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So I am finishing my first year at a PhD program. I chose this school largely to work with a particular professor who is leaving to work at the Fed at the end of this school year. I am interested also in poverty which no one at my school does. I was interviewed and waitlisted at my favorite program, and have wished I applied to several others focussed on policy and poverty. Is it worth considering moving programs and if so, how would I go about this?

I am lucky to have an offer from a T12 school in this godforsaken season with a very solid fit. The location is also very good though funding is not excellent. But I have been rejected/implicitly rejected from most of the T10s. But I am wondering, assuming I have rejections from the few T10s yet to respond, whether it is beneficial for my long-run outcomes to delay for one more year and try again next year. I am currently an RA at a T3 for a fully tenured faculty member who is very respected in my subfield. I was planning to just do a one year RA'ship, but given this rough season I am considering taking more time to do research and extending my stay. While nothing is guaranteed obviously, surely my odds ought to go up (right?), because both I will have more research experience and also class sizes are projected to go back to normal post-covid (or at least be much better than right now). I am just weighing the tradeoffs and I was hoping to hear some of your opinions. On the one hand, I am a little tired of RA work as, while I am picking up very useful empirical skills, I am not able to do too much creative work. I have a few set of ideas from my RA work, and I want to enroll in a PhD program sooner to take grad classes in my subfield and adjacent subfields, so I can begin working on my projects and writing papers. I also do not want to spend another >$1.3k on applications, plus my mental health has taken a massive hit during the past two months. Yet on the other hand, there is much evidence that, even accounting for selection, that being in a T5 is very advantageous (see e.g. Jim Heckman and Sidharth Moktan's paper on the Tyranny of the Top Five). wondering if people had any thoughts to take into consideration. On average are advisors at T7's not available/there is a lot of competition amongst students for good advisors than at T15's? On the other hand, what are the peer networks like at T15's, are they as motivated and enterprising as those at T7's (both for self-motivation purposes and for potential coauthors)? Is being a star at a T15/T20 better than being middle-of-the-road at T7 (not saying I'll be a star but I'm just curious)? Should I take into consideration the fact that the job market in five-six years will probably be a bit easier due to smaller cohorts? Have I overestimated the likelihood of next admission season being easier (maybe because top students are thinking of deferring/delaying)? (please don't say past your first job nobody cares about your degree. Sure, conditional on that first job your degree won't matter, but it's precisely getting that first job that is very difficult and where I'm sure pedigree matters, see Heckman and Moktan 2020 as above.)

I need help planning what I am going to do over the next two years to maximize my chances of getting into a good Accounting PhD program. To start, here is my current profile: GMAT: Have not taken yet but my mock scores average 720 with a high quant score. I plan to take the test when my application draws nearer. Undergrad degree: BS Accounting. I graduated with honors from the top university in my country in Southeast Asia (but not Singapore or HK) and in the top 10% of my batch. Grad degree: MS in Public Policy and Management from a good US School (think Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M). I pursued this masters because of a scholarship. My quality point average was 4.0/4.0 and I graduated with high honors. Relevant subjects taken: During undergrad, I took Intro to Microecon (A), Intro to Macroecon (A), Calculus 1 and 2 (A+), Foundations of abstract math (A-), International Trade and Dev’t Policy (A), and Intro to Stat (A+) I also took heaps of accounting and finance subjects for my bachelor’s degree. During my masters, I took Applied Microecon (A), Applied Macroecon (A+), and Statistical Reasoning (A+). I also took a subject on Data Analytics and Database Management (don't know if these are relevant) I am currently planning to enroll in Calc 3 and Linear Algebra which I will likely finish by the time I apply. Work experience: 5 months with a Big4 office in my country in the Transaction Advisory Group, 1 year of full-time work with a small firm that provides accounting services to SMEs. I also have close to 2 years work experience of part-time work with the small firm. Teaching Experience: After working in industry, I got a job as a full-time instructor in the top university in my country. I have 4 years of teaching experience and have taught heaps of accounting and finance subjects. I've also had several small projects consulting for small businesses. Research experience: I am expecting a sole-authored journal article to be published in my college’s local journal (a low-tier journal) some time next year. I am also expecting a book chapter I’ve co-authored to be published soon. LORs: No popular LORs but all from academics Research interests: Earnings management, disclosures Other: I am a CPA in my country and I have also passed the level 1 exam of the CFA. I also know Python and STATA (used them for my research). Based on my personal evaluation, here are the weaknesses of my current profile: I have little work experience with a large company. I can still improve my quant and econ background. My masters isn’t a MAcc like those of most accounting PhD students (I don't have the resources to pursue one) I can improve my GMAT (working on this) No rockstar LORs Little research experience Currently, I’m still employed as faculty member by the university and I have the benefit of taking Econ Stats and Econometrics if I wanted to. However, I will have to take those subjects on the side and it will take me a year to finish both. I also have the option of looking for a job now to address the first weakness I identified. My main question is this: should I stay in my current workplace and take the econ subjects or should I leave and get another job to improve my work experience? What would maximize my chances of landing a top accounting PhD? Also, given my current profile, how likely am I to get into the top 20 to 40 schools? Thanks in advance to anyone who can give their insights!

Hi, I am from Pakistan. I have recently completed MS Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I seek evaluation and advice on how should I proceed with my PhD application for US. Previous Educational Track: BS (4 year) Psychology MS (2 Year) Industrial-Organizational Psychology Test Scores: GRE: V= 151 (51th percentile), Q =151 (41th percentile), AWA =3 (14th percentile) I wrote the GRE last year and I know these scores are not competitive. I am preparing for a GRE take again to improve these scores especially AWA score. Retake was delayed due to my research work and PhD applications in other countries. IELTS: Overall: 8 Band (Writing= 7, Speaking= 7.5, Listening = 8, Reading 8.5) Undergrad GPA: 3.51/4.00 Graduate GPA: 3.23/4.00 Research Experience: I have both qualitative and quantitative research experience, studied psychology (with a specific focus on industrial-organizational psychology) during my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, steered several research projects as part of degrees requirement as well as internships. More, I also performed in diverse work roles at various public-private organizations and extensively advised undergraduates in their research projects. Currently, one of my paper (based on MS thesis) is accepted for publication and two others are in the peer review process and I am hopeful regarding their acceptance. The targeted journals are well recognized locally. Quantitative analysis are my strongest points. I am proficient in complex quantitative analysis and statistical tools (e.g., Multilevel Regression, Multivariate and Path Analysis) Teaching Experience: No teaching experience so far Work Experience: I served in public sector before pursuing MS. I did two internships in HR (as HR Intern) and one in management consulting (as research intern) during my MS Concentration Applying to: Organizational Behavior (micro) Number of programs planned to apply to: Max 3 to 4 – Because I only want to work with those professors whose interests are relevant to mine. Dream Schools: Wharton (a Longshot with the scores I have) Beside that I will target only those universities where I can relate my work to advisor’s goals and efforts. Other Questions: What made you want to pursue a PhD? I am looking forward to advance my research in knowledge workers engagement and knowledge teams’ creativity (Yes, I am mentioning two of these interest areas but I am more inclined towards the later). I am not only interested in antecedent to these favorable outcomes but also the variables governing these processes. I consider PhD as the next step for my academic journey. I will surely move forward in academia after this because I like research work. Questions or concerns you have about your profile? I am lacking on the numbers side. GRE is not good so far and I need this whole month to at least move the needle on this test. Especially on Quant. AWA is ready and I expect to achieve 4.5 or above now. Other concerns are the GPA. They are not stellar by any means. I seek advice on what areas can I improve? Is retaking the GRE essential? Or should I spend more time on reading the work of professors whose work interest me and contact them with relevant material? (Because this take time) Your time and advice are highly valuable to me

Hello, I am working as a Marketing Manager in a software firm and am a temporary faculty in a business school in France. To get a permanent academic position at this school, I need to be enrolled in a PhD program and complete it eventually. I want to continue with my job for now and due to my work commitment, I can’t do a full time PhD. Are there any accredited universities that allow enrolment in a PhD program and complete the degree without the requirement of regular full-time coursework and that would allow me to choose a guide and work on my thesis remotely with him. Any advice would be helpful.

I am looking for some general guidance for applying to Ag Econ PhD programs for Fall 2021. I am a MS student at a strong Applied Economics department at a major land grant school. For the most part, I think I have a strong profile: all As in graduate school (extra statistics courses, linear algebra, in addition to 2 course sequence in micro and 2 course sequence in econometrics). TA experience, very practical RA experience, a rather relevant thesis, as well as work experience after undergrad. My undergraduate career was rather shaky, which can't be corrected at this point, but I think I make up for that with work experience and my masters level work. FWIW, I am a domestic student and have a real drive to work as a researcher in the agricultural economics field, primarily in the area of international trade and trade policy. I think my biggest drawback is my GRE score right now - 163 quantitative (83rd percentile). I still think I can get above 90th percentile and will take it again, but didn't improve the last time, despite a lot more preparation. My question is specific to Ag Econ programs, how much consideration is given to GRE in these departments and is a 163 a non-starter for someone in my position? I had really hoped to target Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa State (all ag/applied economics), but also Penn State and Syracuse (traditional economics departments). Ideally I can improve my quant score and be the best candidate possible. But if not, does anyone have some suggestions for some departments (ag econ or traditional) that I should target, and would offer some good training in trade and policy? Thank you in advance!

Hi Urch, long time lurker, first time poster.... I have been en route to finishing a MPP degree and am currently taking on summer RA positions for two economics professors at a top 15 econ program, unknown MPP program. While the RA positions are both with well know economists and will hopefully provide me two LoR writers, I can't help but find the RA work to be nothing more than data cleaning. I like helping and providing assistance to my professors, but I am largely scared that this position has no value to it other than a LoR that's void of any insight to my economic skills. Has anyone else done RA work? Are my worries totally overblown, is this normal? Should I say anything? Thanks for any advice, I largely appreciate it :).

I'm currently an ugrad at a top 30 Econ uni (top 10 US public uni). Currently entering my 3rd year and I've been doing RA in a social science lab (non-Econ however). The work I've been doing is rather rewarding for an undergraduate. I'm creating datasets, cleaning data, generating figures in STATA/R, and doing other explanatory/descriptive data analysis in R/STATA. My question is, how will this be looked upon in PhD admissions? The faculty I'm working under do quantitative social science work (think field of public policy, education, psychology, etc...) that relates heavily to economics and have connections to the field of economics (some have Econ PhDs others have published with Economist and in Econ Journals). I'm hoping to get LORs from some of these faculty but was ultimately wondering how strict adcom committees are (especially at t-15 schools) about getting RA work strictly under economist. For reference I'm also majoring in Math so I have taken linear algebra, prob theory, and will be taking classes like real analysis in the future.

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

Hi everyone. It is my first time posting so I am unsure if this is the right sub-forum for my question but here goes.I am a citizen from a developing country (Philippines) strongly considering an Accounting PhD. I am aware that the business schools with the best reputation are in the US; US business schools have placements all over the world. My issue is with the certainty of my work prospects after graduation in the countries where I want to work. Visa rules in the US are much stricter compared to Canada, UK, or Australia; the US only grants a one year visa post-PhD whereas the other countries grant visas from 2 to 4 years. In other words, I only have at most one year to find work after my PhD in the US but up to 4 years in the non-US countries. My goal really is to work in the non-US countries as I like their working culture better. My question is: given my aspirations, which country should I prioritize in my application? If it matters, my ideal workplace would be a university in Australia, followed by Canada, then Europe/UK. Assuming I get admission in a T25 US school and a T4 Aussie school, which program should I pursue? Hoping to hear from someone familiar with the immigration difficulties in each country.

Hi All, Bit of a long post thanks to anyone who reads. I am seeking advice on how to spend a year between my MBA program and grad school. Before I begin here's where I am at: Undergrad school: McDaniel College (2009-2013) Undergrad program: Computer Science, minor in Mathematics Undergrad GPA: 2.99 :( Graduate School: unranked business school at University of Baltimore (2015-2020) Graduate Program: MBA Graduate GPA: 3.9 GMAT: Not within past 5 years. Research History: I am working with my advisor in my program to design a research topic in the fall. Hoping to nail down what the topic is by the end of next week. I anticipate it will be a study of how disruptive innovation has affected the landscape of a particular cloud based system, and I hope to draw conclusions about how companies are handling disruptive innovation in modern times based off my findings. This will be for academic credit, but I hope to create something that is capable of being published. Teaching experience: None. My Spiel (feel free to skip to questions below): Although it was always in the back of my mind, I never really anticipated on getting into academics. I currently serve as an assistant CTO for medium sized MSP/MSSP my family runs. Up until about a year ago I had full intention to take over the company when my dad retires. Currently, I manage a small team ,and I work directly with our clients to help them determine which technologies to implement in their businesses. After some soul searching and a few trips to an occupational therapist, I have decided some of my proudest achievements and relationships were academically based, and I am deeply interested in pursuing this further. Unfortunately, I don't feel like my academic resume matches my enthusiasm for it currently. I was very blessed to have gotten a taste of what it was like to be part of an academic cohort in my undergrad, but my GPA definitely does not reflect that because the first half of my undergrad was spent partying. After undergrad, I started working immediately for my folks. Around 3 years in to work, I started my MBA program at UBalt. I did not apply to any other programs because I could walk to that school from my house, and I was mostly pursuing the degree for a piece of paper, and I had a tremendous amount of pressure to pursue technical certifications which I have never particularly enjoyed. The MBA program was a good excuse to avoid those. Fast forward to today, and I have fallen in love with the study of digital innovation. With COVID19 having us all working from home, a lot of my daily tasks at work have been mitigated. I have used my spare time to take a deep dive into digital innovation as an academic study, and I have read 50+ academic publications since the start of COVID19 on the topic. I have been jotting down my takeaways on the ones that seem most relevant to the paper I want to write in the fall. I am gearing up to apply to PhD programs. I am graduating from UBalt in the fall, but I will not be applying for programs December 2021. I need to take a year off because my Fiancé is stuck at the hospital where she works her until then, and her presence is vital to my success in any program I am in! So until then I am stuck in Maryland. I am faced with the decision of how to spend that year. I have been transparent with my folks about my decision to leave the company. I do have the option to work part time and use the remaining time for academic pursuits. I really love technology, and I am really grateful my career gave me the option to work closely with CEOs and implement some really cool projects, but I am excited to be able to analyze how businesses use technology in a different lens. Additionally, I am excited to be part of an academic community again. My MBA program has been at night, and it has not quiet scratched my academic itch that I got a taste of in my undergrad. My Questions: Anyway, if you all had a year to kill between grad school and PhD, what would you do? I think I want to spend it doing part time research, but I am not sure if that is better than being a full time research assistant. The finances will work out to be similar on my end, as part time at my current job is comparable to full time as a research assistant. Perhaps I could do both and work as a research assistant for half the year? How would you prep for the GMAT if you had to do it again? What courses would you take on it? What programs would you recommend me look into? I really want to study the way companies handle digital innovation is evolving, but I haven't dived in quite deep enough to find what programs are a fit for me. I don't think my academic resume is that great so telling me I won't get into a top ten school won't hurt my feelings. Finally, I don't have any formal teaching experience. Is that a big deal? Is it a good use of my time to change that? I think I would love sharing ideas with students, but I have not tested that theory.

