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tcttc 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: University in China ranked between 3-5. Econ department is not so famous.
Undergrad GPA: 3.79 overall, 3.92 last 2 years
Type of Grad: Master of economics in US university with top 20 econ department
Grad GPA: 4.0
GRE: V640+Q800+AW3.5
Math Courses (undergrad-level): calculus, linear algebra, ODE, probability, statistics, complex analysis, functions of real variables, stochastic process, intro to topology, abstract algebra, measure theory, numeric analysis, dynamic programming
Math Courses (grad-level): measure and probability, linear models, Functional analysis
Econ Courses (PhD-level): RA for economists , Micro 1 & 2, metrics 1,2, Metrics 3.a & b
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): primary + intermediate micro, macro and metrics sequence, several math econ courses
Other Courses: Finance 1 in B-school
Letters of Recommendation: 1 young Associate professor from UCSD (know me quite well, took class with him),
1 new hired assistant professor from Northwestern (took class with him and get an A+),
1 young associate professor from Univ of Florida (took class with him and get an A),
1 senior full professor from Harvard (my director, know me well, work with him).
None of my references are famous economists. But they are all very kind persons. Two of them think I am strong. I didn't talk with the other two too much.
Research Experience:1. undergraduate thesis (excellent thesis award),
2. 2 course projects in my first year in US.
3. worked with my director on a conference project. And finally he converted it to a working paper and put my name on it. not published and not theoretical. I feel very grateful for him to put my name on it but I didn't talk it too much in my sop.
4. Now RAing for a professor in Law school. mainly coding in R and run all kinds of regressions.
Teaching Experience:none in english, undergraduate metrics in Chinese
Research Interests: metrics theory
SOP: Pretty good I guess. Although my AW is low, I ask for help from my friend who is good at writing proposals and my directors.
Concerns: Low AW, funding
Others: TOEFL 110
Applying to: (all econ PhD) USC, U Washington, UC Davis, UT Austin, BU, Duke, NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, UCSD, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT
Results:
Acceptances: Duke($$), BU(waitlisted for 1st year/$$ from 2nd year), UT Austin($$), USC($$$),UC Davis(?), U Washington Seatle(asked about my other offers, then withdrew),
Rejections: NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, UCSD, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT.

Integral 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA Math & Econ, top-30 US undergrad
Undergrad GPA: 3.7 overall; 3.5 in math; 4.0 in econ, or near enough
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 790Q 640V 5.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-II-III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Probability, Advanced Calculus, Real Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Topology
Econ Courses: Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, Econometrics, lots of field courses, PhD Micro I
Other Courses: nothing special; a few programming classes
Letters of Recommendation: 1 from thesis advisor; 1 from honors director & RA supervisor; 1 from a course instructor. All quite good, I think. Two of the three are reasonably well-known.
Research Experience: Honors thesis (money/macro), RA for one summer (trade), RA for a private research firm for one summer
Teaching Experience: Six semesters of teaching Intro Micro, Intro Macro, and Intro Stats.
Research Interests: Social Choice Theory, Mechanism Design, Monetary Economics, Macroeconometrics, Nonparametric Econometrics (it's a weird combo, I admit)
SOP: Nothing special.
Other: Some schools got my grades for Micro I, Algebra, and Topology; others didn't. I took those three in the fall.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Iowa State ($$), UC-Davis, Boston College ($$)
Waitlists: Wisconsin-Madison
Rejections: Columbia, NYU, NWU, Penn, Brown, Duke, WUSTL, Penn State, Carnegie-Mellon
Attending: Boston College
What would you have done differently?
Two things stand out:
1) Gotten better grades in math. I had B's in several key math courses which I'm sure torpedoed my chances at more than one school. On the other hand, I am fortunate enough to have a control: a friend of mine, at the same institution, who had a far better math record than me, was rejected across the board at the top 10. So who knows?
2) Taken the GRE earlier and gotten an 800Q. I doubt it would have made much of a difference, but I think the GRE cutoff is near 800, if not exactly 800, at the very top. At the very least, getting an 800Q would have put off one dimension of uncertainty.
In terms of undergrad institution and letters, I did about as well as I possibly could have. I started teaching very early; while that didn't affect admissions one iota, teaching was one of the things that opened doors for me in the department and got me the letters of rec I needed. I did all the research I could within the constraints that I had.
It's been a wild ride; I have no true regrets about any of it. I'm incredibly excited to join BC in the fall.

