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Hi all, Econ RA Guide | A community guide for research assistants in economics We'd like to share with you a community guide for research assistants (RAs) in econ. Nearly 40 (and counting) current/former RAs contributed to and commented on the guide. It is meant to be a community resource with info for aspiring students in econ on what RA positions are and how they can potentially apply to them and succeed as an RA. We'd love to hear from you: is this helpful? Do you have any suggestions? How can we circulate it and reach more people who might be interested? We want to make it a living document and will update it as we get more comments. Thanks all!

Hello! I am a Business graduate from a South Asian country looking to switch to Econ. I ultimately want to work for international organizations (especially IMF), so I'm looking for a Master's program that will allow me to get a PhD - not necessarily top 10/20, but definitely macro-focused and ideally a shorter duration. Profile: Undergrad: Bachelor's in Business Administration (BBA), with a major in Finance and minor in Economics. Top 5 University in South Asian country but not significant ranking/well-known internationally Undergrad GPA: 3.79/4.00 GRE: 170Q, 166V, 6.0AWA Math Courses: Mathematics for Decisions - A Business Statistics - A Quantitative Analysis - A Econ Courses: Microeconomics - B+ Macroeconomics - B+ Econometrics - A Public Finance - B+ Other Courses: Most of my other courses are focused on finance, accounting, management, and marketing Research Experience: Negligible in terms of economics, was part-time RA for a professor for Human Resource Management. Work Experience: Joined PwC as an analyst last month. Work here involves primary research and market analysis as well as econometric modeling. A Levels: Economics (94%), Mathematics (98%), + 2 other subjects, also A* The Masters programs I've considered so far include: IHEID International Economics Bocconi Economic and Social Sciences CERGE-EI Economic Research University of Cambridge Advanced Diploma BGSE Economics From my understanding and research on the forum so far, these programs tend to accept non-econ backgrounds. How likely would I be to get in? Do you guys have any other recommendations for similar programs? I would especially love to hear from people who have similar backgrounds or non-econ backgrounds who got admitted into such programs. Thank you!!

I've been looking for some advice regarding my current profile as I prepare for PhD applications. I'm planning to apply for Fall 2022 admissions. My goal is to narrow down or add to (if necessary) the schools I'll be applying to. Thank you for your feedback in advance. Profile: Degree: B.S. Economics with a minor in Mathematics from Utah State University GPA: 3.70/4.00Econ Courses: Principles of Micro (A), Principles of Macro (B), Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Applied Econometrics (A). Math Courses: Calculus I (A), Calculus II (A-), Calculus III (currently enrolled, but I have an A- which could change to an A), Linear Algebra (A-). I'm taking Differential Equations and Probability Theory in the fall. Additionally, I'm taking Foundations of Analysis and Mathematical Statistics in the spring. GRE: Will take in the fall. LOR's: one from my Applied Econometrics professor, not a well-known professor. One from my Development Economics professor who I've done research for and bounced ideas off of, graduate of Yale. Also, not famous. One from my Mathematical Economics professor who can attest to my mathematical ability and research ideas. He's also not well-known. There really aren't many popular economists at Utah State University. Research Experience: Worked on application of Malthusian model to colonial Haiti. Additionally, I used Bayesian econometrics in an effort to predict stock market returns. Research Interests: Labor, Development, Macroeconomics, and Economic History (only at some universities because many don't offer this emphasis). Planning to apply to: University of Illinois University of Notre Dame Purdue University Texas A&M University University of Colorado Boulder University of Arizona University of California - Irvine University of Oregon University of Kansas Vanderbilt University Concerns: My GPA is nothing stellar. I attended a community college two years prior to attending Utah State where my GPA was 3.33/4.00. My Utah State GPA on the other hand is 3.95/4.00. Additionally, I have four W's on my transcript from dropped courses. I dropped Linear Algebra, Calc II, Differential Equations, and a history general. I dropped Linear Algebra and Calc II because my wife was very sick during the start of her pregnancy and I needed to be more available. I ended up taking both in a later semester and received an A- in both. I dropped Differential Equations and my history class this summer because I found I overloaded myself with the birth of my daughter. However, I plan to take Differential Equations this fall and the history class again in the spring. None of the research I've contributed to has been published. I also feel like I have weak research experience as a whole. However, I have spent the last six months as a data analyst for the company I work for (not sure if this adds to my profile). I'm also concerned about the classes I'm taking in the fall and spring not being on my transcript given the application deadline for some of the schools I have in mind is prior to the end of the fall semester. I might be overthinking this given schools can admit you provisionally. Thank you so much for reviewing my profile. I look forward to your advice.

In the statement of purpose I will write about my research experience. However, since I already did that in my CV, is that a bit repetitive? Or should I remove the description of my research experience in cv, leaving only the headline? (for example, research assistant for professor X from 2019-2020; master thesis from 2020-2021)

Hi! I’m applying to a variety of PhD programs this year.

Profile: Undergraduate University: UC Santa Barbara Undergraduate Major: Economics Undergraduate GPA: 3.86 GRE: 166 Q/161 V/4 AWA *Should I retake the GRE? What are the consequences if I don’t score 167 + on the quantitative reasoning section?* Econ Courses Microeconomic Theory (A), Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (-A), Advanced Microeconomic Theory (B+), Econometrics (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A), Senior Thesis (A) Math Course Multivariable Calculus (A), Linear Algebra (A), Advanced Linear Algebra (A), Differential Equations (A), Methods of Analysis (A+), and Real Analysis (A) Statistics, Computer Science, and Data Science Courses Introduction to Computer Science (A), Probability Theory (A-), and Introduction to Data Science (A) Research Experience I’ve spent the last two years working as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve. I currently work as the Corporate Bonds and Credit Quality RA in the Capital Markets section. I regularly prepare charts and answer ad hoc questions for economists and board members. I also dedicate time towards economist’s independent research; I’m currently working on two papers concerning monetary policy. Before joining the Board, I wrote a senior thesis and did some cleaning/entry work for a professor at UCSB. Letters of Recommendation Two Board economists and one economist from UCSB; I have worked with each of them all for at least a year. Teaching Experience I recently revamped the R and Linux training in Capital Markets for incoming RAs. I also volunteer for a data science course taught at Howard University in collaboration with the Federal Reserve. Research Interests I’m broadly interested in applied economic research. Although I enjoy my work surrounding empirical corporate finance, I also have an interest in household finance. Applications Top 25 economics Ph.D. programs and a handful of finance Ph.D. programs. *Should I consider applying to more finance programs given my research interests and the state of my profile?* My questions are highlighted in red. All other comments and suggestions welcome. Thank you for reviewing my profile :)

Hello everyone, To give you a quick background, I have almost 8 years of corporate tax experience at a Big4. I am considering a move to academia but, due to personal reasons, will start the application process next year. I hope that this forum will shed some light on a few questions that I have. Any recommendations on programs that have strong interest in tax research? Most of the research papers published by schools that I have seen so far (granted I just looked at a few schools) are focused on financial accounting / capital markets. Is it worth pursuing only those programs that have been publishing in tax (which I would prefer), or do I need to "branch out" to other accounting fields, i.e., FA, audit to broaden the pool. Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I can tell from the discussions on this forum, practical work experience doesn't play that much of a role once you are past the 2-3 year mark. Would 9 years of public accounting actually hinder my chances of acceptance by T40? Thanks much!

So I am interested in macro theory and poverty, and there are several professors in my department in this field. My interests align more with two professors, but another one has a substantially better publication record (though it's primarily in housing, which I do not find interesting). This third professor also coauthors with more people from other institutions (Top 30 schools, Fed, etc), and has being published several times in top 5 journals in the last 2 years or so. Is it worth trying to work with him even if my research interests don't totally align with him? I'm guessing I would learn how to do better research from him and have a more recognized advisor when entering the job market. What should I do? Is there overlap between these areas?

Undergraduate - Top 85 US in Economics & Finance Field : Major in Economics with Minor in Mathematics Undergraduate G.P.A - 3.91/4.00; Econ G.P.A. (4.00/4.00); Math G.P.A - (3.85/4.00) Economics courses (Undergrad) : Principles of Micro (A+), Principles of Macro (A+), Intermediate Micro (A+), Intermediate Macro (A), Public sector Economics(A), Environmental Econ (A+), Mathematical Economics (A+), Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A+), Mathematical Economics (A), International Trade (A), Industrial Organization (A+), International Finance (A+). Mathematics Courses (Undergrad): Calculus-I(A-), Calculus- II(A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Linear Algebra (A+), Theoretical Concepts of Calculus (A), Abstract Algebra(A), Differential Equations (B+), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A-), Complex Variables (A) Graduate(completed this Fall-2021) - Phd-stream M.A.in Econ at Top-4 Canadian School (3.90/4.00 gpa) Graduate Courses (all Phd-level courses) : Mathematical Economics (84/100), Econometrics-I (94/100), Macro-theory-I (86/10), Micro-theory-I (90/100), Econometrics-II (85/100), Micro-theory-II (84/100), Advanced Research (90/100), Macro-theory-II (83/100) GRE: 168 Q 165 V 4.0 AWA ( will retake if necessary) LORS : Profs from graduate metrics class (Penn-state), graduate micro (Brown) and grad research course (Virginia)They know me well from their courses. Applying to : US TOP (25-50), Canada - Top 3 Phd and some back up ( McMaster, Mcgill, York) Research/Teaching : I have been teaching (mathematics and statistics to business students) in my home country since undergraduate.Worked on data analysis with a research institute..Was TA for Undergrad Micro and Macro at my MA institution. Concerns : There was a considerable gap between my Undergrad and MA (about 7 years).The work I did back home didn't entail much of research experience.Also, don't have perfect gpa at phd level courses. Looking for : Absolutely hardcore honest opinion where I have a chance, given the tough adcom cycles and my choppy profile and lack of research. Thanks so much to all of you:eager:

Hello everyone, My situation is a little bit different from other common applicants: My Profile: Bachler's GPA: 3.0, Major: Computer Science Master's GPA: 3.6, Major: Computer Science Current PhD's GPA: 3.8, Major: Computer Science, Area: Theory (mainly Combinatorics) Current PhD program (around 50-70 in the U.S., also has a 50-ish Eco PhD Program) GRE: Q-170 Econ course: I'm going to take PhD level micro-econ theory next semester and looking forward to getting an A. Math course: calculus/linear algebra from my undergrad (but have a good knowledge of math tools, I did my phd research mainly on stochastic optimization problems) Research Experience: 3 papers in theoretical computer science, 2 papers in application area (data mining). Research Interests: micro-econ theory: matching, allocation and mechanism design Applying to: not sure yet, but say T30-100 world wide. e.g. U Zurich, Bonn, Aalto, U Geneva, etc. Teaching experience: 1 course in CS, 1 TA in CS Recommendation letters: 2-3 from CS/Math (strong, coauthors and advisor), 1 from Econ (not sure yet) Concerns: I started to get interested in micro-econ theory during my current study, and I'm planning to continue my study on econ problems after obtaining my PhD in CS. I have read several papers in micro-econ field and know exactly what kinds of problems that I'm interested in. My main concern is that my background in economics is weak. I have several Profs in my mind since I'm quite interested in their research, but I'm not sure if they would consider me as a strong/weak candidate. I would love to hear any comments and suggestions. Your help would be much appreciated!

Hello friends, I am a Junior hoping to pursue a PhD in quant marketing and have some questions on research areas. Like everyone else still in undergrad, I am grappling with a variety of concerns about my application profile, but I still have a good chunk of school to do. My main concern is trying to narrow down a specific area of research within quant marketing. Fortunately, the professors I have been speaking with have been able to help me understand the importance of program fit as opposed to going for the highest ranked program I can get into, but this has also compelled me to try to find an area or direction sooner than later. I currently work as a research assistant for a quant professor, and though my experience with him has been very rewarding, most of his work revolves around research methodology. Methodology has never appealed to me much; I was originally considering taking the CB track because I found the problems and questions in that area very interesting. However, I enjoy the quantitative approach to these problems rather than the psychology/neuroscience approach. My hope is to be able to coauthor/publish research by the end of undergrad, which will also fulfill an Honors thesis requirement. Covid has made contacting professors difficult to say the least, so I haven't had much exposure to other areas of research, but I plan to change that this semester. I anticipate that my interactions with them will be very formative in helping me choose an area/direction, but I still wanted to ask you all about your experiences with choosing research areas. More specific questions include: -What has been your timeline for narrowing down research questions? -How do you balance your personal interests with popular/trending subjects? -Is the quality of a PhD program fit more related to the actual research subject matter or the methodology/approach to questions? Thank you for your time reading and responding in advance, and apologies for anything poorly worded or confusing--I am happy to clarify.

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.

I'm wondering if academic research experience outside economics counts for much, if anything, for economics PhD applications. I've done a research project in mathematics (in information and probability theory) and three projects in philosophy, including a master's thesis. The philosophy projects were quite technical and on the boundary of philosophy / decision theory / economics. None of these projects was empirical. Of course, I'll try to get research experience in economics but it would be helpful to know where I stand currently. Thanks!

Hi! I am an undergrad student entering my third year and have been an RA for a professor for over a year; however, I don't feel like I am learning a lot. Many of my tasks include monotonous tasks that aren't necessarily improving my skillset or making me excited about research. I'm curious to know if working with a PhD student would be a better experience. I think that working with a PhD student might help me learn more about research. Does anyone know any tips to reach out to current grad students and proposing work as an collaborative researcher/intern/RA?

Hi, Im looking to apply to an Accounting PhD program at some point in the next 1.5 years-ish but Im super nervous about my low GPA. We dont really do GPA's on a 4.0 scale at my school but I beleive that my percentage mark translates to a 3.2 for my undergrad and a 3.3 for my MAcc Outside of that, I have worked with profs in my undergrad to help them with their research and got one paper published during my MAcc and I think I can at least 2/3 really good LOC from profs i worked with. I took a practice GMAT a few days ago and got a 650 on my first try, so i assume I can do better with some studying, and I do not have any math outside of an intro to calc and an intro to stats classes, but im hoping that doesent matter to much because im more interested in experimental/behavioral research rather than archival. Any thoughts of my chances of getting into a program? I dont really have a specific school I am targeting, I just want to go somewhere that offers behavioral/experimental research as an option and am really looking to go to any school that would accept me. I am also expecting to have 2ish years of experience working in investment banking and a CPA .

Hey guys, This is bit of a long post. I had a Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration from India (Not a lot of quant coursework). I got admit to a PhD Finance program at lower ranked (top 100) department in the US in 2016. I was there for 1 semester but due to a combination of factors (lack of good research opportunities, me not having clarity on what I wanted to study, and moving to be closer to my husband), I transferred to a Masters in Finance Program of a top 50 department and graduated with a lot of doctoral coursework (Probability and Stochastic Processes, Mathematics of Economics, Mathematics of Finance, audited Optimization, Theory of Finance all at the doctoral level) and a small research project under a tenured Prof. My research project did not turn out as well as I had expected it to (since I took it for just one semester) and I am not sure if I would be able to go to this Prof for an LoR. I have been working with a top financial analytics company in credit model validation and verification for almost two years now and I would love to get back to pursuing a PhD hopefully in 2021. I have matured more as a person, and have found the real reasons why I want to do research. I have never let go of learning - I have been taking up coursework in an Analytics masters program to get more hands on experience in research methodology and general data science which have been very useful. However, I am still not very confident of my quant skills and above all my ability to do Research. I was playing around with the idea of applying to PhD programs directly. However, I am concerned about: 1. LoRs from my professors - it's been two years and I am not sure if they would remember me. 2. Jumping right into a PhD after 3 years. I was wondering if I can gradually get my feet wet with a Masters. I would also like to expand the universe of schools to Europe, Australia, and Canada. I saw that some of these schools require a masters dissertation as a part of their application. Lately, I have been looking at schools that offer MPhil or MRes with both coursework and dissertation options which I frankly find attractive. I would love to beef up my quant and Econ along with getting some research experience. So far, I have come up with LSE, Bocconi, and Alliance Manchester. But some of these are so pricey. I was going through an older thread (here) where some people have said that there are departments with a track record of placing students in good PhD programs. I am honestly wondering how to go about finding a Masters degree that would be a good preparation for a PhD in Finance with a good mix of coursework and research. I am an international student and with already one Masters, I am now looking for a Masters program that is no longer than 1 year. So, my questions are: 1. Can you suggest Masters programs that are good preparation for PhD in Finance? I humbly request you to specify which university and which department. I know an MA Econ or Statistics is good, but I am trying to see if I can get specific recommendations apart from the ones that I have already shortlisted :) 2. I am 32 and while age is a just a number, numbers are everything where we are ;) and I want to get some honest feedback on whether it even makes sense to go for another Masters or just bite the bullet and apply for PhD programs directly? Thank you!!

So I have just finished my first year of my Ph.D. program and have hit a stuck point. I initially expressed interest in studying macroeconomics but have found that I am more interested in political economics (particularly voter behavior and the formation of public opinion). I especially like the idea of looking at the overlap between politically economy and poverty in the United States (especially Appalachia). There is a professor in my department whose specialty is political economics and has also spent time on the Joint Center for Poverty Research at University of Chicago. Unfortunately, he is also the department chair. I believe he has advised Ph.D. students before, but I am concerned I will not get as much advising and I would from other professors in the department. I do not mean that as any slight to him, but simply from a pragmatic standpoint. The other faculty members I am considering are in macroeconomics (which is the department's strength). I know one professor who is very invested in the student's success and whose research has a more theoretical bent, which I prefer. Another (who's relatively new) who has an especially strong overall research track record (regarding number of publications, journals they are published in, and other institutions he is affiliated with. This second professor is also the sole author of an article on political polarization that was published in a Fed Journal (though most of his research in in real estate macroeconomics). My question is would I be better off going with the department chair and make best of the fact that I will probably not get as much attention as I would otherwise, or should I go with one of the macro professors? Also, it there a way to overlap political economy and macroeconomics (even if I leave poverty out - since that's not my only interest and I can come back to that later on in my career).

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): (Note: It often helps a lot more if you list the percentiles each of your raw/composite scores are associated with): QA 168 (97 percentile) VA 165 (98 percentile) Undegrad GPA: 8.5/10, Top 20% of class, Bachelors in Chemical Engineering (Top 10 Engineering College India) Graduate GPA: 7.1/10, Top 20% of class, MBA in Marketing and Operations (Top 5 B school from IndIa) Research Experience: Not much research experience from an academic standpoint, just general MBA assignments which involved secondary research. During my professional career I have been working with think tanks like the World Resources Institute and the UN Environment Programme on projects which required heavy primary and secondary research. Teaching Experience: None Work Experience: I have been working in strategy consulting with a Tier 2 consulting firm for the past two years in the Sustainability Services practice. My work has revolved around supporting non profit organisations (WWF, Red Cross Society, World Resources Institute) and multilateral institutions (UN agencies, EBRD) in various strategy projects. For example, one of my previous projects involved developing science based targets for business to reduce their impact on the ocean. The project that I am currently working on involves the largest assessment of palm oil buying companies and their impact on nature. These involve qualitative research and interviews, surveys etc. I am also proficient in data analysis and data visualization, at least at a level required for strategy projects- perhaps not at handling big data. Concentration Applying to: Strategy Number of programs planned to apply to: At least 8 Dream Schools: Yale, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, USC Marshall, University of Minnesota- Carlson School of Business, University of North Carolina (Kenan Flagler), University of Washington (Foster), (still a WIP list) Letters of recommendation: Almost all from my MBA courses- will mostly be from professors and associate professors. Having little research experience, I'm expecting the letters of recommendations to be of a moderate strength. I will only be asking those professors for a recommendation in whose courses I have ranked among the top 5 scorers. Note: I have attached a one pager resume for more info. Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? I am deeply interested in how businesses can operate responsibly and partner with other stakeholders in the ecosystem like governments and communities to drive impact. I believe that businesses who are doing this at the moment will have a major first movers advantage going forward when regulations become more strict very rapidly and consumers become more aware of their environment. What businesses lack in this space is established research which proves this hypothesis and gives guidance on how to go about operating responsibly. Academia will have a big role to play here going forward and having worked with non profits for the past two years and being deeply aware of the situation around us, I want to be a part of that journey. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? 1. My major concerns are around graduate GPA which is not extraordinary- it might come to 3.4/3.5 after conversion to a 4 point scale using the conversion chart on the Columbia business school site. Given my overall profile and experience do I have a shot at any of the top 30 B schools for a PhD? 2. I am a complete novice to this- am I even targeting the right schools based on my profile? 3. I've been hearing that I should be applying as early as possible as early admissions are the only ones that are considered. Is this true? What is the optimum date by which I should be applying (given that deadlines are generally in December and I've been hearing people say that I should complete my applications in October) Any additional specific questions you may have: 4. Are there opportunities to undertake any remote part time research with professors in the US? I can't quit my job due to financial constraints. Given the COVID situation in India, it is extremely difficult to do that with professors here. I know this is a big ask but if anyone can share any input, I would be extremely grateful

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): GRE VA: 165 (98 percentile), QA: 168 (97 percentile) Undegrad GPA: 8.5/10 (Top 20% of class- Top 10 Indian Engineering College) Graduate GPA: 7.1/10 (Top 20% of class- Top 5 Indian B School) Research Experience: No publishing experience as such. During my professional career I have undertaken some secondary research for my consulting projects and primary research in the form of interviews and surveys, especially with think tanks like the World Resources Institute and the United Nations Environment Programme. Some of my MBA courses and business case competitions also required some basic secondary research. Teaching Experience: None Work Experience: I have a work experience of two and a half years in a Tier 2 strategy consulting organisation with their Sustainability Services practice. I have primarily worked with non profit organisations and multilateral organisations like WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Red Cross Society, UN agencies. I have supported various strategic projects with them. For example, I have worked with the UN Environment Programme to develop science based targets for businesses to reduce their impact on oceans and this involved a pair bit of literature based research. The current project I am working on is one of the world’s largest assessments of impact of 250+ consumer goods organisations on palm oil sustainability. This also involves literature review and surveying companies. Concentration Applying to: Strategy Number of programs planned to apply to: 6-8 Dream Schools: Yale, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, USC Marshall, University of Washington Foster, University of Minnesota Carlson School Letters of recommendation: I will be asking for LORs from my MBA professors. It’s going to be of moderate strength since I don’t have any research experience to speak of but will only be asking those professors in whose courses I have ranked among the top 5 scorers. Note: I have also attached my resume for more information. Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? I have working on the topic of how businesses can operate responsibly and contribute positively to nature for the entirety of my professional career. Prior to that I have won several business case competitions on similar themes like sustainable agriculture. I believe there is scope for a great deal of innovation in this topic especially looking at how different stakeholders in the ecosystem can collaborate to drive change. Through my experience I realise that businesses who are now working on net positive value creation in the environment will have a first movers advantage when the regulations change. They will also have an effect on policy drivers. However in order to get there, businesses need guidance on how they can function responsibly while maintaining profitability. This is where academia will play a role going into the future because the ground is still nascent and it requires backing up with strong research. This is the journey I want to be a part of which is why the first step would be to apply for a strong PhD program in strategy, business environment and business economics. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? Given my overall MBA GPA isn’t extraordinary (may come to a 3.5 I guess, using the Columbia school chart of conversion) and I have no big research experience to speak of, do I have a shot at any of my dream schools or at least a top 30 college in the US? Does this forum have any suggestions on which schools I should be applying to? How does the GPA conversion work (from a 10 point scale to a 4 point scale)? What points should I stress upon in my SOP to give my application a push given my lack of research experience? Any additional specific questions you may have: Is there a possibility of getting part time remote research projects under professors in the US? Given the COVID situation in India, it’s not possible to do that here right now.

Hello, everyone! I am a business grad hoping to get into Economics. I've always been passionate about the subject and research but I was unable to pursue it because of financial problems. I'm hoping to find my way back to it now. Profile: Undergrad: Bachelor's in Business Administration (BBA), with a major in Finance and minor in Economics. Top 5 University in South Asian country but not significant ranking/well-known internationally Undergrad GPA: 3.79/4.00 GRE: 170Q, 166V, 6.0AWA Math Courses: Mathematics for Decisions - A Business Statistics - A Quantitative Analysis - A Econ Courses: Microeconomics - B+ Macroeconomics - B+ Econometrics - A Public Finance - B+ Other Courses: Most of my other courses are focused on finance, accounting, management, and marketing Research Experience: Negligible in terms of economics, was part-time RA for a professor for Human Resource Management. Work Experience: Joined PwC as an analyst last month. Work here involves primary research and market analysis as well as econometric modeling. A Levels: Economics (94%), Mathematics (98%), + 2 other subjects, also A* Yeah, definitely not the strongest of applications. I think my GPA and GRE scores offer some strength, but my coursework is not Econ-focused and I do not have research or teaching experience. Also, I can wrangle good LORs but they won't be from well-known economists :( Ideally, I want to get into an Econ Masters that supports students who have a non-Econ or non-quant background, such as the LSE 2-year or a Tilburg with a pre-Masters, or the Cambridge Advanced Diploma. Ultimately, I want to be able to do a PhD in a top 50 uni, so it's essential to get into at least a top 50/100 Master's where I can get research experience and a strong recommendation. Money, unfortunately, is still an issue which is why I am considering mainland Europe or Asia. I am willing to put in the work, even in a challenging program. I'm aiming to apply later this year, i.e. for the 2022 intake. Would appreciate any university suggestions and all recommendations!! It's taken some courage to post this so please be nice!!

As the cycle is mostly over for most people, starting this thread now. Some people have been interested in knowing whether some programs have shrunk their target cohort size, so if you have that information and are willing to share, please do! PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Undergrad GPA: Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: Math Courses: Econ Courses: Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Research Experience: Teaching Experience: Research Interests: SOP: Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: Waitlists: Rejections: Pending: Attending: Comments: What would you have done differently?

Okay. Not here to argue with anyone, but the pointers below should be addressed in order to have at least a functional PS/SOP for your econ PhD application in my humble opinion. If you disagree, it's all good. Hopefully people will find it useful. Point 1: State clearly that you are interested in pursuing a PhD in Econ and what you envision yourself doing with your Econ PhD (becoming a researcher should be the main goal). Point 2: Elaborate why you are prepared from an academic point view in terms of classes. No need to list all of your classes, but stress that you have the proper math training. Point 3: Talk about any research experience. Here, please do not go into too much detail on exactly what you did, but instead focus on the fact that you know what research is like, but also know that you still have a long way to go until you can conduct independent research. And a PhD will help you become a better researcher. Point 4: Any other preparations you have done to prepare yourself and your field interest. Explain why. Point 5: Why the school you are applying to is a good fit and if applicable, what you bring to the table. Why are you different from any other applicant. Conclude with the fact you would like to become a qualified researcher.

I need some help deciding on who will write my LORs for my application cycle this fall. LOR 1: My master's program research project advisor and have taken an UG and grad class from her, and done well. LOR 2: My grad chair who taught a grad class I did well in. LOR 3: This is the tough one. I'm really leaning towards Option 2, but I've known Option 1 for a long-time and he was going to be my advisor, but due to his inability to commit I went with LOR 1 writer as my advisor. - Option 1: The professor who I thought I was going to get to RA with but ends up I cannot, and he is very distant from academic commitments in general, like helping supervise independent research and replying to emails. He is semi-respected though, as a micro-theorist, but probably not that well known. I have known him since 2010 and have been emailing and discussing research with him, even in person, since then, but he tends to always want to drop any long-term efforts. He has some idea of the kind of research I enjoy, but I'm not so sure he would want to put those ideas into writing on my LOR. I took grad micro from him and did well. - Option 2: The professor I now TA for, who also has appointments at Columbia and NYU as an adjunct professor. He has nominated me for TA of the Year and thinks pretty highly of my TA work, coming up with my own initiatives to help the 133 students improve their grades and maximize their learning. This semester is the first time I've met this professor. I have emailed him before about a now defunct research proposal I had and he gave me some pointers and said it was a good idea. Have never taken any of his classes. Would there be any reason to choose Option 1 for LOR 3?

Hi, everyone. It's been such a tough cycle. As someone who is going to apply this fall, I would love to know how you guys think my chances are for T20. Thank you everyone for your comments. Type of Undergrad: Small private undergrad USNEWS T20 (T50 grad econ department tho) Undergrad GPA: 3.78 Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: NA GRE: 165v+170q+4.5aw Math Courses: Analysis I and II (both As), Econ Stats(A), Intro to Proofs (A), Linear Algebra(A-), Cal I-III (As), Regression Analysis (A), Grad level Real Analysis (plan for next semester) Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro and Macro (both As), Econometrics (A), Labor(A), International Trade(A-), International Finance(A-), Game Theory(A-), Independent Research Course(A), Senior Thesis(A), PhD level Micro and Metrics (plan for next semester) Other Courses: many government/political economy courses Letters of Recommendation: 1 math department chair prof (took analysis courses for 3 semesters), 1 IMF economist I ra for, 1 labor econ prof Research Experience: 2 independent research (1 from independent research course, 1 for senior thesis), RA for IMF International Economist, 2 non-econ social sciences ra Teaching Experience: 1.5 years of language TA Research Interests: Labor Econ/ International Econ/ Political Econ Coming from a school that specializes in political econ, I am worried about the math background, so I feel like I should ask my math prof to write one rec letter. I would also love to hear how you guys think. Besides, do you guys think a 2 year predoc is worth it if aiming for T10? Thank you everyone for your comments!

Doesn't seem like there are any Roll Call threads anymore, but I'll still use the format from the old ones. I'm finishing my final year of undergrad and will be applying to PhD programs for Fall 2022 start dates. I will likely be attending a 1 year masters of economics at the same university I did my undergraduate at next year. I tried and failed to find a predoc position for next year, however with the decision deadline looming for the masters program I've been accepted to, it looks like I'm going to go with that and give up on being a predoc. Anyway, here's my profile: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Honours Economics and Minor Mathematics at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.5/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: MA Econ from the same school I did my undergrad at, starting next year. Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 168 Quant (92nd percentile), 166 Verbal (97th percentile), 5.0 writing (92nd percentile) Math Courses: Calc 1 (B), Calc 2 (B-), Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra 1 (B+), Honours Applied Linear Algebra (A, it's a more advanced course than the first linear algebra), Intro to Statistics (A), Probability (A), Statistics (In Progress, probably an A), Analysis I (A). Econ Courses (grad-level that I took as an undergrad): Game Theory (A-), Micro I (B+) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Honours Micro, Macro, and Stats (A- in all 4, all full year/two semester courses); Honours Econometrics I (A); Honours Econometrics II, Honours Advanced Micro, Honours Advanced Macro (In Progress); Independent Research Project (A); various econ courses outside the core classes, some honours some not (All A- or A). Other Courses: Foundations of Programming (A), Intro to Computer Science (A) Letters of Recommendation: One very well known metrics prof from our school, one prof who I am a research assistant to currently, then one of the ones I used for my masters admissions: Well known prof that barely knows me or very young prof who supervised my independent research project. Research Experience: two internships in economic policy with well known think tanks in Washington DC, independent research project, undergrad research assistant x2. Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Urban, Public, Applied Micro, Econometrics SOP: The two things I want to talk about are my strong upward trend in my undergrad grades (particularly with math courses) and my late realization that I am interested in pursuing an econ PhD. I had a 3.2ish GPA after my first three semesters of undergrad. In my three since I've gotten a 3.77, 3.94, and 3.86, leaving my GPA at a 3.51. Also, my bad grades in Calc 1 and 2 came when I was in high school and they let us take community college courses. For Calc 3 and ODEs, they came as a second year. I think I've matured a bit as a student since then, and went on to get As in Analysis, Honours Applied Linear Algebra, Probability, and (hopefully) Statistics. As for my late interest in an econ PhD, I originally wanted to go into the public policy world, however after my two internships I pivoted to academic economics, thus I didn't get my first RAship until my last semester of undergrad. If there's a way to frame my policy experience as a good thing I'll take it, but I've heard that PhD admissions don't really care about it. Concerns: My grades in computational mathematics suck. I got a D in Calc 3 during the first semester of my second year. I took a supplemental exam (essentially counts as retaking the class in one exam) and got a B+, which is decent I suppose. C in ODEs is tough, but the class average (which is given on my transcript) was also a C so I pray schools take that into account. I'm hoping my As in Analysis, Honours Applied Linear Algebra, Probability, and (hopefully) Statistics can lessen that blow, but I've accepted it will hold me back. I am contemplating retaking ODEs or taking another math class at a community college this summer to get a better grade, if people think that would help. Other: Published quite a few policy papers in housing and tax policy during my internships, one even had a regression in it!:glee:.Self or co-author on all. Applying to: Please tell me where I should be looking. So much of the advice out there seems geared toward people applying to top 10 schools and I don't think I'm at that level, even if I got straight As during my masters program next year. Fine with anywhere in the US, Canada, or Europe. I speak English fluently and French intermediately if that helps.