Search the Community

Hey all, I'm wondering what is the way to handle RA offers while waiting for PhD results? I've applied to some RA positions and expecting to hear back most likely before PhD results come in. My current mindset is that I would prefer to get into a top choice PhD program over doing a year or two of RA work but I would prefer to take the RA position over a "safety school". However, there's no way of me knowing what programs I get into before I have to (most likely) decide whether I take certain RA positions. Does anybody know what the standard convention is when it comes to handling these dilemmas? Thanks a ton!

Hello, all. I have been a lurker, but I think it's my time to surface as my undergrad years are almost over and I now do think I have something to contribute to the forum :) First of all, I want to apologize for posting a thread that seems rather irrelevant in a time when everyone's weighing over different phd programs to go to, but I'll greatly appreciate if you could help me figure out what to do for next one or two years of my life. Well, the thing is, while I believe I have a solid transcript record (will post the profile later on), I thought I rather lack some research experience, so I've decided to get some before applying to grad schools, and so I've applied to multiple RA positions instead of grad schools in my last semester. And now, I've got two choices. One is to work as a RA for one of the Fed branches, and the other is to work as a RA at a prestigious reasearch university. I guess the Fed has the advantage in a sense that it's more systematical and that it is a very well-known institute, but I'm guessing that I can build much stronger relationship with professors if I were to join their team. By the way, that professor in the university is relatively young, so I'm not sure if they're super-famous in the field. Which one do you think I should go for? It's the question that kept bugging me, and the time to make decision is draing near. So any advice will be greatly appreciated! PS1. My apologies if I somehow posted at the wrong forum (or even in a wrong method)... It just seemed to be the most relevant one. PS2. Good luck for all those fellows who will start their marvelous year as bright future PhDs!!!

Hello- I wanted to make everyone aware of a fairly new website at the NBER where full time research assistant positions for aspiring economics PhDs are posted. http://www.nber.org/jobs/nonnberjobs.html The link has postings to research assistant jobs outside the NBER. I have a posting there myself, hiring full-time economics research assistants at Microsoft Research. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/newengland/projects/RA/msr-ne_ResearchAssistantJD.pdf I am looking for a couple of full-time research assistants to work as part of a team, doing statistical analysis in support of academic, for-publication research by top economics professors who visit Microsoft Research regularly from their home institutions. The research uses Microsoft data sources (e.g. internet search). The positions are highly competitive--in the past, successful applicants have had great empirical research assistant experience, and have the potential (perhaps with additional coursework, and the research experience they gain) to be successful applicants to the top 5 or top 10 economics PhD programs. We have current projects in a range of areas, from advertising auctions to health economics to international trade to media economics. We will have several continuing RAs for next year (the positions last two years), and I hope to hire a couple of new RAs each year. Good luck! Susan