spaceship earth 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Double major in Business Economics & Environmental Studies; Top 10 public, top 40 econ
Undergrad GPA: 3.88
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 780Q 640V 4.5AW
Math Courses: calc series (A+/A), diff equations (A)
Econ Courses: intro micro (A+), intro macro (A-), Micro I (A), Micro II (A), Macro (A+), Nat Resource Econ (A), Env Econ (A+), Data Analysis (A)
Other Courses: lots of ecology & environ science for my environ studies major; relevant because of my research interests, but no substitute for more math/stats/econ
Letters of Recommendation: 1 tenured prof known for resource econ, 1 tenured prof who i performed research under (also known in env/resource econ), 1 recent phd in env econ who was probably unknown but was close to me (TA'd several of my econ classes & guided me through admissions process, now teaches at another unranked school)
Research Experience: employed about 9 months doing econ research part time; also got course credit another time for doing not very technical research related to role of competitive social pressures in mitigating climate change
Teaching Experience: nothing formal; just tutoring on & off for a while
Research Interests: Resource Econ, Environmental Econ, Sustainable Development, Energy Econ/Policy, etc
SOP: Talked about why I wanted to be a economist studying environmental issues. Emphasized extra-curriculars & research.
Other: Was president of an undergrad campus org. Also, I've been working at a global financial services firm since undergrad and I got a CPA license. It probably would have been relevant if I wanted an MBA, but I'm thinking it was no use in this PhD application
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Davis ARE ($), UC Santa Barbara (wl$), U Maryland AREc ($)
Waitlists: None.
Rejections: Stanford, UC Berkeley ARE, Columbia, NYU, Yale, Cornell AEM, UC San Diego
Pending: None.
What would you have done differently? No regrets; I was appropriately placed given my research interests. I reached high and the results were similar to my expectations. Also, you only need 1 good admit. That said, if I knew I was going to get a PhD earlier on here's what I would change (in no order):
1) Take the GRE earlier, so I could retake for an 800Q (I took it in Nov, just weeks before the app deadlines; I'm confident i could have gotten an 800Q since I did on several practice exams)
2) Get a straight "econ" major instead of a "business econ" major (this would mean more math/econ/stats/econometrics instead of more finance/accounting)
3) Get a job post-undergrad that is a better stepping stone to PhD (ie: research job, econ thinktank, econ analyst, certain consulting positions) instead of a job that is a stepping stone to an MBA (ie: finance, accounting, certain banking positions)
4) Realize the importance of LORs earlier and connect with more professors who have connections at top institutions (& do more research under them)
5) Regarding top straight econ depts, I also think I was out competed by alot of people w/ masters degrees. It might have served me well to get a masters to bulk up on econ/math/stats/etc.

FromTheHip 2011:
Well, time to throw out my profile, which I suspect will make my results a source of hope for many with mediocre undergraduate GPAs.
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS in a science field at a highly-ranked U.S. university
Undergrad GPA: 3.34/4
Type of Grad: Part time classes at a top-5 econ program
Grad GPA: 4.0/4
GRE: 800Q, 700V, 4.5AW
Math Courses: Linear Algebra (A), Multivariable Calculus (A), Vector Analysis (B), Differential Equations (A-), Real Analysis (B+)
Econ Courses (grad-level): Two semesters of core micro (A/A), both grades near the top of the class
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro Micro (A-), Intro Macro (A-), Intermediate micro (A-), Intermediate Macro (A-), Two term theoretical econometrics course (B/B+)
Other Courses: A lot of very quantitative science courses.
Letters of Recommendation: All three were economists with tenure at a top-5 econ program and PhDs from top programs. One was a professor from my core micro who talked about my coursework, while another was my long-time boss (see below). The third worked as my advisor on an independent project.
Research Experience: Two years as an RA and an independent research project (still ongoing).
Research Interests: Resource/environmental, development, game theory, IO. Statement focused on resource, game theory, and development.
SOP: Fairly long. I’ve spent some time outside of undergrad and was not an econ major, so I spent a bit of time explaining how I’d come to be interested in economics and putting my non-economics accomplishments into context.
Other experience: Several years work experience before starting my economics career
Concerns: Non-economics background, low undergraduate grades
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Cornell (no $), Georgetown ($), Iowa State ($),LSE ($), Penn State ($), Rochester ($), UC-Davis ($), UC-San Diego ($), UC-Santa Barbara (no $), University of British Columbia ($), University of Colorado ($), UPenn (initially wl for $, then $), University of Wisconsin ($), Yale ($).
Rejections: Berkeley ARE, Brown, Caltech, Chicago, Chicago Booth, Duke, Harvard, Minnesota, NYU, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, University of Maryland, University of Michigan
Waitlists: BU (withdrew), Columbia (withdrew), MIT (eventually rejected)
Withdrawn: University of Wyoming
Attending: Yale
What would you have done differently? Gotten better undergraduate grades and started as an economist sooner.
Other Comments: Given where I was coming in, I’m pretty ecstatic about my results. There was a lot of variance in my admits, and I’m grateful to all the programs which were willing to take a chance on me.

Potica 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA econ and psych from top 10 liberal arts college. Post-BA math classes in continuing studies program at top 20 University
Undergrad GPA: 3.5 (overall), 3.4 (BA institution), 3.8 (post-BA), 3.6 (econ classes), 3.6 (final two years of UG at liberal arts college)
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: Q780, V650, AWA 5.0
Math Courses: Calc I-III (C, A, A), Linear Algebra (A), Differential Equations (A-), Game Theory (A-), Probability I-III (A, A, A-), Real Analysis I-III (B+, A, A-), Math Stats I (B-). All but Calc I taken post BA.
Econ Courses: Intro Micro (B+), Intro Macro (B+), Intermediate Micro (A-), Intermediate Macro (A), Econometrics (B+), IO (A), Decision Making (A-), IO Seminar (A), Trade (B+), Managerial Econ (A-), Law and Econ (P)
Other Courses: lots of psychology courses, a few history classes.
Letters of Recommendation: Two young (well known) economists at top 10 econ PhD program for whom I had a 1.5 year RA job. One economist who previously had a senior position at the FTC who supervised me at a consulting firm for 5 years. Letters were clearly strong.
Research Experience: Undergrad thesis (both econ and psych), work at econ consulting firm (5 years), full time RA job at top 10 university (1.5 years), co-authored working paper with supervisors at RA job, and a little bit of very preliminary work on a couple of my own ideas
Teaching Experience: TA for 2 quarters of intro micro and 2 quarters of intro macro
Research Interests: Applied micro (changed the fields a bit from school to school)
SOP: Probably strong. Good argument for why I want to study econ and why I am prepared. Wrote extensively about two research ideas. Customization varied from school to school.
Concerns: Relatively old, weak undergraduate grades, no grad classes.
Other: Presented co-authored paper as a poster at a conference in late March (a mention that the paper was accepted for the conference made it onto about half of my apps)
RESULTS
Acceptances: UW Madison ($), Cornell ($), UT Austin ($), UVA ($), OSU (unclear), Vanderbilt ($), UC Davis ($), UC Irvine ($), Notre Dame ($)
Waitlists: U Chicago Booth econ (accepted), U Michigan Ross econ (accepted), Brown (accepted), U Maryland (accepted, no $), U Michigan (withdrawn, prob could have gotten in at last minute), UNC (withdrawn), U Minnesota (rejected)
Rejections: Yale, Harvard PEG, Berkeley ARE, Stanford, Princeton, UPenn, Wharton Applied Econ, U Chicago, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, CMU, Duke, JHU, Rochester, University of British Columbia, UCSD, Wash U
Attending: U Chicago Booth econ
What would you have done differently?
Not much. Would have changed my mix of schools slightly and not applied to UBC (with its $150 application fee). Obviously I could have done better as an undergrad, but at the time I had no interest in graduate school. I think the RA job was hugely beneficial (for a number of reason). My results would have been much worse without it. The last five months have been very busy and stressful, so I'm happy it's done even, especially given how well it turned out.

nat_resource 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS environmental science with chemistry minor from a public master's granting university
Undergrad GPA: 3.55
Type of Grad: master's in an environmental field from a well recognized program
Grad GPA: 3.8
GRE: 780Q 590V 4.0W
Math Courses: Calculus I & II, Vector Calculus I, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations I (B+ average)
Econ Courses (undergrad): intermediate micro (A)
Econ Courses (master's level): Micro I & II (B+, A), Intro Econometrics (A), Econometrics (A-), Environmental Economics (A-), Natural Resources Economics (A)
Other Courses: a lot of chemistry and environmental science, some biology
Letters of Recommendation: Two very strong letters from economists, one from an ecologist. All three are well known in their fields.
Research Experience: EPA graduate research fellowship, master's thesis
Research Interests: Natural resources and environmental, interdisciplinary environmental economics.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Davis ARE ($$$), Maryland AREc ($$), Wisconsin AAE ($$), UCSB (none), U Washington (none), NCSU (none)
Waitlists:
Rejections: Yale School of Forestry, Cornell AEM, UCB ARE
What would you have done differently? Not applied to NCSU. Should have thrown an application to UCSD and Michigan as reaches. Overall I did okay for someone with a limited economics background.