I have applied at LSE and Cambridge for MSC in eco. But if rejected from these two , is Msc in Bristol a good option ?? I want to work with central banks , gov and non-gov organsations , international organisations etc.

not applicable any more.

Given past profiles and my results from last year I know that whatI’m missing is research experience. However, I have had a difficulttime finding work as a research assistant given that I’ve nowgraduated without research experience (I worked throughout collegeamong other things) and find myself in a weird trap of seeminglyneeding more research experience to get a job as a researchassistant. So, given thiscircular trap, I am wondering what my options, if any, there are toescaping? Normally most would recommend an internship but since Igraduated all those are out as most require you to be a student. Asfor assistant jobs, I’ve interviewed twice and rejected once due tolack of research experience and once due to lack of background in banking(which I guess is just experience). That leaves me with,to my knowledge, going after a master’s that has a thesis built-inor attempting to self-publish some research. So are there otheroptions I am unaware of or any suggestions for finding RA work? Any suggestions or advice is welcome! Also, here is myprofile if it helps… PROFILE: Typeof Undergrad: BS Economics, BA US history, minor in math from top 50Econ. University UndergradGPA: 3.67 Typeof Grad: N/A GradGPA: N/A GRE:165/162/5.0 Q/V/AW MathCourses: Calc I-III (A), Dif-equations (A), Linear Algebra (A), Introto proofs ©, Adv. Calc. (B+), intro to stats (B+), probabilitytheory (A), Real Analysis I (B+), Topology ©, Experimental Stats(A), Mathematical stats (A), stochastic processes (A), EconCourses: 3.9 overall… courses of note: Regression analysis (A),Econometrics(A), Adv. Macro (A) OtherCourses: Intro to C++, intro to java, Lettersof Recommendation: ResearchExperience: none TeachingExperience: 1 year teaching middle/high school (student teacher).Helped write an online course. Currentlydeveloper for upcoming economics textbook. ResearchInterests: public policy, energy,education Other: analmost complete teaching license/certificate (3 credits short)

There is a total of 4 blog posts 3 which cover fpgee toefl and interning in a nutshell and one just to assist the general public in getting manufacturers coupons for prescription medications if this is something you find useful please feel free to share it with other people in the same situation. Team work makes the dream work! FPGEE

After I graduated with my bachelors, I have now worked for a few years doing research and writing outside of academia. I wrote a bestselling book on a niche industry, but most of my work has been published as white papers or in major media outlets. I'm trying to get a few journal papers published in time for PhD applications. My GRE scores are 165 V, 168 Q and I can get very positive LORs from my academic colleagues. I have a GPA of 3.8 with a psychology degree from a top-tier liberal arts college. However, I know my background is quite unconventional, and I didn't do anything remarkable during my undergraduate studies other than some volunteer RA work in psychology. What would a b-school think of this unorthodox background for a management/strategy/OB program? Is it important that I do something like an RA position with a b-school professor to improve my academic credentials?

