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troll2 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BSc Economics from a swedish uni.
Undergrad GPA: we don't calculate gpa over here
GRE: 790/490/4.0
Math Courses: One var calculus, Multivar calculus, Linear Algebra, Maths for econ
Econ Courses: Intermediate micro/econometrics/macro, labor, game theory, IO, environ. econ
Letters of Recommendation: Thesis advisor (unkown), Political Science prof at UCSD (somewhat known)
Research Experience: Mandatory BSc thesis
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: No idea
SOP: Who reads them anyways?
RESULTS:
Acceptances: LSE (MSc EME), Barcelona GSE (MSc Econ), Tilburg (Msc Econ)
Waitlists: Cambridge (MPhil Econ)
Rejections: N/A
Pending: SSE (MSc Econ)

thegunners 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Engineering. Top university in my country (Asia) and quite reputed worldwide.
Undergrad GPA: 7.73/ 10
Type of Grad: MS in Economics from a very well-known institution in my country.
Grad GPA: 82% (class rank 2)
GRE: Q800, V620, AWA 6.0
Math Courses: Math 1 & 2 (Consists of calculus, vector calculus, numerical methods), Transform calculus, ODE and PDE, Real Analysis, Linear Algebra
Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, macro, econometrics, stats, game theory etc etc.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level):
Other Courses: none relevant
Research experience: Worked with a professor at a reasonably well-known European university over the summer of 2009. Worked on political economy. Produced a writing sample.
Working as an RA since June, 2010. Working on experiments.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Game theory profs - very well known. Very famous. 1-from the prof I worked with over the summer of 2009. He is quite famous too.
Teaching Experience: None.
Research Interests: Micro theory, political economy, social choice theory.
SOP: standard
Concerns: Low undergrad GPA. Less math courses in undergrad.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UPenn (with 1st yr funding waitlist), LSE, Penn State
Waitlists: Princeton, NYU
Rejections: Yale, Duke
What would you have done differently? If I had known long ago, the importance of math courses, then I would have taken more at the undergrad level. But apart from that there is very little that I think I did wrong. However, if there was something that I could have done to counter some unfortunate events that affected my application (I can't talk about them here), tough though it was, I could have worked a bit harder on producing a research material of a better quality. I think if your recommenders are well connected, impressing them with a stunning research work would boost your chances significantly. That's a very subjective thing though.

Segan 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Large Canadian University, not very well known for economics
Undergrad GPA: 4.0
Type of Grad: NA
Grad GPA: NA
GRE: 800 Q/570 V/5.0 AW
Math Courses: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability/Stats for Economists, Mathematical Economics I and II (all A+)
Econ Courses: Econometrics I (grad); Intro to econometrics; Microeconomics I, II, and III; Macroeconomics I, II, and III; Environmental Economics, Economic Growth, Cost-Benefit Analysis (all A+).
Other Courses: 2 geomatics courses (1 in geostatistics), a minor in political science
Letters of Recommendation: 1 full professor, 1 assistant professor, and 1 associate professor. The full professor is a star in the department, but I doubt any will have major name recognition.
Research Experience: At the time of my application, this was a concern. I have 2 interesting research experiences in the private and public sectors related to policy, but had not worked on a strictly economics related project. Since applying, I have taken a directed research job with a professor at our department.
Teaching Experience: NA
Research Interests: Environmental economics, developmental economics
SOP: Elaborated on the contents of the mathematical economics courses I took, particularly because mathematical economics II covers the basics of real analysis and forces us to write some basic proofs.
Other:
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Brown ($$), Maryland AREC ($$), UBC MA ($$), LSE MA, Cambridge MA
Waitlists: MIT
Rejections: Berkeley AREC, Columbia, Stanford
Pending: Queen's MA
What would you have done differently?
Definitely more math, and would have chosen my undergraduate institution more carefully. I am currently unsure about whether I should spend a year to upgrade math courses and take an MA in Canada, or to take what are good options at Brown/Maryland.