weatherdilem 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS Management Science (Honors), BA International Relations @ top 20 Econ school
Undergrad GPA: 3.75 overall, 3.82 Econ
Type of Grad: None
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 800Q, 740V, 5.0 AWA
Math Courses: Multivariable, Linear Algebra, Applied Linear Algebra, Intro to Higher Math
Econ Courses (grad-level): None
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro, Decisions Under Uncertainty, Financial Markets, Game Theory, International Monetary Relations, Econometrics (full year), Developmental Economics
Other Courses: Political Economy, A ton of Political Science courses w/international slant
Letters of Recommendation: 1 strong from well known econ professor, 2 fairly strong from good professors, 1 very strong from lecturer in econometrics.
Research Experience: Independent research starting in 2nd year, no RA positions, senior thesis in progress
Teaching Experience: 1 semester of TA
Research Interests: Game theory, Behavioral, Public finance, International Relations
SOP: ?Haven't written
Concerns: Math and grades are so so, I'll be taking Analysis after I apply
Other: Double majoring was a poor choice, should've focused on math/econ and had the time to take grad courses
Applying to: Not sure yet, definitely Berkeley and a bunch more from different tiers

Cognazor 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA Economics
Undergrad GPA: 3.5
Type of Grad: Geography
Grad GPA: 3.92
GRE: Q-760 V-640 A-4.0
Math Courses: Calc 1-3, Linear Algebra
Econ Courses (grad-level): 0
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Tons
Other Courses: Lots of GIS/spatial analysis stuff
Letters of Recommendation: 2 from Geography MS (including thesis advisor), 1 from Econ BA. Pretty good I hope
Research Experience: RA during master's, RA for Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), graduate thesis
Teaching Experience: TA during MS
Research Interests: Applied Research in Development/Environmental/Regional Economics
SOP: Yes
Concerns: Low undergrad GPA, Low GRE analytical.
Other: I have been out of school for a few years, am probably a little older than most applicants. Hoping my work experience will be beneficial.
Applying to: Berkeley ARE, Davis ARE, Maryland ARE, Oregon St applied, Cornell Applied, Wisconsin Applied, Michigan St AFR, Ohio State AED, Minnesota Applied (MS), George Washington University, Clark

Refused 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top 5 undergrad, top 10 econ - Physics and Economics
Undergrad GPA: 3.4
Type of Grad: Top 10 math, non-degree
Grad GPA: 4.0
GRE: 800q 680v 5.0aw
Math Courses: Real analysis, ODE, PDE, stats, probability (grad)
Econ Courses (grad-level):
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Advanced micro, econometrics, &c.
Other Courses: physics
Letters of Recommendation: 2 top 10 profs and one 1 top 5 PhD now in industry
Research Experience: RA one summer, economics research group at investment bank since college, 1 working paper
Teaching Experience: no
Research Interests: Macro
SOP: yes
Concerns: B- in real analysis
Other:
Applying to: NYU, NYU Stern, Wisconsin, UCLA, UCSD, Boston University, Duke, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Washington University in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins, UC Davis, Georgetown, Boston College, Penn State, UC Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, University of Washington, Virginia, Duke MA, UBC MA, Oxford MSc in Economics for Development

notafraid 2011:
Institution: UC Irvine
Program: Econ PhD
Decision: Accepted
Funding: fellowship/taship/no details
Notification date: Feb 09
Notified through:Email
Comments: happy happy joy joy

econfin2011 2011:
Institution: Yale
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/16/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: First result. First rejection. This hurts!
Institution: UC Davis
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: to be decided before the end of march.
Notification date: 02/17/2011 (unofficial) and 02/28/2011 (official)
Notified through: unnoficial email (at first) and then email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: First acceptance! Feels good not to be rejected...
Institution: Arizona State University
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: 5-year Assistantship (TA/RA) + insurance
Notification date: 02/22/2011
Notified through: email
Posted on GC: no
Comment: My two safeties worked out. Hoping for a TOP 20 offer now...
Institution: U Penn
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/24/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment:
Institution: Duke
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/28/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: Hurts so much! I really liked their department...
Waiting for more 14 results...

