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tennisboy85 2008:
Type of Undergrad: good but not elite program, no PhD or grad econ
Undergrap GPA: 3.8 (3.9 in finance and econ)
GRE: 800q/450/4.5
math courses: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A), Stats (A), Linear Algebra (in progress)
econ courses: a lot including math econ and econometrics
other courses: finance and econ double major, thus a lot of finance courses as well
LORs: Tufts, Purdue, Virginia, good rec-s, but not from well-published profs
Research experience: none, not in my school
Teaching experience: none
reseach interests: macro
SOP: very good one, spend a lot of money and time on it
results:
acceptances: Tufts MA Econ ($), LSE F&E (no $)
waitlists: Wustl MS Finance
rejections: Brown, Cornell, Yale Phd-s in econ, Cambridge Mphil Finance, Princeton MS Finance
pending: JHU PhD, BC MS Finance
What would you have done differently? I would not have applied to any PhD-s. Clearly I have no shot to get into them, because of my lack of my lack of math background. Not really sure if I actually want to get a PhD.

friendlyskies 2008:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Small, mid-ranked liberal arts college
Undergrad GPA: 3.99 Business admin major, Econ minor
Grad GPA: 4.0 as non-degree math grad student
GRE: 780q, 620v, 5.0w
Math Courses: multivariable calculus, linear algebra, diff eq, real analysis (2 sem.), math stats (2 sem. w/ Casella&Berger)
Econ Courses: intro micro/macro, intermediate micro/macro, IO, statistical analysis for econ
Letters of Recommendation: 2 fed economists, 1 undergrad finance prof.
Research Experience: 3 yrs as a Fed RA, a couple undergrad publications in weak journals
Teaching Experience: TA for a couple semesters in UG
Research Interests: macro, int'l trade and finance
SOP: pretty standard...try to explain away the weaknesses and accentuate the positive. emphasized my fed research experience, recent math classes, programming abilities, teaching experience.
RESULTS:
Attending: Arizona State University
Acceptances: UVA ($$), Boston College ($$), Boston University ($$$), UNC ($$), Arizona State ($$$), Vanderbilt ($$$), Tufts MA ($)
Waitlists: UT Austin
Rejections: Maryland, Duke, Brown, Georgetown
Pending: Never heard from WUSTL
What would you have done differently? I don't think I would have done much, if anything, differently. I think I targeted the range of schools pretty well given the outcome, and I'm happy with the results. ASU is a small but growing program, and I'm stoked about the opportunity to work closely with guys like Prescott and Rogerson. I am really glad that I took a few years after undergrad to build up my resume before applying though...getting good research experience, working with well-known economists, and taking higher math classes made all the difference in the quality of programs for which I was a competitive applicant.

Biarien 2010:
I'll post some information for anyone in my situation (looking into MA/MS programs).
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BS Environmental Economics, top 25 US Univ. (top 3 public as far as I know)
Undergrad GPA: 3.74
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 690V, 800Q, 5.0AW
Math Courses: 2 semesters of calculus, 1 semester of statistics, 1 semester of econometrics.
Econ Courses: microeconomic theory, environmental economics, natural resource economics, & a few other applied econ. courses, one macroeconomic theory course
Other Courses: environment & development, public policy analysis, energy & resources (more of an engineering course really), general electives.
Letters of Recommendation: One from employer (MS in Econometrics & PhD in Forest Economics), two from UCB professors (public policy & ag. econ.).
Research Experience: None.
Teaching Experience: Limited (taught software applications to UCB staff; unrelated to coursework).
Research Interests: General interests in the field: renewable natural resource economics, land use economics, possibly development.
SOP: I gave a bit of general background about my interest in economics & desire to apply it towards environmental issues in particular, & discussed my work goals. I didn't discuss research interests but did mention my specific interests (above).
Other:
RESULTS:
Acceptances: UC Davis (MS Agricultural & Resource Economics); Cornell University (MS Applied Economics & Management); University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (MS Policy Economics); Boston University (MA Economic Policy); Tufts University (MA Economics; offered tuition waiver & TA position); Northeastern University (offered TA position)
Waitlists: None
Rejections: None
Pending: None
What would you have done differently? Overall, I'm pretty happy with my results (no reason to complain). Looking further back, I would have tried to do more work with my professors while doing my undergrad, but they were happy to write me good letters despite my lack of personal interaction with them. It all comes down to asking the right professor, I think, or at least it seemed to in my case. I might not have applied to Northeastern and saved a bit of money, though I wasn't sure what to expect going in.

