<p>YOu guys gotta help me. I plan to do a phD in Economics and am just a freshman in a small and unreputed college. How do I make my way to a good grad school like Harvard. HOw should I prepare? I am double majoring in Economics and maths. Let me know. Will internships help. If yes, where do I get internhips and please let me know about any helpful information for a prospective PhD candidate.</p>
<p>Do well in your classes and get a high GPA. Prepare for your GRE. Work experience might be considered but is not the most important factor. It's possible to go from a no-name school to one that is prestigious.</p>
<p>MATH classes..take them and ace them</p>
<p>Most applicants to top 15 programs have in-major GPA's of at least 3.8 in mathematics, but don't write yourself off if you perform badly in a class like differential calc or intro to micro. GPAwise, your performance in proof-based classes like Real Analysis, measure theory, topology is probably the most important. If you can even take graduate mathematics courses, that'd be a plus.</p>
<p>Work experience isn't too helpful, though I suppose it depends on what you mean by work experience. If you're talking about working for a few years and then going back, its tough. The general consensus is that applicants that do that are considered inferior at best. The further you are out of school, the tougher it will be. You'll be rusty on math, and likely not up on current research. The only decent places to work are the Fed as a research assistant or something else along those lines. Those jobs can be tough to land depending on the year. Internships are pretty much along the same lines. I think the Fed BOG offers some summer internships. Those are probably the only ones that are worthwhile.</p>
<p>Beyond than that, your chances are going to be best improved by getting to know your profs well and working with them. Working as a research assistant is a signal that you're seriously interested in economic research, and that you have some tiny tiny clue what you're getting yourself into. You don't, but that's OK ;)</p>
<p>If you want my honest opinion, however, it will be very tough to come from an unreputed college. Your letters of rec. will be one of the most important parts of your application, and even if you might be the best student in your graduating class, or even in a few years, that's going to matter very little to Harvard, MIT, etc., especially when they don't know your letter writers. These schools get thousand of applicants from all over the world, and the fact is that you'd be up against some very stiff competition. Impossible? Of course not, but highly, highly improbable. You'd improve your chances as an applicant if you could maybe transfer to a better school? I'd honestly look into that, as even coming from, say, the University of Maryland, would be a great improvement in your situation. Something else you may want to consider is doing an MSc at the London School, Oxbridge, or a Canadian Uni.</p>
<p>topology? Please explain further why you would need topology.</p>
<p>And if you are at a low ranked school in the first place, how do you even now (as of now) that you will have the work ethic to complete a PhD program?</p>
<p>topology? Please explain further why you would need topology</p>
<p>The material in point-set topology can be of great use microeconomics, esp. game theory, and basic topology is an important basis of real analysis. In the least, a good showing in topology shows that you're capable of performing in proof-based classes.</p>
<p>And if you are at a low ranked school in the first place, how do you even now (as of now) that you will have the work ethic to complete a PhD program?</p>
<p>Get off your pathetic little high-horse. Performance in HS is hardly a meaningful indicator of acceptance, and to say the least, performance. I nearly failed out of a joke of a school after my freshman year of college. I'm now in a top 15 program.</p>
<p>Pathetic little high horse? How many people drop out of PhD programs.. My comment is not unfounded. Hardly? I think if we concluded the number of people who enter top programs and look at their collegiate background, we will find an astounding number from top undergraduate programs. Situations such as yours are not a common occurrence, or do you believe so? </p>
<p>This kid is planning a PhD without even knowing what it entails, an assumption i am making by the fact that he doesn't have even a general gist of how to get into a "top" program. Sound logical, or rather a quickly set goal or want that this student has recently aquired?</p>
<p>Well. I am not that kind of a guy who goes on dreaming without purpose. I would like to do economics and know well about its prospects. The thing about being in a low ranked college is that no one can destine himself to the best college. I being an international student had less chance of getting admitted in big schools with the kind of aid I was asking for. And another thing is that if you are to do a Phd in a subject like Economics you should aim it as early as possible and choose the right way to get there. