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PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: First Class Honours Economics and Minor Mathematics at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.54/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: N/A Predoc: At another T3 Canadian University with relatively well known, albeit younger profs. GRE: 168 Quant (92nd percentile), 166 Verbal (97th percentile), 5.0 writing (92nd percentile) Math Courses: Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra 1 (B+), Honours Linear Algebra 2 (A), Intro to Statistics (A), Probability (A), Statistics (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 Intermediate Micro (A-), Honours Intermediate Macro (B+), Honours Intermediate Stats (A-), Honours Econometrics I (A); Honours Econometrics II (A), Honours Advanced Micro (A), Honours Advanced Macro (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) Research Experience: two internships in economic policy with well known think tanks in Washington DC, part time RA for labour economist while in Undergrad, part time RA for a different labour economist at another institution during undergrad and summer after undergrad, part time RA on NBER project summer after undergrad, Predoc at a different top 3 Canadian University. Letters of Recommendation: All from professors I've been an RA for. Two have published decently however are quite young, another is more senior. Research Interests: Primarily in Urban, but also interested in Public and Applied Micro in general SOP: Going to talk about realizing my late interest in graduate economics in tandem with my upward performance in my grades. My GPA is bad because I wasn't very focused on school at the start. I started my undergrad as a geography student and got bad grades in those courses, the gen-ed freshman courses, and the math courses. I switched into econ 2nd year, enjoyed it, and started taking school more seriously and have gotten significantly better grades since (3.33 average for first two vs 3.84 average for final two years). Additionally, I got straight As in the math courses I took in the latter half of my degree (Honours LinAlg 2, Analysis, Probability, and Statistics) vs the B+ and C I got in the first half in Calc 3 and ODEs. Other: Deans list, 2019/2020 academic year. Received an award for being the graduating student with the highest academic standing in the economics department. Applying to: Would love some advice as to the caliber of school I should be applying to, open to anywhere in US, Canada, or Europe. A very tentative list would be Reaches: University of Pennsylvania, NYU, Columbia, Brown, UCLA, UCSD, Oxford Target: University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, USC, UC Irvine, Boston University, Queens, University, Maryland, UCL, Toulouse School of Economics, Georgetown, University of Washington. Safety: McGill University, University of Pittsburgh, CU Boulder, George Washington University. Is that list realistic? Should I shoot higher/lower? Are there other places I should look at specific to my research interests? Thanks in advance!

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.

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 .

Hello! I finished undergrad quite recently, and am looking to get a sense of how strong my profile might be. I don't think I will do a PhD immediately, and I would strongly consider doing a predoc as well. Type of Undergrad: B.A. Economics and Mathematics (joint major). Top 10 US News ranking. GPA: 3.92. Major GPA: 3.94 GRE: Not taken yet P - Pass on Pass/Fail grading scale. Econ courses: Intro macro/micro (A/A); Advanced Micro (A); Intermediate Macro (A); Mathematical Game Theory (A); Trade and Development (A); Development Economics (P); Econometrics (P); Spatial Economics (P); Note: I got written commendations for both Development Economics and Econometrics that state I was among the top students in the class for both. Also would have gotten an A in Spatial Economics. Math courses: Calc III (A); Linear Algebra (A); Real Analysis I (A); Vector Analysis (A); Complexity Science (A); Stochastic Processes (A-); Intro to Probability and Statistics (A-). LOR's: (1) Asst Prof at Top 10 US News, 9 month part-time research and finished top of their class (2) Full-time summer RA for Asst Prof at Top 20 US News; (3) Unsure who to ask Research experience: Lots of RA jobs throughout undergrad. I realize I have some holes to fill (figuring out who would be my last rec letter, taking the GRE). Still, wondering whether people might have insights as to what kinds of schools might be attainable with this baseline. Further, if anyone had any advice for things I should consider doing (for instance doing an RAship and take more math classes or something). Thank you in advance!!

