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FilleNouvelle 2009:
I'll post this now, since my decision is not going to be made especially soon, and it could eventually change.
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Economics MA (Hons), Scottish University (ranked overall #23 in the world)
Undergrad GPA: 1st Class (distinction), ranked 1 (tied with one other student) out of 98.
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 580V, 5.5 AWA
Math Courses: Mathematical Methods (A), Applicable Mathematics (A), Linear Algebra (A), self-study of Real Analysis, private tutoring (Economics classes were very math-based as well)
Econ Courses: Everything there was to take, pretty much
Letters of Recommendation: 1 Oxford, 1 Cambridge, 1 LSE (2 with US teaching experience)
Research Experience: Econometrics research papers, senior thesis on convergence
Teaching Experience: TA for Econometrics
Research Interests: Development, Applied Econometrics, IO
SOP: standard
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UNC ($$), UVA ($?), UT-Austin (no $), BU (no $), Michigan (no $, off waitlist)
Rejections: Stanford, Princeton, NWU (initially waitlisted), Columbia, Berkeley, NYU, MIT, Harvard, Cornell (assumed), UChicago
Waitlist: UPenn, Georgetown
Withdrawn: LSE
What would you have done differently? Obviously, when choosing my undergraduate institution, I didn't know I wanted to do a PhD. If I had known, I probably would have chosen a different undergrad. Also, I think staying in the US may have made things a bit easier. My results show that it's very possible to get good results when your institution is international and perhaps not that well-known, but that sometimes schools do not know how to view you. I ended up with 4 waitlists this cycle and a few unfunded admits. Anyway, other than that, wouldn't have done anything differently.

anx1ous 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Econ & Int'l Affairs from top 10 U.S. public (with an 'unranked' econ dept.)
Undergrad GPA: 4.0
GRE: 800Q, 680V, 5.5 AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Diff Eqs, Stats I, grad Prob & Stats
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): the usual suspects
Other Courses: lots of poli sci/int'l affairs
Letters of Recommendation: all econ, 2 'unknown' (Berkeley ARE & Michigan State) and 1 'known' (MIT)...probably 2/3 were 'really' strong
Research Experience: in my 4th semester as an RA, worked on 2 projects that led (or rather, are leading) to a working paper & a senior thesis
Teaching Experience: none
Research Interests: applied micro--labor (specifically education) & development
SOP: standard?
Other: did a summer research program at a top 20 dept. (which I think was incredibly instrumental in my outcomes); tried to show that despite my weak math background I at least had some programming skills
Concerns: LACK OF MATH...everything else was ok, I think
What I would have done different: TAKEN MORE MATH, but I didn't know I wanted to do an econ PhD until 2nd semester junior year and was always drawn more to the social sciences than math (and had no idea they could be one and the same!)
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Columbia ($), Maryland ($), Berkeley ARE ($), Texas ($), Vanderbilt ($), Georgetown (waitlisted w/ $), GW (no $)
Rejections: Harvard, Yale, NYU, Brown
ATTENDING: Columbia
What could I have done differently?
In terms of the application process: applied to 2-3 fewer lower ranked depts. and put that money/time/effort towards applying to a few more top 10 schools (probably just to cover my bases, as I have no reason to believe that I would've done any 'better'). Also: stayed away from TM/Gradcafe during admissions season!
In terms of preparation: again, done a math minor/double major (for admissions as much as self-preparation--I'm pretty worried now!), but you can only take this 'should've/would've/could've' question so far, since I simply didn't know until later that I wanted to pursue this path or what was required of me.
All in all, however, I am extremely happy with my outcomes. I obviously had zero expectations or I wouldn't have applied to such a wide-ranging group of schools.

TomRod 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Mathematics and B.A. Economics[listed as 'additional major'] with decent math program and well-known undergraduate economics program [without doctoral program]
Undergrad GPA: 3.36 or so overall
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 800Q/640V/5.5AWA
Math Courses: Calculus I,II,III, Linear Algebra, Matrix Analysis, Univariate Real Analysis, Multivariate Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Financial Mathematics, Graduate Topology, "Proofs Class", (waived Diff E.Q. because of related research experience)
Econ Courses: Intro Macro & Micro, Intermediate Macro & Micro & Econometrics, Economic Statistics, Intermediate I/O, Graduate Macro & Micro & Statistics, Graduate Game Theory (Repeated Games & Reputations)
Letters of Recommendation: LORS requested only from professors who actually cared to see where I end up and wanted to see me personally succeed. Spent a long time getting to know professors personally and professionally. Mostly math and a few economics professors. Felt snubbed by a majority of my economics professors due to a low overall GPA (it took my awhile to find my interests and a bad grade never scared me from taking a class I was only marginally prepared for)
Research Interests: Varied. Ideally computational economics and econometrics or macroeconomics
SOP: "Best written [SOP] I've ever seen..." I'm a sucker for flattery, but it seemed a little over the top. Talked strongly of recent experience, how it shaped my current goals, and where I'd like to see these goals end up, and why grad school is essential for me to achieve those goals in their current incarnation.
Teaching Experience: Linear Algebra TA, Matlab teacher, econometrics tutor, microeconomics tutor, Math Lab TA
Research Experience: Research involving Computational Economics and Financial Systems
Work Experience: Researcher for 1.5 years, Measurement and Verification engineer for 2 years
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UT Austin
Rejections: Rochester, Michigan, UT Austin (Management), NCSU (Statistics)
Pending: None
What would you have done differently? Probably nothing but try to get higher grades in my intermediate classes. Man I hate filling out these kinds of things [showboating is not something I enjoy, nor pointing out flaws] but I hope it helps some undergrad in a situation and with goals similar to mine achieve what they hope for!

