barista1234 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I am still deciding whether this forum helps or hurts the sweat for me. On one hand, it has really helped set my expectations and my school choice. But on the other hand, a forum filled with PhD applicants worrying about their applications doesn't help...:torn: Bahaha. I agree 100%. I am mostly basing my expectations off of my friend as SU since we are essentially the same on paper/stats but I think I will have better letters and a better SOP and I'm applying to more programs. Comparison is a scary thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Bahaha. I agree 100%. I am mostly basing my expectations off of my friend as SU since we are essentially the same on paper/stats but I think I will have better letters and a better SOP and I'm applying to more programs. Comparison is a scary thing! I think it helps that your comparison is a recent and, hence, more reliable comparison. The students who I know of from my undergrad who placed well into PhD programs that I'm aiming for did so 3 to 5 years ago, so I am always concerned that standards have things might have changed over time. But I'm probably just being neurotic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EustaciaVye Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 A question for fellow applicants. I know the general goal is to attend the highest ranked program possible, making it easier to land a job afterwards. However, I'm genuinely concerned that if I end up being accepted to one of my reach schools and decide to attend, I'll be one of the least intelligent/ well-prepared students there. I would rather go to a lower ranked program and actually finish the PhD than go to a more highly ranked program and fail the qualifying exams. I know this sounds like classic impostor syndrome, and perhaps that's all it is, but I was wondering if anyone else had considered this. So, supposed you were accepted one of the highest ranked schools you applied to, would you have any qualms about your capacity to be successful in that program? I know the admissions committee isn't going to admit anyone who they don't believe is capable, but they are working with imperfect information after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinAnalyst Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath has a chapter on this (Chapter 3 "Caroline Sacks: If I'd gone to the University of Maryland, I'd still be in science"). In short, it's going to be really difficult to not be the smartest person in the room. Some schools, like Duke, provide attrition rates (https://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/economics-phd-completion-rate-statistics). However, I'm not worried as much about mastering the content (although that is obviously the priority in years 1 and 2), as I am about being considered not very promising and forgotten about while preparing a job market paper. The two issues are related, but if I receive multiple offers with similar funding I will probably lean toward a program where I think I would have a better advisor, regardless of rank. However, I am also facing the two body problem, and my partner and I will likely go wherever we both are accepted. One question I have is, are qualifying exams pretty similar from school to school? Judging by the fact that transfer credits are almost never allowed, I would say probably not. I know I've read other threads about this, but couldn't find them (conversations were basically, there's nothing wrong with going to a Kentucky if you're the star, and I'd rather be a one of the few people in a smaller program like Carnegie Mellon than forgotten about at Harvard). Here are a couple other threads: http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/155142-applying-deciding-ph-d-programs-economics-what-i-learned.html http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/116884-program-ranking-v-s-advisor-more-important-success-phd.html http://www.www.urch.com/forums/phd-economics/63673-questions-ask-current-graduate-students-prospective-schools.html Edited January 18, 2016 by FinAnalyst Added link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pch Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 A question for fellow applicants. I know the general goal is to attend the highest ranked program possible, making it easier to land a job afterwards. However, I'm genuinely concerned that if I end up being accepted to one of my reach schools and decide to attend, I'll be one of the least intelligent/ well-prepared students there. I would rather go to a lower ranked program and actually finish the PhD than go to a more highly ranked program and fail the qualifying exams. I know this sounds like classic impostor syndrome, and perhaps that's all it is, but I was wondering if anyone else had considered this. So, supposed you were accepted one of the highest ranked schools you applied to, would you have any qualms about your capacity to be successful in that program? I know the admissions committee isn't going to admit anyone who they don't believe is capable, but they are working with imperfect information after all. The problem with this reasoning is that you have no guarantee that you will be closer to the top of your cohort in a lower ranked program (whatever you mean by lower ranked). It is also not necessarily true that quals are harder at higher-ranked schools. Also, consider the fact that your results in coursework may not reflect your results in research. You may be on the weaker side in coursework but still write a decent JMP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repave Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Conley, John P., and Ali Sina Onder. 2014. "The Research Productivity of New PhDs in Economics: The Surprisingly High Non-success of the Successful." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28(3): 205-16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barista1234 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 A question for fellow applicants. I know the general goal is to attend the highest ranked program possible, making it easier to land a job afterwards. However, I'm genuinely concerned that if I end up being accepted to one of my reach schools and decide to attend, I'll be one of the least intelligent/ well-prepared students there. I would rather go to a lower ranked program and actually finish the PhD than go to a more highly ranked program and fail the qualifying exams. I know this sounds like classic impostor syndrome, and perhaps that's all it is, but I was wondering if anyone else had considered this. So, supposed you were accepted one of the highest ranked schools you applied to, would you have any qualms about your capacity to be successful in that program? I know the admissions committee isn't going to admit anyone who they don't believe is capable, but they are working with imperfect information after all. i actually just had this same exact freakout last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EustaciaVye Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 You raise an a good point about the transition to research and support on the job market, FinAnalyist (though in my case I'm not so much expecting or hoping to be a "star" at a lower ranked program, just hoping to be near the median!) Similarly, pch is correct in stating that it's entirely possible that I'll be less well prepared than the median individual in a lower ranked program as well. It's impossible to gauge this from the outside. At this point it's fairly pointless for me to speculate about any of this, as I haven't received any admissions decisions. Apparently, I enjoy making up hypothetical situations just so I have something new to worry about. I'm not generally so intense, but I guess the admissions process is getting to me (as it is for us all). **Glad to know it's not just me, barista1234** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Perhaps compare the median placements of all the admits you get - then choose the one which looks acceptable to you. It won't be very nice if there is 1 good placement per batch in a lower ranked program as that means you have to be that particular one to end up well on the job market :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EustaciaVye Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Terrifying development for everyone that applied to Ohio State. I randomly checked the application portal and now have a new link that says "Accept/Decline" When I click on the link it says: "We are pleased to grant you admission to the following program(s). Note that once you accept or decline admission to a particular program it will no longer appear on this page. Select the program you would like to accept or decline." Does this mean that I got in....? I haven't received any emails or anything of the sort telling me to check my application status. Anyone else who has applied to Ohio State have the same thing in their application portal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinAnalyst Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Click the button above it, and then view decision. I got in too! I think i'll wait for the email to post on admissions!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EustaciaVye Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congratulations FinAnalyst! I assume this is the first decision you've received as well? I think I'll also wait until I get the email to post it in Admissions/Rejections and Gradcafe. Ohio State is the most highly ranked school I applied to, so I am completely shocked! I think perhaps my LORs must have been stronger than I had supposed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinAnalyst Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Samesies, I don't know what my letter writes said; this is completely unexpected. Congratulations to you too!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosker Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congratulations to both of you !!1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goreds Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congrats! It finally started! I am expecting decisions in mid-February.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Congrats! It finally started! I am expecting decisions in mid-February.. Mid/late February for me, too. Watching this boundless joy throughout the sweat thread is making me too eager... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barista1234 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Congrats!!! [banana][banana] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goreds Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 GradCafe shut down the alert service :( .... back to check the page every 15 minutes... my productivity goes down again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
air Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Terrifying development for everyone that applied to Ohio State. I randomly checked the application portal and now have a new link that says "Accept/Decline" When I click on the link it says: "We are pleased to grant you admission to the following program(s). Note that once you accept or decline admission to a particular program it will no longer appear on this page. Select the program you would like to accept or decline." Does this mean that I got in....? I haven't received any emails or anything of the sort telling me to check my application status. Anyone else who has applied to Ohio State have the same thing in their application portal? Hi EustaciaVye, see that you have received the email offer congratulations! Did they mention your name in the email, or they just send to a bunch of people together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EustaciaVye Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Hi air, the email from the graduate coordinator at Ohio State was generic and addressed to "Applicant." Assuming they sent identical emails to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
air Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Hi air, the email from the graduate coordinator at Ohio State was generic and addressed to "Applicant." Assuming they sent identical emails to everyone. Thanks EustaciaVye. Good to know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobe Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 USC acceptance on grad cafe. this early? or a fake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barista1234 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I got an email from GW and my heart exploded when I saw the first few sentences. Then I kept reading and all it said was basically they have my app and they're let me know in 4-6 weeks. Grrrrr. Heart skipped a beat for nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobe Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I got an email from GW and my heart exploded when I saw the first few sentences. Then I kept reading and all it said was basically they have my app and they're let me know in 4-6 weeks. Grrrrr. Heart skipped a beat for nothing! just got the same email. pissed me off haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 just got the same email. pissed me off haha Stanford GSB sent an informational email to, presumably, all applicants. It had the subject line, "Stanford GSB PhD Program Admissions." As you can imagine, I wasn't amused... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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