Hello All, I hope this post could interest some of you. I would like to get some insight into the matter of transferring undergrad institution. To briefly provide my background: My goal: get into the best possible Ph.D. in economics program (>=T30) My current institution and My current plan: get BS in Math/Stat + Econ minor (Purdue, Math/Stat>T30, Econ T40ish), and get MS in Stat in the same institution (all completed in 3 years from now). If I transfer: (if I get in) Brown, Cornell, Umichigan, Claremont McKenna (T10 LAC) ECON or Math/Stat or both (I only can apply to these institutions because I will be transferring in Spring 2022) If I transfer, I plan to just complete my BS and apply to ECON PHD programs, and the cost would be roughly +$100,000 from my original plan (completion estimated time would be 2.5 years from now - half year decrease from my original plan). So, I would like to ask you all if I should transfer (of course, given that I get in) to those institutions or not. If I do transfer, I would be able to take more courses as undergrad since I will have completed quite a lot of math/econ courses at Purdue. I question is focused on "would transferring worth it (better chance in getting into better program & given the cost)?" I "can" afford the additional cost, but it would be quite a burden for my parents of course. Please provide me with some insight into this matter. I would appreciate any comments on this. I hope I could be able to make the decision based on your comments. Thank you. ++ Just to add, I would also like to know some thoughts on Duke MAE. So, if I were to pursue Duke MAE after graduating Purdue (BS Math/Stat + Econ Minor), it would take 3 years from now to complete it, and it would be roughly +$150,000 from the original plan. Does anyone think this might be the best option among the three (stay at Purdue and do MS Stat OR Transfer (no MS) OR Purdue+Duke MAE)? I know I kinda rambled on, but please help me out. Thank you, all.

Education: Top 10 undergrad, majoring in CS and Statistics Test Scores (GRE): 170Q, 168V Undergrad GPA: 3.9 (Major 3.85) Research Experience (my weak point): 1. RA for graduate student my freshman fall 2. Relatively weak independent study my senior spring Teaching Experience: 1. Three semesters as a TA for a CS class 2. Online course development 3. Grader and tutor for multiple departments Work Experience: trader intern at top firm (2x), quant intern at top bank (2x) Relevant classes: 1st semester of PhD microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, all A's. several applied statistics and ML classes, through the graduate level, all A's. several theory and asset pricing undergrad electives, all A's. Target programs: Duke MA Econ UW Madison MA Econ Columbia MA Econ UIUC MA Policy Economics Penn State Econ MA NYU Econ MA Cornell AEM MA UM Twin Cities AEM MA Vanderbilt GPED MA International student and will apply after working, so I can't do a predoc instead of a masters.

Hi, I'd be very interested and grateful to read your thoughts on my situation. I'll start with my profile: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Maths, US News Global Top 10 (I'm from outside the US); econ courses from a programme that's little known internationally, but that's well-respected and places well onto master's programmes. Undergrad GPA: First class. Type of Grad: Not started yet; offer for Econometrics and Mathematical Economics MSc at LSE. GRE: Will take later. Math Courses: Real analysis (B+), Calculus & probability (B+), Linear algebra (first year A-, second year A-), Metric spaces & complex analysis (A-), Topology (B+) + quite a few more that are very pure and not very relevant. Econ Courses: Intermediate micro (A/A+), Intermediate macro (A/A+), Intermediate econometrics (A/A+), Maths for economics (A/A+). Research Experience: None that's relevant, will aim to do an RA/pre-doc after my master's. (Grades are listed using standard conversions -- we don't use A, B, C etc. in my country.) I couldn't take econ courses during my undergrad (students study specific programmes and outside options are very limited) but since graduating, I've taken classes in intermediate micro, macro, econometrics and maths for economics, all A or A+, depending on how you convert. I don't have any stats courses on my transcript but I've self-studied first and second year stats and second year probability. I did well in my undergrad overall but, as you can see, my grades in the courses that matter most for econ PhD applications aren't great. My undergrad was very rigorous and tough, so I'd like to think that these grades aren't as bad as they look, but they certainly don't look very good. It might be relevant that the first three (up to first year LA) were first year courses and I have an upwards trajectory from there. I have an offer for the MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics at LSE, which I'll probably accept. I'm wondering how much these undergrad maths grades will matter for PhD applications after the MSc. I have some time to study before the MSc so I'm considering re-taking important courses/filling in important gaps, e.g. via NetMath from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign -- this was recently suggested on another thread. If my undergrad grades will be largely superseded by my MSc grades though, then it doesn't seem worth doing any formal study for credit before the MSc. (I would still self-study to prep for the MSc as it's very demanding, but I would go about this in a somewhat different way.) My questions are: (i) How much will my undergrad maths grades matter for PhD applications after my master's? (ii) How much would re-takes/additional courses compensate for my not great undergrad grades? (iii) If I take some courses for credit, which courses should I prioritise taking? Any other thoughts or suggestions are very welcome! Details on course content (feel free to ignore if not helpful): I'm not entirely sure how my maths courses map onto US courses/sequences as the system is quite different here and not at all standardised. E.g. My calculus course included some material I think is found in US differential equations courses. Calculus had some proofs but everything else was heavily proof-based. For brevity, I won't list everything but will hopefully give you a sense of what was covered. Analysis: sequences, series, continuity, differentiability, Riemann integration. Calculus: ODEs, partial derivatives, simple PDEs, parametric equations, line integrals, Jacobians, double integrals, surfaces, directional derivative. Probability: probability space and axioms, conditional probability, law of total probability, discrete and continuous random variables, joint, marginal, conditional distributions, conditional expectation, random walks, probability generating functions, Weak Law of Large Numbers. Linear algebra (first year): using matrices to solve systems of linear equations, vector spaces, subspaces, bases, linear transformations, Rank-Nullity Theorem, bilinear forms and real inner product spaces, eigenvectors, Spectral Theorem. Linear algebra (second year): abstract vector spaces, rings, quotient spaces, dual spaces, adjoints for linear maps, orthogonal maps. Metric spaces: metric spaces, isometries, continuity, completeness, Contraction Mapping Theorem, connectedness, compactness. Topology: abstract topological spaces in terms of open sets, continuity, connectedness, accumulation points, basis of a topology, product topology, quotient topology, abstract simplicial complexes.

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.

Hello all, I am writing this post with the admissions season not complete, as I am wondering if there are any actions which I should take in the coming weeks. I have applied to programs this cycle, but it is looking increasingly likely that I won't be admitted anywhere. Apologies for the long post --- trying to provide as much information as possible. Before I get into this, I'll post my profile in the standard format. Profile: Type of Undergrad: Top 10 LAC, Econ major, math minor, poverty studies minor. Undergrad GPA: 3.63 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 165 V, 167 Q, 5.5 W Math Courses: Real Analysis II (A), Real Analysis I (A), Mathematical Statistics (A-), ODEs (A-), Introduction to Analysis (A), Linear Algebra (A), Multivariable Calculus ©, Calculus I (n/a), Calculus II (n/a) Econ Courses: Advanced Micro/Macro Theory (A), Research Seminar in Economics (A), Advanced Labor Economics (A), Advanced Macroforecasting (A-), Health Economics (A), Microtheory (A-), Macrotheory (A-), Econometrics (B+), Intro Macro (A), Intro Micro (B), a slew of other economics electives (all A or A-) Other Courses: Thesis written for poverty studies minor which was supervised by an economist and used an applied micro framework. Letters of Recommendation: (1) First letter from undergrad advisor/mentor, professor in two courses, and RA'ship supervisor. This writer is a tenured faculty with a PhD from a top school, but not particularly well known. Writer specifically recommended schools ranked 10-15 as a good landing spot for me and stated that they would write strong letter. (2) Second letter writer has supervised my predoc for two years, and we are in the process of coauthoring a publication together. He also mentioned several 10-15 schools as a good landing spot (especially Michigan). This letter writer is not particularly well known either, but am confident that he wrote an enthusiastic letter. (3) Third letter writer has also worked with me during my predoc; we have published a paper together in a top journal within the realm of public finance/tax economics. He is a more prolific researcher than the other two (and likely more well known), but doesn't know me quite as well. I still expect a strong letter from him. Research Experience: RA'ships for economists during two separate summers of undergrad. Two theses written through my final year of undergrad (one pure econ, one poverty studies). Two year predoc for an organization within the federal government (but not a fed bank). Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: Primarily labor economics and public economics/public finance. Also very interested in any applied micro type research. SOP: Lightly tailored for each school. Outlines research interests, a (very broad) potential research agenda, and each of the items listed in the "other" category. Very little room is left for narrative information (i.e. why economics, how I got here). Other: My current position is able to provide me with full funding (but only in years 2-5, not very valuable I know). More importantly, my current position also allows access to some unique and confidential data throughout my graduate studies. These data are identical to the SSA data which have been leveraged very successfully for research by those who can access it. My situation is as follows. This cycle, I applied to nearly 30 graduate schools. All of these are pure econ programs (the kind of schooling which I am most interested in), and they are ranked anywhere from 10-60 (think a uniform distribution between 10 and 60 with some attention paid to department specialty). The goal, here, was to be admitted to a top 60 program, and I would be absolutely thrilled to gain admission to any of the programs to which I applied. But, part way through this process, I have already been rejected from most of the less competitive programs to which I applied and am running out of hope to be admitted to any one program. If I am not admitted, I intend to try again next year. My questions for this forum are: 1) Was I unrealistic about my chances at a top 60 program? I did extremely poorly during my first year of undergrad ( 2) If I am not admitted anywhere, which seems likely, what would be the best next step for next year's admissions season? My most clear options are to (a) stay with my predoc for 1 more year, hopefully publish another paper that I've been working on, and take another class or two (phd micro/macro or functional analysis?); or (b) enroll in a full time masters program to more substantially improve my math background. If it is possible to do (a) and be admitted next year, I have a strong preference for that. How do these two options compare regarding my admissions chances? 3) In the event that I do not get in anywhere, should I contact a few admissions committees after April 15 and ask for any feedback? Is it considered rude to do so? Any advice/feedback would be very appreciated --- even if the feedback is that I'm not qualified and should look into other careers. Congrats to all admitted, and I wish everyone else who is still waiting the best of luck.