FierceEconDR 2009:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Math & Econ from the Poor's people Harvard aka CUNY
Undergrad GPA: 3.92/4, Summa Cum Laude
Type of Grad: M.S. Economics courses
Grad GPA: ?
GRE: 790Q, 540V, 5 AWA
Math Courses: All required courses for math degree, Calc I-III + Real Analysis I (B), Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra 1 and 2, Probability Theory(B+), Statistics (Theory) (A+) All others A's
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro and Macro Theory, Labor, International Finance(Macro), Development theory- All A's Advanced econ stats (A+)
Grad courses: Took the Macro, Micro, Econometrics, and some other stuff at a masters in europe. Not in my applications.
Letters of Recommendation: 4 econ professors=1 Berkeley ('semi-known') + 1 Harvard + 1 Kansas/NBER +1 Queen's ('Known'), I am confident they were solid and very enthusiastic.
Research Experience: AEA Summer Training Program, some development research in Paris IX
Teaching Experience: Macro & Micro, Math Tutor
Research Interests: Labor, Development, Applied Micro-econometrics
SOP: I think it was ok, I did it alla S. Athey: Why I want it (duh research!) what research have I done, what papers did i like, some questions I would like to answer, why U X is good. Name dropped in all of them (2 names).
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Maryland ($),Texas ($)
Withdrawn: UC Davis
Rejections: MIT, Harvard, Yale, Chicago, UPenn, Berkeley, Michigan, NYU, Cornell, Northwestern, UCSD, Brown, Penn State
ATTENDING: Maryland
What could I have done differently?
In terms of the application process: not apply to PSU and apply to Columbia for my NY Bias (not that I would've gotten into!). I have to second: stayed away from TM/Gradcafe during admissions season!
I am extremely happy with UMD so in the end it payed off.

bigleaguechew 2009:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Econ / B.S. Math from a top 100 econphd.net public school
Undergrad GPA: 3.5 Overall, 4.0 Econ, 4.0 Math
GRE: 790Q, 610V, 5.5AWA
Math Courses: One year of real analysis (A+'s); two quarters each of theoretical linear algebra (A+'s), numerical analysis (A+'s), math prob stat, nonlinear dynamics and chaos; one quarter each of PDE's, abstract algebra and complex analysis
Econ Courses: applied metrics (A+'s), public finance (A+'s), labor, game theory (A+), and a few others in addition to intermediate micro/macro
Letters of Recommendation: It seems as though I had one very respected letter writer, and other letters were more or less ignored at many schools (just what I gathered from my conversations with grad directors where I was accepted)
Research Experience: Virtually none. Started an undergrad research project that was never finished
Work Experience: 2 years in consulting (business, but not econ)
Research Interests: Applied micro, IO
SOP: Talked about how my experiences and coursework have influenced my research interests. Tailored last paragraph to each school I applied to. I cannot say this with enough emphasis... THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE DEFINITELY MATTERS AT SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10. IF YOU DO NOT COME FROM AN IVY AND YOU DON'T HAVE A SPOTLESS MATH/ECON RECORD WITH SOLID RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO SPEND SOME TIME ON YOUR SOP AND START WORKING ON IT EARLY!
Concerns: I had about a year straight of abysmal grades (yes, we're talking about F's and W's here people) in my sophomore year of college due to some family issues. I think it was important that this occurred when I was an english major, and I made up for it by excelling in all of my econ and math courses. So, if you have screwed up and permanently marred your transcript like I did, HOPE IS NOT LOST! It just means that you have to work extra hard to outperform your classmates from here on out.
RESULTS:
Attending: UCSD ($)
Admitted, Declined: Stanford GSB Marketing ($$$$$$$$), Penn State ($$), WUSTL ($), UNC ($/2), UVA ($), Texas ($$), ASU ($$), Arizona ($$), Pittsburgh ($), Ohio State ($), U of Washinton ($), Maryland (stiffed me)
Waitlists: Minnesota, BU
Rejections: Top 10, NYU, Columbia, UCLA, Michigan, JHU, Wharton (but it doesn't count in my mind cuz I hardly showed up for the interview)
Never heard back from: USC (not that I care anymore, but seriously WTF?)
What would you have done differently?
Nothing really. I had a huge black spot on my record with that one atrocious year, and nobody knew how that would affect me. My letter writers were extremely supportive in helping me apply to as many places as I could afford, and cover a broad spectrum of programs. I thought UCSD was a long shot heading into this process, and I am thrilled to be going there. I can honestly say that I would have been happy at just about any of the programs that I was accepted to, and it was incredibly difficult for me to turn down so many attractive offers. Obviously, this is a problem that I am happy to have, but you'd be surprised how gut wrenching it is to turn down a fellowship offer from a school that you had been day-dreaming about attending just a few weeks earlier. Still, I would advise everyone who isn't a superstar with stellar letter of recommendation's to adopt a similar strategy and apply to as many places as you can afford.

