MR14 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Econ, European top 10 school Undergrad GPA: 8.5 (top 5%) Type of Grad: Econ, MS Grad GPA: 8.8 (top 5%) GRE: 159 / 163 / 4.5 Math Courses: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Dynamic optimization Econ Courses (grad-level): Field courses + econometrics/math Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All you would expect (including endogenous growth models in macro), econometrics from Wooldridge Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: Director of studies and thesis sup Research Experience: RA + internship at bank research dep. + BA and MA thesis Teaching Experience: TA in principles of macro Research Interests: Business cycles, DSGE modelling SOP: Good (?) Concerns: Poor GRE Q score Other: Exchange at UW Seattle, 4.0 GPA Applying to: MPhil: Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, UPF, LSe, Tinbergen, Tilburg, PhD: EUI RESULTS: Acceptances: Tinbergen ($$), Tilburg ($$), Cambridge (external funding), EUI ($$$) (PhD) Rejections: LSE, Oxford, UCL Pending: UPF Attending: Cambridge or EUI; will decide in the comming weeks. What would you have done differently? Do better on the GRE. I had hoped for something in the mid-90'th percent. so this score was really a bummer. I think it hurt me a lot at UCL, LSE and Oxford because they all sent me a rejection relatively swiftly. It also stopped me from applying to the US. Overall I think this outcome is better than I had expected. If I would have had to sign for this outcome in January I would immediately have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algebra in econ Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad:BS Economics and BS Mathematics From Well-Known Private Institution Undergrad GPA: 3.4 (3.8 Econ) Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE:164(Q) Math Courses: 3 Part Calc Sequence, Undergrad Differential Equations, Graduate Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations, 3 Semesters of Real Analysis, 2 Semesters Abstract Algebra, Intro to Proofs, Linear Algebra, Linear and Dynamic Programming, Numerical Methods, Number Theory, Algebraic Lattice Theory, Graph Theory, Cryptography, Algebraic Number Theory, Algebraic Geometry, Analytic Number Theory Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, Macro, Econometrics, All courses that are offered here. Econ Courses (undergrad-level): 2 Semesters Micro, 2 Semesters Econometrics, Macro, Computational Economics, Economic Growth, International Trade and Finance, Spectral Analysis, Social/Financial Network Theory Other Courses: Multiple CS courses (one course short of a minor) (A lot of python), Russian, Chinese, Spanish if those matter. Letters of Recommendation: 2 Math Professors, 3 Econ Professors Research Experience: Economics RA for 3 years. 1 published paper, 2 working-papers, 3 papers in progress. All different fields. Mathematics RA for 1 year. 2 papers in progress. Presented one of our current research papers at a conference. Attending another conference next month. Hoping to get one more conference in before December. I am also working with Professors at other institutions on my current research. Teaching Experience: Undergraduate Macro TA for 1 year, Graduate Macro TA for 1 semester, TA Number Theory for 1 semester Research Interests: Economics of Information Security, Social/Financial Network Theory, Algebraic Geometry and Lattice Theory (Game Theory), Mathematical Economics, Macro Economics, Search Theory, Growth Theory, Economic Development (Child Labor Policy), Auction Theory SOP: Sell my Math and research abilities and hope that Grad schools will see my ability and not focus on a couple of grades from when I was battling illnesses. RESULTS: Acceptances: Minnesota($$), Indiana($?), MSU($$), Texas A&M($$), BC($$$), UPenn (Wharton) Rejections: Michigan, NW, UPenn, ND, Illinois, UCL, Zurich, Arizona, Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Penn St Pending: N/A Attending: Minnesota!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thuswindburn Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 PROFILE: thuswindburn Type of Undergrad: Unranked Large State School Undergrad GPA: 3.814 overall, 4.0 econ. BS in economics Type of Grad: MA at top 30 econ phd program Grad GPA: 3.714 GRE: 169 Q, 158 V, 4.0 AW Math Courses: Calc I (A), Calc II (B), Calc III (B), Linear Algebra (A), Differential Equations (A), Real Analysis (A), Probability/Statistics (B+), Econ Courses: Principles Micro/Macro (A/A), Intermediate Micro/Macro(A/A), Environmental (A), Econometrics (A), Crime(A), European Economic History(A), Money and Banking (A), Mathematics for Economists(A) Other Courses(Grad Econ): Macro Theory (A-), Micro Theory(B+), Econometric Theory(A), Game Theory(A-) Letters of Recommendation: 2 from my MA program: 1 top 5 econ PhD, the other top 20. 1 from undergrad, top 25 PhD, this one will have known me the best. Research Experience: Minimal research experience, worked on masters thesis at my undergrad institution before changing programs Teaching Experience: Grading/TAing, so no real teaching experience Research Interests: Environmental and IO SOP: Talked about how I went from an engineering student to wanting to pursue a PhD in economics. Talked about my interests and influences along the way. Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: University of Arizona, UNC-CH Waitlists: N/A Rejections: Penn State, WUSTL, JHU, U Pitt, ASU, Boston College, UVA Pending: Vanderbilt Attending: University of Arizona Comments: Really happy with this program, feel like I couldn't have found a better research fit. What would you have done differently? I could have gone to a much better undergrad. I simply didn't put much effort into it at the time. So outside of jumping back 5 years not a whole lot else! Probably would have paid a bit more attention in Calc III :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sn0skier Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Good State School with Heterodox econ program but a good polisci department (I double majored) Undergrad GPA: 3.3 Type of Grad: NA Grad GPA: NA GRE: 165 Q 169 V Math Courses: Calc 1-3 (A-,B+,B), intro stats (A), Stats for econ (B+) Econ Courses (grad-level): NA Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Princ micro (A), princ macro (A), Intl econ (A), Inter macro (B+), Hist. econ doctorine (C+), Intl Monetary Rel (Didn't finish), Asian econ development (B), Econ development (A-), American industrialization and economic development (A), Intl trade (A-) Other Courses: Double Majored in International Relations Letters of Recommendation: 1 from assoc. prof. (now at Redlands) that I had a very good relationship with, 1 from full prof. that I had an OK relationship, One from my current boss at a big 4 consulting firm who I needed to point out that I am no longer suffering from the depression and anxiety that caused me to fail a bunch of classes for a couple years. Research Experience: NA Teaching Experience: NA Research Interests: Development , IO, Public Finance SOP: Good I think. Hopefully made up for my poor showing for a couple years in Undergrad Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: CU Boulder, UCSC, NIU, UIC Waitlists: Rejections: Rutgers, Purdue Pending: Attending: CU Boulder Comments: Excited to get started. Plus living in Boulder should be great. What would you have done differently? I would have done better in undergrad, obviously. I also would have gone to a different undergrad, though money issues would have made that difficult. Also, I only took the GRE one time. I got a 165, which was better then I did on any of the practice tests, so I assumed that was the best score I was going to get, but upon reflection I don't think the practice test results are all that reliable so I would take the GRE again. Edited April 14, 2014 by sn0skier Purdue changed to rejected from waitlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodonn Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 10 small liberal arts Undergrad GPA: 3.9 Type of Grad: Top 5 econ (only took a single class) Grad GPA: 3.7 GRE: 164V 170M 5W Math Courses: Analysis I & II, Probability, Statistics, Game Theory, + few other random ones Econ Courses (grad-level): 2nd year applied econometrics Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Econometrics, Micro (intermediate), Macro (intro, intermediate, and advanced), + 4 field classes Other Courses: Almost a minor in CS Letters of Recommendation: (1) undergrad professor (from a top school, but now an associate prof liberal arts college), (2) well known researcher who I've worked as a RA for, (3) Another professor I've RA'ed for, more junior but at a top school Research Experience: 1.5 years post undergrad as a research assistant working with several well known professors Teaching Experience: Research Interests: Econometrics and IO SOP: 1/5 education background (explaining my lack of undergrad econ), 2/5 Research projects I've worked on, 2/5 A couple of representative research ideas that I'd like to work on Concerns: No published research. Not many economics class in undergrad. Only one grad level class Other: Applying to: Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Northwestern, Yale, Chicago, NYU, Duke, UCSD, Haas. RESULTS: Acceptances: Stanford GSB, Yale, Haas (Marketing), Northwestern, Columbia, UCSD Waitlists: Stanford Econ (actually they sent me a rejection first, and then an email accepting me off the 'waitlist') Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Chicago Booth, NYU Stern Pending: Attending: Stanford GSB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catrina Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 (edited) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Dual degree in econ/math from a US News top-100 public without a PhD program Undergrad GPA: 3.7 (combined across all three schools that I attended) Type of Grad: Combined BA/MA at the same school, plus PhD coursework at a US News top-25 Grad GPA: 3.7 GRE: 165Q/164V/5.0AW Math Courses: Calculus I/II/III, Linear Algebra, Diff Eq., Real analysis I/II, Game theory, Probability and Stat. for engineers, Probability theory, Numerical linear algebra (graduate), Functional analysis (graduate, fall). Econ Courses (grad-level): MA micro/macro, MA econometrics I/II, economics of education, Independent Study, PhD micro I (fall), PhD micro II (spring) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro micro/macro, Intermediate micro/macro, econometrics, four electives Other Courses: An entire certificate program in another unrelated field, an interdisciplinary honors' program, a computer science class, and a research methods class. Letters of Recommendation: Senior and MA thesis advisor/ MA micro professor (extremely strong letter); MA econometrics professor (should also be very strong); Intermediate micro professor/undergraduate advisor; economics of education professor. I alternated between using the last two writers depending on the school, and all four letter writers have PhDs from programs in the 20-30 range. Research Experience: This is the strongest part of my profile. I have a solo-authored paper that is under review at a good journal, and I included it as a writing sample. I am also currently coauthoring a paper with my advisor, and have been working on my MA thesis. Teaching Experience: Just tutoring Research Interests: Industrial organization, applied micro SOP: Standard Concerns: My math grades are pretty mixed. While I did get As in both semesters of real analysis and some other classes, some of the rest of my math grades aren't great. My biggest concern may be the overall noisiness of my profile. I'm worried that some of my safeties may think that I will get into a better program due to the strong parts of my application, while the higher-ranked programs may not accept me due to my weaknesses. Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: Rice ($$), Arizona($), Texas A&M ($$), UC Irvine ($), UConn ($), Ohio State ($$, but offered after 4/15) Waitlists: Maryland (withdrawn), UNC (withdrawn), UVA (rejected off waitlist), Vanderbilt (withdrawn) Rejections: Chicago, Pittsburgh, UT Austin, Notre Dame, Hopkins, GWU, MSU, Wharton AE Pending: Virginia Tech (withdrawn) Attending: Rice! Comments: I really think that Rice will be an excellent program for me, and I'm very happy with my choice. This has been a really long and difficult process for me, and I have learned a lot through my experiences. These comments are based on what I learned: Things I would have done differently: 1. I would have gone to college straight after high school rather than waiting until I was 25. 2. I would have taken less math or easier math. I know this is something that you don't hear very often, and it is a bit difficult for me to admit because I really enjoyed every math class that I took. However, my grades suffered because I tried to fit in so many courses in so short a period of time. I would have been far better off in terms of admissions if I would have taken it slow and gotten As in all of my math courses as a math minor, rather than doing a full math major and getting a bunch of Bs. Alternatively, maybe I should have done the math major but taken easier courses. I really shouldn't have been taking graduate math. 3. I would have applied to a more realistic range of schools during my first application season 4. I should have added more schools in the 20-40 range, and replaced Chicago with a reach school in the 10-20 range 5. I might have gone to a different undergrad. This is hard for me to say, because I absolutely loved my undergrad and gained a lot from having closer interaction with my professors than I would have at a big school. I also think that I would have been miserable as an undergrad at Maryland, and I was geographically constrained. The best option may have been for me to go to Hopkins (I would have very likely gotten in). Things that I would do exactly the same: 1. Undergraduate research. I gained a lot from my undergraduate independent study. I don't care that much if the paper (still under review) ever gets published. I did it for the learning experience, and I have learned a lot about the research process. It also resulted in me getting very strong letters. 2. Signed up for the combined BA/MA program where I could take masters courses during undergrad. Despite it being a typical American policy-oriented MA, I learned a lot in my masters micro and econometrics courses, and I found that the masters micro was good preparation for PhD micro. Additionally, it provided me with a built in backup option after getting shut out last year 3. Taken PhD micro. Several admissions committee members told me that my grade in PhD micro influenced their decision to admit me. I have also learned a lot, and it will hopefully make my first year less stressful 4. Done my summer internship at the BLS. While I didn't get to do much actual research, which disappointed me at the time, I learned a lot about BLS data that I have since used in my research Edited April 16, 2014 by Catrina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asymmetrica Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA Econ & Math at non-flagship state university Undergrad GPA: 3.71, 3.9 Econ and 3.69 Math Type of Grad: MS, Top 3 ARE Grad GPA: 3.9 GRE: 163Q/165V/4.0A Math Courses: Calculus I (A), Calculus II (A-), Calculus I (B+), Discrete (A-), Linear Algebra & Matrix Theory (A), Probability (B+), Numerical Analysis (A), Real Analysis I (B) , Real Analysis II (A), Point-Set Topology (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Survey Sampling (A), Abstract Algebra I (B+) Econ Courses: UG: Intro Micro/Macro (A/A), Intermediate Micro/Macro (A/A), Money & Banking (B+), Health Economics (A-), Urban Economics (A), History of Economic Thought (A), Development of Latin America (A), Econometrics (A), Economics of Immigration to New York City (A-), Elements of Mathematical Economics (A), Behavioral Economics (A); Graduate: Applied Econometrics (A+), Microeconomic Analysis I (A), Optimization with Economic Applications (A-) Other Courses: Selected University Honors courses (interdisciplinary, credits equivalent to adding a minor), Computing for Math & Sciences – Python (A), Upper Division credits in Geology and Biology Letters of Recommendation: North Carolina State University, Econometrics: We have talked pretty in depth about research interests, and got an A+ in their course. This one is generally pretty optimistic, but is really batting for me. Berkeley ARE, Applied Micro/Policy Analysis:Got noticed in the class for asking a lot of "good" questions, didn't talk in office hours that much (once or twice), but did consistently good work and received high scores across tests and assignments including writing assignments (A in class). University of Washington (Seattle), Macro/Econometrics: Was a top student in Econometrics and Macroeconomics classes, worked on two applied econometrics research (housing/foreclosure) studies, also very much batting for me. Teaching Experience: Class tutor (i.e. held office hours) for principles of micro for 2 years. Research Interests: Microeconomic Development with the added tools from Social Network Theory and a strong focus on Risk and Uncertainty. Very much oriented towards empirical investigation of the effects of social networks, risk sharing, risk mitigation, insurance, etc. on development (and ag. dev) outcomes. Leaning towards work with obvious policy implications. SOP: Research, research, research. Did end up mentioning people I wanted to work with by name, which is always kind of controversial. I believe that this part of my application is unambiguously improved from last year. Concerns: Low Quant GRE. Bad grades in math theory courses (B in RA I, B+ in Calc III -- though I guess I'm less concerned about the B+ in algebra). Only a marginally competitive undergrad GPA though my graduate work and rising trend (3.79 last two years) may retroactively cover for that. Addendum: name recognition, both of school and letters. RESULTS: Accepted: UMN APEC ($), UC Santa Cruz ($), Wisconsin AAE, UC Davis ARE ($) Out: Yale, Berkeley ARE, Stanford, Brown, UCSD, Georgetown, Maryland, Maryland AREc, UBC Waitlist: Cornell AEM Attending: Davis ARE Comments: Davis was one of the original group of schools that I chose when I was applying last year. It's good to know that I was able to hit that target, though I did have higher expectations. With that said, I'm very optimistic about my future at Davis. Some of the schools on my list I knew a priori that I wouldn't make it at, but I'm actually genuinely surprised about a few. In particular I was surprised that Cornell AEM and Maryland AREc didn't accept me, though to be fair I made a devastating mistake in both of those applications. Also, surprised about the Georgetown rejection, though it would make sense that I'm not exactly what they're looking for in a candidate. Things I would have done differently (at various stages of my academic career): 1. Been serious about preparing for graduate school earlier. This is obvious, and I'm sure everyone feels this way, but I was pretty set on being an economist since I was in principles classes. I wasn't aware of the difficulty of getting in, or how sensitive the process was to math scores (I really could have gotten A's in the calculus sequence had I been more serious). 2. I would have not done an honors degree -- which actually competed for my time in considerable ways over the course of my education. Knowledge of Russian Literature, for example, is wonderful, but it upsets me that I probably paid a price in the level of economics program I could get into do to my competing workload. Then again, I would have never taken a globalization class, and probably wouldn't be a development type at the moment were it not for this program. 3. It would have been a very good idea to transfer to the state flagship (which has a top 20 econ department), which was very doable when I was a sophomore. This would have been useful for name recognition, diversity of courses and also for letters -- all of which I was sorely lacking. Of course the trade-off here is that I made friends at my original UG institution. Additionally, I could have probably avoided the shut-out and moved much more quickly to get into the PhD programs. 4. Less (or different) math -- the marginal improvement in my application from taking courses like topology and abstract algebra was almost zero, looking back, Had I committed only to a math minor and taken more prob/stats courses I could have been a better candidate for an RAship. 5. Which brings me to #5: Aside from my GRE, I think research was actually a really poor part of my application. I would have needed to a do an RA either over summer or after graduating. This would have also helped with my letters issue. 6. If faced with a shut out, I would have given myself an option to do a MS program that would allow me to take PhD courses at previously mentioned flagship state U. Alternatively, a prestigious school related degree would have been worth exploring (maybe Yale Int'l Dev --> PhD Econ would have worked?). 7. One change would have been fairly easy, and is attributable to lack of foresight. I would have retaken the GRE during the summer, as opposed to try to retake it late in the fall last year. I didn't have a whole lot of time to study for it, and it turned out that my car broke down, so it really wasn't actually worth getting to the appointment. 8. It's pretty obvious that my MS held a lot more weight at applied economics programs that elsewhere. Since Davis is pretty good as applied programs go, and I had a good sense that I would be accepted, I would have not broadened these applications very much. I would, however, have added a few (2?) programs since the programs are much smaller. On the other hand I would have reduced my overall applications to economics programs for cost reasons. Edited April 13, 2014 by asymmetrica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patho Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BS Econ and BS Math from regionally known uni, 1 yr exchange at Oxford Undergrad GPA: 3.98 Type of Grad: 1 term of Macro at Oxford Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE:169/169/4.5 Math Courses: Calc I/II/III, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra (A-), Real Analysis I/II, Probability, Abstract Algebra, Discrete Wavelet Theory, Chaos Theory, Applied Capstone Econ Courses (grad-level): Monetary and Fiscal Economics Econ Courses (undergrad-level): all the normal ones including an independent study in advanced econometrics Other Courses: programming? Letters of Recommendation: 1 Oxford Math (known), 1 Oxford Econ (maybe known), 1 home Math (not known) Research Experience: 1 summer of econ research (competitive grant), 2 summer of math research (on econ topic w/ home math prof.). One paper from the two summers of math research pending (non-elite journal) Teaching Experience: TA in micro, Calc 3, including lecturing opportunity in micro. Tutoring in both departments since sophomore year. TA in Chaos Theory, lecture every week Research Interests: international monetary policy, nonlinear and chaotic dynamics, currency zones SOP: standard Concerns: unknown home uni, two letters from math people, not too much grad work, paper hasn't been published yet... Other: Time person of the year in 2006, won an award for best maths research paper at my uni Applying to: Masters: LSE, Oxford, CEMFI, BGSE Phd: Columbia, NYU, Northwester, UPenn, Yale RESULTS: Acceptances: CEMFI ($), LSE, BGSE ($), Oxford - Nuffield($) Waitlists: Rejections: Columbia, NYU, NW, UPenn, Yale Pending: Attending: Nuffield College, Oxford!! Comments:The American rejections were expected. The studentship at Nuffield and full funding at CEMFI were both very surprising! The thing that made all the difference in my profile was my year abroad at Oxford and the opportunity to take a grad course there. I am very excited to return! Things I would have done differently: 1) Not have gone to my home university. It is an unknown school with unknown professors. The year at Oxford saved my profile, but I think I could have received an admit from a top American school if I had gone to a Phd granting institution in the US. 2) Realized that I wanted to do econ + math earlier. I came in to undergrad thinking that I wanted to go into I-banking and so I didn't take any math my freshman year. 3) Done a REU at top university in the states instead of working at my university both summers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickowen5 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BS Industrial Engineering, Mathematics Minor in Economics - Smaller state university with MA econ program Undergrad GPA: 3.98 Type of Grad: taken a few graduate courses as undergrad Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE:164/154/4.5 Math Courses: Calc I/II/III (A's), Differential Equations (A), Linear Algebra (A), Intro to Proofs (A), MATLAB (A), Advanced Calculus I/II (A's), Intro to Complex Analysis (A), Prob and Stat I/II (A's), Numerical Methods(current), Matrix Theory (current) Econ Courses (grad-level): Econometrics (A), Mathematical Economics (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): intermediate micro & macro (A,A), Labor Economics Other Courses: Operations Research, lot's of statistically related engineering courses Letters of Recommendation: 2 Illinois Econ PhDs one of which I RA'd for and the other is my econometrics professor, 1 Chicago Math PhD that I did independent study with Research Experience: served as undergraduate research assistant for economics professor at home university, also a few conference articles from some work in the industrial engineering department Teaching Experience: Lots of math tutoring, Engineering Economy recitation instructor Research Interests: education, labor, public, applying optimization to education problems SOP: discussed why I felt prepared for PhD courses and research interests, i though it was good, but all relative Concerns: coming from poor university, letter writers are all from home university, little economics coursework Other: prestigious awards from poor home university Applying to: Masters: Home University (Mathematics/Statistics) Phd: Yale, Cornell, UCSD, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan State, Colorado, Oregon, Missouri, Washington State RESULTS: Acceptances: Washington State ($), Missouri ($$), Oregon, Home University (Mathematics, $) Waitlists: Virginia (rejected off waitlist) Rejections: Yale, Cornell, UCSD, Maryland, Colorado Pending: Michigan State Attending: Home University Comments: Best decision for my family! My wife I were applying to schools together (she was apply to masters programs) we simply had matching problems and just didn't get in together anywhere. I will take this time to boost my profile and reapply in two years What I would do differently: I wish I would have found this forum sooner! I would likely have not applied to so many top tier programs. Professors at my home university felt that I was fine applying to T30 schools, but we don't send many to econ PhD programs either so I am pretty sure that I way overshot especially for my sub-par GRE scores. What I will do differently: Take advice from everyone on here! Seriously, please message me with any help. I will reapply in two years with a masters in statistics (and real analysis coursework). I plan to try and get involved in some research projects if I can find the right advisors and do a thesis in economics related field. I will definitely study for an retake the GRE and shoot for at least 167 Q. Hopefully I can pull all of this off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayflwers472 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 40 Econ USNWR, Large State School Undergrad GPA: 3.9 GRE: 800q, 600v, 4.0aw Math Courses: Calc I-III (AP, A, A), Linear Algebra (A), Differential Equations I-II, Honors (A-, B+), Real Analysis I-II (A-, A) Math Stats (A), Probability (A), Time Series (A), Grad Real Analysis (B) Econ Courses (grad-level): Grad Micro Theory I-II (A-, A-), Math Camp (Pass- must be taken P/F only) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Micro/Macro (A, A+), Intro Devo (A-, Taken in French), Intro Money & Banking (A), Inter Micro/Macro/Metrics (A+,A-, A), Inter Game Theory (A), Adv Experimental Seminar (A), Adv Devo Seminar (A) Other Courses: Lots of French and African Studies- studied abroad for 2 semesters in Europe and West Africa Letters of Recommendation: Undergrad thesis adviser and prof, tenured; My PIs from JPAL RA job wrote a joint letter, one is very well known in devo & other is a junior top 5 prof; Current boss, who is very well known & a top 5 senior prof Research Experience: Senior Thesis/Summer Fellowship, Worked 1.5 years in a developing country as a field RA for JPAL/IPA, Will finish out 1.5 years RA at a top 5 school before starting grad school Teaching Experience: 1 semester Intermediate Micro RA at my UG, 2 years Athletic Dept tutor for math and econ Research Interests: Applied Micro SOP: Generic body with short tailored paragraph at the end. Concerns: It was just really hard for me to predict how I would do ex ante-- I hadn't heard of anyone with a similar application (lots of research and good coursework but at a not at a top 10 university and not perfect grades). I was also waffling about doing a PhD in general-- there were certain aspects about grad school and economics that I encountered while working around professors/phd students that were not appealing to me. However, in the end I decided to apply because I really enjoy doing research and want the flexibility and intellectual stimulation of the types of jobs that will be available to me. Applying to: NSF, Harvard, Harvard Health Policy Econ, MIT, Princeton, Berkeley ARE, Chicago Booth, Stanford, Yale, Northwestern, NYU, Columbia, Brown RESULTS: Acceptances: NSF, MIT (WL $), Berkeley ARE, Yale, Princeton, Harvard Health Policy, Northwestern (WL $), Columbia, Brown Rejections: Harvard, Chicago Booth, Stanford, NYU Comments: I'm very grateful to have had so many wonderful options. I think my application's success was definitely due to the time I took to work as a research assistant (twice) after undergraduate. The recommendation letters were without a doubt part of this, though I think at least for the NSF it was also clear from my application that I know what I'm getting myself into and how economic research is actually conducted. This would not have been true had I come straight from undergrad-- now I feel prepared and ready to jump into my own projects. I'm very happy with my results, and think I'll do well both personally and professionally at the program I've decided to attend. I am co-locating with my significant other who also applied to Econ programs, and we were very lucky to have a couple of great options that would allow us to be in the same place. It's been a stressful last couple of months, but I'm excited first to relax a bit and then to jump back into coursework in August. Hooray for not spending another second of my life obsessively checking grad cafe (or this site). Things I would have done differently: Nothing really. I may not have taken one or both of the difficult/not required math classes (that I got B's in) because they were very stressful. However, it doesn't seem like the B's hurt me, and perhaps it was a good signal that even though I am more of an applied person, I have a rigorous math background and am likely to be successful in the required theory classes. I do agree with Catrina that one should be careful taking honors or graduate math (especially if you had a hard time at all in easier classes)- there are much less risky ways to make yourself stand out, and it's definitely possible to be hurt by grades in classes that you didn't need to take. Oh also, I would have tried not to worry so much. The obsession in economics (and I'm sure a lot of other fields/professions) with rankings, prestige, who got in where, who is getting tenure, how many publications you have etc is just distracting. I was lucky enough to work for some wonderful people who seem to avoid wasting their time on that stuff, and focus on doing good research that people care about. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to create that kind of environment for myself as well. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to be at a program that will train you well and allow you to write a good job market paper, and that is almost certainly correlated with whatever department rankings people have come up with. However, at the end of 5 years, it's your paper that is being evaluated. I'll probably freak out about that too when the time comes, but hopefully it will be a brief period surrounded by plenty of time enjoying life and my research. Best of luck to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksolly Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) Type of Undergrad: Top 25 Econ PhD Program (Private institution) Undergrad GPA: 3.65, B.A. Econ, B.S. Health Science Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Q 164/ V 160/ AW 4.5 Math Courses: Calc I-II (A), Linear Algebra (A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Differential Equations (A) Econ Courses: Introductory Microeconomic Analysis (A-), Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis (A), Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis (B+), Economic Statistics (A), Behavioral Economics (A), Economic Analysis of Legal Issues (A), European Capital Markets (A), British Macroeconomic Policy (B), Economic Policy: A British Perspective (B+), Business and Economics (A) Letters of Recommendation: Econ/ Ag Econ Professor from Top 5 program, Public Health Professor from undergad institution, Principal from international school I taught at for 3 years Research Experience: RA for Professor #1 above, Development Teaching Experience: Mathematics and Microeconomics at international school Research Interests: Development, Environment SOP: Awesome?! RESULTS: Acceptances: Michigan State AFRE ($$), University of Arizona ($$), UC Santa Cruz ($$), University of Georgia ($$), Clemson ($), UC Davis (M.S.) Rejections: Berkeley ARE, Duke UPEP, UCSB, UCSD, Brown, Columbia Pending: Vanderbilt (C'MON, ITS THE 14th! Application was free...fair enough) Attending: MSU AFRE Comments: Perfect fit (with its international development, environmental, field work, etc.) What would you have done differently? Nothing really, I am not some math superstar or the typical applicant- I only decided on the PhD while abroad, so I took all my math classes while RAing back in the US this past year and change. For now, I am truly (only?) interested the applied/ empirical component, and am excited about MSU. If anything, I would have only applied to (more) Ag Econ programs, but there really was no harm in shooting a few off to higher/ purer programs. I thank everyone for posting to this forum, it has been quite helpful throughout the process, in that I hadn't thought about it while I was an undergrad or had the opportunity to speak about it with people outside my current department. Best of luck, and GO ECON! Edited April 14, 2014 by ksolly BOLD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colacoca Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Top 50 undergrad, top 50 in economics; LSE study abroad Undergrad GPA: 3.86/4.00 at home university; First at UK university Type of Grad: n/a Grad GPA: n/a GRE: 167Q/155V/4A Math Courses: Calculus I/II/III (A,A,A-) Diff. Eq. (A), Linear Algebra, proof based (A-), Group Theory (A), Ring Theory (A), Abstract Algebra and its Applications (A), Sets and Logic, intro to proofs course (A-), Game Theory (A), Proof based Econometrics (A-), Advanced Calculus I/II (A; IP) Econ Courses (grad-level): PhD Micro (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro/Macro 101 (A,A), Intermediate Micro/Macro (A,A), International Trade (A-) Other Courses: Took undergraduate probability theory (A), graduate probability theory (B+) Letters of Recommendation: Econometrician from UK university, Mathematician from UK university, Economist/Undergraduate Advisor from home university Research Experience: RA'd for my international trade lecturer in my 2nd year, and currently working on my honors thesis. Teaching Experience: TA for Macro 101 at my home university Research Interests: monetary/macro SOP: standard RESULTS: Acceptances: Maryland ($$), UT-Austin ($$), George Washington Waitlists: BU, BC, and Johns Hopkins Rejections: MIT, Yale, Northwestern, NYU, Columbia, Michigan, LSE, Georgetown, Penn State, and Virginia Pending: None Attending: Going to RA at a Fed branch for 2-3 years! Comments: If you would have told me in August my results, I probably would have been pretty disappointed. I really did not know that research and letters would play such a huge role. However, this really has worked out for the best. I’ve gone through the process so it’ll be easier the next time around; I get to make some money before grade school while gaining invaluable research experience and, hopefully, great LORs and networks from the Fed economists at the branch I will be attending. I will probably aim lower next time but I think with the RA experience and taking classes at the top 15 university nearby I really do think I will be a very competitive T20 applicant next time around, and hopefully even a T10! What would you have done differently? I shouldn’t have ignored the warnings on the internet of how important letters and research experience are. I think I did the best I could with meeting professors, given that most of the econ classes at my university are taught by PhD students and that I was only at LSE for a year with no LSE professor willing to have a study abroad student as an RA (and understandably so!). However, I should have realized I’d need to get an RA position either at a university, Fed, or some other public entity between undergrad and grad. Thus, I should have applied to less PhD programs and more RA positions. Obviously, all these observations are ex-post, so there’s no way I could have known any of this without learning everything I have this year. Luckily, it all worked out for me and then some this application season. I won’t be attending a graduate school next year, but I will be immersed in macro research for the next two years where I’ll get some great programming and research experience, I’ll get to have more fun in my early 20’s, and I’ll actually get to make sure that a life as a researcher is something I really want. Thanks for all the help everybody- I’ll try to stop by every once in a while but if not, see you in the 2015-2016 application season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastaloo Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Honors Econ/Math combo major at large research university - ranked top 80 US Undergrad GPA: 3.95 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: Q167/V163/AW 5.0 Math Courses: Calc I/II/III (A/A/A), Linear Algebra (A), ODE (A), Intro Real Analysis (A), Discrete (A-), Probability Theory (A), Statistics (calc-based) (A), Optimization (A), Numerical Analysis (A) Econ Courses: Introductory Micro/Macro (A/A), Intermediate Macro (A), Intermediate Micro (A), 2 semesters of econometrics (A), Information and Uncertainty (A), Mathematical Econ (A), Banking and Monetary Policy (A) Other Courses: Computer science minor (basic programming, algorithms, intro software engineering), Spanish minor Letters of Recommendation: One from my thesis adviser (Wisconsin PhD), as well as one from my metrics and banking professor (Princeton PhD). Third from my undergraduate adviser. All three are likely to be very good. Research Experience: I was a research assistant for one semester and this summer with my professor listed above, studying the effect of options on baseball contract salary structure. I'm currently using this research for my senior thesis. Teaching Experience: TA for intro microeconomics course. I will be a TA next semester for a labor course. Research Interests: applied micro, specifically development, education, and labor. I'm particularly interested in Latin American development and government policy. SOP: fairly generic but solidly written Applying to: MIT, Yale, Penn, Michigan, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Maryland, Boston U, UT-Austin, UVA, Georgetown RESULTS: Acceptances: Virginia ($$), UT-Austin ($$) Waitlists: Maryland (I suppose I didn't make it off....) Rejections: MIT, Yale, Penn, Michigan, Duke, Boston U, Brown, Cornell, Georgetown Pending: none Attending: Virginia Comments: My results are extremely consistent. I got into schools which I expected to get into and got rejected by schools which I didn't expect to get into. I thought I stood a decent chance to get into Maryland, but that's alright. My strategy of applying to only a couple of realistic choices and reaching for the rest paid off. I'm very happy going to UVA, Charlottesville seems like a great place to live and the department seems like it's on the rise. What would you have done differently? I have no regrets in terms of my application strategy. The only thing I regret is not deciding to pursue the PhD path sooner. I hadn't decided that I wanted to do economic research until last summer. Had I been set on pursuing a PhD earlier in my undergraduate career, I would have taken more math courses and focused on research internships rather than private sector internships. Overall, I'm happy with how this process turned out, thoroughly enjoyed my past four years, and am looking forward to the next five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StudentLoaner Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BS Management from large state school. Undergrad GPA: 3.2 Type of Grad: MS Finance and Economics from small unknown regional state school Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE: 162/158/4.0 Math Courses: Calc I-III(A,A,B) Linear Algebra (A), Diff Eq ©, Intro to Proofs(A), Intro Stats©, Regressions(A) Econ Courses: Intro Micro/Macro, Inter Micro, Adv Micro/Macro, Econometrics, Public Finance Other Courses: Lots of finance and business classes Letters of Recommendation: Solid letters but from non top 50 PhDs Research Experience: Worked on a paper with a prof Teaching Experience: Taught a few classes Research Interests: Macro/monetary, public finance SOP: Normal Other: RESULTS: Acceptances: CSU, GMU, CU-Boulder, UO($$), UW-Milwaukee($), UNM($) Waitlists: Rejections: USC, UW, UCSC, UCI, GWU, UIC, UU Pending: Attending: A finance PhD program Comments: Towards the end of the application cycle I applied to one finance program. Randomly got accepted on April 15th. I probably prefer econ but I'm selling out and going for the money. What would you have done differently? Figured out that I wanted to do a PhD while I was still in high school. Also, I should have retaken the GRE. Overall I'm happy with my results though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dariusi Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Type of Undergrad: US private top 50 economics department Undergrad GPA: 3.53 Type of Grad: MA in economics at a top 50 economics department Grad GPA: 4.0 GRE: 168Q, 166V, 4.5AW Math Courses: Real Analysis (A), Probability and Statistics (A), Math for Economics (A), Computability Theory (A), PDE’s (B), ODE’s (B+), Mathematical Modeling (B+), Graph Theory (B-), Numerical Analysis (B), Topology (B), Linear Algebra (B), Multivar Calc (B) Econ Courses (grad-level): Following at the master’s level: Microeconomics (A), Macroeconomics (A), Econometrics (A), Game Theory (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Micro (A), Intro Macro (A-), Intermediate Micro (B), Intermediate Macro (B+), Money and Banking (A-), Game Theory (A), Economics of Network Industries (A-), Econometrics (A-), Economics of Crime (A), Thesis (A-) Other Courses: Letters of Recommendation: I think that they all say pretty good things about me. Five econ professors, most schools will probably know at least 2 of them, though maybe not the same ones at each school. Research Experience: Two years in economic consulting, no experience as an RA for a current professor Teaching Experience: Research Interests: Labor, Econometrics, Applied Micro SOP: I very briefly describe why I wasn’t well-focused as an undergrad, and what I hoped to get out of academia that I wasn’t getting at my old job. Otherwise, just describing research interests and perceived fit with each school. Concerns: My MA program is somewhat new, but I thought it was pretty solid preparation for PhD work and hope that it is perceived as such. Also, my undergraduate record is full of B’s in math courses. Other: Was shut out from top 20 last year. Trying again after doing MA coursework. Results: Acceptances: UT Austin ($), UC Davis ($), UCLA (initially no first-year funding, revised to tuition and fee waiver) Waitlists: Rejections: Yale, Columbia, Michigan, Brown, NYU, U Chicago, Wisconsin, Boston University, Duke, Cornell, UCSD Pending: Attending: UCLA Comments: I'm ecstatic about UCLA. It was one of the programs for which I had the best perceived fit, so perhaps that's why they took a chance on me rather than the dozen programs that rejected me. Perhaps showing interest in them after my admission helped me to eventually get first-year funding. What would you have done differently? Having now read a lot of other people's SOPs, I can say that mine were extremely well tailored to the individual schools to which I applied. I looked at their faculty's cvs, their current JMCs' web pages, explored all of the research institutes and grant opportunities, etc. In the end, I don't think this ended up mattering a whole lot (although apparently I was pretty close on the margin). This process is sooo much easier if you just get good grades at an undergrad institution with a decent PhD program. It's a lot harder to compete on other margins. If I could go back, I would have taken that transfer admission to NYU, gotten involved in undergraduate research, and avoided any and all internships. I am extremely happy with what a one year MA has done for my results. I applied to mostly the same schools last year, and my result was an offer from UC Davis without first-year funding. Not to mention that the preparation ended up being a lot more helpful than I had expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneyandcredit Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Junior College + BA in Econ from a very large, nonprestigious public U without an MA program Undergrad GPA: 3.23 Overall / 4.00 Econ / 3.75 Last 60 Units (Overall includes my disastrous performance in another major at another school before dropping out, going to JC and changing majors) Type of Grad: MA at another very large, nonprestigious public U that did have an MA program Grad GPA: 3.62 Econ / 3.27 Overall (because of a couple of unauthorized withdrawals during a family emergency – 3.58 if you don't count those) GRE: 790 Q / 720 V / 5.0 AWA (Feb 2009) Math Courses: Calculus I/II (AP,5/5), Calculus III (A-), Linear Algebra (B+), I ntro Differential Equations (A), Freshman Statistics (A), Probability (A), Mathematical Statistics (A), Stochastic Processes (B), Ordinary Differential Equations (A), Foundations of Higher Mathematics (A), Introduction to Mathematical Analysis I/II (A/A), Mathematical Optimization (F – dropped late) Econ Courses (grad-level): Mathematical Economics (A), Advanced Micro/Macro (B/B), Econometrics I/II (A/A), Development (A), Transportation (A), Labor (A), Research Seminar in Applied Micro (B), Research Seminar in Development (B) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Principles of Micro/Macro (A/A), Intermediate Micro/Macro (A/A), Money & Banking (A), International Trade&Finance (A), Public (A), Health (A), Interpretation of Economic Data (A), Principles of Econometrics (A) Other Courses: Intro Financial Management (A), Investments (A), Risk Management (A) Letters of Recommendation: One very enthusiastic letter from my Econometrics I professor detailing my teaching ability. One from my Econometrics II professor discussing my work with him as a research assistant developing functions in Stata that hadn't yet been built into the software. One from the advanced micro theory professor, whom I also TAed for. Research Experience: Research seminars in Economic Development and Applied Micro (mostly labor). I don't think my papers were impressive at all, but I got the B grades necessary to pass the courses. Teaching Experience: One semester in undergrad as a section-TA for Principles of Micro, did a few full-hall lectures as an MA student. Grading papers as an MA student. Helping my Metrics II professor switch his class from eViews to Stata by developing a couple of time series scripts for functions that hadn't yet been built into Stata. I'm currently a part-time tutor for high-school and college students. Research Interests: Econometrics (Theory and Applied), Monetary, Finance, Labor and Public Finance. I'm especially interested in the effects of monetary stimulus on the relative profitability of different industries, and how that affects the relative prices and wages between industries, and which income groups benefit most from these changes. SOP: Discussed my interests in the above fields that the program actually offers, and mentioned a few specific research ideas. Mentioned that the geographic locations of my chosen schools was especially appealing (midwestern/southern in smaller metro areas). Discussed why I left my last job -- it had nothing to do with my future career goals. Concerns: Those B's in Graduate Micro/Macro and my research seminars are pretty damning, and despite my moderate GPA I do have several Fs and Ws on my transcripts. Also, Since I dropped out of a HS teaching credential program, I'm technically on academic probation at the last school I attended, even though it's unrelated to my economics goal. That alone may disqualify me automatically just according to university rules. Other: I dropped out of college my first time around after making a series of very unwise decisions about how to spend my free time. I went back and performed very well in undergrad, finishing at the top of the department with a prize and everything. During graduate school, I had a family emergency that honestly should not have distracted me from my studies as much as it did – it impacted my research seminars and resulted in a couple of unauthorized withdrawals for a couple of elective classes. Thinking that my shot at a PhD program was gone, I left academic economics. I entered and dropped out of a HS math teacher credential program, deciding that teaching a captive audience wasn't really for me, finally ending up in my most recent position as a marketing analyst, which I also ended up leaving because it was a dead-end job irrelevant to my future career goals. My academic and professional record is thus a story of many mistakes and unfinished commitments, which makes my otherwise moderately decent-looking profile a real crapshot. Whatever happens, I'd rather get rejected from all of the 10 programs below than wonder what could have been. Applying to: Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, Purdue, Indiana, Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Georgia Results: Acceptances: Kansas State ($$), North Carolina State (no funding) Waitlists: Rejections: Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Purdue, Texas A&M Pending: Clemson, Indiana, North Carolina (no responses as of 22 April 2014) Attending: Kansas State Comments: I was hoping to be admitted into more than one program with funding, so it's KSU by default. My results aren't as high-falootin' as the relatively lofty goals I had set, but I'm pretty happy with the very generous offer I did get. Manhattan, KS looks like the kind of nice area I want to live in, and the DGS seems like a really nice guy. I did not visit since they have no official visiting day, and I had no other offers to merit an investigation. I never contacted the four remaining universities, figuring that if I have to ask they must not be that interested in me anyway. I want to attend a program