Profile: Type of Undergrad: BSc economics from a top UK University (Ox/Cam/LSE/Imp). But graduated 8 years ago. Undergrad GPA: 1st honours. Got firsts in all courses except 1 or 2 Graduate GPA: About to start MSc Finance & Econ from a top European programme GRE: Haven't taken it yet Math Courses: Real analysis, differential equations, multivariable calc, intro to abstract math. All 1sts (but 8-10 years ago) Undergrad econ couses: Micro, macro, applied econometrics, and public. All firsts except applied metrics Grad econ courses: to come: Micro, financial economics, financial econometrics, possibly macro, 2 electives Letters of Recommendation: I'll need to get some good ones from the MSc because I'm sure no one from undegrad remembers me. Can throw in one or two from work for good measure even if not that relevant Research Experience: Will be doing some RA work for one of the professors during the MSc. Otherwise nothing applicable so far. A few non-technical company publications, but irrelevant. Research interests: Empirical corp finance (particularly banking/credit), banking theory Teaching Experience: 1 year of TAing a class in undergrad in 2010 Work Experience: 7-8 years in management consulting for the financial services sector at a fairly prestigious firm Context and questions: Hi everyone, I'd be interested in your views of what odds my profile has of getting into a good programme. I graduated in 2011 and went to work in management consulting. One thing led to another and now it's 8 years later and I'm 30 and I still have a feeling like what I really want to do is research and teach. So I'm going back to do a MSc to see if I'm really serious about this, and then would like to apply for a PhD if I still feel the same way. My job has not been technical, but has been focused on banking regs and strategy, so potentially gets me some useful insights. I'm starting an MSc in Finance and Econ from a top European programme in 2 months. My questions are: - Assuming I do well in the masters, what are my odds of getting into a top ~20 finance programme? If it's quite unrealistic, I suppose I can give up and go back to the old sort of thing I did - Is there any point applying this cycle before the degree is done? I sort of feel like I'm already pretty old to spend another year RAing, but I guess it's needed. [Cross-posted to PhD business forum - let me know if this is the wrong place and I can delete]

Which internship would be the better one to go for in my first summer of my 3-year MA program starting next fall: Central Intelligence Agency (Economic Analysis) or Council of Economic Advisers (summer only internship)? Both have strong future implications for me, the CIA I'd like to work for a few years between finishing my PhD and starting an academic position, and the CEA I'd love to work as a Senior Economist during my academic career for 1-2 years. I actually am now seeing the CIA as a much more competitive position, it requires a writing sample and more than a few skills, while the CEA just requires experience in Stata and good grades. The CIA summer internship is paid fairly competitively while the CEA internship is unpaid. I'm interested in health & development policy analysis as one of my research areas... are there any accepted guidelines out there or does anyone have any advice as to which I could lean towards?

How valuable is a LOR from a professor who is in their first year at a University after finishing their PhD and possibly work experience at a Fed/University as a researcher? Is it advised to avoid getting a LOR from such a person? Thanks!

Hi guys, i want to share with you a viewpoint: I think that many of us always struggle with the speaking and writing section, because we see a lot of exercises on the internet, but we can’t review our work by ourselves, so why there is no an online platform that afford many speaking and writing exercises and exams so the community review each other work by annotating words and phrases, commenting, liking or disliking. The essays can be texts (for the writing) or vocals recorded by a microphone of headphone (for the speaking).

Hello! I sincerely request for advice from Canadians and others who are familiar with Canadian Econ programs, please. I will be truly very grateful for any & all insights into the issue below. Thank you so much in advance! I am international student who will be pursuing the MA on a study permit. I have a 4-year undergraduate honours in Economics from India, & a final year UG thesis. I got into UBC, UofT, SFU, Ottawa, McMaster, Waterloo MA Co-op, Dalhousie, UAlberta, etc. After a lot of consideration, I have decided that I'll go either to SFU or to Waterloo. This is due to the international student tuition differential at most places, which makes affording grad studies very difficult for me at UBC & UofT. My goal is to work after the MA, and I am quite sure about not going the PhD route. The MA at SFU has an optional co-op, while the Waterloo program itself is the MA co-op track. But from what I have seen, international students' co-op placements are not exactly guaranteed at Waterloo, even if one is enrolled in the co-op program. I mean, I'm ready to work for searching jobs in the co-op, but there seem to be certain things out of my control in the case of Waterloo (like the Ontario government's cutback / restrictions on hiring students who are not Canadian citizens / PR). I guess in Waterloo, it can happen that I don't get into co-op due to these other factors. And if so, the program will end in 8 months, and I don't want to do such a short program. This is just my understanding, please correct me if I'm mistaken regarding this. Is a co-op position a definite part of the degree for those enrolled in the co-op option (assuming we perform well in the coursework) ? How about co-op positions for internationals ? Is job success difficult for internationals (even if they perform well in the program)? Essentially, how will my visa status affect me in getting a job in Ontario? And neither is co-op job success a sure feature at SFU. In fact, I have read that the job market in the west coast is brutal, and it's better to remain in the east. Is finding a job in the west really that difficult ? But again, Waterloo has the international tuition, which would make it really very tight for me there (though they have given me a TA-ship). So is taking up the financial burden worth going to Waterloo? Or should I go to SFU instead (lesser financial strain) and will the SFU degree help in finding work? I am not complaining, and in fact, am greatly thankful for the opportunity. It's just that given that I have couple of options, I would want to make an informed decision about how my life would change from now on. Given all this, please advise me regarding work placements after the SFU degree, and the possibility of taking up a co-op position at SFU (they have co-op for MA econ). Do students get placed in co-op every year? What about general work placements after the SFU MA? I would be really very thankful for advice, please.