kipfilet 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Economics, top school in small European country
Undergrad GPA: 18/20, converted to 4.0/4.0, top of my class
Type of Grad: MPhil in Economics in progress (2 year Masters including 1st year PhD coursework)
Grad GPA: 19/20, converted to 4.0/4.0
GRE: Q800, V710, AWA 5.0
Math Courses: Calc I (already includes some intro real analysis and lots of proofs), Calc II (multivariate calc, topology, lots of optimisation), Linear Algebra, Math I (difference eqns, dynamic programming, discrete-time optimization), Math II (differential eqns, optimal control), Advanced Math (advanced topology and real analysis, measure theory, correspondence theory). All A's
Econ Courses (grad-level): Full Macro and Micro sequences, lots of random trimester courses (game theory I and II, time series, microeconometrics, energy economics, etc), all A's.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Lots of them. In my country, programs are not flexible at all. We spend 3 years being bombed with economics courses just about everything.
Other Courses: some Law, Finance and History courses. Two seminars on European Union institutions.
Letters of Recommendation: My thesis advisor and three assistant professors who know me well I guess (was a student and worked/working in projects with all of them).
Research Experience: Summer internship at a Ministry, applied macro research; lots of minor projects; macroeconometric paper with two colleagues; co-authoring an empirical paper; my MPhil thesis (in progress) is supposed to be one of the three papers one usually writes for a PhD.
Teaching Experience: twice TA (lecturer) for Multivariate Calc, twice TA (lecturer) for intermediate macro (all undergrad)
Research Interests: Macro: monetary economics, DSGE's, asset pricing. Also interested in behavioural.
SOP: Pretty standard, not customised at all. I actually sent the same SOP to ALL schools, only changing their name.
Concerns: Coming from a school that is virtually unknown in the US (and better known as a business school in Europe), no letter of recommendation from a senior professor.
Other: TOEFL 119, Erasmus in a well-known university in the Netherlands.
RESULTS
Acceptances: Minnesota ($$$), UPenn ($$$), LSE (), Oxford (MPhil, no ), Columbia ($$$), Chicago (no $), Northwestern (no$ 1st year), NYU($$$)
Waitlists: UCLA (rej), MIT (rej), Northwestern (acc), NYU (acc)
Rejections: Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, UCLA, MIT.
Attending: NYU
What would you have done differently?
Not much, I think. I regret not having asked a letter of recommendation from a well-known professor at my university whom I later discovered to be rather willing to write it (I had never worked for him). Not asking any senior prof for a letter of recommendation was a huge risk I took, and I only discovered the value of seniority much later (i.e. after having discovered TM). My 2nd year MPhil grades (1st year PhD courses) have been rather good so far, and my thesis is going really well (my apologies for not being very humble in this aspect), so I guess I could have a stronger profile if I decided to apply next year. Anyway, I'm not going to cry over it, as I'm already ecstatic with my outcome! This was an extremely long and stressful process, and I'm really glad that it has come to a happy ending. See you all in the job market!

chisquared 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BBM Quantitative Finance and BSc Economics. Small university in SE Asia.
Undergrad GPA: 3.92/4.00
Type of Grad: MSc Applicable Mathematics, LSE
Grad GPA: In Progress
GRE: 800Q, 660V, 5.0AW
Math Courses: Linear Algebra (A), Differential Equations (A-), Real Analysis (A-), Intermediate Mathematics for Economics (A+), Advanced Mathematics for Economics (A), Stochastic Calculus (A), Numerical Analysis (A), Probability Theory and Statistical Inference (A-), Continuous Time Optimization (Grad, IP), Probability and Measure (Grad, IP), Stochastic Analysis (Grad, IP)
Econ Courses (grad-level): Advanced Microeconomics (IP)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Microeconomics (A+), Intermediate Macroeconomics (A-), International Economics (A+), Economics of Financial Intermediation (A+), Applied Econometrics (A), Economic Development in Asia (A)
Other Courses: A lot of other business and finance courses. A few courses in psychology, sociology and political science.
Letters of Recommendation: 1 Stanford PhD, 1 Berkeley PhD, 1 Harvard PhD, 2 UPenn PhDs distributed over different schools. All supposedly good letters.
Research Experience: Undergraduate thesis in political economy (A-), a few research assistantships
Teaching Experience: A few terms as a teaching assistant
Research Interests: micro theory, game theory, financial economics, political economy
SOP: Standard
Concerns: Unknown undergrad institution. Limited (read: almost none) placement history. Unknown letter of recommendation credibility.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: LSE ($$$, initially on a waiting list for funding), Michigan (off the waiting list, $$), BU ($$, initially on a waiting list for first-year funding)
Rejections: Tons. Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Chicago, Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, Northwestern (Kellogg MEDS), UPenn, Columbia, NYU, Caltech, UCSD (actually, I never heard from them. Should probably send them an angry email.), Chicago Booth, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Minnesota
Withdrawn:
Attending: LSE
What would you have done differently?
It's hard to say, really. A few ideas, though:
(i) Work harder on my senior thesis. Winning the senior thesis prize may have helped me sneak on to a few more waiting lists.
(ii) Write a more interesting SOP. It probably wouldn't help much, but it just might matter on the margin, and it's hard to say where I was or wasn't a marginal candidate exactly (at least, for the schools ranked just above where I was admitted. I'm only kidding myself by trying to claim I could have been a marginal candidate at Harvard/MIT.).
(iii) Done more undergrad field courses in econ. This would help me write a more interesting SOP, I guess, since it would give me more research ideas. This would mean that I'd have to drop one of my majors, or not do a senior thesis, though. I'm not sure I would be willing to do the former ex-ante, nor the latter ex-post.
(iv) Tried to go on exchange at the one top 10 department my undergrad had an exchange program with. Someone from my undergrad did this, and it seemed to have helped her out a lot this admissions season. That being said, that entails the same kind of tradeoffs that I mentioned in (iii), so I'm not sure I'd do this if I could do everything over again.
(v) Worked really hard on my MSc, graduate with distinction, and apply for admission in fall 2012 instead. I may still consider this, in fact.
(vi) Considered schools that I was applying to more carefully. While I don't think I'd have applied to fewer schools, there are some programs (PSU, CEMFI, Toulouse) I wish I applied to after all the deadlines were over but before the admissions results were released. While I wouldn't have gone to any of those aforementioned programs over any of the options I had, this may have been a wiser decision ex-ante (even if I may be out a few hundred dollars ex-post).

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.

callmebetty 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA Economics, top college for humanities and social sciences in my country (in South Asia), unknown internationally
Undergrad GPA: Not yet complete. 76o far-first class honours
Type of Grad:-
Grad GPA:-
GRE: 800 Q 740 V 5.5 AWA
Math Courses: Mathematical Methods for Economics, Linear Algebra and Calculus
Econ Courses: Intermediate Macro and Micro, Development Theory, International Economics,Public Economics, Money and Finance, Political Economy, Introductory Econometrics
Other Courses: Statistics for Economics, Formal Logic
Letters of Recommendation: All from senior college professors who'd taught me for at least a year and knew me well, one of them also the head of the department. Very strong in all likelihood.
Research Experience: None
Teaching Experience: None
Research Interests: Development Economics and International Economics. I'm also developing a belated liking for Public Economics. Behavioural Economics also sounds interesting, though I've never studied it. And Econometrics is one of my favourite subjects in college. I obviously need to figure this out.
SOP: Managed to include all that I thought was relevant without making it too long. Was quite satisfied with it.
RESULTS:
Applied to: LSE (Msc Economics), Cambridge (Diploma+MPhil in Economics), Oxford (Mphil Economics),Warwick (Msc Economics), UCL (Msc Economics)
Acceptances: LSE, Cambridge, Warwick
Waitlists: -
Rejections: Oxford
Pending: UCL
What would you have done differently? Not much. I'm very happy I got through LSE and Cambridge. Not surprised about Oxford, as they rarely take BA students from my university and the ones that do get in have exceptional grades. I don't, so of course there's always the feeling that I could have worked harder, both for my grades and on the essays that were required for the Oxford application. But the focus is now on doing really well in my Master's and getting some research experience so I can figure out what area to specialise in and have a stab at top PhD programmes.

