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Most Recently Selected profile:

The data below comes from testmagic forums and shows accepted, waitlisted, and rejected applicants for 2007-2009 for economics graduate school. Clicking on the graph above will make the most recent profile appear to the right of the graph.

All profiles:

Acceptances:
millertime416 2008:
Type of undergrad: Small private university in Nebraska

Major: Economics with a minor in mathematics
GPA: 4.0
Type of Grad: none
GRE: Q760, V530, AWA 5.0
Math Courses: Calc I-II, Linear Algebra, Diff EQ, Intro to Analysis, Stats
Econ Courses: All that were offered (note: no grad available)

Other Courses: 2 directed independent econometrics courses
Letters of Recommendation: 2 from relatively unknown econ proffs, 1 semi-well known in econ
Research Experience: Two independent research projects, one pending publication
Teaching Experience: Just some tutoring
Research Interests: IO or health economics
SOP: Discussed research I had completed


What I would have done differently: Should have applied more broadly and included more reach schools. Also should have taken more math and made it a major. Practice for GRE.

Results
Acceptances: Iowa ($$), Iowa State ($$), Kansas State ($$), UNL (?)
Waiting list: None
Rejections: None
Pending: Wyoming, WUSTL Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists:
cjw10 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: LAC – Economics, BA (with honors) + English minor
Undergrad GPA: 3.65
Type of Grad: N/A

Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 760Q, 540V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: (3.73 average) Calc I-III, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, Stats, Differential Equations (Audit), Real Analysis (spring 09).
Econ Courses: (4.0 average) Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Public Finance, Environmental Econ, Market Experiments, International Econ, Money and Banking, Econometrics I, Senior Thesis
Other Courses: English minor, Env. Studies, Scuba Diving.

Letters of Recommendation: 4 Econ profs -- exceptional. 1 well known.
Research Experience: REU at top 50 econ Program. Research internship at consulting firm in London. Honors Thesis.
Teaching Experience: TA for Prin. Micro + Market Experiments; Academic Tutor (Micro + Macro)
Research Interests: Environmental/Resource, Experimental, Development, Applied Econometrics
SOP: Why I want a PhD + career goals + research experience + research interests matched with faculty. 2.25 pages, 1.5 spaced.

Other: 1 conference presentation + internship at investment bank
Post-doc goals: Academia.


RESULTS:
Acceptances:
NC State (RA 17k + 5k fellowship + tuition + health insurance)
UC Santa Barbara (TA 16.6k + 5k fellowship + tuition + health insurance)

Iowa State (TA 14.4k + 2.5k scholarship + in-state tuition + health insurance)
Oregon State AE (RA 12.6k + tuition + health insurance)
UC Davis ARE MS (readership)
Washington-Seattle (waitlisted for funding)
Colorado-Boulder (waitlisted for funding)
Oregon (no funding)
Rejections: Berkeley ARE, Maryland AREc, Wisconsin AAE


Will be attending: North Carolina State University

What would you have done differently? I’m satisfied. Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists:
Rejections:
Luckykid 2008: Undergrad Institution: UW-Milwaukee
Major: Economics/Math Minor

GPA: 3.4 (3.6 Econ) (3.6 Math)(3.6, 3.75, 3.8 The last 3 semesters)
GRE: 770q 460v 4AWA
Tofel: I am an American but my verbal suggests otherwise...
Courses:
301 Int. Micro B
302 Int. Macro A

325 Money B
353 Devlop A
413 Stats B
351 Intro Int A
447 Labor A
513 Econometrics B

454 Trade A
404 Game Theory B
506 Math Econ I A-
Spring: Math Econ II

Math:
Business Calc A

Calc I B
Calc II A
Intro to Proofs B+
Spring: Calc III, Linear Algebra

Research: Working on undergrad research two semesters...nothing special.
LOR: 1 should be stellar Associate prof(U-Mich)., 2 others pretty good-good one assoc. one tenured.


Interests: Experimental, Applied Micro, Labor

Results: Admissions:
Michigan State University ($0)
University of Arizona ($0)
University of Kentucky ($12+3)
Florida State University ($16+3)
University of Georgia ($p*nding)

University of Houston ($9.5+6)
University of Tennessee ($14)
University of Connecticut (MA)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (MA-spring)

Rejections:
University of Michigan Ann-Arbor
University of Virginia
University of Iowa

Pennsylvania State University
University of Indiana-Bloomington
Vanderbilt
Arizona State University
Iowa State University
North Carolina State University
Rice University
University of Oregon
University of Massachusetts


Waiting:
Ohio State University (Long Shot)
Texas A&M University (Perhaps)
Purdue University (Probable)
Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Probable)

Goals: Tenure track at a Ph.D. Granting research institution. To live comfortably(upper middle), like my job, and be able to spend ample time with my family.