funkychinamen 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top 10 Econ program, transfer from top 40 Econ program, Econ major
Undergrad GPA: 3.892 /4.000
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 780Q 480V 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc I, Calc II, Calc III, Vector Calc, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Probability Theory, Linear Algebra - proof-based, Intro to Proofs, Real Analysis, Math Stats (Spring)
Econ Courses: Intermed Micro, Intermed Macro, Topics in Macro, Analysis of Econ Data, I.O., International Micro, International Macro, Labor, Intro to Mathematical Econ, Game Theory, Econometrics, Grad Micro I, Applied Econometrics (Spring)
Letters of Recommendation: One from an associate professor in the Ag Econ department who I researched with, one from an assistant professor at Business School who I researched with, one from professor who taught grad course
Research Experience: One year with an associate professor in the Ag Econ department, One semester with assistant professor in Business school, senior thesis in progress
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: I.O., Micro Theory, Labor
SOP: Looked back at it the other day. I HOPE they didn’t read it.
RESULTS:
Acceptances:
USC Marshall ($), Duke ($), Northwestern ($), UCSD (No $), Texas (No $), Boston U (No $)
Waitlists:
UPenn (rejected), Caltech (rejected)
Rejections:
Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Minnesota, Maryland, UCLA Anderson, Harvard, Michigan, NYU, Cornell, Brown
What would you have done differently?
I would have studied harder for the GRE, finished a major in applied math, and applied to UCLA econ.
(Not-so) Fun Facts:
-Not accepted to any Ivy League school (UPenn waitlist)
-Not accepted to any school that used the Embark system (Caltech waitlist)
Attending: Northwestern!

singmeat 2009:
Drumroll for the non top 50 club please.........
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from small state non-flagship non-PhD granting university.
Undergrad GPA: Overall: 3.1/4.0, Econ: 3.7/4.0, Math: 3.4/4.0
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 740Q 610V 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Concepts of Calculus (A), Calculus 1 (B), Calculus II (B), Linear Algebra (B), Statistics (A), Econ Statistics (A), College Algebra (D!)
Econ Courses: Intro Micro (A), Intro Macro (B), Intermediate Micro (A), Intermediate Macro (A), Growth and Development (B), Managerial Econ (A), Labor Econ (A), Econometrics (A)
Other Courses: Linear Programming (B), Intro Finance (D), Multinational Finance (A), lots of Decision Science, Marketing, Accounting, Management, Strategy, etc courses (As and Bs)
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Econ profs and a math prof
Research Experience: n/a.
Teaching Experience: n/a
Research Interests: Micro and Applied Micro
SOP: I personally think it was very good. I told my academic story concisely with elegance.
RESULTS:
Funded
Wyoming (Attending): Assistantship + Tuition + Fees + Insurance
MTSU: Assistantship + Tuition + 50% Fees + Summer Research Grant
Missouri: Assistantship + Tuition + Fees
Clemson: Assistantship + Tuition + Fees
UT Dallas: Was told I’d be funded, told them I was going to Wyo.
Florida FRED: Wanted to fund me, but is having a budget crisis or something
UNC Greensboro: Admitted to MA, Assistantship
Arizona AREC MA: Half-Time Research Assistantship + Tuition + Fees
Michigan State AREC: Offered funding in email without details (RA presumably), told them I was going to Wyo.
Unfunded:
Oregon: No funding
Kentucky: WL for funding, didn’t hear back
New Mexico: Never heard about funding despite emailing
U of Utah: No funding
Fail:
UC-Davis AREC: Rejected, Scholarship below that of admitted applicants
Maryland AREC: Rejected
Florida Econ: Didn’t finish the app, rejected anyway
NC State: One of my LORs never made it, didn’t care enough to pester prof.
???:
Kansas: Admitted, but no idea about funding, paperwork problems with Grad School and I declined before I got any update. Assuming no.
Comments:
Not too shabby considering my profile. I must have some rockin’ LORs or my SOP was magical. I really hated to decline MTSU, I’m hoping they do well in the future. I should have studied more for the GRE: I kept putting it off because Calc 2 was actually pretty fun. Looking back, I should have applied to more flagship state unis and a few more reaches, and actually finished my NC state and Florida apps.
My GPA is low because of a few stupid unrelated courses: Geography (F/D), Algebra (D), lots of Cs my first semester (tough year for me, PM for details on that), etc. Econ, business, math were As and Bs.

rvalchev 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small private school. First tier according to US News but dead last in that tier
Undergrad GPA: 4.0 - I have another 2 weeks till graduation but hopefully it'll stay this way
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 530V, 5.0 AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Optimization, Real Analysis, Topology, Probability Theory, Computational Statistics, Differential Equations
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro and Macro, Econometrics and Forecasting, Game Theory, Money and Banking, Public Economics
Other Courses: Assortment of Business core classes.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Letters from Econ Profs and 1 from a math prof. I think letters will be good to great, math professor has taught me for 2 years and I've conducted research for an year together with one of my econ profs.
Research Experience: Honors Thesis, RA for two summers but I wasted those summers so nothing really came out of it.
Research Interests: Metrics, applied metrics ... i am open to anything
SOP: It was weak, unfocused and not customized for schools
RESULTS:
Attending: Duke ($$$)
Acceptances, declined: Wisconsin ($$$), Cornell ($$$), Ohio State( $$$), UNC -Chapel Hill ($$$), Michigan State ($$$), Pitt ($$$), Tinbergen Institute ($$$), LSE EME (Research), Oxford MPhil, Michigan (no $), Texas(no $), USC ($$$),
Waitlists: Duke funding waitlist, BU funding waitlist, Princeton Waitlist, Texas Waitlist, Michigan waitlist
Rejections: MIT, Princeton (rejected from waitlist), Berkeley, Yale, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago, UCSD, Penn State, Boston College, Cambridge
What would you have done differently? First, read jeeve's thread about suggestions for people from less known undergrads (it was impossible since it was not written until a couple of days ago, but that's what future people should do). Second, apply to NYU, Columbia and Northwestern (but most probably I would have only taken Northwestern over Duke. But still, my portfolio of schools was a little unbalanced). Third, write a much, much better SOPs that would be much better tailored to different schools. You'll be surprised how much SOPs matter (heard it directly from admissions directors at TOP10 and TOP20 schools).Fourth, don't get RA positions that are in the network of your schools and professors because you are already part of this network, so it doesn't add much to your profile. Go out and work for somebody different.