where I can make a genuine contribution, and KSU seems to think I can do that. Besides, now I get to brag about living in a beautiful $650/mo 2-bedroom apartment on the west side of Manhattan. What would you have done differently? Pretty much everything: I was a royal screwup when I first started college at the age of 18 at a fairly well-known university that happens to have a well-respected Econ PhD program. My original major was Physics, and I thought I was all hot stuff and that I didn't need to study after doing very well my first two quarters. I just partied and blew off my classes, eventually dropping out with a GPA of 2.7. I should have taken it more seriously the first time around, but c'est ma vie. After returning to college at a local community college when I was 24, I did exceptionally well and scored awards every semester except for a single unauthorized withdrawal. I should have applied to transfer to UCLA and USC to finish my undergrad after that -- even if I were rejected, I wouldn't have to wonder what could have been had I earned a degree from a more prestigious program with higher expectations. I would have taken more math while actually in my undergrad program instead of trying to squeeze it into my MA program later. I was in a hurry to graduate before my dad died, so I just took the BA and moved onto an MA program. I would not have attended my particular MA program if I knew then what I know now about it. I went for free on a grant, and it was worth every penny -- any other MA program would likely have been a better choice. Finally, I would have applied to more low-ranked and unranked PhD programs. Even though few low-level programs offer Econometrics and Monetary Theory as concentrations, there are other concentrations that I think I could have worked with at other lesser programs. Anyway, the mistakes I've made in life have made me what I am today. None of my circumstances could really have changed without altering others, so speculation is pointless. People who know me say I'm a pretty decent guy with a sharp mind for economics, and I've accepted that I should just be satisfied with improving from my lowest lows rather than trying to outdo literally everybody in absolute terms. Besides, had I done very well without screwing up at first, I would have just graduated with a Physics degree and probably never have become interested in Econ as a career since I didn't really get interested until the housing market got ridiculously inflated in 2006-07. Edited April 23, 2014 by moneyandcredit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobster936 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Flagship State University. Ranked 80-100 (US NEWS). BBA in Finance. Minors in Econ, and Philosophy. Undergrad GPA: 3.56 Cumulative. 3.89 Major. 3.96 Econ. 3.68 Math. Type of Grad: Grad GPA: GRE: 156 VR /163 Q/ 4.0 A Math Courses: Calculus I, II, III (B, A, A), Statistics I (A-), Linear Algebra (A) Econ Courses (grad-level): Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Introductory Macro & Micro (A, A-), Intermediate Macro & Micro (A, A), Econometrics (A), Introduction to Political Economy (A), Emerging Market Economies (A) Other Courses:Financial Engineering (A), International Finance (A), Advanced Investments (B), Investments (A), Info. Tech Finance (A) Letters of Recommendation: One from research professor in Finance. One from research professor in Economics. One from research internship at think tank. Research Experience: Summer internship at think tank. Teaching Experience: Tutored elementary school children through college. Research Interests: International Trade, Development, Econometrics SOP: Eh. Couldn't get a feel for it. I think its alright. Concerns: No Diff EQ, or Real Analysis. Cumulative GPA could be hire. Other: Applying to: Boston College, UNC - Chapel Hill, CU - Boulder, UC - Santa Cruz, Univ. of Oregon, UMass - Amherst RESULTS: Acceptances: UNC, Oregon, Colorado Waitlists: Rejections: Boston College, UCSC, CEMFI, UMass Amherst Pending: Attending: UNC Comments: I think I did reasonably well. UNC or Boston College were the best schools I applied to. I'm happy to have been accepted into one of them. What would you have done differently? If I could have afforded another semester of undergrad I would of taken more math. Unofrtunately by the time I realized I wanted to pursue a PhD, I only had v. few electives left, and needed to take 2 summer classes to get linear algebra in. Also, I would have applied to at least 4 more schools. I did not realize how unpredictable admissions could be. At the beginning, I only thought I would get into my alma-mater UMass, who rejected me. So I was surprised to have been accepted to 3 schools better than UMass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPV Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA in physics from top 20 liberal arts in US Undergrad GPA: 3.44 Type of Grad: M.Sc. in Economics of Public Policy Grad GPA: 8.4/10 GRE: 161V, 164Q, 4.0AW Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, Macro, Econometrics, Information Economics, Game Theory Econ Courses (undergrad-level): History of Thought, Japanese Economic History, Money and Banking Thesis Seminar Letters of Recommendation: should be good, my two undergraduate advisors, one in political science, one in physics, and my graduate director who is fairly well known. Research Experience: None Teaching Experience: 2 semesters as teaching assistant for physics courses Research Interests: Price Theory, IO, Market Process Theory, Political Economy SOP: Tried to highlight how my odd background and discovery of interest in economics will prepare me for PhD. Emphasized my year of programming experience in the private sector, but mostly focused on my interests. Concerns: Most things, but mostly my GPA. My physics program was quite difficult and I was in the top view, but I attended a small college that many people don't know. Hope my letter of recommendation can convey this. Other: I would absolutely love going to George Mason and felt safe with my chances so I took some other huge gambles. Probably not advised for other people who aren't as happy with their "safety" school (I would never consider getting to go to George Mason as going to a safety school). RESULTS: Acceptances: Minnesota ($$), Davis (0), George Mason ($), Boulder (0) Waitlists: Rejections: Berkeley, CalTech, Chicago, Duke, Harvard, Harvard Political Economy, Maryland, Michigan, MIT, Northwestern, NYU, Princeton, Rochester, Stanford, Stanford GSB, UCLA, Yale Attending: Minnesota Comments: I applied to a bunch of schools that were long shots. However, I only needed one. What would you have done differently? I knew I wanted to study economics only after my undergrad, so it is hard to say I would have done anything their differently. Of course, I would have taken more math and econ courses. Since I've known what I wanted to do I wouldn't change much. I went to Barcelona GSE to get a better placement and I got one. It worked out as I hoped. If anything, I would have maybe taken the GRE again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subasa228 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Public University rank 200s (US News) triple majors in Economics, Math & Construction Management Undergrad GPA: 3.94/4.0 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: V148,Q164, AW3 Math Courses: Cal I,II &III (A's), Matrices & Linear Algebra (A), Advanced Calc of One Variable (A), Elements of Stat I (A), Prob & Stat I (A), will take Advanced Calc of Several Variables, Differential Equations, Abstract Algebra, Vector Calculus, Pro & Stat II next spring Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Micro & Macro (A's), Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Industrial Organization (A), International Economics (A), Managerial Economics (A), Busn & Econ Forecasting (A), Mathematical Economics (A) Other Courses: Engineering Economics (A), other engineering analysis courses Letters of Recommendation: 2 Associate Professor UIUC PhD (international economics)- excellent; 1 Professor Iowa PhD (macroeconomics) - good; 1 Associate Professor Havard PhD math (analysis)-good Research Experience: 1+ years research assistant for NC Department of Transportation research projects to improve their Pavement Management System using cost-benefit analysis, senior project in math (evaluate sensitivity of Central Limit Theorem to heavy-tailed distribution), do research to extend dynamic trade model under supervision of a letter of recommendation writer Teaching Experience: N/A Research Interests: International Trade & Development, Monetary Econ, Applied Econometrics SOP: mediocre, want to do research for development projects in third world countries Concerns: Low GRE verbal, low school rank, no graduate coursework Other: Applying to: Cornell, PennSt, UVA, UNC, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Kentucky, SMU, Clemson Results: Acceptances: Clemson (wl-$), Kentucky (?), SMU ($) Waitlists: Rejections: Cornell, PennSt, UVA, UNC, Georgetown, Notre Dame Pending: Attending: SMU (Southern Methodist University) Comment: I am quite disappointed with admission results. However, the results seem to be consistent to me. I think my GRE scores, SOP hurt my application the most. SMU is not well-known school, but their econ department has good connection with Dallas Fed. They have also placed students into World Bank, which is my dream workplace. I am glad to go SMU this fall. What would you have done differently? 1. If I could choose again, I would transfer to better school no matter what. Giving my high GPA first two years in college, I had opportunities to transfer to better schools such as UNC, Wake Forest, but I chose to stay because I didnt want to give up my construction major. I definitely see the opportunity cost now. In my case, construction degree in my current school vs econ degree from better reputation school. 2. Taking math courses early. I waited until class year to begin to take Calculus II. Although it only take me one full year to finish calculus, prob & stat, real analysis sequels, the lack of grades from these course (cal IV, prob & stat II, real analysis II) in this semester seems to hurt me. 3. Retake GRE. The new GRE option allows us to show only our most satisfied scores, so it is no harm to retake as many times as you can. I only took once because of my busy schedule last semester. I would retake it even in Christmas season. 4. Write SOP early. I waited until late November to start write SOP, so I did not have many chances to revise it. 5. Request one letter from a professor you know the best. I know exactly one professor that write the best letter for me. Unfortunately, he is Civil Professor from UIUC, so I did not ask him to write. If I reapplied again, I would ask him to write at least 1/3 of the programs I applied. Sometimes professors from different disciplines can show your strength in different points of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonadis Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: Double major in Econ and math at State University rank top 30 (usnews) Undergrad GPA: 3.5 Type of Grad: MA Econ at the Same school Grad GPA:3.9 GRE: 700V, 800Q,3W Math Courses: Cal I II III, Differential equation(A), Partial Differential Equation(B), Intro Real Analysis(A-), Numerical Analysis(A), Discrete Optimization(A), Probability(A-), Stochastic Process(A), Topology(B-) Econ Courses: (Undergrad) Intro micro, macro, intermediate micro, macro, IO, Labor, Economics seminar, International trade,Econometrics,Time series. (Grad) Microeconomics theory I III (Both A), Advanced Econometrics(A+), Applied Macroeconomics(A) Other Courses: Statistical modeling(A) Letters of Recommendation:Two top5% ideas professors, one assistant professor with Harvard PhD Research Experience: One year RA for behavior, eight months RA for Health economics. One independent research class. Teaching Experience:Tutor only Research Interests:Labor, Behavior, International Finance SOP:Standard Other: Applying to:Harvard, MIT,Princeton, Chicago, Berkeley,Yale, Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, UCLA, Michigan, Michigan Ross (Finance PhD), Duke, Cornell, CMU,UCSD, Maryland, Penn State, WUSTL, UT Austin, BU RESULTS: Acceptances: Cornell($$), Maryland($$), Michigan Finance($$$) (received after April 15th) Waitlists:None Rejections:The rest 18 schools Pending: Attending: Cornell! Comments: 1.The Michigan Finance PhD acceptance came after April 15th when I had already accepted the offer from Cornell... I wish if it would come before April 15 since I don't want to break my promise to Cornell and I have convinced myself to go there already. 2. Connection matters a great deal which usually is shown in your recommendation letters. One of my recommenders was a professor at Maryland. One of the professors at our project is an associate professor at Cornell. I have personal interaction with a finance professor at Ross. What would you have done differently? 1. Don't screw my UGPA. I never thought about doing a Econ PhD until I was the second semester in junior year, so my UGPA was pretty much screwed up at that time. The downside for this is I probably get cut at the first screening on the UGPA. They usually assume the grad GPA is inflated so my grad GPA did not help much. 2. Retake GRE to boost my AW score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanNJ22 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Profile: (Note~I'm too lazy to update this with Fall 2013 grades, but about half the programs I applied to only saw these grades so take it as you will) Type of Undergrad: Economics and Statistics with Math Minor from Unranked Econ Dept at Large Flagship University in Southeast Undergrad GPA: 4.00 Type of Grad: N/A Grad GPA: N/A GRE: 162V, 162Q, 4.5W Math Courses: Calculus III (A), Diff Eq (Current), Matrix Algebra (A), Intro to Abstract Math (A), Probability and Statistics (A), Analysis (Current), Probability (Current) Econ Courses (grad-level): N/A Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro to Economics (A), Intermediate Micro (A), Econometrics (A), Issues in Micro Policy (Study Abroad so no grade on transcript), Managerial Economics (Study Abroad), Industrial Organization (A), Intro to Math Econ (A), Independent Study in Transportation Economics (Current), Public Finance: Taxation (Next Semester), Elements of Forecasting (Next Semester) Other Courses: Regression Modeling (A), Statistical Methods (A), Time Series Forecasting (A), Process Improvement (Next Semester) Letters of Recommendation: A research professor in transportation economics (PhD from my university) who I have worked with for a couple years on some regulatory issues as well as a local planning project; a Statistics professor (Texas A&M) whom I took the Stat Methods and Forecasting classes from as well as serving as a TA for his Stat Methods course currently; Economics professor (PhD from WashU) at Top 50 program in DC whom I spent last summer doing research with Research Experience: I worked with aforementioned economics professor on transport regulatory issues and I spent last summer in DC primarily writing a case study on a telecommunications firm for an economics professor at another university’s public policy center Teaching Experience: I am currently TA-ing for a senior level statistics course, but it’s really an office hours and grading gig Research Interests: Applied Micro (Particularly transportation), empirical IO, possibly public economics SOP: I haven’t started writing yet… Concerns: GRE scores; no LoRs from prestigious programs; GPA might not be as stellar after analysis this semester Other: I feel a little late in making the decision that I want to apply to graduate school in economics as I spent the last year mixed between urban planning, statistics, and economics. Applying to: Michigan, Maryland, Boston U, Boston College, Toronto, Michigan State, Virginia, Colorado-Boulder, UC Irvine, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Brown, Vanderbilt Results: Acceptances: Texas A&M (no $), UC Boulder ($), UC Irvine ($), Virginia (from waitlist) ($), Michigan State (from waitlist) ($), Syracuse ($) Waitlist: Vanderbilt (Withdrew), Boston U Rejections: Michigan, Brown, Toronto, Maryland (from waitlist), Boston College (from waitlist) Attending: Virginia!!! Comments: 1. This process is terrible, but it worked out rather nicely at the 11th hour. 2. In retrospect, I think I did a good job with target programs. 3. Vandy apparently doesn't sound out rejections or waitlists even if you call / email ask for an update a few days before the deadline. What would I have done differently? 1. Probably not applied to Brown, Syracuse; should have applied to UNC Chapel Hill 2. Used a 4th rec. writer for some better LOR targeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
econphd14 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Type of Undergrad: Math/Econ doubler major at Beloit College, year abroad at LSE Undergrad GPA:3.9 GRE: Q168 V159 AWA4.0 Math Courses: Calc II (A) Linear Algebra (B+) Abstract Algebra (A) Real analysis (A) Topology (A) Differential Equations (A) Discrete Wavelets (A) Vector Calc (A) Colloquium (B+) Game Theory @ LSE (A) Math Modeling (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Principles (A) Micro (A) Entrepreneurship (A-) Macro (A) Game Theory (A) Money and Banking (A) Quant. Methods (B+) Principles of Finance @ LSE (A) Social Science Research Methods @ LSE (A-) Operational Research Methods @ LSE (A) Senior Seminar (A) Other Courses: Intro to Physics (A), Intro to CompSci (A) Letters of Recommendation: Yale PhD, WV PhD, LSE PhD, Cornell PhD (math) Research Experience: Ronald E. McNair Scholar (2 summers faculty-mentored), Analyst for student-run market research firm, Editor for undergraduate research journal, 2 capstone projects including work with a professor Teaching Experience: Environmental Modeling TA, Metrics TA, Semester of economics tutor, 3 semesters of high school mathematics tutoring Research Interests: Micro Theory, Game Theory, Mechanism and Market Design SOP: First generation college student/low income background RESULTS: Acceptances: Northwestern Waitlists: Rejections: Pending: Attending: Northwestern Comments: Overall, I'm happy, although it was stressful seeing all of the other rejections before my acceptance. I feel like I really beat the odds here, given my family's background and my undergrad institution. My backup plan was pretty solid, as I have a summer RAship lined up at the University of Chicago's Becker Friedman Institute and will be teaching micro/macro for a month in China. What would you have done differently? I wish I would have went to a better undergrad institution, which isn't unreasonable given my waitlist at Princeton during the undergrad application process. However, it would have large marginal gain in reputation and/or the transfer of already earned credits to incentivize me to give up a year of academic standing earned in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nontrad dreams Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BA - econ, minor in mathematics at PhD granting state school (R1) circa 60 ranking. Undergrad GPA: 3.43 overall (did poorly many years prior to going back), Institution: 3.77, Econ 3.89 Type of Grad: - Grad GPA: - GRE: v: 166, q: 161, a: 5.0 Math Courses: Calc sequence (A, B, B), Intro to advanced math (A), Applied linear algebra (A), Real Analysis (B) Econ Courses (grad-level): - Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro and macro principles courses, Micro and macro intermediate, Statistics for Econ, Econometrics, Behavioral Econ, Economics of Education, Economic Demography, two semesters of Independent Study. All As except Int. macro (B). Other Courses: grad level math/stats: Intro to Game Theory (A), Intro to Probability (A) Letters of Recommendation: 1) Prof at alma mater, relatively bigwig in applied micro, supervised my Honors thesis, RA for current research. 2) Another prof at my school, well published and active researcher in health econ, mentor. 3) Associate Professor at Brown. RAed remotely for study. 4) Professor at my school in Urban Planning / Public Affairs, Cornell policy grad, pretty well published in field (infrastructure policy), wrote an honors paper for. Research Experience: two studies (see LORs above). Built databases for both from collection of disparate data sources. One was archival data source from 19th century and required significant research using primary archival sources to make sense of. Other is educational subfield related and my Honors thesis is confluent with this work. Have done a good deal of thinking for this one too in additional to collating data. Teaching Experience: none Research Interests: Education, early childhood development, economic demography SOP: Outlined my unusual story (older, returned to school from unrelated career three years ago, have a family, etc) my research experience and my research interests. Both apps done so far clocked in at 800 and 1000 words, so parsimony is the order of the day so far. Concerns: Unusual background. Old enough to be a full professor if I'd started young. Has appeared to be an asset in UG work but hope that holds up. Crappy quant score. Applying to mostly policy-ish programs, so maybe I will be slightly more competitive there. Other: I am taking the high risk path of only applying to 5 schools due to severe family-related options geographically (i.e. moving is subject to spousal approval). Three policy or policy-ish programs and two Econ programs. One is my UG alma mater, this is my safety as I have been reassured that admission is not an issue. Feel good about my LORs and am hopeful that they will counteract my low-ish quant score a bit. Applying to: UIC - Econ, UT-Austin - Econ, UC Harris School of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of PP, Northwestern Univ. Human Development and Social Policy PhD RESULTS: Acceptances: UIC - Econ (university fellowship), UT (standard funded offer off the waitlist) Waitlists: Rejections: UC Harris, Harvard Kennedy, NWU HDSP Pending: Attending: UIC - Econ Comments: I guess I was meant to be in a pure Econ program. I thought I would be a weaker candidate there but those were my only admissions. Pretty pleased to have two choices given that they equal 40% of my applications. Ultimately I had to stay close to home for a lot of life reasons and getting a generous fellowship didn't hurt. My school is considerably lower in ranking than UT but I am looking at some very significant opportunities to coauthor by staying put that I think will mitigate the hit from the rankings diff. Also will probably be easier to get a real a strong job market push from the handful of very high quality profs here than it might be in a more crowded field of strong candidates at UT. Still a little bummed though. I am a former Texan pining to go home. What would you have done differently? Started a decade sooner? I guess I started as soon as I knew I wanted to do this this, so that is kind of pointless to regret. The timing of my daughter's birth coat me a B in Calc III (not that she wasn't worth it!). Couldn't have done much better in Analysis while working and raising a kid. My GRE quant score was a drag. Took it twice and the first time (posted) was better. Ultimately though, I am VERY pleased that I concentrated on making the most of some great RA opportunities as they got me what I think were some pretty great letters and I think those outweighed the GRE and the rest, especially judging by some others posting on here with low GRE quant and good results. I am really excited to keep studying. As an older adult, I feel that it is a tremendous privilege to be able to study something I love and get paid reasonably well to do so. Thanks to all for the community here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladypemberley Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 PROFILE: Was aiming for a Master's to possibly pave the way for a PhD. I though similar profiles might find it useful. Type of Undergrad: Econ Major, non-US (turkey) Undergrad GPA: 3.27 Type of Grad: n/a Grad GPA: n/a GRE: 158v/162q/4awa Math Courses: Calculus I-II, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Economics Econ Courses: Micro& Macro sequences, Econometrics I-II, Statistics I-II, International Economics I-II, Public Finance, Monetary Theory and Policy, History of Economic Thought, Game Theory, Economics of Uncertainty and Information... list goes on Other Courses: nothing relevant, not really a flexible curriculum anyways. Minor in History of art and architecture, lots of language courses (Latin, French, Chinese). Courses in French from my study abroad semester. Letters of Recommendation: 1 from my thesis advisor/Int. Econ prof, 1 from Game Theory/Uncertainty prof. Research Experience: Undergrad thesis + 1 summer at a math-based game theory project Teaching Experience: TA for Int. Econ this semester, wasn't available during my applications Research Interests: International macro, game theory SOP: Well this was tricky. Gradually improved it but I think the first ones I wrote were not good at all, the last one was the best. Other: Lots to worry about - low grades in both math and econ courses from first two years, many of which I had to retake. also had to study for a fifth year because of six courses being linked to each other and my department not offering summer school. RESULTS: Acceptances: BGSE Macro Policy, Tilburg MSc, Bocconi ESS Waitlists: - Rejections: UCL, BGSE Economics Pending: MEDEG Erasmus Mundus Attending: BGSE (95% certainty) Comments: None of this is funded, possibility of finding outside funding. What would you have done differently? Thought about what I want to do after university earlier and not flunked the 20 courses I took in the first two years if I could go way back. If there is anyone out there reading this at the moment who is in their 1st and 2nd year, I'd suggest you really study and get As from now on. It is not hard to do but impossible if you do not attend any of your classes - which seems like a no brainer but a fact I realized so late. I think it is a wise idea to talk to upperclassmen. Talk to seniors and your assistants and your professors. At 18, I did not have a care in the world really. My university was free, there was no attendance, who cared if I got an F, I could always retake it, right? Wrong. Transcripts sometimes speak louder than words and I think grad school might be one of those instances. And also read the regulations on courses the first day you get in. Really. It will save you copious amounts of confusion, discussion with uneducated staff etc. I think this might be different in other countries but noone tells you this stuff here. Realistically though, could have worked harder on my SOP, the first ones I sent (UCL and BGSE) were not good at all. Could have taken GRE while I was not studying abroad, which left me no time to study. Still, I am very pleased with my results. Would have been great if I got into all of them but had a very hard time choosing as is, so it's a good thing that I did not have the London option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clesar Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: BSc Economics at a top Economics university in Europe (globally ranked in the 25-50 range) Undergrad GPA: 3.5 Type of Grad: MSc Economics at the same university and MA Economics at a Canadian University (100-200 range) Grad GPA: 3.45 (MSc) and 3.9 (MA) GRE: Q170 V154 W5.0 Math Courses (all from an econ department, so no pure math): Math 1 (A, linear algebra), Math 2 (A, matrix algebra / game theory), Stats 1 (A, probability), Stats 2 (A, basically an intro econometrics) Econ Courses (grad-level Europe): Public Econ (B-), Methods (A, Math/Econometrics), Financial Econ (B+), Financial Markets (B+), Labor (B+), Taxation (B+), Master Thesis (B+) Econ Courses (grad-level Canada): Micro 1 (B+), Micro 2 (A+), Macro 1 (A-), Macro 2 (A+), Health (A), Environmental (A+), Econometrics 1 (A), Econometrics 2 (A), Master Thesis (A) Econ Courses (undergrad-level): A lot, with grades usually A or B. My final year grades are slightly lower because of a fulltime job during that year, which I explain in my letter. As for my final year courses: IO (C+), Growth Theory (A-), Behavioral Econ (A), International Econ (B+), Economic Policy (B), Bachelor Thesis (B+), Labor (A-), Ethics (D) Other Courses: Accounting 1 (A+), Accounting 2 (B+), Finance 1 (A), Finance 2(A), M&A (B), Portfolio Theory (A), English (B+), Chinese 1 (A+) Letters of Recommendation: One from the prof in the PhD macro course in Canada, and one from supervisors for my thesis in Europe (ageing/macro) and Canada (health) Research Experience: Worked as a research assistant for half a year in Canada, and by now I wrote a thesis 3 times and a minor (course) paper 5 times. Also, I am currently completing an internship at the national statistics office (however, for most of US/Canada applications, this was not known yet and was thus not included in my application) Teaching Experience: Teaching Assistant in Intermediate Macro (0.5 years), Tutor in first-year macro (0.5 years) Research Interests: Macro, Empirical Micro (especially Health) SOP: My SOP focused on explaining my recent path (as I have two master degrees in Economics), and the reason why I basically have no math courses. Also, about half of the SOP was tailored to the specific university, in order to explain my reason for applying to that specific program. RESULTS: Acceptances: WVU ($), Tilburg ($, off waitlist), UC3M ($) Waitlists: - Rejections: BU, Cornell, Duke, Toronto, Queens Pending: Bonn, Mannheim Attending: Tilburg (MRes) Comments: I would have loved to go back to Canada, so in some way I am slightly disappointed about the results. However, Tilburg is a very good university, and I am very happy to be admitted there. In the end, the most difficult choice for me was between Tilburg and UC3M. Eventually, it was the language barrier (which I perceive to be quite substantial in Madrid, outside of the classes of course) that gave me the final push, though I already leaned towards Tilburg because I perceive the fit to be better there. Applying to the German universities turned out to be a waste of time, as none of them were able to reach a decision before the reply deadline for Tilburg (even though Bonn specifically states on their website that they will make early decisions when presented with an offer from another program) What would you have done differently? I failed to take into account the disadvantage international students tend to have when applying to universities in North America (especially those in Canada). Given my preference for Canada, I probably should have applied to some lower ranked programs there (some actually had quite a decent fit with my research interests). Now, the lower ranked US program I applied to (WVU) was partly because there was not much choice left (though I would have been happy to attend if I would not have gotten any of the two other offers). As for the German universities I mentioned above, I would probably not have applied to Bonn and completed the Mannheim application before the early deadline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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