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Phd Business Economics Evaluation ( Planning to Apply Fall 2021): GRE: 329 (Q: 167, V: 162) Should I retake GRE, because of quant?? ( Pretty sure I made some random silly mistake) TOEFL: Reading : 29; Listening: 28; Speaking & writing: Yet to get scores. Undergrad: NIT Durgapur'2017 , India( Chemical Engineering)- 8.20/10 Grad: IIM Indore'2019 , India(-MBA ( 3.38/4.33, Top 10% out of 540 students) Research Experience: IIM Indore: Microeconomics - Course of Independent Study Project- Given Presentation to Economics Department ( Awarded a credit ). Was working on the paper but it is still incomplete not sure if it is going to be completed before I apply. IIM Indore: Live Project ( Cost Analysis) with Idea Cellular (before the merger of Idea & Vodafone) -Worked in a group although- Term Paper submitted NIT Durgapur: Not relevant to econ research. Have a paper published (co-authored) in chemical Engineering in Springer ( impact factor 1.47) and a chapter (co-authored) in a book.4.NIT Durgapur: Final year Thesis (Chemical Engg) (In a group) Work experience: Deutsche Bank ( almost 2yrs) - Corporate Banking Analyst LORs: Microeconomics Professor -IIM Indore under whose supervision I completed the Microeconomics project Macroeconomics Professor- IIM Indore- Who took courses Macroeconomics Professor - IIM Indore - Who took courses Concerns: My first concern is the GRE Quant score which I know isn't good enough . I know my profile is lacking in the following: RA ships, Not enough math/econ courses. I am planning to take up online econ/math courses ( real analysis, measure theory) and R/ Stata courses as well. Kindly suggest some schools I should apply to for PhD in business economics/ managerial economics / MS in Public Policy? Also, should I consider retaking GRE because of my low quant score? Relevant Courses & Grades: Mathematics I :Functions of Single Variable,Functions of several variables,Integral Calculus, Multiple Integral, Vector Calculus, A (9/10) Mathematics II: Linear Algebra, Ordinary Differential Equations, Fourier series,Laplace and Fourier Transforms,Probability A (9/10) Mathematics III:Partial Differential Equations (PDE),Numerical Method,Complex Analysis,Optimization: (LPP)A (9/10) Advanced Numerical Analysis: Eigen Values A(9/10) Probability & Statistics A (3.783/4.33) INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE DECISION MAKING:LINEAR PROGRAMMING; B (3.367/4.33) Microeconomics Introductory Microeconomics Course A (3.867/4.33) Macroeconomics Introductory Macroeconomics Course A (3.917/4.33) Economics of Strategic Interactions Market Structures and Organization A ( 4.1/4.33) Macroeconomics of Developing economies: Growth Models ( Solow etc)A ( 4.1/4.33) Financial Markets & Central Banking, Monetary Theory & Policy B+(3.433/4.33) International Finance/ Economics B (3.1/4.33)

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.S. in Economics and Mathematics, large public school (USNEWS T15 Econ and Math) Undergrad GPA: 4.00/4.00 overall Type of Grad: Master's Grad GPA : 4.00/4.00 GRE: Not taken, but expected 160-164V & 168-170Q Econ Courses: Grad Micro Theory, Undergrad Micro, Macro, and Econometrics, Behavioral Economics, Grad Econometrics (in the fall) Math Courses: Calc I (AP), Calc-II(AP), Calc III, Linear Algebra, Diff. Eq, Upper Div Lin. Algebra (Honors), Undergrad Real Analysis (Honors), Probability Theory, Math of Finance, Stochastic Processes, Optimization, Grad Real Analysis (in the fall) LOR's: 2 LORs from top 2% RePEc, RAed with both for about a year and one is my thesis advisor. 1 LOR from one of my grad micro professors (was in the top quartile of the class) who also has a strong background (T10 PhD graduate and top 10% RePEc). Research Experience: Worked as an RA with Econ professor for as a freshman doing data work in Matlab. Currently doing my honors thesis on intellectual property and innovation, drawing from some concepts and tools in grad level micro. I got into a fellowship program under which I began this independent research work. Will most likely submit my thesis as a writing sample. Also interned at the Fed and did data and statistics work in R. Research Interests: Innovation, IO, Growth Theory Applying to: Mainly T10 US Econ but a few T20 Concerns : My research experience may be lacking. Also just not sure how much of a tossup the whole process is, especially when applying to T10.

Hello all wise men, I am in a desperate need of advice to calm myself and view this matter realistically, not with a too pessimistic nor too positive attitude. Also, please let me ask various and personal questions I have about Econ Phd admissions. To give you some background, I am a Purdue University (flagship, 50s National Ranking, 40s Econ Ranking, 20s Math and Stat ranking) undergrad in Economics Honors with Math and Stat minors. So, I will be completing Calc1~3, Linear Alge, Diff Eq, Foundations Analysis, Probability, Regression Analysis, Quality Control, Experiment Designs, as well as Econometrics, Trade, Micro Macro Theories, IO, Game Theory, Banking. My GPA is 4.0/4.0 for now, and I believe I can make it at least 3.9 by the time I apply and I graduate. I am also an RA to renowned professors here, and will be doing some TA and RA works at the department starting Summer 2021. So, I will get a lot of experience in Stata and may get decent LORs from top faculties who studied in universities like Michigan, Oxford, Stanford, etc. I will applying this year. Also, I am an international. I transferred to Purdue to study Flying, but ended up in Economics because of both my personal interest and COVID's detrimental impacts on Aviation Industry. I did not have enough money and time to transfer again to another prestigious university/college. I want to study Trade and Development. Here are my concerns: 1. The name of Purdue as an undergrad in this elitist world. 2. The timing of courses; I will be taking Diff Eq, Senior Honors Thesis, Probability, and some Stat courses and Econ courses during Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. I believe this means the performance in these courses will not be counted toward my admissions. Please let me know what this actually means in real world admissions. 3. Poor performance in prior university: I took some electives in a foreign university (quite good actually) for a year before I transferred. There I got 27 credits and GPA was about 3.2/4.0. How is this going to play out? I am planning to apply for the following universities due to my personal reasons (I want to go somewhere that is not too far from here): (1) Northwestern, Michigan, Wisconsin (2) OSU, Wash U (3) Purdue (Including AGEC), Notre Dame, UIUC, MSU What do you think my chances are at these universities? Also, I want some advice on AGEC. One of my plans is to pursue a AGEC Master's here and proceed to AGEC programs in places like Berkeley, Davis, and Maryland. How is this compared to the Econ PhD admissions? Better shot? AGEC vs ECON in real world academia? Would AGEC Master's with thesis be an advantage to ECON PhD admissions if I try once more after the Master's? Thanks for reading this long story+questions. Please help me out. I would appreciate any advice and opinions. Thank you.

I posted this a few months ago, but I’ve finished applications and I wanted to post and see if anyone else could give me insight as to whether I applied to the correct range of schools. Type of Undergrad: BA in Math and Economics from small LA school Undergrad GPA: 3.95 overall, 4 in economics, 3.85 in math GRE: 169 Q, 167 V, 5.5 W Math Courses: calculus 1-3 (A, A-, A), linear algebra (A), Intro to Proofs (B+), Diff Eq (A), Abstract Algebra (A), Topology (A), Prob and Stat I and II (A and A), Mathematical Modeling (A) Econ Courses: intermediate micro/macro (A), political economy of Africa (A), Environmental Econ (A), Game Theory (A), History of Thought (A), Senior Seminar (research thesis, A), independent research course (A), Econometrics (A) Letters of Recommendation: Three very strong letters from economics faculty at my undergrad. I know at least one professor will place me in top few students he has taught over decades of working at this university; the others should be similarly strong. Teaching: I worked for a year as a GRE and SAT teacher/tutor, not expecting this to matter much. Research: RA throughout undergrad for my professor’s consulting practice, and then two large undergrad research projects (senior thesis and an independent research course). Work: Since graduating I have been working as an economic researcher in state government dealing with unemployment and labor markets. I do data analysis, economic modeling, and time series forecasting. I have been very involved in the state’s economic response to COVID-19. Research Interests: Labor and macroeconomics. I spend a fair amount of space in my SOP linking my research in labor markets in my current job to my research interests. I applied to programs two years ago and got several offers in the 30s and 40s with two waitlists in the low 20s. Although I was happy with my results my partner got into an amazing MA program, and so I decided to work in research for two years and then enter grad school (I explain this in my SOP). I applied to one reach school, 2 schools in the 20s, 7 schools across the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and then two schools ranked in the 60s or 70s (I’m basing this all on US News, but I understand relative competitiveness holds fairly well across other lists/metrics). I know COVID-19 is going to make admissions this year tough and more competitive. Have I applied to a reasonably safe list of schools so that I should end up with a funded offer from somewhere?

Hi all. I’m planning to apply to Marketing CB PhD programs in the US (and one in Canada) and I’m a bit worried that I might come up short. How does my profile stack up? Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE: 163/80% (Q), 166/97% (V), 5/92% (AW) I’ve yet to take the TOEFL (will do so very soon) but I’m not worried about it. Undegrad GPA: BBA in Marketing (4 year, honors) at a top Asian university. GPA = 3.6, converted to 4.0 scale. Got rather average scores in math and stats (mostly Bs), but I got straight As in all Marketing courses, if that’s of any use. And my GPA has improved continuously, year after year. Graduate GPA: N/A Research Experience: I didn’t have prior research experience during my undergrad, because I didn’t think about being an academic until my final year. After graduating last year, I have been working with a marketing professor and their PhD student as an RA, and we co-authored an empirical paper where I’m third author. Did mostly literature review and theoretical development. It’s yet to be published though. Teaching Experience: TA to help grade assignments for an introductory marketing course. (Also have informal 1-1 tutoring experience, which I doubt would help my case.) Work Experience: Business/consumer insight analyst in a large MNC, first as a (full time) intern, then as a (part time) assistant, for the past 3 years. Concentration Applying to: Marketing, Consumer Behavior/Psychology Number of programs planned to apply to: 15+ (mostly rather reputable schools). While this may appear unselective, I’ve already whittled them down from 2x choices, by looking up each faculty member and their research interests to determine fit. Dream Schools: UBC Sauder (accepting “outstanding applicants with Bachelor degrees”), Kellogg, Fuqua, Anderson, Gies, Yale SOM, etc. LoR: I haven’t asked, but I’m hopeful that I will get one from my prof, one from their PhD student, and one from the prof who taught me CB (and gave me an A+). Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? Two factors: one was an inspiring CB course during undergrad, and the other one was my work experience as a consumer analyst. I enjoyed the RA experience and now have a taste of the rigors of academic life and writing. I’m particularly interested in nonconscious/priming, cross-cultural behavior and product aesthetics/design and would love to conduct research on them. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? - My GPA. Not terrible, but is it good enough? - My quant score (80%). Would that be a sore point for CB? - Math/stats. Besides the introductory courses during undergrad, I had some basic exposure to SPSS and data collection while working on the paper as an RA. But I fear this may not be sufficient. - No psych background/courses at all Any additional specific questions you may have: - Do I have to write a research proposal at this stage? (A full one, as opposed to “Briefly outline your research interests” in SoP.) While I don’t see it explicitly called for in most application websites, I’ve been advised that it’s nevertheless useful to submit to the adcom. Thoughts? - Being a professor is my ultimate goal. While I’m 100% committed to applying for PhD programs, I’ve been thinking about a Plan B should I get rejected to all of my choices. I was thinking of doing a MSc/MA in Psychology first (conversion), which would fill the gaps in my psych knowledge and research/writing experience, and then apply for PhDs in Psych/Marketing. Is this a good fallback plan in your opinion? Is it wise to apply for masters at the same time as PhDs?

My profile is below. Underneath that, I’ve written a few questions about my application, specifically about how to ask for LORs given some bad signals to profs and whether to address a permanent physical illness that came about halfway through my MA. Thank you in advance for reading my post! Any input is greatly appreciated. Type of Undergrad: Honors BA in Economics + Minor in Mathematics from Canadian university (top 50), 2014 – 2018. Undergrad GPA: 81 Econ, 77 Math or 3.7/4.0 Econ, 3.3/4.0 Math Type of Grad: MA in Economics from same Canadian university as BA (top 50), 2018 – 2019. The degree was a master’s but students can take the full first-year PhD course sequence, with option to take the prelims as an application to the 2nd-year PhD program. Grad GPA: 86 or 3.9/4.0 Grad Courses: PhD Micro I (85) PhD Macro I (84) PhD Metrics I (89) PhD Economic Mathematics (98) PhD Micro II (82) PhD Macro II (74) PhD Metrics II (81) MA thesis (92) GRE: 165V/166Q/4.5AW Undergrad Math Courses: Single Variable Calc I (72) and II (71) Multivariable Calc I (76) and II (88) Linear Algebra: Intro (72), Intermediate (67) Ordinary Differential Equations (74) Real Analysis (76) Undergrad Econ Courses: Micro: Intro (71), Intermediate I (87), Intermediate II (77), Advanced (80) Macro: Intro (61), Intermediate I (90), Intermediate II (78), Advanced (74) Metrics: Intermediate I (74), Intermediate II (81), Advanced (88) Other Econ: Labour (80), Math for Economists (90), Political Economy (88), IO (88), Empirical IO (88), Economics of Human Behaviour (83), Senior Thesis (87 over 2 semesters) Letters of Recommendation: I haven't requested any yet, as I'm still looking for advice on this Each of my LOR writers would know me in the same capacity—as a student in their PhD classes. I had great attendance, and was always attentive and interactive in class. I did not speak to them much outside of class. The 3 profs would be from (1) Micro I, (2) Metrics I, (3) both Econ Math and Micro II Research Experience: MA thesis was a literature review + research idea proposal (we weren't supposed to actually carry out the research) BA thesis was mainly empirical research using regression analysis. Research Interests: Microeconomic theory: consumer/decision theory, revealed preference Econometrics: nonparametric methods Public economics: poverty, education, health Teaching Experience: 2018 – 2019: TA for Introductory Micro and Introductory Macro 2017 – 2019: tutoring for my department’s economics tutoring centre 2019 – Present: private tutoring SOP: Background: I mention my MA and explain why I want to pursue a PhD after a year working in the private sector (data analyst) Courses: I highlight my MA coursework and my favourite courses Research: I explain my research interests and my research experience Other: I talk about my programming work relating to statistics and data, from my job and from my personal work, and how I hope to apply it to my research Other: Programming skills: I currently use R, Python, SQL, VBA at work for data processing and some regression and machine learning analysis. I used STATA and MATLAB when I was in school. Notes and Questions: I mention programming skills under “SOP” and “Other”. Is this relevant? To what degree should I emphasize these skills? My performance began to decline during my second semester due to the onset of a permanent physical illness, however I was not visibly ill and I did not tell anyone. It wasn’t until after my MA that I was able to get the symptoms under control and get my life back to normal. My profs are not aware of this aside from knowing that I wrote my exams with disability accommodations. I was given the opportunity to take the prelim exams, where I passed only micro on the first try and failed macro on the second try. On paper, there’s no evidence of this since I was a master's student, but my profs are likely aware of my exam results. Before I ask them for letters, I was thinking I should highlight that I was a master’s student and not a PhD student, since they probably don’t know that and because I think it downplays the severity of failing those exams. I believe my illness greatly affected my performance, but I’m not sure if that’s something I should share with them--ultimately, is there a net benefit to disclosing this info to my letter writers? Or on my applications? And the main question: given all this information, what rankings do you think I can get into?

Hi everyone, I'm applying for PhD programs for this upcoming cycle and would like some feedback on the schools I'm applying to and maybe some recommendations on where to apply to given my profile. I'd really appreciate any help. Profile: Type of Undergrad: Top 25 USNWR (general, not econ) Undergrad GPA: 3.62 Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: NA GRE: 168 Q 164 V 5.5 W Math Courses(list the grades for each course): Calc 1: B Calc 2: A- Intro to stats: A- Multivariable Calc: B Linear Algebra: B+ Foundations of math (proof writing class): A- Differential Equations: B+ Nonlinear optimization: A Mathematical Economics: B Probability and Statistics: A Real analysis: Got a C first time, but currently retaking at a different school, projected to get an A Econ Courses Undergrad(list the grades for each course): Princ. of Micro: A- Princ. of Macro: A- Intermediate Micro: A Intermediate Macro: A Prob and Stat for Economists: B+ Econometrics: A Money and Banking: A Money and Banking (this was a separate course with the same name I took abroad): A Economic Forecasting: A- Econ Courses Msc(list the grades for each course): NA Other Courses: Don't think these are relevant, but I was also a polisci major and got mostly A/A-s in my courses. Letters of Recommendation: One from former econ professor, used to be very high up in one of the federal reserve banks. Another from a professor I TA'd for and also helped a little with research. Last one from a math professor whose class I did well in and likes me. I expect all three to be pretty good letters, the first will likely be great since he really likes me and is tailoring his letters. Research Experience: Was an undergraduate research fellow in the political science department, co-wrote a study I presented with a partner at a small conference, helped a professor I TA'd for a little with his research (mostly just coding data). Will be doing research at my current job (data analyst) soon (I hope) on unique data. Teaching Experience: Was a TA for intermediate microeconomics, as well as a course in labor economics (did not really teach in this role, but made the class slides) Other (Notes, concerns etc.): Schools on my list right now are University of Washington, University of Notre Dame, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Syracuse University, University of California Irvine, University of Southern California, and University of Colorado Boulder. I'd really appreciate any insights into how competitive I am to get in (with full funding) at these programs, and also recommendations of other programs I should apply to. I'm mostly interested in labor and history, but political economy and macro are interesting to me too if that makes a difference. Thanks a lot

Hi, I'm beginning to focus on applications for Fall 2021 and would really appreciate any insight! I'd love any advice on where I can improve my application/what programs to apply to. Thanks! Test Scores (GRE): 163Q, 158V ; retaking this again in a month - aiming for 167+Q Undergrad GPA: 3.3 (major GPA: 3.8); BS Econ/Math Graduate GPA: 3.5; MS Financial Engineering Research Experience: 1. decision theory research paper (submitting for publishing in 2 weeks with well-known professor in the field) 2. industry research for biggest bank in Europe where my strategies were implemented firm-wide 3. master’s thesis on optimizing factor-based investing strategy & building a model using Bloomberg Teaching Experience: N/A Work Experience: valuation analyst focusing on intellectual property at a litigation consulting firm - 1 year + various internships with banks Concentration Applying to: decision sciences/strategy Number of programs planned to apply to: ~10 Dream Schools: MIT, Duke, University of Michigan, Boston College, UCLA Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? Working on research papers in school, specifically in my PhD level decision sciences class. I really want to be a professor so I know this is something I need to do. I’ve done almost all of my research papers on sports in uni so I want to continue to work within applicable strategic theory and model building in the same industry/field. The paper I wrote now has a model I built from scratch using Bayesian probability updating and forecasting focusing on the NFL. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? I know my undergrad GPA isn’t great, but I put my major GPA to show that I did well in my major after I switched into it. I want to aim for a 167Q on my GRE. Also I recognize that there are probably a very tiny number of professors that do research on sports and decision theory, if any. I’ve been trying to be open minded when looking at research done at the schools, but I think that regardless I can fit in as there are professor’s who do focus more on applicable strategy versus just working on abstract theory. Any additional specific questions you may have: I’d really appreciate any advice or insight into where to aim in terms of schools as I don’t know anyone who applied to PhD programs so I am figuring it out on my own (first gen college student). I looked at the UT Dallas Ranking (is this the specific list everyone is referring to when they mention ranks??), but again I'm not too positive on where to aim. Thank you so so much in advance, any advice helps!

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PROFILE:Indian with research and teaching experience Type of Undergrad:BA Econ from top 5 undergrad college in India Undergrad GPA: 7.5/10 Type of Grad: Masters in Econ from Tier 2 Private University (Research + Teaching uni) Grad GPA:3.4/4 GRE:167 Quant, 168 Verbal, 5 AW Further education: MPhil Econ from a top 3 econ dept in India to be completed in April 2021 Math Courses in Masters & MPhil(grade): Mathematical Economics (C+), Econometrics 1 & 2 (C+ & B+), Econometrics at Mphil included IV, GLS, NLS, Quantile,DID (B) Econ Courses Undergrad(grade):Micro 1 & 2 (A+ & B+),Macro 1 & 2 (C+ & B), International Economics(A+), Public Economics (B) Econ Courses Masters & MPhil (grade):Micro 1 & 2 (B & B),Macro 1 & 2 (B+ & C+), Growth Theory(C+), Development Models(B+), Public Economics(B+), Trade theory (B), Macro (MPhil)(B), Financial Economics (MPhil)(B). Other Courses: Urban Development(A), Rural Development(B), Letters of Recommendation:(1) Very strong from a professor from masters I took a course with and also assisted in research with.( 2) Strong from my MPhil guide (3) Strong from an assoc. prof I took two courses with during MPhil (4) Strong from a prof whose course I took and did a term paper for. Research Experience: 1 yr field research experience at a think tank in India. Co-authored two book chapters (not on macro which I want to do a PhD in) Teaching Experience: 2 yr teaching experience at undergraduate (taught Econometrics 1, Growth Theory and Statistics & Probability) Other (Notes, concerns etc.):GRE Quant score, less math courses.

Hi, I am a second-year master's student outside the US. I am planning to apply for PhD accounting programs this winter. From my country, it is rare to pursue PhD in the US, so I would appreciate the advice. (I posted almost same content a few days ago, but I noticed there was a typo in title and it didn't make sense. So, I re-post it with a few modifications. Sorry for messing the forum.) University: #1 top school in my country. Test Scores: I have not taken GMAT (I know it's behind desirable schedule), but my projection is 700-720 with Q50 or Q51. TOEFL score is 107 (R30, L30, S23, W24). I thin I can bump up the speaking & wring score to around 26. Undegrad GPA: B.A. in Economics, 3.8/4.0Graduate GPA: M.A. in Business 4.0/4.0 Research Experience: In my graduation thesis (undergrad), I wrote a research paper in archival accounting and got an award for it. I surveyed 100+ papers published in top journals, built original hypotheses, and found consistent results with my hypothesis. However, it was written not in English. I am writing a master thesis, in which I exploit a unique natural experiment to answer a question related to earnings quality. I am writing this in English, but I am not sure if I can finish it before application (so that I can send it as a writing sample.) Teaching Experience: None. Is this bad? Work Experience: I went master's program directly from undergrad, so I don't have any full-time work experience. However, I passed CPA exam of my country (not registered yet) and did an internship job at Big-four. Relevant classes: - Economics: I have taken first-year PhD level microeconomics (text was MWG) and econometrics (text was Greene). Moreover, I have taken second-year PhD course in econometrics (advance asymptotic theory etc.). I got As in these classes. - Math: I have taken (i) abstract linear algebra, (ii) optimization, (iii) probability and measure theory, (iv) functional analysis, (v) real analysis. I got As in these classes. - Finance: I have taken graduate-level financial economics class and derivatives class (stochastic calculus) Research Interest: Disclosure, Conservatism, Earnings quality, Earnings management. Although I have never done research in theory since there is no faculty who do theory in my univ., I also want to do research in theory (EM and disclosure). Letters of recommendation: (i) Accounting professor. My adviser in undergrad and master. She got PhD in my country and never published in top journals, but has published many papers in the second tier. She will strongly recommend me, but I am not sure if professors in the US take seriously at her words since she got PhD outside the US and have not published in top journals. (ii) (iii) Econ professors. These professors got PhD in US and have sent many students to top Econ PhD programs. I hope they will write that I have a solid econ background with the level that I can pass course-works of top Econ PhD programs. But, they don't know much about my research ability. Dream Schools: Stanford, MIT, Booth, Duke, Michigan, Penn, NYU, Columbia, Northwestern, Toronto, CMU, Ohio, Rice, Iowa, Florida, Illinois, PennState Question: - Am I aiming too high ranked school? I have read through many threads but I get the feeling that I can get into T50 schools. But, I am not sure I am good enough to get into T20 or T10. How do you think about my profile? Again since it is rare to apply for the U.S. PhD program from my country, any comment would be highly appreciated. - Is there any good second-tier school that facilitates both theory and archival? I got the impression that T10 schools offer training in both theory and archival, but some of the second-tier school don't have theory faculty. Thanks in advance.

Hi! This is my first post, so please let me know if there's anything I did incorrectly. I'm hoping to get some insight on how strong my profile is and what schools I might want to target for a Ph.D in economics. I am hoping to apply in the Fall of 2021. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BS Math/Econ from Top-20 school in the U.S. Undergrad GPA: 3.95+ Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: N/A Math Courses: Calculus I-III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Discrete Math. Planned: Real Analysis, Probability, Systems of Differential Equations. Econ Courses (grad-level): N/A Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Introductory and Intermediate Micro and Macro. Statistics. Planned: Econometrics Other Courses: C++. Planned: Python Letters of Recommendation: None yet. I am planning to write an honors thesis and have my advisor write a letter. Research Experience: RA for Ph.D student (1+ year), RA for assistant professor (this summer) Teaching Experience: None. Research Interests: Not really sure yet. I like theory and market design. SOP: Not sure what to put here. I haven't written it yet. It'd probably be about my desire to do research and create some sort of new impactful knowledge. My dream would be to popularize a new field the way Alvin Roth did. Concerns: Both my research positions are in economic history, but I'm not really interested in going into that. Will admissions committees assume I am interested or wonder why I am not? Other: Proficient in Stata. Applying to: Not sure yet. I was thinking I could find a few in the top 10 that I liked, and then spread out some more in the top 50. Maybe