Hi all, I am a concerned undergrad who is looking for some brutal and honest opinions on my records regarding admissions to the following schools: - Northwestern - Umich - Wisconsin - U of Chicago - Berkeley ARE My biggest concerns are my undergrad's ranking, timing of some of the courses, and the fact that I am an international, but I might get a green card by the time I apply. I am planning to take some of the math courses and the senior thesis after or during the application period. Also I have a bad record (around 3.2/4.0) worth 25 credits from the former institution I briefly attended in a foreign country 5 years ago. Hope you can help me out. Thanx Type of Undergrad: Purdue University Econ Honors + MA STAT minors Undergrad GPA: 3.9/4.0 GRE: 168 Q 160 V 5.0 W Math Courses: (MA) Calc 1~3, Linear Algebra, Diff Eq, Foundations Analysis, Probability // (STAT) Applied Regression Analysis, Quality Control, Design of Experiments Econ Courses: Econometrics, Micro, Macro, Game Theory, IO, Banking, International Trade Letters of Recommendation: possibly from the Dean (UMich), professors in lab and courses (Stanford, Oxford, UMich, Berkeley) Research Experience: Personal RA to professors, ECON department RA to lab/institution, Honors Thesis Teaching Experience: ECON department TA for Econometrics, International Trade Research Interests: International Economics, Trade, Macro

Hi everyone. I'l try to keep things as short as possisble. Undergrad: Top 50 USNEWS with a 3.7 in economics. The problem is my transcript looks terrible (semesters with low courseload, only math taken was calculus 2, B in intermediate micro). I was dealing with medical problems throughout undergrad so I didn't really focus on my courses too much. But I aniticpate completing 2 masters programs at LSE. One in applied mathematics which would cover graduate level math courses and the EME. Assuming I were to get top marks and rank highly in both of them, would that be enough (along with RA experience, good recomendations etc) to get into the top 5 or at least make my poor undergrad performance not such a big deal? Thanks in advance!

Edit: This is for applications to a PhD in Economics Edit2: And GRE is 170Q, for what it's worth. I've posted something similar on Reddit, but I since discovered these forums. My profile is "strongly mixed," to say the least. I have a very high grad average (only comprising a few classes over two years; the rest of the time I was a predoc at a strong department.) And a ~3.2 undergrad GPA from a recognizable place, including a litany of graduate math and economics classes. Some of these I did very well in, some not. The discontinuity is due to a chronic health condition, which was finally treated late in my undergrad. My predoc has led to a publication. And one of my undergrad professors (who wrote me letters for this predoc) described me as "by far the best undergrad I've ever seen," so I have some hope that my letters are strong. Perhaps I should have asked this prof to referee me for PhD applications, but I figured recent is better. The other thing to mention is that I probably have unusual skills in computer programming. I'm the maintainer of some "big in Japan" (i.e., popular amongst a small set) open-source economic packages that have been accepted for talks at conferences. I've applied to about 15 well-known departments in the 10-30 range, including some Master's programs, and a smattering in 30-50. My predoc institution is probably my best shot for a good placement, in my mind. Mainly I'm opening this thread to calibrate my expectations, and get advice on how to approach this profile in any remaining applications. And to see if there are any schools I should apply to before the Jan. 1/Jan. 15 deadline. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone-- Been lurking for a while and since I finally applied to graduate school, thought I'd see what people think :) Appreciate any criticism or commentary! Undergrad: Harvard (math and CS double, econ minor) GPA: 3.91 GRE: 163V/170Q Math-y stuff: Theoretical Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Group Theory, Rings & Fields, Complex Analysis, Measure/Functional Analysis, Graduate Probability, Graduate Algorithms, Machine Learning, Stochastic Processes, Dynamical Systems, Operating Systems, Quantum Mechanics, General Relativity. Econ: Intermediate and graduate micro/macro sequences, economic history, urban economics, game theory. Research Experience: Two summers at Harvard (one in urban economics, another in developmental) and one at MIT (innovation economics), three co-authored papers in good but not tip-top-tier journals. Recommendations from Harvard professors I worked and took a few classes under. Applying to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, NYU, and a few slightly lower ranked schools. I think I have a strong profile but top PhD programs are unpredictable, so would appreciate people who have been through the system telling it to me straight, and suggesting how I might improve. Thank you all so much!