Mankins 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Very large US public university
Undergrad GPA: 4.0
GRE: 800Q, 600V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Mathematical Structures, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Probability, Advanced Calculus I, and Intermediate Real Analysis I (all A or A+). Topology and Mathematical Statistics (Spring 2009).
Econ Courses: The usual, plus Econometrics , Advanced Honors Micro (uncertainty), Advanced Honors Macro (taught by Nobel Laureate). All A or A+, except Econometrics where I got an A-. Game Theory (Spring 2009).
Letters of Recommendation: One from a Nobel Laureate (not sure how solid it was). One from a well-known economist in micro theory and information (probably knows me better than any of my other professors). One from my Advanced Calc professor.
Teaching Experience: N/A
Research Experience: Some preliminary work on an undergraduate thesis (never finished), Econometrics paper co-authored with two other students
Research Interests: micro theory, advertising, economics of information, behavioral/neuro/experimental, IO, development
SOP: Standard
Concerns: Very little research experience, no graduate courses
Applying to: Yale, Duke, Stanford, MIT, Northwestern, Chicago, Illinois Urbana, Berkeley, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona State, Carnegie Mellon, and Duke Decision Sciences
RESULTS:
Attending: Minnesota ($$)
Acceptances, declined: Carnegie Mellon ($$$), U Texas at Austin ($), U Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ($$), Arizona State ($$)
Rejections: MIT, Berkeley, Yale, Stanford, U Penn, U Chicago, Northwestern (on the waiting list, briefly), Duke Economics, Duke Decision Sciences
What would you have done differently? There's not much more I could have realistically done. Maybe I could have gone to more office hours and talked to professors more outside of class. I think I may have had better results if I had taken PhD Micro, but I don't know where I would have fit that into my schedule. I transferred schools and switched majors halfway through my junior year, and it took 5 years to finish my Bachelor's degree because of it. I hadn't finished Calc I until the summer of 2007, so I had to catch up quickly on the math required for graduate economics. Considering what a tough year it was, things could have turned out much worse.

ICECOLDECON 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Economics and B.S. Geography (did 2 undergrad degrees with minors in Math and History).....Econ dept ranked around 50 in US....large state school.
Undergrad GPA: 3.66
Type of Grad: M.A. in Economics from a program that offers a PhD, but its PhD program would be ranked near last in the U.S. Took some undergrad math courses during my time here
Grad GPA: 3.88ish I think
GRE: 1st Time (2006): 760 Q 520 V 5.5 AWA 2nd Time (2008) 780 Q 540 V 5.0 AWA
Courses taken in my last 2 years:
Math Economics A
Regulation/Antitrust A+
Bridge to Abstract Math A+
Law and Economics A
Economic Development A-
Economics of Health A
Econometrics I A-
Econometrics II B+
Econometrics III B+
Linear Algebra I A
Math Statistics B+ (School I took this at doesnt give A-'s)
Differential Equations A
Microeconomics I A+
Aggregate Economics B+
Intermediate Analysis I (Rudin ch 1-4) A
Elementary Abstract Algebra A
Economic Policy Analysis A
Urban Economics A
Intermediate Analysis II (Cross-Listed with Grad Real Analysis I) Sp 09
Letters 9of Recommendation: All from Economics professors who are not well-known for research but 2 of the 3 should be very enthusiastic. PhDs from Texas AM (2) and UC San Diego
Research Experience: Have papers Ive written.....Havent done anything with them.
Teaching Experience: TA for Principles of Microeconomics for 1 yr
Research Interests: Microeconomic Theory and IO
Concerns: Low Econometrics grades....think I can do better in PhD program....took Econometrics I and II before Lin Alg and Math Stat. Also, had an attendence related F for Lin Alg as an undergrad...had a complicated F in Calc III (was getting a B-/C+, but wanted to use my school's grade forgiveness, so I got the required F) hoping strong math grades in other classes make up for this
Applying to: Ohio State, Texas, Michigan State, Virginia, Arizona, and Oregon
Admits: Texas (Full TA), MSU (no $)
Rejects: OSU, UVA, UAZ
Withdrew App: Oregon
Attending: Texas
Some of the things I learned from the process:
(1) I think the main benefit of a US masters degree, for someone who already has a degree in economics, is to develop relationships with professors who will be able to write strong letters on your behalf. My masters program was particularly small and I took some of the less popular electives, so I wound up having classes with less than 5 students, which provide students with a good deal of interaction with faculty. Also, make use of seminar series and other social interaction opportunities given by the department. If you have smart questions or comments, its not a horrible idea to convey those, either after class or through email (just dont be obsessive about it and dont force it). Probably the single best asset a student can have is a well-written personalized letter of recommendation (esp if the professors have contacts at your school of choice) and these steps help to make that a reality.
(2) If you have messups in your academic record, particularly in math and economics, don't be afraid to talk about the reasons for the poor grades in your SOP. I talked about my poor math grades in 3-5 of my SOPs: Texas, MSU, and OSU and I went 2 out of 3 at those schools (not to mention, I was pretty close to getting in at OSU). Now other things could be at play, but at the very least, I don't think mentioning my poor math grades hurt me. Also, I would think by not mentioning reasons for poor grades, adcoms are likely to assume the worst.
(3) Try to write an economics paper or do some sort of research that you can talk about in a SOP. It doesn't have to be anything that you publish, or even the quality of an honor's thesis, it just helps out in showing that you have an interest in performing research. I wrote two papers in my classes for my masters program, and even though I never did anything with them, I was still able to talk about the research in my SOP. On a related note, make sure to mention that you have an interest in doing research (even if your ultimate goal is govt/consulting/teaching).
(4) Take a decent amount of economics electives. I know that profiles like 15 classes in math with intermediate micro/macro can gain admission to a good many econ programs and that PhD econ classes don't resemble (from a methodology/math standpoint) the stuff that is taught at PhD programs, but there are still reasons to think that this a good strategy: (i) As discussed in point (1), it is important to have good letters from econ professors, and by taking upper level econ electives, you improve your chances at this (ii) it is likely, that at some point, you will either teach or ta an undergrad econ class, and by exposing yourself to different teaching methodologies within the field, you may help your performance in one or both of these tasks (iii) you'll have something to say about what topics in economics interest you and why you are drawn to economics as a discipline.
(5) Take at least the std math load if possible: Calc I-III, Lin Alg, Math Stat and Prob (uses calculus), and Real Analysis. Whenever you are given the choice b/t an applied and a theoretical version of the same math course, take the more theoretical course (i.e. applied lin alg vs. lin alg). Depending on your background and goals, if you are deficient in math, consider taking courses as non-degree seeking undergrad.
(6) Use the profile and results section to try and get an idea of the range of schools that you should apply to.....professors who have been out of the game for a bit will tend to think that you can get into schools that are likely better than you can get into....try to apply to a good range of schools (targets, safeties, and possibly some reaches if you feel the need....I would say that if you have a good idea of proper targets, then the third category is least important, especially if you are cash-strapped).
(7) Become as informed about a dept as possible through the dept's website. It helps to read infro from dept newsletters and thoroughly familiarize yourself with the information posted about the grad program. Then use this information to your advantage when creating a SOP.....if for nothing else, this puts out a strong signal to the dept that you are very interested in their program (depts are looking for good students who won't reject their offers and this sends the I won't reject signal).

Ibn Abbas 2009:
PROFILE: (Ibn Abbas)
Type of Undergrad: B.B.A. from a South Asian university
Undergrad GPA: 3.34 out of 4. (A =4, B+ =3.5, B =3 and so on...)
Type of Grad: M.A. in Economics from mid-range Canadian university
Grad GPA: 9.67 (out of 12) so far. (A+ =12, A =11, A- =10, B+ = 9 and so on...)
GRE: 770Q, 690V, 5.5AWA
Math Courses:
Business Math C+, Linear Algebra A, Calculus II A, Calculus III and IV combined C-, Mathematical Economics A
Econ Courses (MA-level):
Micro A-, Macro B+, Metrics A, Intl. Trade B-, Dev Econ A-, Evolution of WB/IMF conditionality A
Econ Courses (undergrad-level):
Principles of Micro A, Principles of Macro A, Advanced Micro A+, Advanced Macro A+, Metrics I A, Metrics II A+
Stat courses (undergrad-level):
Business Stat I B+, Business Stat II B+, Statistical Econ A-, Intro to Stat (from Math dept.) A+, Intro to Probability (from Math dept.) A+, Stochastic Processes C+
Letters of Recommendation:
Metrics (UMontreal), Metrics UGrad (UWO) and Development (Columbia).
Teaching Assistantship:
3rd year Econometrics, 4th year Econometrics, Agricultural Economics, Principles of Economics
Research Interests: Open to macro, labor etc.
SOP: Focused on research interests and explained the reasons behind some of my bad grades in math courses.
Other: Need to be in big city.
RESULTS
Acceptances: U of Houston (16.5k with tuition waiver), UT Dallas ($ amt. unknown), U Ottawa (no $)
Rejections: Carleton U
What would you have done differently?
Would have applied to more universities (of rankings higher than of those I applied to)
Attending: U of Houston

jito32 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Finance from Univ Florida
Undergrad GPA: 3.89/4
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 650V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc Sequence (A), Sets & Logic (A) Diff. Eq, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Statistics next semester
Econ Courses: Principles (As) Intermediate Micro (A) Urban next semester
Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ professors, one great one good, 1 from finance lecturer
Research Experience: RA for a year
Teaching Experience: TA for a year
Research Interests: Macro, public, interational
SOP: Boiler plate
Concerns: Just decided to pursue the degree this summer, so lacking in math/econ classes.
RESULTS:
Acceptances:
Waitlists:
Rejections:
Pending: Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Rochester, Boston U, Texas, Virginia, WUSTL, Iowa, George Mason
What you would have done differently: Started applying sooner. I knew all semester what I was doing but somehow everything got pushed back with my late GRE date of November 1st. Wish I would have read this forum earlier.

bellman 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: top uni in my country in south asia, unknown outside. BSc Economics
Undergrad GPA: 3.87 Overall, 3.97 Econ, 3.82 Math
Type of Grad: MA Economics (on-going, top prog in Canada)
Grad GPA: Average 85%
GRE: 790Q, 730V, 5.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc I (A-), Calc II (A), Vector Calc (A-), Linear Algebra (A), Probability (A), Statistics (A), Adv Stats (A) , Real Analysis (B+), Functional Analysis (B+), Set Theory (A-), ODEs (A), Number Theory (A-), OR-I (A)
Econ Courses (grad institute): Micro(MA) (B+) (this is gonna hurt me alotttt), Macro(MA) (A+), Econometrics(MA) (A+), Math for Econ(MA) (A),
Econ Courses (undergrad institute): Micro-I, II, grad (A+, A, A), Macro I, II, grad (A+,A, A), Econometrics I,II,grad (A+,A, A+), Adv Game Theory (A), Adv Math Econ (A) and various other courses of undergrad level.
Letters of Recommendation: diff combo of profs 2 from masters and 2 from undergrad prog.
Research Interests: Applied Econometrics, Labor, IO
SOP: Was told to not exceed one page by my referee. standard I'm sure
Teaching Experience: TA for econometrics for an entire year at my undergrad institute. currently TAing at my grad school but wasnt able to include this in my app file.
Concerns: My B+s in real and functional plus esp my B+ in grad Micro are gonna hurt me big time. its strange how one bad day can jeopardize things so badly.
Applying to: Yale, Michigan, Austin, Cornell, Wisconsin, Duke, Virginia, WUSTL, Rochester, Vanderbilt, Queens, UWO, Maryland, Minnesota
Rejections: Cornell, Duke, Yale

crime_dog 2009:
Institution: Yale University
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 2/20/09
Notified through: Email to check website
Comments: I love the smell of burnt ego in the morning.