El Greco 2010:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: top 50 large public university - to 10 business school. B.S. in finance and international business
Undergrad GPA: 3.76
Type of Grad: n/a
Grad GPA: n/a
GRE: 790/610/4.5 (q/v/awa)
Math Courses: Calc I-III (A+,A,current), Finite Math (B+), Intro to Stats (B+), DiffyQ 1 (current), Prob & Stats 1 (current),
Econ Courses: Intro Micro/Macro (A-,A), Inter Micro (A), Bus Econ (A-), Banking and Cap Mkts (A)
Other Courses: finance courses
Letters of Recommendation: Probably pretty good, one was my thesis advisor (UCLA PHD finance), cap mkts class (WVU PHD Econ), inter micro (PHD Cornell)
Research Experience: Just undergraduate thesis on credit derivatives
Teaching Experience: none
Research Interests: fin econ, behavioral econ/finance, monetary econ, macro
SOP: I think it was normal to good.
Other:
RESULTS: (masters)
Acceptances: Tufts ($), BU (no $)
Waitlists: Duke
Rejections: Duke (off waitlist), UToronto MFE
Pending: WashU MfinWhat would you have done differently? I was happy to get into Tufts w some $. I was a finance major with little math background and have been taking math/econ courses at a local university back home in florida. I don't know what I want to do (phd/private sector) but I am happy with Tufts. After getting into Tufts i rescinded and didn't complete other international apps because I'd rather be in the states, hopefully that doesnt end up being a bad decision but tufts is a good school with a good reputation and I am really excited to start there in the fall

gatorgrrl 2010:
Undergrad: Economics, large public university (I dare you to guess which one)
Undergrad GPA: 3.94/4.0, cum laude
GRE: 760Q/640A/4.5
Math Courses: Calc I-III, Stat I-II, Linear Algebra, Diff Eq (most taken at community college post-undergrad)
Econ Courses: Standard lot (but no econometrics)
Grad courses: Currently enrolled in PhD level Econometrics
Letters of Recommendation: 1 from my work supervisor, 1 from UG professor (who probably does not remember me), 1 co-authored by 2 of my math professors at the CC. An interesting bunch of letters...
Research Experience: none!
Teaching Experience: nope (unless ESL counts...)
Research Interests: development, applied micro, public, labor
Statement of Purpose: standard
Other: a few years of work experience as an Economist for the Dept of Labor
Concerns: After lurking around this forum for several months before the application season, I decided my profile was probably not strong enough to secure a good spot at a good uni with funding, so I decided to apply for MA programs instead, with the intention of applying to PhD programs upon completion of the MA. I'm also keeping the option open of staying at work for another year, and applying for PhD programs next year with some extra money in the bank, and a PhD level Econometrics class under my belt.
Applying to: (all MA) Simon Fraser MA (accepted, $), UBC, Barcelona GSE, CEMFI, U Colorado - Denver, Tufts, U San Fran (Development)

mutatismutandis 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA in Political Science/Economics with Honors from a regional university in the US without a graduate economics program
Undergrad GPA: 3.85/4
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 540V/750Q/4.0 AWA
Math Courses: almost none; Calc I (AP), Statistics I/II (A/A); currently registered for Calc II and Linear Algebra
Econ Courses (grad-level): none
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro to Macro (A), Intro to Micro (A), Intro to Geographical Information Systems (A), Intermediate Macro (A-), Intermediate Micro (A), International Trade (A), International Finance (A)
Other Courses: Many international relations / political science courses, notably a course in political economy (A)
Letters of Recommendation: One political science professor, one economics professor, and one from the honors program director
Research Experience: Wrote a political economy thesis entitled "The Mystery of Social Capital: Microfinance, Civil Society, and Long Run Development" which I will be presenting at the NYSPSA conference in April
Teaching Experience: none
Research Interests: Political economy, development, some theory
SOP: Strong
Concerns: Lack of proper math preparation, GRE, LoRs are strong but not the best simply due to my school's reputation, and also I am quite late to the application game
Applying to: NYU (MA), Tufts (MS), BU (MA), Fordham (MA), GWU (MA)
Results:
Accepted: Tufts ($$), BU
Rejected: NYU
NB: Stopped applying after receiving Tufts' offer. It was too good to refuse. Also updated grades (not relevant to this cycle's profile, but for the future when I apply for PhD programs): Linear Algebra (A), Calc II (A-)

economics girl 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top 50 undergrad
Undergrad GPA: 3.42
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 740Q, 590V, 4.5AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-II (B, A-), Math for Economists (A), Linear Algebra (proof-based) (B+), Currently taking Diff EQ, and plan to take Real Analysis over the summer
Econ Courses (grad-level): Took applied economics (A), microeconomics (A), and econometrics (A+) at the AEA Summer Program (these courses are supposedly taught at a "graduate" level)
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): intermediate microeconomics (B+), intermediate macroeconomics (A), labor economics (A+), urban economics (A), applied econometrics I-II (A, B), managerial economics (B)
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation: well-known labor economist (PhD Harvard), an assistant director of AEA (PhD U. Chicago), my employer (PhD UF)
Research Experience: I am currently working as a full-time RA at a public research center. Before that, I worked as an RA for a PhD student for one quarter. At AEASP I did a research project on replication & added to it by updating the paper with newer data. Lastly, during my senior year I was part of the honors program and wrote a senior thesis.
Teaching Experience: I am a certified tutor (CRLA) and tutored microeconomics during my senior year
Research Interests: labor economics, education economics and urban economics.
SOP: Should be fine. I talked about why I had a low GPA, discussed what I have done since graduating (AEASP, RA), and talked about my future plans
Concerns: low grades, GRE score & GPA
Other: I'm only applying to Master's programs and later plan on applying to PhD programs with a better profile and a master's under my belt.
Applying to: Barcelona GSE MSc Economics, LSE MSc Economics, UIUC MSPE, NYU MA Economics, Tufts MS Economics, USC MA Economics, Duke MA Economics, Michigan MA Applied Economics, BU MA Economics

littletotoro 2012:
PROFILE
Type of Undergrad: Top 10 Liberal Arts College
Undergrad GPA: Economics Major - 3.72; Cumulative - 3.69; double Philosophy and Mathematics minor
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 800Q, 660V, 5.0 AW
Math Courses: Calc 1 (A+), Calc 2 (A), Vector Calculus (B+), Linear Algebra (B), ODE (A), Probability Theory (B-), Intro to Analysis (A-), Operations Research (A-), Combinatorics (A)
Econ Courses: Principles of Micro/Macro (A,A); Intermediate Micro/Macro (A-,A-); International Economics (A), Technology and Growth (A), Game Theory (B), Econometrics (A+), Labor Economics (A), Senior Seminar (B)
Other Courses: N/A
Letters of Recommendation: 3 Econ professors, 1 whom I co-authored a political economy paper with in a 4th tier journal
Research Experience: RA for environmental economist over a summer, co-author as mentioned above
Teaching Experience: N/A
Research Interests: Behavioral Economics, Political Economy, Economics of Education, Labor Economics (Economics of Family, Unemployment)
SOP: In retrospect, not very well written, lacked direction.
Results:
Acceptances (Master's): Duke, Tufts($), UBC
Rejections: PhD - Michigan, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Minnesota, Johns Hopkins, Boston University, Cornell, Rochester, Brown, Maryland, Master's - Queen's, Toronto
Waitlists: Wisconsin (rejected)
Attending: Duke
What would I have done differently?
I really should not have been afraid of taking advanced math courses earlier, even though my comparative advantage is not in Math (because I was too obsessed with my GPA). So I should have taken Real Analysis and the Probability-Statistics sequence earlier. If I didn't do well in those courses, then it would have given me a better signal into my comparative advantage. As it stands, I'm still not sure. Should not have taken so many economics elective courses. I should also have done a computer science course (because nowadays facility with computing languages seems to be becoming more crucial for cutting edge economics research). Two words for all applicants: Mathematical Maturity. Build that up in your undergrad, while you have friends and faculty around you to help, as much as you can.
Having said that, I'm happy I got into Duke and I'm going to put myself through as many math, statistics and PhD courses as I can stomach (in the words of Greg Mankiw). My GPA has a high likelihood of tanking. But if an Econ PhD is meant to be, then taking all these technical courses will be the best preparation that I can hope for. If not, then at least I would have challenged myself and learned valuable quantitative skills in the process before heading into the private sector.