Hi guys, I have offers from UCSC and UC-Irvine for Economics PhD. I am an international applicant and was not able to attend the visit days. My interests are in empirical monetary economics and international finance. While UCSC has faculty doing good work in both, UC-Irvine seems to have people who have been doing good work in metrics as well. I will really appreciate it if I could get some constructive inputs on this.

Hi all - I would really appreciate some feedback on my chances of getting into a top 15 Finance PhD program. I'm also open to Econ if I would have a better shot. I think my work experience and grades are strong, but my LORs and quantitative coursework are weak. Not sure where the sum of that shakes out? Age: 28-32 Nationality: US Undergrad GPA: 3.8-3.9 GPA (summa cum laude) GRE: 170Q, 166V Work experience: Manage a sleeve within an absolute return-oriented fund. Fund sits inside an asset manager that is well known in the industry. I also contribute to investment research. We do not publish papers (work is proprietary). However, the topics are often reasonably similar to ones addressed in academia. Relevant quantitative coursework: calculus 1, two stats courses, an intro-level programming course. LOR: Have been out of school for a while, and professors have likely forgotten me, so academic recommendations unlikely to be strong. As mentioned above, my biggest concerns are my quantitative coursework and LORs. In terms of the coursework, I'm planning to take 2-3 non-degree courses to try improve this (but not sure if that's enough?). In terms of the LORs, I should be able to get good work-related ones. I understand that this is generally frowned upon - does that change if my work LORs are from folks with PhDs and have published in academic journals?

I’m planning to apply to Marketing PhD programs next year (2020 matriculation). I have my MBA in marketing from a top program and have been working in brand marketing and strategy roles for four years. I’m currently in a supervisory role and work with vendors and analysts who conduct the actual data manipulation, my role is to develop and implement the strategy. I myself conduct very little analysis (aside from simple scanner and panel data work) and worry this will make me less attractive to admissions committees. Would you recommend I try to identify a professor to work with over the next year to gain academic research experience? Willing to put in the hours if it boosts my profile. Thanks!

I'm a college senior choosing between full-time RA positions for next year rn. Specifically, I can continue to work with a professor whose work I really enjoy and with whom I have a fairly good relationship, and a position at a "good" Fed branch. I've been told by others that this professor is "famous" (in the top 100 of Ideas/Respec ranking thing for the last-ten-years one), but I sort of hate my undergrad institution and the surrounding city. Not in terms of academic merit, or the people, just the environment. Working at a big city for a few years sounds incredibly nice in comparison. Also, since you are working for one professor and not with a larger team of recently graduated undergrads, staying at this job can be a little isolating, and part of the reason I'm taking a two-year break ish from academia is to do some mental health cleanup anyway. The letter of rec that would come out of the Fed job would probably be weaker than a letter written by this professor. I've been waffling a bit between what my intended field will be in the future as well, so that's not a huge dividing point. In terms of pay, time, etc. they seem similar. The professor job will probably have more interesting work associated with it. I also go a bit back and forth about whether I want to apply to a Top School, but in the end it comes down to funding issues that I'll probably encounter, so I think I will still have to strive for that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you guys in advance.