mathemagician 2009:
Institution: UT Austin
Program: Economics PhD
Decision: Accepted
Funding: ??
Notification date: 3/3
Notified through: E-mail
Comments: Whew, I thought I was going to get rejected by all schools because I only had principles of micro and macro at the time of application.

penarol49 2009:
Institution: UT Austin
Program: PhD
Decision: Accepted
Funding: Not at this time
Notification date: 3/10
Notified through: Email

myrrh 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: University of Maryland - Environmental Economics w/ Math minor
Undergrad GPA: 3.77, magna cum laude
Type of Grad: none
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 770Q 540V 4.0AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III (A-,B,A), Linear Algebra (A-), Differential Equations (A-), Number Theory (B), Advanced Calculus I (B), Probability Theory (B), Mathematical Statistics (TBD)
Econ Courses: Intro Micro and Macro (A,B+), Intermediate Micro (B+), Economic Statistics (A+), Intro Econ & Environment (A), Econ of Nat'l Resources (A), Econ of Land Use (A), Public Finance (A+), Game Theory (A+), Econometrics I (A), Intermediate Macro (TBD), Econ of Climate Change (TBD)
Other Courses: Environmental Policy and Philosophy courses, all A's
Letters of Recommendation: 2 AREC and 1 ECON professor, well known and respected in their fields, should have been solid
Research Experience: ~2-3 years as an undergrad RA in the AREC department. Currently and at time of application, working on honors thesis that has been described as "ambitious," hope to have a publishable version this summer.
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Environmental/resource economics, computational economics, applied micro
SOP: Tried to make it engaging, explained why I wanted to be an econimist (environmental research!), talked about my own research and what I wanted to in the future, etc.
Other: n/a
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Davis ARE Ph.D. ($), UW Madison AAE MS (no$), Cornell AEM (no$)
Waitlists: none
Rejections: Harvard, Yale, Michigan, UT Austin, UC Berkeley ARE, UW Madison AAE Ph.D., Cornell AEM Ph.D.
Pending: none
What would you have done differently? On hand I would have done nothing differently: you really only need one good admit and I am more than satisfied with UC Davis. On the other hand, if I had to do it all over again I would have made sure to have a 4.0 Econ GPA (because I'm sure those 2 B+'s set off red flags), got at least ONE A in my upper level math and found the time/energy to take the graduate micro series. My QGRE was also at the lower bound of what I would have liked it to have been, but I do not think taking the GRE again would have been worth it. I also would have applied to more mid-range top 20-25 ECON schools instead of Harvard and Yale.
All in all, I feel pretty good about how the whole thing went. I'll be attending UC Davis ARE in the fall!

Sonaar 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.A. Economics, minor in History from a Latin American University
Undergrad GPA: 4.3/5.0, ranked 2nd in cohort.
Type of Grad: M.A. Economics, same Uni as undergrad
Grad GPA: 4.4/5.0, ranked 7th in cohort.
GRE: 790Q, 500V, 4.0 AWA. Second time.
Math Courses: Calculus I, II and multivariate (A, B+, A), linear algebra (A), Math for economics (A), Math statistics I and II (both As), Econometrics I and II (both As)
Econ Courses (PhD-level): Micro (A+), Macro (A), Econometrics (A), Growth theory (A), International Economics (A), etc. for M.A.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Micro I, II and III (A, B+, A); Macro I, II and III (A, B, A+), Fiscal and Monetary theory, Public Economics... lots of them, lots of As.
Letters of Recommendation: one from a pre-tenured economics professor, one from the senior economist of a IFI, other from an economist of another IFI. One from a prof of a Public Policy School.
Research Experience: lots, almost 7 years between an Latin American think tank, now at IFI.
Teaching Experience: tutor of linear algebra and other econ courses, TA and later main instructor.
Research Interests: Applied Microeconomics, Health economics, Development, Labor
SOP: Done, pretty good
Concerns: some weak grades and econ and math courses (I was young and stupid then), and no formal, more advanced math.
Other: M.A. thesis published at local refereed journal, presented at an international conference.
RESULTS:
Attending: Maryland ($)
Acceptances: Maryland ($)
Rejections: Michigan, Duke, Michigan St, UT Austin, Johns Hopkins, U British Columbia, Brown.
Pending: BU
What would you have done differently? A lot. besides the obvious (more math, better grades, apply to more safeties), I should have applied earlier. Too much RAship (7 years!) probably hurt my application. I was extremely lucky to get a funded offer.

