Profiles and Results 2026

[Facultoadviso]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad:

Undergrad GPA:

Type of Grad:

Grad GPA:

GRE:

Math Courses:

Econ Courses:

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation:

Research Experience:

Teaching Experience:

Research Interests:

SOP:

Other:

 

RESULTS:

Acceptances:

Waitlists:

Rejections:

Pending:

Attending:

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently?

 

 

Starting this for this year

[Facultoadviso]

Now ready! Acceptances|Offers of our pre-grad students! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gf67CMcUqhduSjIbf_GdyqWvPn_N8sJ6/view?usp=drive_link

Good luck to the rest of you, hope to read yours

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Across the US, Asia and Africa

Undergrad GPA: Range of 3.5 - 3.95

Type of Grad:

Grad GPA:

GRE: Range from 315-332

Math Courses: Lots taken by all students. Real Analysis, Functional Analysis, Measure Theory and Integration, Measure Theoretic Probability, Linear Algebra, Stochastic Calculus, Stochastic Analysis, Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs), Stochastic Optimal Control, Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Partial Differential Equations (PDEs), Numerical Approximation Methods, Dynamic Programming, Mathematical Statistics, Advanced Statistical Methods, Econometric Theory, Continuous Time Finance, Computational Finance and PDE for Financial Mathematics, Statistical Analysis, and Multivariate Calculus.

Econ Courses: Macroeconomic Theory, Microeconomic Theory, Econometric Theory, Applied Econometrics, Financial Economics, Behavioral Economics, Bayesian Econometrics, and Financial Econometrics.

Other Courses:

Letters of Recommendation: Researchers from Central Banks, US Top 20, Development Institutions (World Bank etc) and European Schools

Research Experience: Lots, with R&R papers in A journals

Teaching Experience:

Research Interests:

SOP:

Other:

 

RESULTS: Visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gf67CMcUqhduSjIbf_GdyqWvPn_N8sJ6/view?usp=drive_link

Acceptances:

Waitlists:

Rejections: Lots Lots Lots.

Pending:

Attending:

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently?

 

 

Starting this for this year

 

[Praise Woroton]

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Unknown, international

Undergrad GPA: 3.94/4.0 equivalent

Type of Grad: Pre-PhD Training, online

Grad GPA: 3.56/4.0

GRE: 165Q/161V/4AW Advised to retake but refused. $200 is close to one month salary. Who uses one month salary to take GRE repeatedly? Lol

Math Courses: After undergrad (taken online): Real Analysis (A-), Differential Equations (A-), Functional Analysis (A), Linear Algebra (B+), Advanced Foundational Mathematics (A-), Multivariable Calculus (B+). Before undergrad (taken as full time econ undergrad student): All mathematics for economics types, statistics for economics, etc, taught by folks in econ. All A's, mostly

Econ Courses: After undergrad (taken online): Macroeconomic Theory I (A-), Econometrics (B+), Time Series Econometrics (A+), Macroeconomic Theory II (A-), Microeconomic Theory (B-). Before undergrad (taken as full time econ undergrad student): All economics at undergrad. All A's, mostly

Other Courses: These are those taken online after undergrad

Letters of Recommendation: All 3 letters from teachers and researchers in the online program. None from undergrad school

Research Experience: up to 1 year during undergrad. Slightly over 1 year during the online school where I did lots of research through my supervised dissertation. Paper submitted to the Journal of Development Economics as at the time of application

Teaching Experience: Light, only informally

Research Interests: Development, Applied Micro, Climate

SOP: My statements of purpose were tailored individually for each program. I focused on my research experience, the specific questions and fields that motivate me, and how my academic background prepared me for those interests.

Other: Was valedictorian of my school, have 1 published paper and 1 paper submitted to the Journal of Development Economics

RESULTS:

 

Acceptances: USC, Boston, Toronto, Zurich, Arizona, GW, North Carolina, UIUC

Waitlists: Stanford (rejected)

Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Berkeley, Brown, Northwestern, Columbia, Penn, NYU, UCLA, UC San Diego, Minnesota, Brown, Maryland,...

Attending: Unsure (country on visa ban)

Comments:

I knew that applying straight out of my undergraduate program would have *most likely* led to an automatic rejection. My university offered no real opportunity to take formal mathematics, and I was working full‑time after undergrad just to stay afloat. I didn’t have a master’s degree, I didn’t have the usual coursework that PhD programs expect, and on paper there was nothing that signaled I could handle graduate‑level economics. What changed everything was getting the chance to enroll in a pre‑PhD program online. That program became the turning point in my academic life. It was where I finally had access to the mathematics, I had never been able to take before, and I threw myself into it - real analysis, linear algebra, functional analysis, differential equations, multivariable calculus, all the foundational material I had been missing. After that, I moved into the program's first‑year PhD sequence like courses, taking the same graduate macro, micro, and econometrics courses as doctoral students take in PhD programs. 

The research experience that followed was probably the strongest part of my application. I worked on a project that grew into something I was genuinely proud of, and serious enough to be submitted to a top journal and strong enough that people I respected took it seriously. That project showed me I could produce real research, not just pass classes. Along the way, I built relationships with researchers in the program who saw my work ethic and my growth firsthand. Three of them agreed to write letters for me, and they didn’t just write, me thinks they wrote strong, detailed letters that probably reflected the effort I had put in and the progress I had made.

I had to build the academic background I never had access to, prove myself in graduate‑level coursework, and show through research that I could contribute something meaningful. That’s what was carried into my applications, because it’s the truth of how I got here.

What would you have done differently? Nothing. I got fortunate. But maybe get one of those high-paying predoc jobs abroad. I certainly would not have spent thousands of dollars on a masters degree.

[illgetoneasap]

PROFILE:

 

Type of Undergrad: T10 US

 

Undergrad GPA: 3.9X/4.0 

 

Type of Grad: Top predoc (2Y)

 

Grad GPA: 

 

GRE: 169Q/168V/5.5AW 

 

Math Courses: Baby Rudin Analysis I/II (A,A), Stats Inference/Probability Theory (A-, A-), ODE (A-), Linear Algebra (B+), Calc II/ III/ IV (A-, A, A) 

 

Econ Courses: Advanced Micro (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Micro/Macro/Metrics (A-, A, A) 

 

Other Courses: Thesis (A, A), Behavioral Seminar (A+)

 

Letters of Recommendation: Thesis advisor, Seminar instructor, predoc PI

 

Research Experience: the predoc, some scattered experience in undergrad 

 

Teaching Experience: TA for three semesters

 

Research Interests: Urban/Macro, behavioral 

 

SOP: see above, short paragraph about particular faculty

 

Other: Invited AEA paper presentation on independent work 

 

RESULTS:

 

Acceptances: NYU, UCSB, Pitt, University of Washington (Finance)

 

Waitlists: Columbia, Brown (rejected)

 

Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, ... (13 others) 

 

Attending: NYU

 

Comments:

 

What would you have done differently? 

 

Very happy with my outcome. I would recommend soliciting lots of early feedback on pitching one's research interests. 

[mentee]

On 4/15/2026 at 4:02 PM, Praise Woroton said:

PROFILE:

Type of Undergrad: Unknown, international

Undergrad GPA: 3.94/4.0 equivalent

Type of Grad: Pre-PhD Training, online

Grad GPA: 3.56/4.0

GRE: 165Q/161V/4AW Advised to retake but refused. $200 is close to one month salary. Who uses one month salary to take GRE repeatedly? Lol

Math Courses: After undergrad (taken online): Real Analysis (A-), Differential Equations (A-), Functional Analysis (A), Linear Algebra (B+), Advanced Foundational Mathematics (A-), Multivariable Calculus (B+). Before undergrad (taken as full time econ undergrad student): All mathematics for economics types, statistics for economics, etc, taught by folks in econ. All A's, mostly

Econ Courses: After undergrad (taken online): Macroeconomic Theory I (A-), Econometrics (B+), Time Series Econometrics (A+), Macroeconomic Theory II (A-), Microeconomic Theory (B-). Before undergrad (taken as full time econ undergrad student): All economics at undergrad. All A's, mostly

Other Courses: These are those taken online after undergrad

Letters of Recommendation: All 3 letters from teachers and researchers in the online program. None from undergrad school

Research Experience: up to 1 year during undergrad. Slightly over 1 year during the online school where I did lots of research through my supervised dissertation. Paper submitted to the Journal of Development Economics as at the time of application

Teaching Experience: Light, only informally

Research Interests: Development, Applied Micro, Climate

SOP: My statements of purpose were tailored individually for each program. I focused on my research experience, the specific questions and fields that motivate me, and how my academic background prepared me for those interests.

Other: Was valedictorian of my school, have 1 published paper and 1 paper submitted to the Journal of Development Economics

RESULTS:

 

Acceptances: USC, Boston, Toronto, Zurich, Arizona, GW, North Carolina, UIUC

Waitlists: Stanford (rejected)

Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Berkeley, Brown, Northwestern, Columbia, Penn, NYU, UCLA, UC San Diego, Minnesota, Brown, Maryland,...

Attending: Unsure (country on visa ban)

Comments:

I knew that applying straight out of my undergraduate program would have *most likely* led to an automatic rejection. My university offered no real opportunity to take formal mathematics, and I was working full‑time after undergrad just to stay afloat. I didn’t have a master’s degree, I didn’t have the usual coursework that PhD programs expect, and on paper there was nothing that signaled I could handle graduate‑level economics. What changed everything was getting the chance to enroll in a pre‑PhD program online. That program became the turning point in my academic life. It was where I finally had access to the mathematics, I had never been able to take before, and I threw myself into it - real analysis, linear algebra, functional analysis, differential equations, multivariable calculus, all the foundational material I had been missing. After that, I moved into the program's first‑year PhD sequence like courses, taking the same graduate macro, micro, and econometrics courses as doctoral students take in PhD programs. 

The research experience that followed was probably the strongest part of my application. I worked on a project that grew into something I was genuinely proud of, and serious enough to be submitted to a top journal and strong enough that people I respected took it seriously. That project showed me I could produce real research, not just pass classes. Along the way, I built relationships with researchers in the program who saw my work ethic and my growth firsthand. Three of them agreed to write letters for me, and they didn’t just write, me thinks they wrote strong, detailed letters that probably reflected the effort I had put in and the progress I had made.

I had to build the academic background I never had access to, prove myself in graduate‑level coursework, and show through research that I could contribute something meaningful. That’s what was carried into my applications, because it’s the truth of how I got here.

What would you have done differently? Nothing. I got fortunate. But maybe get one of those high-paying predoc jobs abroad. I certainly would not have spent thousands of dollars on a masters degree.

Hey there, 

I am in a similar place to yours. I did take Real Analysis in my college, however, I got a bad grade (B-), so I wanted to take the class again online and prove my proficiency. I was wondering what online resources you used to take real analysis and several other courses.