HeyNomad 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small but highly regarded liberal arts college. Degree: BA, Economics
Undergrad GPA: 3.91 in major, 3.89 overall
Type of Grad: Large state school (highly ranked within the field). Degree: MA, Education
Grad GPA: 4.0
GRE: 720Q/800V/5.0W
Math Courses: Embarrassingly little. Just one semester of calculus, stats (A in both)
Econ Courses: The usual macro & micro (the latter was very math intensive), urban political economy, international trade, history of economic though, Marxism, various seminars (all A's, with a B+ in intermediate micro))
Other Courses: Some math-intensive physics and environmental science courses
Letters of Recommendation: Very strong and personal recommendations from three profs who know me very well, including one who was a graduate of UMass and pretty well known, as far as heterodox people go
Research Experience: All in econ: independent study, grant-funded student/faculty collaborative research project, honors thesis (presented at an undergraduate conference/paper competition where it won 1st place in macroeconomics category)
Teaching Experience: TA and/or tutor for several intro/intermediate micro/macro courses, taught high school econ (for whatever that’s worth—probably not much)
Research Interests: History, philosophy, & methodology of economics, political economy, public economics, comparative economic systems
SOP: Emphasized my strengths while acknowledging my shortcomings; talked about how I’ve worked to overcome them (a great deal of self-directed study in math). Emphasized research and teaching experience, originality of thesis. Made a case for my research interests as unique and worthwhile, and successfully (I assume) presented myself as a potential asset for the department.
Other: College honors, department honors, Phi Beta Kappa, award in economics presented annually by the college
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UMKC ($$), Denver U (M.A.) ($), New School (meh), UUtah ($$), UMass Amherst ($$ + fellowship)
Application withdrawn: LSE philosophy and economics (I always knew LSE was both a long shot and impractical for other personal reasons; once I got an offer from UMass in mid-February, I decided to bail on LSE)
Waitlists: NA
Rejections: UC-Riverside
Attending: UMass Amherst
What would you have done differently? UMass was by far my top choice, not just within the set of departments I applied to. I received a TA/Instructorship, plus a University Fellowship for at least the first year, which grants a larger stipend and frees me from teaching obligations, so I’m pretty pleased overall. Nonetheless, I do wish I had taken more math as an undergrad (at the time, I didn’t expect to be going on in economics). I had been very sick for several days when I took the GRE, which is what I'm blaming my low quant score on. I guess I was risk-averse and chose not to retake. I’m still not sure that was a good decision, but it didn’t hurt me, so oh well. If I'd gotten my act together, I would have applied to more UK/Continental schools.