Ecolocomex 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA Economics top LATAM university
Undergrad GPA: 3.78
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: None
GRE: 740Q, 410V 3.5 AWA
Math Courses: Throughout then whole BA studies, never knew about real analysis. Lots of Statistics.
Econ Courses: Advanced Micro, Advanced Micro, Monetary Policy, Industrial Organization, International Trade, Public Sector Economics, Econometrics
Other Courses: Environmental economics, financial markets, etc.
Letters of Recommendation: Professors of economics who also happen to be directors of the graduate school I attended.
Research Experience: Issues in international trade and industrial organization at the construction sector firm.
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: International Economics, Monetary Policy, Financial markets
SOP: Application of economics in public policy issues.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UBC MA (no$), McGill MA ($)
Waitlists: None
Rejections: Yale Phd, LSE MA, Columbia Phd, Harvard Phd, UT Austin Phd.
Pending: UofT
What would you have done differently?
I’d have improved my GRE, and done more research. Perhaps that’s the way the cookie crumbles, and I’m rather into applied economics than a PhD. Perhaps I needed to improve my knowledge of economics through a MA program first, and then decide over MBA or PhD.

TomRod 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Mathematics and B.A. Economics[listed as 'additional major'] with decent math program and well-known undergraduate economics program [without doctoral program]
Undergrad GPA: 3.36 or so overall
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 800Q/640V/5.5AWA
Math Courses: Calculus I,II,III, Linear Algebra, Matrix Analysis, Univariate Real Analysis, Multivariate Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Financial Mathematics, Graduate Topology, "Proofs Class", (waived Diff E.Q. because of related research experience)
Econ Courses: Intro Macro & Micro, Intermediate Macro & Micro & Econometrics, Economic Statistics, Intermediate I/O, Graduate Macro & Micro & Statistics, Graduate Game Theory (Repeated Games & Reputations)
Letters of Recommendation: LORS requested only from professors who actually cared to see where I end up and wanted to see me personally succeed. Spent a long time getting to know professors personally and professionally. Mostly math and a few economics professors. Felt snubbed by a majority of my economics professors due to a low overall GPA (it took my awhile to find my interests and a bad grade never scared me from taking a class I was only marginally prepared for)
Research Interests: Varied. Ideally computational economics and econometrics or macroeconomics
SOP: "Best written [SOP] I've ever seen..." I'm a sucker for flattery, but it seemed a little over the top. Talked strongly of recent experience, how it shaped my current goals, and where I'd like to see these goals end up, and why grad school is essential for me to achieve those goals in their current incarnation.
Teaching Experience: Linear Algebra TA, Matlab teacher, econometrics tutor, microeconomics tutor, Math Lab TA
Research Experience: Research involving Computational Economics and Financial Systems
Work Experience: Researcher for 1.5 years, Measurement and Verification engineer for 2 years
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UT Austin
Rejections: Rochester, Michigan, UT Austin (Management), NCSU (Statistics)
Pending: None
What would you have done differently? Probably nothing but try to get higher grades in my intermediate classes. Man I hate filling out these kinds of things [showboating is not something I enjoy, nor pointing out flaws] but I hope it helps some undergrad in a situation and with goals similar to mine achieve what they hope for!

Zmoney 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Large U.S. Public University ranked 40-55 (best in state) typically known for Football not Economics
Undergrad GPA: 3.93 overall 4.0 in Econ 3.69 in Math Graduating Summa
GRE: 800 Q 540 V 5.0 AWA
Math Courses: Calc 1-3 1,2 tested out 3(B+), Differential Equations(B), Stat 1(A), Probability(A) Lin Alg (A) Math Stats 2 in Spring
Econ Courses: Intros, Intermediates, Public Econ, Sports Econ, Empirical Research, Independent Study (for research) Labor, Empirical Public Econ I (PhD field) All A's
Other Courses: Minors in Food and Resource Economics, and History
Letters of Recommendation: 3 LORS 2 excellent letters from pretty well known Econ faculty in their concentrations (one Phd Chicago the other Wisconsin) and 1 very good letter from a senior member of the Ag Econ Department (Purdue well known in Ag econ)
Research Experience: 2 written empirical papers one for the class in research and the other (to be my thesis) I want to get published. Database work and research at Fed
Teaching Experience: N/A
Research Interests: Public Econ, Public Choice, Taxation Policy, Political Economy
SOP: Solid i think, had multiple profs say they wouldn't change a thing
Other: Internship at the Federal Reserve, Strong Undergraduate leadership positions
Concerns: My B in Diffy Q, Coming from a big public school, No Real Analysis.
RESULTS:
Attending: Virginia
Admitted, Declined: Michigan State, Boston College, Florida
Waitlists: none
Rejections: Northwestern, NYU, Penn, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maryland, Texas-Austin, Cornell, Duke
What would you have done differently?
Started taking math freshman year as opposed to junior year. Double majored in Stats

Texcards 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Minor Economics and Math at very large state school (top 15 engineering, top 50 economics)
Undergrad GPA: 3.35/4.0 (3.65 Math, 4.0 Econ)
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 800Q, 550V, 4.0AW
Math Courses: Calc I-III(A,B,A), Differential Equations (B), Linear Algebra (A), Mathematical Probability and Statistics (A), Fund Discrete Math (Spring 09)
Econ Courses: Principles of Micro and Macro (A, CR by exam), Intermediate Micro and Macro theory, Econometrics (A,A,A)
Other Courses: Lots of engineering
Letters of Recommendation: 2 not well known assistant econ professors (UT-Austin, Rice) but excelled in their classes, 1 associate engr professor (Berkeley) that I went on a study abroad trip with
Research Experience: none
Teaching Experience: none
Research Interests: International and Development
SOP: Paragraph about why I wanted to do econ even though I did engineering as an undergrad, another on my interests, and another on why I wanted to be an academic. Slightly altered my interests paragraph depending on the school, but for the most part the same for each one.
Other: Didnt start considering this until fall of last year.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Riverside (Fellowship), University of San Francisco MA in International and Development Economics (1/2 tuition remission + TA), UC Davis, University of Washington, UC Santa Cruz, Colorado, Oregon, UI-Chicago
Waitlists: Oregon fellowship, eventually notified of no funding
Rejections: Maryland, Boston University, Boston College, UT Austin, Michigan State, Georgetown, UBC MA
Pending: Toronto MA, Queens MA
What would you have done differently?
I wouldnt have applied to the Canadian MAs (1 year wouldnt have been enough to help me), Michigan State, UCSC, or UI-Chicago and maybe applied to a couple more reaches instead, but I really didn't think I would get into as many as I did. I dont know if it would have changed anything though, after really thinking about it I think an MA is a very good choice for me. Ive realized that my 3 economics courses hasnt given me enough of a background in general economics knowledge. Yes I could learn it in the course of a PhD but I think strengthening my economics background will allow me to have more focus on what field I want to go into and give me more ideas when I eventually start to write my dissertation. An MA will also allow me to improve 3 big weaknesses in my profile: (1) Do some research which will allow me to have (2) stronger letter of recommendations and (3) a more focused SOP.
I think I learned a lot in this application process and feel like I will be able to put together a much better application in 2 years after an MA.
Attending:
University of San Francisco MA in International and Development Economics

rvalchev 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small private school. First tier according to US News but dead last in that tier
Undergrad GPA: 4.0 - I have another 2 weeks till graduation but hopefully it'll stay this way
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 530V, 5.0 AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Optimization, Real Analysis, Topology, Probability Theory, Computational Statistics, Differential Equations
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro and Macro, Econometrics and Forecasting, Game Theory, Money and Banking, Public Economics
Other Courses: Assortment of Business core classes.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Letters from Econ Profs and 1 from a math prof. I think letters will be good to great, math professor has taught me for 2 years and I've conducted research for an year together with one of my econ profs.
Research Experience: Honors Thesis, RA for two summers but I wasted those summers so nothing really came out of it.
Research Interests: Metrics, applied metrics ... i am open to anything
SOP: It was weak, unfocused and not customized for schools
RESULTS:
Attending: Duke ($$$)
Acceptances, declined: Wisconsin ($$$), Cornell ($$$), Ohio State( $$$), UNC -Chapel Hill ($$$), Michigan State ($$$), Pitt ($$$), Tinbergen Institute ($$$), LSE EME (Research), Oxford MPhil, Michigan (no $), Texas(no $), USC ($$$),
Waitlists: Duke funding waitlist, BU funding waitlist, Princeton Waitlist, Texas Waitlist, Michigan waitlist
Rejections: MIT, Princeton (rejected from waitlist), Berkeley, Yale, Harvard, UPenn, Chicago, UCSD, Penn State, Boston College, Cambridge
What would you have done differently? First, read jeeve's thread about suggestions for people from less known undergrads (it was impossible since it was not written until a couple of days ago, but that's what future people should do). Second, apply to NYU, Columbia and Northwestern (but most probably I would have only taken Northwestern over Duke. But still, my portfolio of schools was a little unbalanced). Third, write a much, much better SOPs that would be much better tailored to different schools. You'll be surprised how much SOPs matter (heard it directly from admissions directors at TOP10 and TOP20 schools).Fourth, don't get RA positions that are in the network of your schools and professors because you are already part of this network, so it doesn't add much to your profile. Go out and work for somebody different.

jito32 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Finance from Univ Florida
Undergrad GPA: 3.89/4
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 800Q, 650V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc Sequence (A), Sets & Logic (A) Diff. Eq, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Statistics next semester
Econ Courses: Principles (As) Intermediate Micro (A) Urban next semester
Letters of Recommendation: 2 econ professors, one great one good, 1 from finance lecturer
Research Experience: RA for a year
Teaching Experience: TA for a year
Research Interests: Macro, public, interational
SOP: Boiler plate
Concerns: Just decided to pursue the degree this summer, so lacking in math/econ classes.
RESULTS:
Acceptances:
Waitlists:
Rejections:
Pending: Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Rochester, Boston U, Texas, Virginia, WUSTL, Iowa, George Mason
What you would have done differently: Started applying sooner. I knew all semester what I was doing but somehow everything got pushed back with my late GRE date of November 1st. Wish I would have read this forum earlier.

Kaye09 2009:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top 30 liberal arts college - no special rep for Econ.
Undergrad GPA: 3.65/4.0 magna with honors in Econ.
Major: Economics and German
GRE: 790Q, 570V, 5.0 writing
Math Courses: Calc I - III with A's in everything. Intro to Stat - A. Comp. Sci.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): All required plus some. No Econometrics. 4.0 Econ GPA.
Other Courses: German - Lotta good...
Letters of Recommendation: 3 econ professors. UC Berkeley and American Ph.D.All knew me well but were not especially well known.
Research Experience: Honors thesis - unpublished. RA for one professor.
Teaching Experience: Two years teaching high school math in the classroom full time. Undergrad TA for 3 years.
Research Interests: Labor, Development.
SOP: Pretty solid.
Concerns: Minimal math background. I decided to apply on Dec. 1st so applications and recs were done very quickly. Only applied to two schools.
Applying to: UT-Austin. Cornell AEM MS

Jaktu 2009:
Institution: Caltech
Program: Social Science, Ph.D
Decision: Rejected
Funding:
Notification date: 02/27
Notified through: Email
Institution: Penn State
Program: Economics, Ph.D
Decision: Rejected
Funding:
Notification date: 02/25
Notified through: Email
Institution: Minnesota
Program: Economics, Ph.D
Decision: Rejected
Funding:
Notification date: 02/25
Notified through: Email
I miss the days when I was applying to engineering schools. I felt like a king with all the funded offers and flyouts.