2015 Application Sweat Thread

[azecon]

Can anyone provide an assessment of this strategy? Azecon what were your motivations for applying to so many schools?

 

Good question!

 

There were many factors that contributed to me applying to so many programs/schools. First and foremost, after speaking to my professors, I realized that the admissions process is quite random. So I wanted to apply to a large number of schools to increase my chances of being admitted into at least one program.

 

Secondly, I did not want to exclude myself from too many programs. I figured that if/when I am accepted into multiple programs then I can sort out which one program is the best fit for me. Why exclude programs first when you don't even know if you will be getting into the programs that you don't end up excluding?

 

Another reason was that I believe my profile is an unconventional one. I took almost all of my upper level math courses while I was taking master's level economics courses. I have good grades in my math and econ classes but I did not get them from 'good' schools. And I have yet to complete my master's thesis. I didn't know how I would be received by some of these committees so again I chose to play the numbers game and applied to many programs.

 

Last but not least, although the application process is tedious and an average application can cost about $100 with GRE reports included, I figured that such a cost should be inconsequential in my decision making process; especially when considering how much time/money I have spent in the last 2-3 years to prepare for this moment and also the amount of time/money I will be spending in the future to attend graduate school.

 

P.S.- I know that I am a very long shot to get into some of the programs that I applied to, such as Stanford, Berkeley, and Northwestern. However, I realized that the one common characteristic that each and every single student at any one of those schools share is that they all applied to the school that they are attending. So with that logic I figured that I would hate it if I wasn't attending those schools simply because I didn't apply to them. ;)

[Santigarza]

I think you have very good points in your reply. Considered in the long term, the amount you have spent means NOTHING. And if you can spend it, then it is OK! Despite this, by what you have said, your profile does not sound that unconventional and you still may receive many offers with 20 or 15 applications.

 

Also, you can research a lot beforehand about the programs. There are many which I discarded for several reasons. To be honest, I would not have applied to more than 2 or 3 more.

 

I mean I doubt that is an optimal strategy that maximizes your odds, considering that you may have applied to some programs that you may not like and the money spent today. But, this is not a function to maximize, this is life. Everyone has different preferences and budget constraints and if this is what works to you.... Good Luck!!!!!

[Santigarza]

P.S.: Feel lucky! I am an international applicant (from Uruguay) so it applied to 20 programs and spent around $ 3.700!!

[azecon]

I think you have very good points in your reply. Considered in the long term, the amount you have spent means NOTHING. And if you can spend it, then it is OK! Despite this, by what you have said, your profile does not sound that unconventional and you still may receive many offers with 20 or 15 applications.

 

Also, you can research a lot beforehand about the programs. There are many which I discarded for several reasons. To be honest, I would not have applied to more than 2 or 3 more.

 

I mean I doubt that is an optimal strategy that maximizes your odds, considering that you may have applied to some programs that you may not like and the money spent today. But, this is not a function to maximize, this is life. Everyone has different preferences and budget constraints and if this is what works to you.... Good Luck!!!!!

 

What's another 1 or 9 more when you have already applied to 20 programs? lol

 

I get your point though. I could have probably done a better job of excluding programs but I was fearful that I wouldn't get in anywhere so I always told myself, "its okay, just one more!" One more eventually became 29. Like I mentioned above, it's no big deal.

 

Also, I have applied only to schools that I will most definitely attend if there is no other option. If I end up getting into one and only one program then I will accept that offer. So no applications were wasted.

 

more options > no options

 

 

Good luck to you too!!!

[filab1989]

I applied to about 12, still waiting on any decisions. Clemson was one of them but it was my second to last one, so I don't think they've had a chance to review it yet. Suspense is killer though.

[chtliu]

I applied to 21 schools ( 19 in the states, 2 in the UK (LSE,LBS)). Have not heard from any school yet. Anxiously waiting for the results from places like Minnesota which I believe will come out in the beginning of Feb at least according to last year's posts on Gradcafe.

[undecidedman]

this year's thread is like 1/4 of last year's a this point...interesting.

[azecon]

this year's thread is like 1/4 of last year's a this point...interesting.

 

I know! Hopefuly it's an indication of a below average applicant pool size, which bodes well for those of us who are in the 2015 cycle.

Edited January 21, 2015 by azecon

[Slimy]

I know! Hopefuly it's an indication of below average applicant pool size, which bodes well for those of us who are in the 2015 cycle.

 

I suspect it is because links to the forum were broken for so long.

[publicaffairsny]

Good question!

 

There were many factors that contributed to me applying to so many programs/schools. First and foremost, after speaking to my professors, I realized that the admissions process is quite random. So I wanted to apply to a large number of schools to increase my chances of being admitted into at least one program.

 

Secondly, I did not want to exclude myself from too many programs. I figured that if/when I am accepted into multiple programs then I can sort out which one program is the best fit for me. Why exclude programs first when you don't even know if you will be getting into the programs that you don't end up excluding?

 

Another reason was that I believe my profile is an unconventional one. I took almost all of my upper level math courses while I was taking master's level economics courses. I have good grades in my math and econ classes but I did not get them from 'good' schools. And I have yet to complete my master's thesis. I didn't know how I would be received by some of these committees so again I chose to play the numbers game and applied to many programs.

 

Last but not least, although the application process is tedious and an average application can cost about $100 with GRE reports included, I figured that such a cost should be inconsequential in my decision making process; especially when considering how much time/money I have spent in the last 2-3 years to prepare for this moment and also the amount of time/money I will be spending in the future to attend graduate school.

 

P.S.- I know that I am a very long shot to get into some of the programs that I applied to, such as Stanford, Berkeley, and Northwestern. However, I realized that the one common characteristic that each and every single student at any one of those schools share is that they all applied to the school that they are attending. So with that logic I figured that I would hate it if I wasn't attending those schools simply because I didn't apply to them. ;)

 

How does applying to large numbers of schools affect the responsibility of your letter writers? Is it more work for them?

[econ568]

I applied to 30 programs. Randomness in the admission process and risk aversion were my main motivations for applying to so many.

 

This did place additional pressure on my letter writers. They were extremely supportive of my decision to apply and encouraged me to apply to as many programs as possible. Their attitude seemed to be they want me to get into a program where I get rigorous training and it is their job to help me get into a program that matches my ability. I think they were very helpful, provided honest advice & feedback and are extremely decent people.

 

I should note that I am outside the US and did ugrad/Masters at a school that only sends 10-15 students a decade to the top 25 US programs. In many ways I think this is a sweet spot for getting a support from academic staff. They are familiar with the process of applying and have a good understanding what range of schools a candidate will be competitive at. But because only 1 or 2 students apply each year, they are able to focus their time.

[publicaffairsny]

I applied to 30 programs. Randomness in the admission process and risk aversion were my main motivations for applying to so many.

 

This did place additional pressure on my letter writers. They were extremely supportive of my decision to apply and encouraged me to apply to as many programs as possible. Their attitude seemed to be they want me to get into a program where I get rigorous training and it is their job to help me get into a program that matches my ability. I think they were very helpful, provided honest advice & feedback and are extremely decent people.

 

I should note that I am outside the US and did ugrad/Masters at a school that only sends 10-15 students a decade to the top 25 US programs. In many ways I think this is a sweet spot for getting a support from academic staff. They are familiar with the process of applying and have a good understanding what range of schools a candidate will be competitive at. But because only 1 or 2 students apply each year, they are able to focus their time.

 

Do you have a sense of what the process is like for the letter writer? what is the marginal cost in time of each additional application? I would guess they write one letter which is a fixed cost, and then may or may not tailor to each individual program? And then they have a submission process to each school? Any other responsibilities I'm missing?

[econ568]

Do you have a sense of what the process is like for the letter writer? what is the marginal cost in time of each additional application? I would guess they write one letter which is a fixed cost, and then may or may not tailor to each individual program? And then they have a submission process to each school? Any other responsibilities I'm missing?

 

Your understanding matches with mine - they write a letter and don't really modify it unless I am particularly suited to a program or they have a relevant connection to the department.

 

With so many emails hitting their inbox, I batched submission so they would receive the emails at the same time. Hopefully this made the task easier for them.