golden_bears 2012:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: Top Public University
Undergrad GPA: 3.43
Type of Grad:
Grad GPA:
GRE:
Math Courses: Applied Math double major
Econ Courses (grad-level):
Econ Courses (undergrad-level):
Other Courses:
Letters of Recommendation:
Research Experience:
Teaching Experience:
Research Interests:
SOP:
Concerns: Weak gpa
Other:
Applying to: LSE(MSc. Econ-L1U3), UCL(MSc.),Tufts(MS),BGSE(MSc.),Tufts, McGill(MA),

EconDev137 2010:
Type of Undergrad: B.S. Quantitative Economics. & B.A. Political Science
Undergrad GPA: 3.36
GRE: 770Q 570V 4.5 AWA
Math Courses: Calc I-III, (AP, AP, A) Linear Algebra (A), Real Analysis (D), Probability (B+)
Econ Courses: Intro Micro (C), Intro Macro (C), Elementary Econometrics (A), Econometrics (A), Advanced Econometrics (A), Intermediate Micro (A+), Intermediate Macro(A+), Economic Growth (A), Economic Development (B+), Environmental Economics (B+), International Monetary Policy (A)
Grad Courses: Advanced Micro (A), Advanced Macro (A-)
Letters of Recommendation: All very good, from top 10.
Research Experience: Work at a public policy think tank. Thesis in Political Science.
Research Interests: Applied micro, development
Statement of purpose: Way better than average
Other: LORs are the most vital part of your application. Do not overlook the importance of building quality relationships with a few profs. However don't use this as an excuse to be a kissa$$.
RESULTS:
PhD Accepts: Arizona (tuition waiver and assistantship for years 2-5), Purdue (nothing official, but presumed tuition plus 18k), Colorado-Boulder (waitlisted for $),
PhD Waitlists: Boston College (Decent Chance of admit, but won't know until after deadlines for other schools), OSU (acceptance not probable)
PhD Rejections: Duke, Maryland, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Indiana,
Masters Accepts: Michigan, Boston University, Tornoto
Masters Rejections: Tufts (really?)
Masters Pending: UBC
What would you have done differently? The most glaring thing would be not to have gotten a D in real analysis, I think I could have pulled vanderbilt without that. Other than that I think I had a pretty solid plan. Take the most useful classes you can, do as well as you can and spend your free time having fun. I think people on TM get too worked up about not having an 800Q or a 4.0 at the expense of living life.

BeautifulLife 2010:
Institution: LSE
Program: MSc Econ
Decision: AD
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 1/06/2010
Notified through: web
Comments:
Institution: Vanderbilt
Program: GPED
Decision: AD
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 09/2/2010
Notified through: web
Comments:
Institution: Cornell
Program: AEM master
Decision: Rejected
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 2/11/2010
Notified through: e-mail
Comments:
Institution: Yale
Program: IDE
Decision: Rejected
Funding: N/A
Notification date: 11 Mar, 2010
Notified through: web
comments: so sad!!!!!

mutatismutandis 2011:
PROFILE:
Type of Undergrad: BA in Political Science/Economics with Honors from a regional university in the US without a graduate economics program
Undergrad GPA: 3.85/4
Type of Grad: N/A
Grad GPA: N/A
GRE: 540V/750Q/4.0 AWA
Math Courses: almost none; Calc I (AP), Statistics I/II (A/A); currently registered for Calc II and Linear Algebra
Econ Courses (grad-level): none
Econ Courses (undergrad-level): Intro to Macro (A), Intro to Micro (A), Intro to Geographical Information Systems (A), Intermediate Macro (A-), Intermediate Micro (A), International Trade (A), International Finance (A)
Other Courses: Many international relations / political science courses, notably a course in political economy (A)
Letters of Recommendation: One political science professor, one economics professor, and one from the honors program director
Research Experience: Wrote a political economy thesis entitled "The Mystery of Social Capital: Microfinance, Civil Society, and Long Run Development" which I will be presenting at the NYSPSA conference in April
Teaching Experience: none
Research Interests: Political economy, development, some theory
SOP: Strong
Concerns: Lack of proper math preparation, GRE, LoRs are strong but not the best simply due to my school's reputation, and also I am quite late to the application game
Applying to: NYU (MA), Tufts (MS), BU (MA), Fordham (MA), GWU (MA)
Results:
Accepted: Tufts ($$), BU
Rejected: NYU
NB: Stopped applying after receiving Tufts' offer. It was too good to refuse. Also updated grades (not relevant to this cycle's profile, but for the future when I apply for PhD programs): Linear Algebra (A), Calc II (A-)

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