UNDERGRAD School: Top 30 LAC, 3.98 GPA Major: Mathematical Economics (Highest Honors), Concentration in Statistics, Phi Beta Kappa Math Courses: Calculus I (A-), Calculus II (A-), Calculus III (A), Linear Algebra (A-), Probability Theory (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Mathematical Modeling (A), Advanced Econometrics (A) Econ courses: I got all As/A- except for in Intermediate Microeconomics, where I got a B+. This is actually very bad because my interest is in micro Research Experience: Was an econ RA for 2 years as an undergrad, was also a psychology RA, did honors economics thesis (graduated with highest honors), got small grant for independent research, 1 peer-reviewed publication (not econ-related, it was oddly a CS thing) LORs: 2 of them very very strong, 1 will be good but not mind-blowing. All profs went to Top 10 schools. But they are not super famous in their field. Research Interests: Behavioral Economics / Applied Micro POST GRAD Worked as a data scientist for 1 year. This was not directly related to economics, but I actually did a fair bit of A/B testing, experimental design, and forecasting. So it is somewhat related to econometrics. And the industry that it was in (ad-tech) is somewhat related to behavioral economics, so it fits with my interest Where should I be looking to apply? I am applying to a three (3) T10 (just the ones my recommenders knew somebody at, vouched for me) and then three (3) T20 and five (5) T30. Is this too ambitious? EDIT: Included numerical breakdown of schools in ranges

I am an undergrad student in top10 planning to take a first semester course in PhD Micro. In my school, the first semester Micro covers decision theory and general equilibrium in each of the half semesters. I am worried that the majority of incoming students in my school’s PhD program already has an exposure to PhD level micro from masters degree and etc so that it might be difficult to pull an A. Furthermore, it is known that A/A- are given to roughly 25~30% of the class, which may be risky for an undergrad student taking a PhD level course in my current institution. I am also considering Grad Optimization course and more research experience instead. Given that I already have taken Analysis, Analysis on Manifold Measure and Integration, Measure Theoretic Probability, PDE, Numerical , Linear algebra, will it be worth it to take first year micro for additional signaling? Or would spending more time doing research be a better option? Is it common for students aiming top10 or 5 to have graduate courses in economics?

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Large public national university, with low ranked PhD program Undergrad GPA: 3.65 Type of Grad: 2 post-bacc graduate econ courses (one A-, one B+) Grad GPA: GRE: 166q, 166v, 5w Math Courses: calculus 1-3 (A,A,B+), linear algebra (A), real analysis (B), probability theory (B+), differential equations (B+), intro to proofs (A-), Econ Courses: intermediate micro/macro (A-, A), econometrics (A), math econ (A-), like 4 other economics electives (all As) Other Courses: business statistics (C+), business calc (A) Letters of Recommendation: one from a professor who I took two classes with and excelled in, two from FRB where I have been an RA for 1.5 years. I think they will be overall pretty positive but nothing like "this is the next friedman" Research Experience: senior thesis (presented at undergrad research conference), 1.5 years of RA at FRB, two summer undergrad RA positions in non-econ social sciences Teaching Experience: n/a SOP: just talked about my experience and interests and goals. very generic but clear. I'm starting to have those post-application doubts. Where do you think I'm competitive? I applied to 14 schools mostly in the 30-60 range. Am I too confident? Should I apply at more safe bets?

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?

Have any of the Fed branches sent out decisions or interview requests regarding summer undergrad RA positions? I applied to all the branches and have yet to hear back.

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.B.A. in accounting from large state university Undergrad GPA: 2.32 Undergrad GPA last 60 hrs: 3.93 Type of Grad: M.S. in accounting from same state university Grad GPA: 3.90 Type of 2nd Grad: M.P.P. from top-ranked public university Grad GPA: 3.84 currently - exp graduation 05/21 GMAT: 44V 47Q - approx equiv to GRE: 168V 165Q, plan to take next summer Math Courses: calculus 1-3 (A), linear algebra (A), business statistics (B), applied stats & optimization (A), business calculus (B) Undergrad Econ Courses: intermediate micro/macro (A), business economics (B), international economics (A), quantitative analysis (A) Grad Econ Courses: history of economic thought (B+), micro (A-), macro (A+), quant analysis (A-), international development economics (A+), econometrics I (A+), econometrics II (A) Letters of Recommendation: two relatively strong letters from respected econ professors at current program who can speak to research I've done in their classes, one very strong letter from previous boss who is partner at CPA firm Teaching Experience: n/a Professional License: CPA - 3 yrs private sector employment at regional firm Research Experience: no RA experience. several graduate research projects and papers, extensive use of STATA and econometric analysis Research Interests: Public Policy, Labor, Monetary Policy My undergrad GPA is cringeworthy, I know. I had a serious injury my junior year that left me in a wheelchair and changed my priorities a bit. Theres a clear shift in my grades post-injury, so anyone looking at my transcript would easily notice the medical withdrawal, gap years, then mostly all As after. But Im worried that the cumulative GPA will be an automatic rejection in the first round of sorting/cutoffs at most schools. I'm applying for RA positions in the DMV area now, hoping to get some experience at the FRB or a think tank in the area to add to my application. I'm also taking math classes online through IU's CITL program, planning on having real analysis, differential equations, and a proof class or two done before applying. Maybe some statistics as well. Questions: 1) What type of schools should I target? 2) How irredeemable is the undergrad GPA? I've got some mitigating factors like the grades trending up post-injury, private sector work experience and professional license, and the graduate degrees but I'm not sure how much weight these carry. 3) Mostly, though: what can I do to improve my application? Is taking any extra math classes worth it? Or are grad econ classes more important?

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I requested a profile evaluation before but quite a few details have changed and I figured that it would be useful to request one again. My profile has some glaring oddities because I went through a very strange period in my life between 2012-2014 as a youth - I, more or less, dropped out of a school I got into and pressed the reset button. If you think this may matter a lot, let me know. That would be very valuable and useful to me - may be necessary to get a MA then. I'm not worried or concerned about this now. Profile Ethnicity: URM/Latino Type of Undergrad: Economics/Math (statistics option) low-ranked public university - you haven't heard of it. GRE: Quant 163, Verbal 167 (I'm going to retake it, obviously, and I expect to do better - I'm a much stronger math student now than I was when I first took it.) Undergrad GPA (overall): 3.82 Undergrad GPA (institutional): 4.0 Undergrad GPA (math): 4.0 Math/Statistics Courses: Intro to Analysis (A), Stochastic Processes (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Probability Theory (A), Linear Algebra (A), Statistical Learning (grad course, A), Cal Series (A in all courses), Differential Equations (A), Discrete Math (A), Number Theory (A), Economics: Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Labor Econ (A), Industrial Organization (A), International Economics (A), Money & Banking (A), Math for Economics (A, grad), Advanced Micro (A-, grad, took through program), Econometrics (A) Research Experience: I'll be working as a RA in the Federal Reserve system for two years. I'm not sure who will be writing my LORs from there but I will be working with some economists with PhDs from top-ranked programs. I know Stata/R and some Python. I'd say I'm very proficient in R. Research Interests: Labor, Household Finance, Econometrics, Public Policy Concerns/Questions: 1. I have no idea which schools I should target or which schools I could plausibly target. I last thought about graduate school ~9 months ago or so - I try not to think about such things when I'm "in the trenches", it produces unnecessary stress - and my profile was much weaker 9 months ago! As a result, I'm pretty clueless about my current profile. 2. I'm interested in profile-strengthening tips. I can take classes/courses on the side rather easily and, if I really go out of my way, from good universities. I'm interested in continuing my Math/Stats education (I don't feel satisfied yet and I love Math/Stats) while also gaining more exposure to graduate-level Economics. If you see a weakness or have a recommendation, I'd love to hear it, though I refuse to do something solely to get a LOR or an "in". 3. The big question relates to the MA - do you think it's necessary if I want to get into top 20 programs? I suspect that it is. I have no idea though.

Test Scores (GMAT/GRE): 163V (93rd percentile) 159Q (73rd percentile) 4.5AWA (82nd percentile). Scored 5.0 (93rd percentile) on previous proctoring, but lower on other sections Undergrad GPA: 2.87, undergrad business school at Large Private University in Intermountain West, major GPA is also ******, but A's in every OB class I took. In applications that allow for addendums or personal history statements I address this. There is a compelling narrative here, i.e. if you go through my transcript you'd notice, "oh there's a story behind this, I wonder what happened?" Graduate GPA: N/A Research Experience: - 2 years RA 1-on-1 with bschool prof at top public university on West Coast (hoping for publication to emerge from this) - 7 months in behavioral lab at same school to learn social psych methodology - 8 months RA work (mainly data collection/cleaning/coding) for bschool prof at top private university on West Coast - working on publication with potential co-author (also bschool prof) at my undergrad institution (all 3 faculty are LOR writers) Teaching Experience: TA for management course in undergrad, also did some TA type work as part of RA responsibilities for professor I worked for after undergrad Work Experience: a little less than a year for tech company based out of Silicon Valley, left to go back to school (if I ever get in front of MBA's I'll be able to tell them "yeah I worked in tech") Concentration Applying to: micro OB Number of programs planned to apply to: 8 (1 top 5, 1 top 15, 4 25-40, 2 outside top 50). Also applied to 1 OB PhD program in ILR school, 1 MA program in social-org psych, and 2 pre-doctoral programs. Would have applied to more but didn't feel like it was worth the cost of application fees due to the weaknesses of my application. All but 3 of these programs I'd go to w/o hesitation. Dream Schools: Haas, Columbia, LBS, Stern, Anderson, Rotman Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? No other profession feels as honest. Projected lifestyle doesn't hurt either. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? What I really want to know is if I have a shot at the elite programs, considering my low GPA and low quant score. Was scoring higher on practice exams, but just didn't get it to the 90th percentile on test day. Planning on re-taking in 6 months if I don't get in anywhere. Have been told though that quant score is less important for micro candidates vs. macro candidates. Just not sure how much give there really is. The emphasis on elite programs is two-fold: 1.) Living in a diverse, and culturally rich place is very important to me. Part of the reason why I struggled so mightily in undergrad was because I was a minority at a very racially and ideologically homogenous institution. 2.) It just so happens that the majority of PhD programs and TT positions located in big cities are at elite universities, and don't want to get stuck in a negative feedback loop at the lower tiers, especially if it means I have to live somewhere desolate. How impermeable are the tiers truly, especially regarding the rank of your PhD institution? Also, seeking insight on whether it is worth it to continue applying each year in hopes of matriculating to top program, or am I costing myself too much by waiting? And, what do you make of these alternative MA and predoctoral programs? Are they viable options that would help me on my journey or merely a way for these schools to get more cheap labor or collect tuition (in the case of the MA program)? Looking inward and asking myself a lot of questions. 30 is getting closer and I've heard age bias from these programs is a real thing. My family thinks this is just a pipe dream and I should get a "real job", however I know once I take something outside of academe, the degree of difficulty to keep up with the research and publication cycle will be exponentially higher. Would be so easy to give up now, but I've sacrificed too much and worked too hard for this.

Undergrad (UVA), no grad work. GPA: 3.77, 3.9+ in stat/math/econ (I did the McIntire school and hated it, that pulled me down a bit) Stat major, econ minor (also an irrelevant commerce major) Courses: Linear (Intermediate and Advanced): A, Calc III and ODEs (in High School Dual Enrollment), Stochastics: A, Real Analysis II: B+ (took the second one and not the first because I did not have time for both), SProbability (was only undergrad in graduate course): A, Stat Inference (was only undergrad in graduate course): A, Time Series: A, Metrics (I and II): A, Game Theory: A, Intermediate Micro: A, Intermediate Macro: A-, some other random stat and math courses that I got As in. Research: None as an undergrad (stats program did not have the honors thesis option and I did not RA). Been working since August 2018 at a top 3 econ consulting firm, have been able to do a couple projects that were non-litigation and were more research like. GRE: 170Q/165V; Did not get to take GRE Math Subject due to COVID cancellation Recs: mix of professors, and supervisors at work who had worked in academia before consulting. Applied to Melbourne and was told in interview that my recs were very strong. Coding: Stata, SAS, R, SQL. Very extensive professional coding experience. Applying to both stat econ programs as I could see myself either in stat theory, or in metrics theory in an econ program. Most likely a PhD but the ETH Zurich masters in stat to strengthen research experience is also appealing.