What I Learned: Applying to all of these school was worth it by far; if I was not getting married I would go to MSU in a heart beat. I think my profile is weak for that institution but the probability jump of many applications has paid off in the upper level schools. Almost all if not all of the schools I got accepted to are top in the areas I mentioned in my sop. I strongly believe that your SOP is a YES OR NO qualifier in the admissions process. It is hard to gauge what schools are good in what field so I think I should have asked my professors before I applied to better position my SOP and eliminate schools that are not fits and add schools that are.
Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists:
hawksfanatic 2009: PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: U.S. Top 30 Public, B.A. Philosophy and Economics
Undergrad GPA: ~3.4

Type of Grad: Econ
Grad GPA: ~3.5
GRE: 740 Q, 470 V, 5.0 AW
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Intro to Stats, Linear Algebra, Theory of Probability
Econ Courses: Standard Micro Macro sequence all the way through the PhD level, Econometrics I and II, Public Choice, Math for Economists, International Finance, Antitrust, Theory of Gov't Regulation

Other Courses: A lot of philosophy courses
Letters of Recommendation: One well known econ professor from UVA, 2 lesser known econ professors (Chicago and Brown). All very excited.
Research Experience: None
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Undecided, but leaning towards econometrics at the moment

SOP: Body was generic for every school, changed a few things for each school
Other:

RESULTS:
Acceptances: NCSU ($$), TAMU ($-wl), UGA($-wl), GMU(no $)
Waitlists: None

Rejections: UVA, Vanderbilt, ISU
Pending: None

What would you have done differently? Maybe study for the GRE more. Hard to say that when I came to college that I wanted to pursue a PhD, it never crossed my mind until the 2nd part of my junior year which is hardly enough time to take all the recommended math courses. In the end I got what I wanted, a place that wants me and is large enough to accommodate any possible changes in my fields of interest. I will be attending NCSU.
Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists:
morgan918 2009: PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA Economics , around top 10 in China
Undergrad GPA: 87 out of 100
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: None
GRE: 600V+800Q+3.5AW
Math Courses: Caculus, Statistics, Linear Algebra, Real analysis, stochastic process, dynamic optimization
Econ Courses: Micro, Macro , Econometrics, Labour, Financial Econ

Other Courses: STATA programming, MATLAB
Letters of Recommendation: 2 from China, 1 from Hong Kong
Research Experience: None
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Micro


RESULTS(All Master):
Acceptances: McGill MA($), UBC MA(no $), Alberta MA(Canada, $), SFU MA(Canada, $)

Waitlists:None
Rejections: Iowa State, TAMU
Pending:None

What would you have done differently?
maybe some writing samples will be fine
Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists:
Waitlists:
tmdruie 2009: So I can get on the shiny charts!


PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Physics and Economics from a top 10 liberal arts college
Undergrad GPA: 3.14/4.0
Type of Grad: One stats class
Grad GPA: 3.3

GRE: 790Q, 600V, 5.0AW
Math Courses: Calc I-III(I took them in high school, I really don’t remember and nor do my transcripts), Linear Algebra (B), Mathematical Probability and Statistics (B-, B), Real Analyst(A, at a different school then my undergrad), Stochastic Processes (B+, grad course, at a different school then my undergrad)
Econ Courses: AP Micro and Macro (A, in high school), European Economic History (B+), Law and Economics (B), Intermediate Price Theory (B), Intermediate Macro Theory (B), Econometrics (B), Contemporary British Economy (B), Industrial Revolution-Britain (A-), Econ of Multinational Corps (A-), Thesis (labor econ)
Other Courses: Physics, which I put in my math lists. Quantum Mechanics I, Partial Differential Equations (B+), etc. I only did the bare minimum for a liberal arts major
Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ professors (my thesis advisor and the person who led my study abroad), 1 physics professor (thesis advisor), 1 economist who is my supervisor

Research Experience: RA for 2.5 years at ‘a central bank’
Teaching Experience: Tutored, graded and lab assisted for two years for physics in college
Research Interests: All over the place. Labor, policy, experimental, applied micro, development, etc.
SOP: Intro, I did physics I can do math!, I wrote a thesis in economic and liked doing research, I’m working as an RA and like doing research, I took extra math and can write proofs, I was part of an econ paper reading group and like reading papers, interests (changed a bit depending on what the school had, and more policy oriented for ag econ schools). Also a few sentences about things I did that I removed or added depending on the school. The 500 word schools were hard, the 1000 word schools were easy. I also had a Personal History Statement about being a female doing math for the schools that wanted it.
Other: Applied for the NSF. I tried not to say anything to risky, and not say much about interest in policy to non policy/ ag econ schools. I like Aikido.


RESULTS:
Acceptances: Boston University (waitlist for $), Michigan State(no $), University of Essex (ISER), Ohio State (Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics) ($-Fellowship), Indiana University ($-TA), Iowa State University ($-TA)
Waitlists: University of Minnesota
Rejections: MIT, Harvard (Econ and Political Economy and Government), Yale, Berkeley (Agricultural & Resource Economics), Northwestern, NYU, U Penn (Econ and Wharton), University of Wisconsin – Madison (Econ and Agricultural and Applied Economics ), Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Caltech, University of British Columbia , Ohio State, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Econ and Public Policy and Economics), University of Maryland (Econ and Agricultural Economics), Boston College, Johns Hopkins, University of Minnesota (Applied Economics), University of California – Davis (Econ and Agricultural Economics), Duke, University of Essex, Vanderbilt, Rutgers, Carnegie Mellon (Econ, Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Public Policy and Economics)
Pending: Toronto MA, Queen’s MA


What would you have done differently?
Gotten better grades in undergrad. When I really started understanding what the things I need to do for a PhD I think I did the best I could, took real analysis, applied for the NSF (if only to write a SoP for them), read papers etc. I probably could have gotten more research experience at my job (co-author), and I defiantly could have gotten better grades and taken more math as an undergrad. But over all I’m happy.

Attending:
Boston University
Accepts: Rejects: Waitlists: