Search the Community

Hi guys, first off, I am grateful for the existence of this forum. What an invaluable resource! Okay so first off I was given a four year contract at perhaps the most reputable international organization in DC, it's always been my dream to work there, and through the experience as a Research Analyst and working there, I have realized I am excruciatingly unequipped for the career I would love to have as an Economist or Development Specialist. I have one more year on my contract and I have been trying to apply for other positions but I read the job description and I don't have the macro or macro skills required for the economist roles. I met with the leading Economist there in the region and he told me to go to a PhD in Economics and it would put me in a whole different league. I have come to believe him and would be passionate about pursuing something that would give me something fulfilling to do for the rest of my life. Economics was my first love, I have always been passionate about learning and doing it. Background: I studied Economics at undergrad, at an American University located in Africa. Achieved a 3.81/4.0 CGPA, Magna Cum Laude, and if not for devastating incidents and mistakes like not being told to read a particular textbook for exams and then 50 percent of questions coming from there, I would have done much better. I am really passionate about school. I went to Masters at the London School of Economics but I did not have a Masters in Econ. I got it in Economics and Risk which was from the Sociology Department, it was a take on economic sociology and using it to decipher an alternative way of analyzing financial risks and disasters that kind of thing. So I didn't take mathematics or statistics here, which makes me wanna just cry because I need math so bad for this Eco PhD thing. The math/statistic courses I took in undergrad are: Introduction to Statistics, University Algebra (not linear algebra), Pre-Calculus, Calculus 1, that's it. I got a B in Calculus but an A in the rest. I took difficult Econ courses and got an A in all Econ courses but 1 where I got a B. I want to apply to good Econ Phd Programs towards next year, the deadline is December and I am thinking of taking any classes necessary for admission in top economics programs the next three to four months. Please give me advice, I don't want my Econ dream to die, I am stuck at a place where a career in this is what I would love to work toward. I also don't wanna go back to Africa after a year because I don't feel I have much to contribute right now so with a PhD I would be able to work towards a clear path in my career. A career as an economist in IMF or World Bank is kind of my dream job. Today I met someone from the IMF who spent 6 and a half years on his PhD (extenuating circumstance) and got a job at the IMF through the EP program which I just think is amazing, all the opportunities and extraordinary work is so immense. I am sorry for this epistle I have written but basically I would please like to know how I can apply for a PhD in Econ for next year given my limited Math history and what I can do to surmount the challenges if there are any. Thank you so much.

Most people find Year 3 to be the most mentally challenging time of their PhD. You are just starting to define your research agenda and projects, but the pace is slow and the feedback is almost always negative. Around this point, PhDs begin to question their ability to write a dissertation, become an academic, or even do useful work in general. Below is advice I wish I would have gotten prior to my (very rough) 3rd year in a Management (Macro) PhD program. You'll soon see that writing a paper is just your small contribution to a conversation that the rest of the field is having, nothing more and nothing less. Thus, you need to be (1) interested in the topic of conversation and (2) understand how the rest of the field discusses topics and is expecting the conversation to evolve. Most PhDs with bad advisors don't fully understand the critical importance of point (2). The current state of our field is built by a complex social process of egos, ideas, and tradition which is unlike any other industry. You can easily see this in the field's large amount of conventions that would be obscure, counterintuitive, or bizarre to laypeople and even other academics. For most people, it takes a year or two to figure out how to come up with ideas faculty will find interesting, how to write papers are written to appeal to reviewers, how topics evolve in a predictable way, etc. Don't be hard on yourself when it takes you a while to figure this out. Around the middle of year 4, assess if you meet both criteria (1) and (2). For example, you may realize that you like what you research but learn that you find the entire writing, review, and publication process glacially slow, overly focused on almost useless theory, beholden to fads, reliant on bad science, and that you've made no meaningful contribution when all is said and done. If you (1) lose the fire for topics of interest or (2) realize that you don't like the often dysfunctional academic production function, you should ask yourself whether you want to do research academia for the next 40 years. The job essentially doesn't change as you get more senior-- you just do a bit more teaching and service. If you aren't energized by (1) and (2), it can be a miserable life. There are many tenured professors in this position. If you fall into this camp, start looking at adjacent industry jobs, which would almost certainly be a better fit, allow more mobility, give you more locational flexibility, and often have relatively higher pay once you get five years out of your PhD. Industry has other issues (e.g., less autonomy, less temporal flexibility, less pure intellectual engagement), but in the long run, you'll almost always be judged on your current skills, ability to learn, ability to work well in a team, and by what you can produce. Make sure to find the best fit for you (and your loved ones!).

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 after over a decade, I am back to this forum. Very surprised that my profile still remains and my password works. I initially found this place and joined back in 2005 (yes you read that right), when I was a junior investment banker, and a year later I started the life changing adventure of getting my Econ PhD. For what it's worth, I want to share the courses I took as an undergrad and also rank (with the advantage of hindsight) how helpful each course was to my PhD pursuit. Perhaps this would help some with their course selection. In a separate and tangentially related note, the PhD has given me what I wanted out of it and more, but if you managed to read through a lot of my old posts, you would have guessed correctly that what I wanted out of my PhD was quite different from the norm in the first place, but that's a different conversation. I still publish academically for fun, but am not a full time academic. Good luck to all and good to be back. So below are the courses I have taken as an undergrad, and the numbers next to the course names are my assessment of how useful they were for PhD courses. 5-Must have 4-Good to have 3-If the instructor is influential enough in the field 2-Not that helpful 1-Not useful but had to take it for graduation First year fall quarter: Elements of Econ Analysis 1 (intermediate micro I), 4 Philosophical perspectives 1, 1 Calculus-3, 4 Stat Meth and Applications, 5 First year winter quarter: Elements of Econ Analysis 2 (intermediate micro II), 4 Elements of Econ Analysis 3 (intermediate macro I), 4 Philosophical Perspectives 2, 1 Analysis in Real Numbers 1, 5 First year spring quarter: Elements of Econ Analysis 4 (intermediate macro II), 4 Econometrics A, 5 Philosophical Perspectives 3, 1 Analysis in Real Numbers 2, 5 Second year fall quarter: Introductory game theory, 3 Analysis on real numbers 3, 5 Basic Algebra 1 (honors), 2 Power, Identity, Resistance 1, 1 Second year winter quarter: Colonization/servitude/slavery, 1 International Trade/Economic Growth, 3 Basic Algebra 2 (honors), 2 Power, Identity, Resistance 1, 1 Second year spring quarter: Introduction to Finance, 3 Basic Complex Variables, 2 Intro to math probability, 5 Power, identity, resistance 3, 1 Third year fall quarter: Art of China, 1 Theory of Income (PhD level macro), 3 America in Western Civ 1, 1 Third year winter quarter: America in Western Civ 2, 1 Point Set Topology, 2 Ordinary Differential Equations, 4

Hi guys, Quick question: do you guys think there is a huge marginal difference between RAing for one year after college instead of 2? I saw that most RA job descriptions mention that they prefer if the applicant is available to RA for 2 years, but it seems like too much time. Will it impact my grad school admissions a lot if I decide that I only want to RA for a year? (think about top 5 admissions) By RAing for one year, I mean starting during the summer, applying during the winter, and leaving the job when the grad program starts the other year.

Doesn't seem like there are any Roll Call threads anymore, but I'll still use the format from the old ones. I'm a rising 3rd year, and will be graduating in 3.5 years: PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Honours Economics, Minors Mathematics and Urban Systems at a Top 3 Canadian University Undergrad GPA: 3.5/4.0, 3.8/4.0 for Econ Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Yet to take Math Courses: Calc 1 and 2 (No grade, AP credit exemption), Calc 3 (D, B+, I'll explain later), Differential equations ©, Linear Algebra (B+), Algebra 1 (A), Algebra 2 (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Analysis I (taking next fall), Analysis 2 (taking next winter) Econ Courses (grad-level): Game Theory (A-), Micro I & 2 (next fall & winter) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Honours Micro, Macro, Stats, and Econometrics (A- in all 4), Honours open economy macroeconomics (A), Political Economy of Trade Policy (A) Other Courses: Foundations of Programming (A), Urban Field Studies (may be relevant? taking next fall), will take a few more Computer Science courses, particularly Data Structures. Letters of Recommendation: Haven't asked yet but will be my pretty well known metrics prof, my game theory and open economy prof, and a younger prof who will be supervising my undergraduate thesis. Research Experience: Research internship with a well known think tank, undergraduate thesis Teaching Experience: Going to try and find a TA position in either the MATH or ECON departments this year, have worked as a tutor for the econ students association Research Interests: Urban Economics and Game Theory SOP: Haven't thought about it yet Concerns: My grades in computational mathematics suck lol. 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. Other: Sorry that a lot of this is speculative. I'm really just trying to get a feel for where I should be looking for a PhD, or if a masters first would be better. Also, just to clarify, the linear algebra I got a B+ in was the 100-level version, Algebra 1 and 2 are the 200-level majors version. Applying to: Please tell me where I should be looking. I'd prefer to stay in Canada or go to Europe, but am not against somewhere in the US.

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.

Hi all! I am in a bit of a tricky situation. I want to apply for PhD programs in the fall. I am interested in Organizational Behavior. However, I am not sure if I am 'ready' to get in. I finished my undergad in 1 year (did dual credit in highschool), and most of that 1 year was during COVID, so I didn't have a lot of opportunities for research. I just started my Master's (MHA) and will graduate Spring 2022. Here's what I have so far. Undergrad (Public Health) GPA: 3.7 Current graduate GPA: 4.0 I have not taken the GMAT yet, but my scores have been around 710-720. I am currently on a research team for my school's business department, and I am authoring my first research paper. I will also be the co-author on other papers, although none will be published in time for applications. I will continue this position until Spring 2022. I am hoping to gain another research assistant position over the summer, but I have not heard back yet. I have two great professors that I could get letters of recommendation from, but I could get more if I get an additional research position over the summer. Now that I've written it all out, it seems that I don't have anything at all :miserable: What do you think? Should I apply in the fall or just wait? I'm trying to do my best with the limited time available, but research opportunities are hard to come by.. even for something like data cleaning! I'm 21 and I got started right out of highschool, so I hope it's understandable that I don't have a huge amount of research under my belt. I'm just worried that applying this fall will be a waste (especially considering the application prices!). I'm not picky, a top 50 school would make me happy as long as I get to do some great research!

I have been admitted to several similarly ranked universities, and some of them require TAing in the first year and others don’t (funding about equal in both cases). How much more should I value the no TA in first year offers? Should it be a no-brainer to go to the program with no TA in the first year, or is TA responsibilities usually lax enough that it doesn’t really matter? For example, assuming that the funding is the same, would you take an offer from a slightly worse program with no TA requirements in first year vs. a program that’s a little better but does have TA requirements in the first year? And yes I will ask current grad students at the programs about this. Thanks for your insight!

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.)

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the number of application increase or decrease this year?

I've been wondering how the GRE is going to be used by admissions committees this year, and thought I'd make a post to see what you all are thinking. I was happy with my GRE score (169Q, 167V, 5.5W) and was hoping it would send a good signal confirming my undergrad grades. I have a very strong GPA in my math (3.9) and econ (4.0) majors, but because my university is a pretty small and unknown school I know committees might be a little unsure how seriously to take those grades. I was hoping the strong GRE would be a good confirmation -- of course alongside good letters of recommendation, research experience, and all the rest. Maybe it was never realistic to think the GRE could help me in that way, but I am wondering whether a strong GRE will still help an applicant like me given that many schools are not requiring it this year? Are schools just not really going to consider anyone's GRE, or will it still just be used as a cutoff tool to thin the pool of applicants? This latter seems unlikely, because anyone with a middle or poor GRE score that would get them put aside will presumably just not submit it. Anybody actually sitting on committees this year that can offer insight?

Type of Undergrad: 10-25 in Econ, large state school Undergrad GPA: 3.25 Econ Type of Grad: 25-50 in US Econ, large state school Grad GPA: 3.1 MA Economics (school does not offer terminal master’s) GRE: Q 162, VE 167 Math Courses: Deriv. Calc. ©, Integral Calc. (A-), Multivar. Calc. (B), Linear Algebra (A-), Diff. Eqns. (A), Proofs (A) Econ Courses: Grad: 1st year econ PhD in micro/macro/metrics, pretty much straight B’s UG (upper division): Micro seq. (C, B, A), Metrics seq. (B-, B, A), Macro seq. (B+, B+), Game Theory (A), Decisions Under Uncertainty (A), Marketing (A), Globalization (A), Advanced Topics Game Theory (A+), Experimental (A+), Operations Research (B+, B), Finance (B, B) Letters of Recommendation: Three econ professors (A, B, C) from UG institution, all active researchers, two with name recognition in subfield, all have worked with me on research within the last year. Said they’d be happy to write me letters, so I assume strong. Research Experience: Spent most of the last year working as an RA for Profs. A & B. Have begun working on own research project under supervision of Prof. C. Project is beyond proposal stage, but not yet to data collection/analysis stage. Teaching Experience: Have only tutored. Record of education-related volunteer work. Research Interests: Experimental/behavioral, labor (esp. technology and changing landscape of work, and educ/labor intersection), knowledge/information SOP: Dry and factual, includes what kind of research Q’s I’m interested in, and my research experience. Applying to (econ PhD unless noted): University of Zurich, Tinbergen (Mphil to PhD), University of Nottingham, University of Copenhagen, LMU Munich, Stockholm School of Economics, NHH Norwegian School of Economics Other: Was in econ PhD for 2018/2019 year, could not continue because did not PhD pass prelims. Reasons I failed: not in the right place mentally, could have been better prepared. More of the former than the latter. After requisite soul-searching, decided I still want to do a PhD in econ, as I really enjoy research/working on my own projects/tackling questions without clear answers. I spent most of the 2019-2020 school year working as an RA at my undergrad institution. Also took a math class (proofs), audited an econ grad course, and have been reviewing econ foundations. I have heard a lot of conflicting things about applying after failing out of another PhD, ranging from it hardly matters to it will be impossible to get into a decent school with funding. Here are my questions. How does failing out of PhD affect my chances at getting into another? I have heard it will be harder, although I am de facto better prepared this time. How do I explain this in applications, particularly ones where it does not ask? Should it go into SOP? I absolutely want to be upfront about it. Is it better to have at least one letter be from a prof. at my grad school? I could, I left on good terms, but I did not exactly impress anyone academically. At best, they could say that I am capable of learning the material. It would be a much weaker letter. I know very little about admissions process in Europe, how do I look as a candidate over there? Advice on particular schools (any to drop or add)? Will re-taking the GRE make much of a difference? I’ve heard that below 165 does not get considered, but I am skeptical that it will make much of a difference. I’m quite reluctant to re-take, as I would have to put a significant amount of time into studying, time that could be better spent doing research or learning math/econ that will actually help during first year, instead of just getting really fast at high school geometry.