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 20 State University US News(Econ major), Econ major. Cumulative GPA: 2.98/4 Currently doing MA in top 60 University US News. (Applied Econ) First semester in the school and I have three more semesters left before the graduation. I will try hard to get streak A for my masters to compensate my bad undergrad GPA. The program is very heavy in math and Econometrics. GRE: 168Q/152V/3.5AWA. I took it a year ago, but I can retake it if it's necessary. Math Courses: Undergrad: Calculus I (3.5), Calculus II (3.0), Stat I, II (3.0). Research/Teaching: Currently working as RA and GA. Programming skills: Stata, R, Python As you can see I don't have strong mathematical background from my undergrad, so I'm thinking of taking extra math courses during my masters if possible. I'd appreciate if you could recommend any math related courses I should take. And if I graduate with solid A's in my masters, what are the chances of me getting into top 50 Econ Phd? Thank you in advance.

Type of Undergrad: BA in Economics and Mathematics from a small liberal arts school, not very highly ranked or well known Undergrad GPA: 3.93 GRE: 169Q/167V/5.5W Math Courses: Calculus and analytical geometry I, II and III (A, A-, A); Foundations of Math (sort of intro to proofs and set theory) (B); Probability and Statistics, I and II (A and A); Differential Equations (A); Linear Algebra (A); Abstract Algebra (A); Mathematical Modeling (A); Topology (contains early real analysis) (A) Econ Courses Undergrad: Intermediate Micro (A); Intermediate Macro (A); Game Theory (A); Econometrics (A); Environmental Economics (A); History of Economic Thought (A); Senior seminar (thesis paper) (A); Political Economy of Africa (A); Independent research course/paper (A) Other Courses: Object Oriented Programming (Java): A Letters of Recommendation: Really strong letters from three economics professors, including my senior thesis advisor, that will place me near the top of students they have taught. A fourth strong letter from a math professor who does the same which I may submit for some schools. Research Experience: I wrote my senior thesis, and then a paper for an independent research course I designed with a professor, on capital flows in the eurozone, the Greek Debt crisis, and monetary unions. I was also a research assistant for a professor’s consulting business doing union arbitration cases, mostly doing research on local economies, development projects, and city finances. Since leaving undergrad 1 year ago I have worked as a labor market researcher for a state labor department. At first this was a pretty sleepy job that gave me a lot of time to do independent research and work on my programming skills. Since COVID-19 began I have been involved deeply involved our state’s response to the unemployment crisis, including data analysis, forecasting and modeling for unemployment insurance programs and the trust fund, and implementation of new federal programs. Other: I applied to PhD programs in fall of 2018, for admission in fall of 2019. I received several funded offers, from schools like Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. I was also waitlisted at UT Austin and Maryland, and received an offer off the waitlist from Maryland. I was excited by several of my offers, but my partner got into an amazing master’s program and I made the tough decision to move with her, find a job, and wait on grad school for two years. Unfortunately I expect this year to be significantly more competitive than when I applied before. Having gone through this once, I feel I should know where I have a shot, but COVID-19 and my work experience makes this tricky. I am planning to apply for a few reach schools in the teens and 20s (Minnesota and Hopkins), several schools in the 30s and 40s (Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt), and a few “safer’ options in the 50s and 60s, for about 12 total. Does this seem like a sufficiently cautious path? Any advice on leveraging my work experience? In my SOP I lean on this to talk about how my research interests have shifted from monetary economics towards labor economics. Unfortunately I also feel like my research interests are less specific and clearly defined than last time (when they were pretty honed in on monetary policy, monetary unions, debt crises). Not sure if this helps or hurts. Self-assessment: I think I made the most of my possibilities given the undergrad I attended. Not accepting a grad school offer in 2019 may have been a bad decision in retrospect. There are plenty of things that hurt me and things that help me in my background. Weaknesses: Having gone to a small not-highly-ranked school, lack of publications, working in government the last year instead of as an academic RA Strengths: Really good recommendations, solid GRE, high GPA, subject matter expertise in labor economics, especially with the state response to COVID-19 unemployment crisis.