RA position with a PhD candidate in econ department 1 semester; undergrad RA position with a top Poli Sci professor 1 semester. Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Development, Poverty, Inequality Concerns: Obviously my math grades. Other: Interned at a prestigious development organization on less analytical things, completed many more niche Global Poverty and Inequality courses and did very well. Coding skills: Stata, R, LaTex, ArcGIS, QGIS Applying to: Likely all top 10, bleeding selectively into top 20

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Test Scores: 313 GRE (164 Q, 149V, 4 AW) GPA 1. Bachelors - Engineering - 9.39/10 ( Engineering) 2. Engineering Management - 3.8 /4 (Pursuing now) - Research Experience: 0 Work Experience: 5 Years (Automobile industry in India ) Concentration Applying to : Organization Behavior Number of Programs Planned to Apply to5 Dream Schools- What made you want to pursue a PhD? Love for teaching and the desire to explore Management - micro organizational behavior Questions or concerns you have about your profile? My doubt is regarding my 1. GRE Score - Is it good enough? I mean, I have a good Quants score and poor verbal score - What are my chances to pass the min cut off of institutes for consideration ( Given that I cannot retake my GRE/gie a gMAT now) 2. Letter of recommendation - All my recos are from my engineering prof - will this help? 3. Will my background in Engineering be a deterrent in my application