Hey, thanks so much in advance. I'm a UK student looking to apply this round for UK Masters/PhD programmes. So far, I'm considering Cambridge MPhil Econ Research, Oxford MPhil Econ, LSE MSc Econ and LSE MRes/PhD. Any honest feedback on prospects or other options including funding (except for LSE MSc) would be greatly appreciated! Interested in research in development and political economy mostly. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA Economics, Cambridge University, UK - currently going into 3rd year so just have 2 years of exam results Undergrad GPA: 1st Class in 5/5 papers (1st Year), 1st Class in econometrics project (2nd year), no 2nd year exams due to Covid but 1st Class in 3/3 mock exams. GRE: 170Q/157V/6.0W Math Courses (list the grades for each course): Mathematics and Statistics - first year course in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, probability theory, statistical inference (1st Class) Mathematics and Statistics - second year course in static, dynamic optimisation, further linear algebra, set theoretic probability, inference, Bayesian methods (No exam due to covid, not even mock exam) Econ Courses Undergrad (list the grades for each course): Intermediate micro - first year (1st Class) Intermediate macro - first year (1st Class) Economic history (1st class) Game theory - second year (no exam, 1st Class in mock exam) Intermediate macro - second year (no exam, 1st Class in mock exam) Intermediate econometrics - second year (1st Class in coursework, no exam but 1st Class in mock exam) Other Courses: Politics and Social Aspects of Economics (1st Class) Letters of Recommendation: 1 from RA, relatively young researcher 1 from supervisor, fairly established 1 from supervisor and lecturer, fairly established Research Experience: 2 month summer RA (not a formal RA setup, just did some data-based work for a professor at my Cambridge college) Did an undergraduate research project in development studies part time during my first year. Tried to write an applied theory paper (still very early stage working paper) in first year, but without supervision. Other (Notes, concerns etc.): Self-assessment: Weaknesses: My main concern is the lack of second year exams due to covid. In particular, no formal maths course beyond multivariable calculus and linear algebra level stuff. I haven't done any formal pre-doc RA either because I've just finished my 2nd year. Any insights as to how this may affect my application are greatly appreciated! I'm looking to stay in the UK for PhD and so LSE is obviously the best option, and they're the only one with a direct application from undergrad so I thought I'd give it a try while I'm also applying to their Masters. Any advice about where I should think about applying too would be amazing as well. Strengths: Quite good grades in first year. Good Quant GRE.

I saw that UMD posted a note on their department page that they will have fewer spots for admissions in fall 2021 due to students deferring offers from fall 2020 because of covid. I expect admissions to be more competitive this year, because of students deferring and also more people applying in a bad economy, but does anyone have a sense of the scale of the effect? Do we think twice as many people will apply for half as many spots? Better? Worse? I applied in fall 2018 and got some offers I liked, but went to work instead for personal reasons. Based on last time and my work experience since I think I'm a medium competitive candidate for schools in the 20's (Maryland, Austin) but am trying to decide whether what's going on right now should effect my decision making on applying now vs. waiting one more year.

Hi, I just finished my Master at a top program in Europe. I had a very weak undergraduate background, with just 1 course in econ and no maths at all (not even calculus). In the first year I was quite average, however in the second year I think I was around top 10% and wrote an strong thesis (I think) I dont know what to do next. I am at lost and dont know who to talk to either. What should I do next? - I posted this on Ejmr and people there told me to take real analysis/linear algebra/calculus since I have such weak background in maths. They told me I could do a Harvard online course or at some community college. However that means I will have to spend more money and I am really poor (I only get through Msc thanks to a scholarship). And I just do not see the point, I have already taken micro macro game theory econometrics which all needed linear algebra/ calculus even a bit of real analysis as prerequisite. - I dont know whether I should explain why I did badly first year Msc. I mean my classmates had much better background that I did, so that partly explains why they performed better. However I do not know whether that is a good excuse or not... - I plan to do a predoc but I also understand it will be hard getting into a good one. TLDR: Type of undergrad: Bachelor from developing country Undergrad profile : no maths, one econ class. Type of grad: top 5 msc in europe Grad Gpa: top 25%, but top 10% in second year Grad courses: Macro (A), Micro (A+,B), Metrics (A), Maths(B), and a bunch of other field, but I do not think they matter that much. Gre: good Looking for advice to whether take online math courses or not. And explanation for some bad grades Thank everyone

Hey guys I am gonna apply next year but the thing is I have like no idea where to go from now. Just wondering if you guys can give me any advice on that please? Many Thanks! Type of Undergrad: UCL BSc Mathematics with Economics, Top 5 UK and Top 3 UK for Economics, graduation June 2020 GPA: 80+, First class honours GRE: 164 V/ 168 Q/ 4.5 AW Maths Courses: Analysis 1 and 2 (Sequences, Series, Continuous Functions, Differentiation, Riemann Integrations) Complex Analysis (Analysis 3), Real Analysis (Baby Rudin, Metric and Topological Spaces, Compactness, Continuity, ODEs） Measure Theory (To be taken) Measure Theoretic Probability (To be taken) Functional Analysis (To be taken) Methods 1 (Think US calculus 1) Methods 2 (Think Calculus 2/3 + Intro to Python) Methods 3 (Vector Calculus, Fourier Series, Calculus of Variation) Computational Methods (Numerical Techniques in numerical linear algebra, and the design, implementation and analysis of relevant algorithms, based on Python). I plan to take one or two further modules in that direction. Economics Course: Economics Combined Studies 1 (Intro and Intermediate Micro/Macro) (Full Year), Economics Combined Studies 2 (Intermediate Micro/Macro with the Micro portion based on Varian's Microeconomic Analysis). Research Experience: This would be the place that I am currently working on. I plan to do a thesis in Economics next academic year (full year). I have published two blog posts and one articles in UCL economics tribune, a peer reviewed Economics journal unknown internationally. I will also work in a research placement with an internationally well-known prof in Shanghai, China, in a top Chinese school. Recs: None of yet. I plan to get a rec from econ dissertation, a rec from the prof I would work with and a rec from a maths prof i will be working with in the third year. That is all for now, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys can provide some suggestions on the ways I can improve my profile. Thanks much!

Hi Guys As a newcomer to this forum, I just wanna say hi to everyone. Well I am not exactly new, I've been reading the posts for like ages. Okay Let's not further digress, below is my profile. Type of Undergrad: UCL BSc Mathematics with Economics, Top 5 UK and Top 3 UK for Economics, graduation June 2020 GPA: 80+, First class honours GRE: 164 V/ 168 Q/ 4.5 AW Maths Courses: Analysis 1 and 2 (Sequences, Series, Continuous Functions, Differentiation, Riemann Integrations) Complex Analysis (Analysis 3), Real Analysis (Baby Rudin, Metric and Topological Spaces, Compactness, Continuity, ODEs） Measure Theory (To be taken) Measure Theoretic Probability (To be taken) Functional Analysis (To be taken) Methods 1 (Think US calculus 1) Methods 2 (Think Calculus 2/3 + Intro to Python) Methods 3 (Vector Calculus, Fourier Series, Calculus of Variation) Computational Methods (Numerical Techniques in numerical linear algebra, and the design, implementation and analysis of relevant algorithms, based on Python). I plan to take one or two further modules in that direction. Economics Course: Economics Combined Studies 1 (Intro and Intermediate Micro/Macro) (Full Year), Economics Combined Studies 2 (Intermediate Micro/Macro with the Micro portion based on Varian's Microeconomic Analysis). Research Experience: This would be the place that I am currently working on. I plan to do a thesis in Economics next academic year (full year). I have published two blog posts and one articles in UCL economics tribune, a peer reviewed Economics journal unknown internationally. I will also work in a research placement with an internationally well-known prof in Shanghai, China, in a top Chinese school. Recs: None of yet. I plan to get a rec from econ dissertation, a rec from the prof I would work with and a rec from a maths prof i will be working with in the third year. That is all for now, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys can provide some suggestions on the ways I can improve my profile. Thanks much!

I've heard that some schools are cancelling their prelim exams for their students because of COVID-19. What schools have cancelled/postponed their prelims? For those schools, do you think this is a one time thing or do you think this will lead to prelims being phased out since some first year cohorts aren't taking them this year?

PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: B.A. Econ and Math from top school in Asia Undergrad GPA: 3.85 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: GRE: Q169/ V169/ AW5.5 Math Courses: Calc seq., Linear Algebra seq., Linear Programming, ugrad analysis sequence, B+/A- Average Econ Courses: Honors micro/macro/metrics sequence, Game Theory, 1st year PhD micro/macro, A/A+ average Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Main LOR from recently promoted full prof for whom I RA'd for about 1 year part-time (micro theory); seems to like me a lot. 1 LOR from junior TT faculty I RA'd for about 1.5 years part-time during 1st-3rd year ugrad (Applied/empirical). 1 LOR from game theory course, which I topped, instructor (senior tenured faculty). Research Experience: 2.5 years part-time RA during ugrad. Did coding etc. for empirical RA, proofreading/literature review for theory RA. Teaching Experience: None. Research Interests: Micro Theory and Structural/empirical IO. What range of schools should I aim for? I am willing to do full-time RA etc. to have a chance for top 20 US; any advice? Highly appreciate any comments/advice.

Hello everyone, I'm planning on applying to Business Ph.D programs this year. I would appreciate any suggestions and advises as to what I should do to improve my prospects Test Scores (GMAT): 760 (Q: 50, V: 42, IR: 8, AWA: 5.5) Undegrad GPA: 3.88 (Magna Cum Laude), Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in accounting at a top US public university Research Experience: Did a directed research with a business school professor when I was an undergraduate student. Researched and wrote a paper about a topic of my interest (international trade agreement's impact on the trade of IT products), but did not publish it in any journal. Teaching Experience: None Work Experience: I'm currently serving in the Air Force as an officer. This year is my third year in the military and I plan to exit the service at the end of this year. I've been working as a combined operations coordinator/interpreter and my job generally involves coordinating with foreign military officers or serving as an interpreter for high ranking officers. I received a few commendations from my commander and the commander of the foreign forces I work with. Math/Statistics: Statistics for Economists, Econometrics, Calculus of several variables Concentration Applying to: Finance (I'm interested in international finance and, more specifically, the role of international financial institutions) Number of programs planned to apply to: Around 20 Target Schools: Top 20 schools Questions or concerns you have about your profile? - Should I be concerned that I did not take any classes in Linear Algebra? - Should I take some additional statistics or math class through online extension programs? - Would the lack of journal publication hurt my application? Thank you and I look forward to any and all advises you may have V/R

Hi guys! I am interested in applying to the Master in Industrial Economics and Markets at UC3M and i have a few questions for people that are enrolled in this program:1. Is the resolution about scholarship applications announced before or at the same time as the acceptance to the program? I am asking this because I noticed that after being admitted, you have 10 days to reserve this spot by paying a deposit fee. This deposit fee is not stated. 2. Is this deposit returned in case you decide to cancel the reservation in favour of another university?3. What are the chances of receiving funding for the first year of university and not receiving the same amount the next year? 3. Do you know how this university/program is regarded by employers?4. What is your opinion on the program? Thanks in advance for any answer and opinion you may have:)

Hi Everyone, sorry to chime in between all of the anxious applicants - I do feel your pain and remember the stressful time of applications well, even though most has been repressed by now :) I am asking because I am trying to get an idea of how funding beyond year 5 is handled at other universities. We are currently trying to take the fight for 6th year funding to the higher ups of our institution again and are looking for some information on how this is handled elsewhere. I would be appreciative if some of you could give me an idea of the following at your institution: 1. Does your school fund students beyond year 5? 1. If so, everyone? Selectively? Where does the money come from (professor's research budget? previously allocated to phd students?) 2. How do students typically go about retrieving funding after theirs runs out? Savings? TAing? Grants? 3. Have you tried bringing this up at your institutions? Successfully? What was the feedback? 4. And if you could give me an idea of the type of institution you are at (without doxxing yourself, obviously, feel free to share as much/little as you are comfortable with), that would be helpful for me to frame the argument for our program. Also, if you know of schools that fund regularly (or even officially) beyond year 5, I would highly appreciate the information. Thanks everyone and best of luck to all the applicants.

My analysis professor was pretty slow and didn't cover much of the tail end of a normal yearlong analysis sequence (Lebesgue integration and measure theory, Riemann integration in R^n, inverse and implicit function theorems). Are any of these topics particularly crucial to the first year econ sequence? I'm planning to take the first year sequence next year, so if there are deficiencies caused by this I want to remedy them.

Hello folks, I have heard that some schools use peer-comparisons to limit the number of students who pass the 2nd year prelims. I was just wondering for those that get cut, do they reapply to other business schools? If so, would they have to start as a 1st year all over again at the different school or is there a way to "start" as a 2nd year? Would phd credits transfer? Thanks.