mikekohyw 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad:BS in Business at private top-25 school
Undergrad GPA:3.62, 4.0 in econ courses
Type of Grad:MA in econ at Public Master's univ.
Grad GPA: 4.0
GRE: 800Q/630V/4.0AWA
Math Courses: Calc 1-3, Intro linear alg and diff equations (all A's), math probability, linear algebra, proofs (all A's; completed in Fall 2010), real analysis, math stats (in progress, will complete by Spring 2011)
Econ Courses (grad level): MA Macro, Micro, econometrics (all A's), time series (B+, Fall 2010), research methods (A, Fall 2010)
Econ Courses (undergrad level): Basic and intermediate macro/micro, econometrics, math econ, macroecon and growth (all A's)
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation: 4 econ professors from master's program
Research Experience: Master's thesis (Still in progress), 1 year as graduate assistant
Teaching Experience: 1 year as econ tutor
Research Interests: Not sure yet...leaning towards applied micro/development
SOP: Probably not well-written as indicated by the results...
Other:
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Houston ($$$), UC Santa Cruz ($$), Hawaii (waitlist $)
Waitlists: Rice, Washington
Rejections: Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UT-Austin, Vanderbilt, USC
Pending: Texas A&M
Attending: Houston
What would you have done differently? Taking more math courses in undergrad. I've spent 2 years in grad school trying to catch up the math courses, as I have no math courses under my belt in college. Apparently, I still fell short of the top-50 programs after 2 years of preparation. Since I spent most of the time playing catch-up, I could not start to do some research of my own as I was too occupied with course works. That probably hurts my profile as well. Overall, I would say if I could choose again, I will definitely not do the garbage degree called business administration in my undergrad years.

ryanmagic 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Rank 3 University in China (Fudan), B.A. of econonmics, with one semester exchange experience in UC Davis.
Undergrad GPA: 3.57 in Fudan, top 10%; 4.0 in UC Davis (courses with * below).
Type of Grad: N/A.
Grad GPA: N/A.
GRE: 800Q 540V 3.0 AWA, TOEFL 105.
Math Courses: Advanced Math (differential calculus, integrals, a little differential equations)(B&A-), Linear Algebra(B+), Probability Theory(A), Statistics(A-).
Econ Courses (grad-level): N/A.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Political Economics(A), Micro(A), Macro(B+), International Trade(B+), History of Economic Thoughts(A), Econometrics(A+*), Macro Development(A*), Money and Banking(A+*), Financial Management(A-), Industrial Economics(A), Investment(B), Economic History of China(A), Accounting(B), Contemporary Chinese Economy(B+), Theory on Capital(C+).
Other Courses: C programming(A).
Letters of Recommendation: 2 from UC Davis, 1 from Fudan.
Research Experience: RA for a term, one independent project and one team project in progress.
Teaching Experience: Representative for a course.
Research Interests: Labor, Development, IO.
SOP: So so.
Other: Awarded the National Scholarship in China (for top 1tudents).
RESULTS:
Acceptances: BU MA, UC Davis ARE MS.
Waitlists:
Rejections: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Northwestern, UPenn, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Duke, CMU, Rochester, Maryland, Berkeley AREC, BU, JHU, UC Davis, Georgetown, U Colorado - Boulder, UC Davis ARE PhD.
Pending: Syracuse, Columbia QMSS.
What would you have done differently?
I would apply to Canadian master programs, Duke master and Tufts master.

nnweconphd 2011:
Institution: Duke University
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejection
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 2/25
Notified through: Email to check website
Posted on GF: No
Comments:expected

econfin2011 2011:
Institution: Yale
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/16/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: First result. First rejection. This hurts!
Institution: UC Davis
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: to be decided before the end of march.
Notification date: 02/17/2011 (unofficial) and 02/28/2011 (official)
Notified through: unnoficial email (at first) and then email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: First acceptance! Feels good not to be rejected...
Institution: Arizona State University
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: 5-year Assistantship (TA/RA) + insurance
Notification date: 02/22/2011
Notified through: email
Posted on GC: no
Comment: My two safeties worked out. Hoping for a TOP 20 offer now...
Institution: U Penn
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/24/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment:
Institution: Duke
Program: PhD Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: n/a
Notification date: 02/28/2011
Notified through: email to check letter on the website
Posted on GC: no
Comment: Hurts so much! I really liked their department...
Waiting for more 14 results...

blackwhite 2011:
Institution: USC
Program: PhD Economics
Decision:rejected
Funding:
Notification date: 1/15/2011
Notified through: Postal Mail
Posted on GC : No
Comments: Disappointing