[fakeo]

Do you have a sense of what the process is like for the letter writer? what is the marginal cost in time of each additional application? I would guess they write one letter which is a fixed cost, and then may or may not tailor to each individual program? And then they have a submission process to each school? Any other responsibilities I'm missing?

 

Yeah, usually they write one letter for all schools. Though sometimes they do customize (if they know people somewhere, or if they've sent students there and want to make a direct comparison between the current applicant and past ones, which as I understand is very useful).

 

Then it is my understanding that most schools also have an online form that profs need to fill in, and I see no reason why this should be standardized across schools. It's questions like "do you place the applicant in the top 10%, top 5%, etc.".

 

I applied to slightly more than 10 schools and my advisors seemed to spend around 1 hour on submitting all my refs. I can tell because I received an email everytime they submitted one. So it's not too time consuming, but it can't be done in 10-15 mins either. Then again, it's supposed to be part of a prof's job to do this, and my impression is that they're happy to do this and are eager to place their students well. (Then again 10-15 applications is standard. I imagine some profs would not be all that happy to submit 30 letters, but that's another issue. :))

[letemps]

I notified my professors of my decision to apply for Ph.D. programs in Economics very early (September) and went to each professor's office with a folder of ALL necessary documents that I believed would be pertinent to their writing process (including my transcripts, latest SOP, test score information, CV, and a list of targeted programs WITH deadlines). Since I chose my letter writers to be the closest professors to me, all three of them were very happy to write LORs and said they would support me whenever I needed. Each professor had a different writing and uploading schedule, depending on how busy they were. My first writer finished her LOR only 1 week after receiving my notification, sent it to me (even though I had waived my right to access the letter. She wrote me 1100 words - I was quite taken aback!) and asked if I needed to add anything else, and finished uploading the letter in early October. My second writer wrote the LOR and uploaded it to all programs during the Fall break. My third writer finished his LOR in early November but uploaded it in batches, depending on how soon the deadlines were. He even went out of his ways to tell me that if I needed to apply to more schools, I should not hesitate to contact him. I ended up applying to exactly 25 programs in total.

 

I come from a small international liberal arts university in Europe, but over the years I have tried to take advantage of every available resource at my school. All of my letter writers are less well-known professors, but they are associate professors who publish regularly. I have no idea how "strong" their letters are in adcoms' eyes, but no matter what happens next, I am forever thankful to my professors for having spent time doing the best they could to support my applications. In retrospect, I find that connection is everything that matters. I bet that most professors would have no hesitation in uploading their letters to, say, 30 programs, if you have excelled in their courses and shown your honest desires for graduate studies. The key word is "honest." :)

 

Good luck to everyone who has applied, by the way!

[libre147]

I have just realized that I did not mention the fact that I did write an honor thesis at the end of my undergraduate education both in the SOP and CV. Will this information be overlooked from the transcript? If not, will it make a different to my application?

[Santigarza]

libre 147, is it clearyly stated in your transcripts? I mean, can you clearly distinguish that from other grades?

 

Do you think your recommenders could have stressed that in their letters? In that case you should not worry at all.

 

Also, I think AdComs will certainly look closer your transcripts than your SOP or CV.

 

Nevertheless, that is a typical thing to stress in your SOP and maybe in your CV.

 

Having said that, I don't think that would be important, unless you have published or presented it somewhere

[libre147]

libre 147, is it clearyly stated in your transcripts? I mean, can you clearly distinguish that from other grades?

 

Do you think your recommenders could have stressed that in their letters? In that case you should not worry at all.

 

Also, I think AdComs will certainly look closer your transcripts than your SOP or CV.

 

Nevertheless, that is a typical thing to stress in your SOP and maybe in your CV.

 

Having said that, I don't think that would be important, unless you have published or presented it somewhere

 

Hi Santigarza! Yes, it is clearly noted in my transcript and is heavily weighted towards my GPA-10 credits. My recommenders surely did not mention that as they only know me during the course of my master's education (which is not in the same country where I got my BA).

 

Thank you very much for your thoughts.

[Econhead]

Hi Santigarza! Yes, it is clearly noted in my transcript and is heavily weighted towards my GPA-10 credits. My recommenders surely did not mention that as they only know me during the course of my master's education (which is not in the same country where I got my BA).

 

Thank you very much for your thoughts.

 

My question, from the standpoint of someone who knows nothing about you, would be how could it have slipped your mind in such a large way? Was it that unimportant/memorable? Or did/does your Master's work/research just overshadow it by such a degree that it fell to the deep pockets of your mind?

 

I would assume that you should have mentioned it (especially since so many SoPs ask that you delineate how you got to where you are in terms of research and your desire to pursue a Ph.D). However, I don't think, given that you appear to have master's research, that it will play any great role in you not being accepted someplace.

[libre147]

My question, from the standpoint of someone who knows nothing about you, would be how could it have slipped your mind in such a large way? Was it that unimportant/memorable? Or did/does your Master's work/research just overshadow it by such a degree that it fell to the deep pockets of your mind?

 

I would assume that you should have mentioned it (especially since so many SoPs ask that you delineate how you got to where you are in terms of research and your desire to pursue a Ph.D). However, I don't think, given that you appear to have master's research, that it will play any great role in you not being accepted someplace.

 

Hi Econhead. Your question strikes right through my problem.

 

I had a medical condition that significantly splits my education into two different eras. When I was working on my applications, I focused mainly on my academic achievements and research interests that have developed after the event and during my master's education. The undergraduate thesis, although received a lot of my effort back then, did not seem to fit in the theme in my SOP. Therefore it slipped my mind so easily.

 

But as I have been anxiously looking at the threads on Urch recently, I notice that most applicants mention the thesis as a proof of research experience in their undergraduate study. This gradually built up more anxiety in my mind.

[econ568]

Hi libre147,

 

Did you do a Master's thesis? If so, did you mention it in your application?

Either way did you do a rigorous set of classes in Masters from a program that sends people to good PhD programs?

 

I did a masters and I didn't talk about ugrad coursework/research in my SOP. I did talk about my masters thesis though.

 

Also keep in mind that some adcoms won't read your SOP until after the admission decision is made - they use SoP's to match students with faculty. Unless you have strong research experience, your LOR & performance in advanced subjects are likely to dominate the admission decision.

[libre147]

Hi libre147,

 

Did you do a Master's thesis? If so, did you mention it in your application?

Either way did you do a rigorous set of classes in Masters from a program that sends people to good PhD programs?

 

I did a masters and I didn't talk about ugrad coursework/research in my SOP. I did talk about my masters thesis though.

 

Also keep in mind that some adcoms won't read your SOP until after the admission decision is made - they use SoP's to match students with faculty. Unless you have strong research experience, your LOR & performance in advanced subjects are likely to dominate the admission decision.

 

Hi econ568. I will have finished my master's project (at my school, they treat thesis and project the same) by the end of this semester. I did mention it in the SOP though. Your opinion about the admission process makes me feel at peace, as the LORs and performance in advanced subjects are pretty constant and unaffected by other materials.

[letemps]

According to the Grad Cafe, someone has been admitted to UCLA's Ph.D. program in Economics. He/she "got an email from a professor [he/she] mentioned in SOP."

 

Did UCLA use to release decisions THIS early? I am freaking out...

[fakeo]

According to the Grad Cafe, someone has been admitted to UCLA's Ph.D. program in Economics. He/she "got an email from a professor [he/she] mentioned in SOP."

 

Did UCLA use to release decisions THIS early? I am freaking out...

 

Don't worry. 99% sure that it's spam. There was another UCLA one back in December saying something like the "dep't head called me to tell me I was admitted", but then it got taken down. Probably this is the same jokester.

 

What's next? MIT, accepted on Jan 24, "Daron invited me for lunch to discuss my fellowship"?

[Econhead]

What's next? MIT, accepted on Jan 24, "Daron invited me for lunch to discuss my fellowship"?

 

Yes, but of course. Don't you know that you can't discuss a fellowship without being treated first, and you can't discuss Daron's desire to coauthor with you without first having dinner. The appropriate order of events are:

 

Lunch --> Discuss Fellowship --> Dinner --> Discuss Coauthor --> H*ndJ*b in the taxi before you leave like you're 16 again.