thewhiterabbit 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: MIT, SB Economics, SB Political Science, LSE study abroad (General Course)
Undergrad GPA: 4.8/5.0 overall and across both majors (converts directly to 3.8/4.0). All 1st class marks on exams at LSE (4.0/4.0).
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 790Q 660V ?AWA
Math Courses: Statistics (AP), Single Variable Calculus (AP BC), Multivariable Calculus (P under P/no record - mandatory for first term), Principles of Econometrics (LSE advanced intro course, known in UK to be very hard, 1st/A), Differential Equations (credit by advanced standing, B), Linear Algebra (audited), Introduction to Analysis (pending, ~60hance A, 40hance B)
Econ Courses (grad-level): International Economics I (A), Politics and Economics (A)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intermediate Micro (grad Varian, A), Game Theory (A), Intermediate Macro (B), Econ Research (A), Public Economics (LSE: 1st/A), Development (A), Principles of Micro (B), Principles of Macro (A)
Other Courses: Political Science degree, French concentration
Letters of Recommendation: 3 very recognizable names in my field. They all mentor the very top students regularly (since I'm at MIT) so it is somewhat hard for me to gauge strength of two of them. (I feel a little like a medium sized fish in a big pond)
Research Experience: Oodles: part time RA all through undergrad, full time RA since 2007. ~2 years field work. Speak Indonesian fluently. No journal publications. AAA+ Stata programmer. Best thesis award for political science thesis.
Teaching Experience: After school teacher for middle schoolers, test prep.
Research Interests: Development, behavioral, health
SOP: Have a lot of material to work with, will condense three NSF essays
Concerns: The obvious, math preparation. That I haven't had the chance to coauthor (just hasn't been an option) but some other people in RA jobs do. That I've been out of school longer than most people similar to me.
Other: I've done some cool work in technology innovation that is somewhat relevant to economics and which I wrote about for NSF. I'm really happy with my NSF app (and have been told by profs who are historically very honest with me that it was good).
Applying to:
Funding: NSF
Econ: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, NYU, Chicago, LSE, Columbia, Brown, UCLA, Caltech, UCSD, Oxford, BU, UMD, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, UCL, Georgetown, BC
Other: Berkeley (ARE), Stanford (GSB), Chicago (GSB), Harvard (Public Policy), HSPH Economics

Ineedanap 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small, women-only, liberal arts college (double major in Econ/Poly Sci; won honors thesis prize for both depts and school-wide)
Undergrad GPA: 3.89/4.0
Type of Grad: Top 3 US program (Policy MA, took grad econ/extra math courses while there)
Grad GPA: 3.9/4/0
GRE: 800Q/710V
Math Courses: Linear algebra (A), Ordinary Diff Eqs (A), Multivariable Calc (A), Calc-based probability (A), Analysis (A)
Econ Courses (grad-level): Macro (A), Micro (A)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): A lot... all A's (major GPA: 3.98/4.00)
Other Courses: A lot of Poly Sci/ Policy coursework...
Letters of Recommendation: Both from well-respected, top 50 economists globally. Worked as an RA for both.
Research Experience: Honors thesis in undergrad, 3 years of quant-intensive RA experience since then.
Teaching Experience: grad-level economic growth course
Research Interests: International economics, macroeconomics
SOP: Strong (doesn't everyone think so??)
Concerns: I worked for a couple years in the private sector and then got a policy MA... may come across in my application as "unsure of what I want to do with my life so I'm defaulting to a PhD in Econ"
Other:
Applying to: MIT, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Berkeley, LSE, UCSD, Columbia

Irrational 2011:
Institution: Barcelona GSE
Program: MSc in Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: Partial tuition waiver (9,000 €)
Notification date: 01/24/2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GC: no
Comments: Decision until 23/02/2011, which is very early. Still, it's my first admit, so I am kind of happy :-)

don quijote 2011:
Institution: UC3M
Program: Master in Economic Analysis + Phd
Decision: Accepted
Funding: Yes
Notification date: Feb 16
Notified through: Email
Posted on GC: No
Comments: The last of my list, but still good to have one!

dusr 2011:
Institution: Toulouse School of Economics
Program: Master 1, Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: -
Notification date: 2/21/2011
Notified through: Postal service
Posted on GF: No
Comments: N/A

3yellowroses 2011:
I'm an international applicant that has been lurking around. Time to disclose my results:
Accepted:
Institution: American University
Program: Phd Economics
Decision: Rejection
Funding: will be notified mid march.
Notification date: 9 March 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Waitlisted:
Institution: Tilburg University
Program: Research Master, Economics
Decision: Waitlisted. will hear from them in mid april
Funding: there's a chance to get a TA if admitted
Notification date: 14 March 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Institution: Cambridge University
Program: DPhil Economics
Decision: Waitlisted. will hear from them in mid april
Funding: haven't heard a word
Notification date: 10 Feb 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Rejections: NYU, Columbia, Berkeley, MIT, Brown, Maryland, Tinbergen, Oxford.
Haven't heard of: Umass, Cornell, WUSTL, Michigan State, Paris School of Economics, Bonn GSE, LSE (Econ & Phil Msc)

SASsy 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small Public U (~12K UG & G) comparable to liberal arts college; top 5 party school
Undergrad GPA: 3.38 overall, 3.81 econ, 3.76 Spanish, 3.35 intl studies
Type of Grad: same as UG
Grad GPA: 3.50
GRE: 800Q/760V/4.5W (12/2010)...but 700Q/700V/3.5W (11/2010 - obviously I had to study harder)
Math Courses: Cal I (B), Cal II-IV (As), Foundations (B), Linear Algebra I (B), Intro to Stat Methods (B), Differential Equations I (A), Intro to Math Stats (A), Advanced Cal I-II (As)
Econ Courses: Honors Principles Micro (A), Honors Principles Macro (A), Int Micro (A), Int Macro (B), Honors Global Econ (A), International Trade (A), Game Theory (A), Managerial (A), Econ for Engineers (B), Econ Stats II (A)
Grad Econ Courses: all taken with PhD students, Micro I (A), Macro I (B), Econometrics I (A), Price Theory (A), Managerial (A), IO (A), Math Econ (A), Econ History (A), Math Methods for Econ (B), Stat Methods for Econ and Business (B), three Econ seminars, and a course that I failed 5 years ago due to very odd circumstances...hence the low grad GPA.
Other Courses: 6 senior history courses, 2 senior sociology courses, 1 law school course, several heterodox courses (polisci/history/sociology/philosophy/law) for intl studies; lots of language courses, including graduate level spanish (but other languages as well)
Letters of Recommendation: I used a mix of 5 professors, to reduce the burden on them. 1 prof recommended me to all schools with what I assume was a very strong letter of recommendation. I asked all of my grad-level theory professors (micro, macro, metrics) plus the two professors I had written research papers for (and who had taught many electives to me). None were extraordinarily well-known (to my knowledge) but knew me very well and knew my understanding of applications of econ.
Research Experience: My Formal experience was very limited; At time of application I had just accepted RA job at a university, in an unfamiliar field. Otherwise, had collected my own data for papers and had done all research independently.
Teaching Experience: TA for campus-wide service during MA, more like a math tutor; tutored for 8 years
Research Interests: micro/labor/health, IO, public finance, behavioral, development...isn't it all related on some level?
SOP: It was ever-evolving. The "best" SOP (the one that yielded my Chicago acceptance) was very professional, very direct, and discussed all research papers I had written previously. The others talked more about my one big idea. I also took a more "persuasive" tone in them. All mentioned that I want to teach.
Other: I have won several scholarships and fellowships in the past, for which I think I provided a pretty good ROR on the investment. I also worked 40 hours/week for the last 3 years while bringing my grades up significantly. During this time I made sure to be one of the top, if not the top, students in each class. (Except macro. Damn.) Also my Chicago writing sample was a paper in which I disproved my undergraduate thesis.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: Chicago with level one fellowship
Waitlists: Rice
Rejections: Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Northwestern, UT-Austin, Rochester, Georgetown, Duke, Maryland, Cornell, Brown, UVA and LSE
Incomplete: Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Melon, American, George Mason
What would you have done differently?
This is a difficult topic. Obviously I did something right. I also did many things wrong. Points (1) and (2) are changes that would've made me an entirely different person. These are more like life lessons, that required trial and error with my own life to discover. On the other hand, I like to think that if I had only enacted (3) and (4) from below, I would have had a much better application season in spite of my past.
(1) I would have taken my academic destiny into my own hands years ago. I let my course load and academic interests be chosen by well-meaning advisers instead of determining what I actually wanted to learn. Thus I was disinterested in many of my courses, and I underperformed. I also let exogenous factors affect my grades too much. I would have been more mature about accepting life's hardships rather than taking a few semesters to mope about it. I would not have partied so much.
(2) I would have been proactive about research with professors. This problem started with my undergrad thesis. I continually chose "interesting" rather than "executable" topics. My adviser at the time encouraged me to be intellectually curious. I should have asked to continue research under his specialty so the paper would have been easier. Instead, I spent the past 6 years chasing down data about a seemingly irrelevant topic. It makes me unique to have this expertise, but it also makes me OLD.
(3) I would not have experimented with my SOP. Really, what the hell was I thinking? I could've been shut out entirely this year. Clearly I am a strong candidate, but I really shot myself in the foot with the changes I made to my SOP at the end of December. While the SOP may not help an applicant, it surely can hurt him/her; I am a good example. I should've been professional, straightforward, and commanding in all of the SOPs.
(4) I would have planned to rock the GRE by mid fall. I cut it really close by taking the GRE in November and then again in mid December. If I had given myself a little more study time between the two exams, I think I could've aced the verbal and significantly improved my AWA. I took the exam late because I didn't expect to do so well, preventing myself from the possibility of applying to many excellent schools. I applied to Harvard at the last minute, and it was the only Dec. 15 deadline I met. I like to think that if I had taken more time to prepare that application, I'd be going to Cambridge in the fall.
Note: I would not have changed my initial course of study or UG institution. I believe that my background gives me a true appreciation for economics, and without it, I'd be a physicist (true story). I tried out the other social sciences first, as I chased down my interests in foreign cultures and varying governance systems. Writing research papers for other social science courses left me utterly frustrated because I could never prove what I said. My senior thesis left me utterly dissatisfied. Enter economics. It was a natural fit for my data and research. I am proud to say that I am passionate about economics.

ukeconhopeful 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS Economics from Small liberal arts college
Undergrad GPA: 3.5
Type of Grad: MA Ag Economics
Grad GPA: 3.2
GRE: 780Q, 600V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Linear Algebra, Multivariable calculus
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): tons
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation: 2 college profs
Research Experience: RA for 3 yrs at international organization after masters
Teaching Experience: TA'd for 2 classes in masters
Research Interests: International development
Applying to: LSE MRes (Track 1), Oxford MSc in Econ Dev, Oxford MPhil, Sussex DPhil (1+3)

Ineedanap 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small, women-only, liberal arts college (double major in Econ/Poly Sci; won honors thesis prize for both depts and school-wide)
Undergrad GPA: 3.89/4.0
Type of Grad: Top 3 US program (Policy MA, took grad econ/extra math courses while there)
Grad GPA: 3.9/4/0
GRE: 800Q/710V
Math Courses: Linear algebra (A), Ordinary Diff Eqs (A), Multivariable Calc (A), Calc-based probability (A), Analysis (A)
Econ Courses (grad-level): Macro (A), Micro (A)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): A lot... all A's (major GPA: 3.98/4.00)
Other Courses: A lot of Poly Sci/ Policy coursework...
Letters of Recommendation: Both from well-respected, top 50 economists globally. Worked as an RA for both.
Research Experience: Honors thesis in undergrad, 3 years of quant-intensive RA experience since then.
Teaching Experience: grad-level economic growth course
Research Interests: International economics, macroeconomics
SOP: Strong (doesn't everyone think so??)
Concerns: I worked for a couple years in the private sector and then got a policy MA... may come across in my application as "unsure of what I want to do with my life so I'm defaulting to a PhD in Econ"
Other:
Applying to: MIT, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Berkeley, LSE, UCSD, Columbia

Irrational 2011:
Institution: Barcelona GSE
Program: MSc in Economics
Decision: Accepted
Funding: Partial tuition waiver (9,000 €)
Notification date: 01/24/2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GC: no
Comments: Decision until 23/02/2011, which is very early. Still, it's my first admit, so I am kind of happy :-)

Saoirse 2011:
Institution: Yale
Program: PhD in Economics
Decision: Rejected
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 02/16/2011
Notified through: email to check website
In: ---; Out: Yale, Oxford, LSE; Waiting: 10 others

obsequious 2011:
Institution: Duke
Program: Economics MA
Decision: Wait Listed
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 3/09/11
Notified through: email
Posted on GF: No (what does this mean?)
Comments: Better than I expected

moonwalker 2011:
Institution: LSE
Program: MRes/PhD Econ
Decision: Rejected
Funding:
Notification date:
Notified through: Email
Posted on GC: no
Comment: I thought I had a shot there...
Institution: Essex
Program: MPhil/PhD Econ
Decision: Accepted
Funding: No
Notification date:
Notified through: Email
Posted on GC: no
Comment: Hope I can get into a better program anyway...
Institution: CEMFI (Spain)
Program: Master in Econ & Finance
Decision: Accepted
Funding: Yes
Notification date:
Notified through: Email
Posted on GC: no
Comment: Seems like a backup...
Waiting: BU, UCL & Warwick

thegunners 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Engineering. Top university in my country (Asia) and quite reputed worldwide.
Undergrad GPA: 7.73/ 10
Type of Grad: MS in Economics from a very well-known institution in my country.
Grad GPA: 82% (class rank 2)
GRE: Q800, V620, AWA 6.0
Math Courses: Math 1 & 2 (Consists of calculus, vector calculus, numerical methods), Transform calculus, ODE and PDE, Real Analysis, Linear Algebra
Econ Courses (grad-level): Micro, macro, econometrics, stats, game theory etc etc.
Econ Courses (undergrad-level):
Other Courses: none relevant
Research experience: Worked with a professor at a reasonably well-known European university over the summer of 2009. Worked on political economy. Produced a writing sample.
Working as an RA since June, 2010. Working on experiments.
Letters of Recommendation: 2 Game theory profs - very well known. Very famous. 1-from the prof I worked with over the summer of 2009. He is quite famous too.
Teaching Experience: None.
Research Interests: Micro theory, political economy, social choice theory.
SOP: standard
Concerns: Low undergrad GPA. Less math courses in undergrad.
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UPenn (with 1st yr funding waitlist), LSE, Penn State
Waitlists: Princeton, NYU
Rejections: Yale, Duke
What would you have done differently? If I had known long ago, the importance of math courses, then I would have taken more at the undergrad level. But apart from that there is very little that I think I did wrong. However, if there was something that I could have done to counter some unfortunate events that affected my application (I can't talk about them here), tough though it was, I could have worked a bit harder on producing a research material of a better quality. I think if your recommenders are well connected, impressing them with a stunning research work would boost your chances significantly. That's a very subjective thing though.

3yellowroses 2011:
I'm an international applicant that has been lurking around. Time to disclose my results:
Accepted:
Institution: American University
Program: Phd Economics
Decision: Rejection
Funding: will be notified mid march.
Notification date: 9 March 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Waitlisted:
Institution: Tilburg University
Program: Research Master, Economics
Decision: Waitlisted. will hear from them in mid april
Funding: there's a chance to get a TA if admitted
Notification date: 14 March 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Institution: Cambridge University
Program: DPhil Economics
Decision: Waitlisted. will hear from them in mid april
Funding: haven't heard a word
Notification date: 10 Feb 2011
Notified through: e-mail
Posted on GF: No
Comments:
Rejections: NYU, Columbia, Berkeley, MIT, Brown, Maryland, Tinbergen, Oxford.
Haven't heard of: Umass, Cornell, WUSTL, Michigan State, Paris School of Economics, Bonn GSE, LSE (Econ & Phil Msc)