Profile: Undergrad in Econ from top state school in India. Master's in Econ from tier 2 private research uni in India. Was a Teaching Assistant for 2 Graduate-level macro courses and 1 Bachelor's Micro course. Currently, working as an RA with a prof from a UK university. Undergrad GPA - 6.1/10 (Second Class) Master's GPA - 9.52/10 (Batch topper) GRE - Q167, V156 Coursework (Master's): Two-course sequences in Micro (grades A- and B), Macro (both A's) and Econometrics (both A's), Mathematical Methods (A grade), Computational Econ (A grade). Electives in Labor Econ, Time Series, Trade, Development, Political Econ, International Finance (All A's except Trade in which I have a B) Research Interest: Macro and Applied Economics Research Experience: I have done several term papers and other research projects. Currently working as an RA. Previous experience as a research intern in a B-school and Think tank in India for a couple of months. Concerns: 1. No math courses from the math department. Only taken mathematical methods courses in undergrad (B grade) and masters (topped the class) which covered topics like multivariate calculus, linear algebra, optimization. To compensate, I'm taking online courses in Multivariate calc, probability, stats, linear algebra, differential equations, although I don't know how much they would help me. 2. Very low undergrad GPA (probably equal to a low B or a C in the US). Not sure how much my performance in the master's program and research experience would be able to compensate for that. I am looking for suggestions regarding ways to improve my profile and what kind of colleges should I target for PhD in the US. I am not looking at top 20/30. Would something in the top 50 be achievable with my profile? I am also considering doing another master's from Europe before applying for a Phd in the US however there are significant time and monetary investments required for that. Any advise regarding this would also be appreciated. If possible, the kind of master's programs I should be looking at would be helpful. All suggestions are welcome! :)

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GMAT - 700 (V45, Q41) Undegrad GPA: 2.8 (English Lit) Graduate GPA: 3.7 (MBA) Research Experience: Currently doing RA work with a professor at my graduate institution within the OB Field and area of interest, will probably try and one one more project at least prior to applications. Teaching Experience: None (not sure if it's relevant but extensive coaching experience elite level athletes) Work Experience: 6 years varied experience: HR & Strategy at a major retailer, consulting at big 4, and most recently leading business operations at an AI startup post-MBA Concentration Applying to: Micro Organizational Behavior (work meaningfulness, motivation, values, emotional labour) Number of programs planned to apply to: 15-20 Dream Schools: Michigan, Northwestern Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? Primarily intellectual curiosity and tendency towards critical thinking work. Also, a passion for understanding how to make work better. My goal is to ultimately pursue academic research. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? Obviously my GMAT quant and undergrad GPA will be a big issue. I'm wondering to what extent should I address this specifically in my personal statement and/or statement of purpose. Is there any hope in offsetting this with decent grad school grades and a high verbal GMAT score? Any additional specific questions you may have: One of my references will be the professor I'm currently working with as an RA. I don't have super close relationships with my other grad school professors. If I ask a few other professors - is it okay if they are faculty in a different area? Ie. finance/economics?

I decided a bit late to try to pursue an Econ PhD--it's been a major of mine for a while, and I've been taking some math courses, but I do graduate in a year, so there's not just a whole lot of adapting I can do at this point. I understand the programs are competitive, and that's okay. I'd just like some thoughts on what I can do with what little wiggle room I've got, and what rank of school (Top 20? Top 50?) I should focus on. I'll work on my applications plenty, but that's easier to change. Graduating: May 2021 Type of Undergrad: Unranked (top ~120) U.S. University. BS in Econ, BA in Political Science & Spanish, Data Science minor. Think liberal arts school for what I’m studying--some research, but teaching-oriented. Undergrad GPA: 3.9+, should remain above or maybe dip into high 3.8s GRE: 170Q/170V/5.5 Undergrad Econ Courses: AP Macro, Intro Micro, Intermediate Macro/Micro, Applied Econometrics, Theories of Economic Growth, Labor (As). Game Theory and History of Econ (the latter required, unfortunately) planned. Math Courses: Linear Algebra (A), Stats (A). Calc III (summer), Mathematical Statistics planned. I have two spots open, and I’m trying to get into Advanced Calc I, but I don’t have the prerequisites; without a waiver, ODE + PDE or ODE + some proofs course. Other (Relevant?) Courses: Intro to Data Science (A). Data Mining planned. LORs: Professor I had for Intro Micro and will have for Game Theory (Dept Head), other I had for three courses and will assist with (informal) research over the summer. Unsure on 3rd, so will be shakier--but could be related to a fall research project. Programming: R, limited Python Research Experience: None in Econ at the moment, will have limited experience after summer. Was chosen for a Canadian Fulbright for the summer, but, y'know, pandemic. Fall project and (Spring) senior thesis planned. Teaching Experience: I tutored HS students (in government and US history) this past year; TAs are basically STEM-only at my UG. Work Experience: Nothing relevant to Econ/PhD. Research Interests: Transit/Transportation is a hobby interest of mine, so I’m looking at UC Irvine. Other than that, I’m fairly open, but skew toward Labor, Development (Micro), Public, maybe Resource. Concerns: At this stage, I feel like I’m doing what I can in terms of making myself competitive--I’d just prefer not to waste my time and money applying and getting rejected from schools beyond my reach. What kind of schools (rankings, though specific ones are good, too) should I be focusing on? I’m also not really sure where ranks lie (I’ve been using thissince it has subfields). I’m hesitant about going to a “low-ranked” PhD program, even though I’m not sure where that cutoff is. Thanks for your help!

I posted last year and I have some updated information re: classes and work experience. Seeking updated thoughts on what schools might accept a profile like mine. Also what sort of evidence you have for this. 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) Taken After Undergrad: Real Analysis & Linear Algebra I (A-), Real Analysis, Convexity, and Optimization (A-) Letters of Recommendation: Thesis advisor (very prominent development economist), current job (another very prominent development economist) , 3rd letter probably one of the co-authors I work closely with, up and coming well-known AP's. Research Experience: Currently a full time RA at a top econ department with a top tenured faculty member. Doing a two year term (1.5 years will be completed when I submit apps). Previously full time RA for 1 year 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 was a thesis with potential to get published in a minor 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: Some top 10, mostly top 20

Undergraduate: Top 15 US state uni GRE: Q168/V157/AW 4.0 (will be taking 2nd gre in late Dec) GPA: 3.6 Major: Econ&International Studies Minor: Development econ, Math Math: Cal1(AP), Cal2(A-), Calc3(B-), Linear Algebra (A), Probability Theory(B), Real Analysis(B) Econ: intermediate Micro(A), intermediate Macro(A), Econometrics (A) Research Experience: internship at abroad think tank, internship at aid agency I'm interested in international development. Not interested in getting ph.d I think I'll apply to LSE econ, LSE int development, UW-Madison econ for sure. I'm still pending my decision on USC applied econ, Uni of Sussex dev studies, Tuft for econ... Do you think programs at Cambridge or Oxford would be a far reach for me? Open to any suggestion or advice on my school choice! Thanks

not applicable any more.

NOT APPLICABLE ANY MORE

NOT APPLICABLE ANY MORE

Hi everyone, I am currently applying to US universities for a PhD in economics, starting fall next year, but I'm not sure which unis I should be applying to with my results. Universities in Spain don't give out many As, but I don't know whether that is known in American universities, so my GPA and grades are my biggest doubt. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top Spanish university GPA: 8.8/10, self calculated GPA (Scholaro) 3.7. Ranked second in my class and did an honors thesis. Math Courses: Calculus I and II (A+), Linear Algebra and Topology (B), Statistics & Probability I and II (A+ and B), econometrics (A), Time Series (A). Econ Courses: Micro and Macro I and II, growth economics, decision making theory, health economics, industrial organization... all the usual courses for an economics major. They're all As and Bs. GRE: 168 Quant, 168 Verbal, 4 AWA. TOEFL: 119/120 Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ professors, 1 statistics professor (they are PhDs from Northwestern, Columbia and Carnegie Mellon) Research Experience: honors thesis, research paper for university forum Research Interests: development, public and environmental economics I've also worked for 6 months at the European Central Bank and as a macroeconomic analyst at the Spanish Embassy in Brazil for 1 year. The list of universities for now is made of two long shots (Berkeley and Columbia) around 6 unis like U Michigan, UIUC, UC Davis, and another 6 from slightly less competitive unis like CU Boulder, UC Irvine, Arizona. Am I on the right track? Or should I aim lower? (I doubt I should be aiming higher). Thanks to anyone who'll answer! :)

Hello, I am applying for Fall 2020 and would really appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance! Type of Undergrad: One of top 10 institutions in Korea/Major: Economics Minor: Math Type of Grad: Enrolling in 1st semester for master's degree in the same institution/Major:economics Undergrad GPA: 3.85/4.0 (Summa cum laude) Gre: 170Q/166V/4.0AWA TOEFL: 116 Math Courses: Calculus 1(B-), Calculus 2(A-), Multivariate Calculus(A), Introduction to Analysis 1(A+), Numerical Analysis(A+), Mathematical Statistics 1(A+), Linear Algebra 1(A), Differential Equations(A) Undergrad Econ Courses: I took a lot of courses and got A+ on all of them except for Macroeconomics(B+) Grad Courses: Macroeconomics(A-) Others: Introduction to statistics1,2(A+,B+), few computer programming courses Currently taking: Grad Econometrics, Grad Public Finance, Linear Algebra 2, Mathematical Statistics 2 Letters of Recommendation: One from advisor for my undergrad research, one from a professor whose class I will be tutoring for and one from a professor in statistics department/subject to change Research Experience: One undergraduate research- I was funded to carry out my research by my institution but it wasn't published. Teaching Experience: Tutoring for undergrad Applied econometrics class this semester Field of interest: Applied econometrics/health economics concerns: 1. I am planning to apply to top 20~40. Do I have a chance of being accepted? 2. Where should I aim? 3. Is there any advice to improve my profile??

Hi, This year I will be applying to econ and accounting PhD programs. I already have a nice idea about the economics profile required, but I have no idea if that profile is also useful for accounting. For what I have read on the internet, there are some important differences such as the need of working experience. I have a lot of coursework on math and I'm sincerely interested in accounting topics, however, I am from a little country and there are no people with accounting PhDs so I pretend to explain this in my Statement of Purpose and ask for letters of recomendation to 2 actuarial science professors and 1 economics professor. I would be grateful if some of you could help me evaluate my profile for a PhD application in accounting and advise me if there is something I can improve. Also, I would like to know if it makes sense to applyto top 20 programs with my profile or if I better back off from those. Thanks in advance. Basic info University: the most important university in my country but probably unknown in the US. Degrees: Bachelor in Actuarial Science (grade 9.7/10) and Bachelor in Economics (grade 9.5/10). Working experience: Two years in risk management in a bank and currently one year in an economics research institution. Research experience: Coauthored 1 paper in actuarial science published in a low-tier journal and currently working as research assistant on paper on economics. Teaching Experience: Mathematical Theory of Interest (1 semester), Fundamentals of Risk and Insurance (1 semester) [All at the same university where I studied]. Usual requirements TOEFL: 107/120 (Reading - 27/30, Listening - 30/30, Writing - 25/30, Speaking - 25/30) GRE: Quant 169, Verbal 159 Letters of Recommendation: Thinking about two profs from math and one from econ since my accounting professors only hold a master from my own university, and have no research experience at all. Research Interests: Actuarial Science methods for accounting and risk measurement. Decision models and data analysis applied to accounting matters such as financial statements. Courses Accounting: Accounting Principles (10/10), Intermediate Accounting I (10/10), Intermediate Accounting II (9.5/10), Analysis of Financial Statements (10/10). Actuarial Science: Fundamental of Risk and Insurance (10/10), Actuarial Math I, II, III (10/10 each), Mathematical Theory of Interest (10/10), Investment Instruments Analysis (9.5/10), Risk Theory (10/10). Mathematics: 3 on Calculus (10/10 in all of them), Linear Algebra I (9.5/10), Linear Algebra II (10/10), Real Analysis I (10/10), Real Analysis II (10/10), Group Theory (9/10), Complex Analysis (9.5/10), Topology (10/10), Probability (10/10), Stochastic Processes (10/10), Ordinary Differential Equations (9.5/10), Partial Differential Equations (9/10), Functional Analysis (10/10). Statistics: Mathematical Statistics I and II (10/10 each), Linear Models (10/10), Loss Distributions (9.5/10), Data Analysis (9.5/10), Credibility Theory (9.5/10). Economics: Microeconomics I (9/10), Microeconomics II (10/10), Macroeconomics I (8.5), Macroeconomics II (9.5), Game Theory (9.5/10), Financial Economics (10/10), Growth and Development (8.5/10), International Economics (10/10), Econometrics (9.5/10), Microeconometrics (9.5/10), Macroeconometrics (10/10).

Hi. I am planning to apply for the business school doctoral programs, specifically for the (management) information systems major. I have to finish my applications until this December and I would appreciate any type of advice or commentary regarding my admission possibilities. Basic Info Type of Undergrad: Business Administration major (Top 5 university in my country) Undergrad GPA: 3.64/4.0 Type of Grad: Business School, Management Information Systems major (Top university in my country) Grad GPA: 3.58/4.0 (I still have my last semester left, but this is my latest GPA) Research Experience: Research in Progress Paper submitted to an international conference (First Author) Teaching Experience: Only worked several times as a teaching assistant, but none as a lecturer Work Experience: None (I don't have any work experience, and started my bachelor program directly after my graduation. I am not sure if this works as an advantage or a disadvantage.) Requirements Test Scores GMAT: Verbal 34 / Quant 50 / Total 700 / AWA 4.5 / IR 7 Test Scores TOEFL: Total 116 (All subjects are 29) Research Interest: Data Mining and Big data analysis. My research interests are mainly in the intersection between social and technical aspects of information technology, especially extracting managerial insights from big, unstructured data. Courses Information Systems (Major): IS Seminar (4/4), IS Methodology (3.72/4), Electronic Commerce (3.72/4), IS Development (3.72/4), IS Research(3.44/4) Statistics: Quant (3.72/4), Statistics (Planning to take in next semester) Programming: Social Data Mining (4/4), Social Computing (3.44/4) Applying to Dream schools: University of Arizona, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Texas-Austin, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Georgia, Indiana University at Bloomington (These are the schools that I am interested in. I would like to hear realistic comments about whether to search for more schools.) +) I am worried about my overall profile, but my time is limited and I am not sure where to focus on more. (Should I take GMAT again and raise my scores or should I focus on my research and start on a research paper?) Again, any type of advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance :)

Hi. I am planning to apply for the business school doctoral programs, specifically for the (management) information systems major. I have to finish my applications until this December and I would appreciate any type of advice or commentary regarding my admission possibilities. Basic Info Type of Undergrad: Business Administration major (Top 5 university in my country) Undergrad GPA: 3.64/4.0 Type of Grad: Business School, Management Information Systems major (Top university in my country) Grad GPA: 3.58/4.0 (I still have my last semester left, but this is my latest GPA) Research Experience: Research in Progress Paper submitted to an international conference (First Author) Teaching Experience: Only worked several times as a teaching assistant, but none as a lecturer Work Experience: None (I don't have any work experience, and started my bachelor program directly after my graduation. I am not sure if this works as an advantage or a disadvantage.) Requirements Test Scores GMAT: Verbal 34 / Quant 50 / Total 700 / AWA 4.5 / IR 7 Test Scores TOEFL: Total 116 (All subjects are 29) Research Interest: Data Mining and Big data analysis. My research interests are mainly in the intersection between social and technical aspects of information technology, especially extracting managerial insights from big, unstructured data. Courses Information Systems (Major): IS Seminar (4/4), IS Methodology (3.72/4), Electronic Commerce (3.72/4), IS Development (3.72/4), IS Research(3.44/4) Statistics: Quant (3.72/4), Statistics (Planning to take in next semester) Programming: Social Data Mining (4/4), Social Computing (3.44/4) Applying to Dream schools: University of Arizona, University of Texas-Austin, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Georgia, Indiana University at Bloomington (These are the schools that I am interested in. I would like to hear realistic comments about whether to search for more schools.) +) I am worried about my overall profile, but my time is limited and I am not sure where to focus on more. (Should I take GMAT again and raise my scores or should I focus on my research and start on a research paper?) Again, any type of advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance :)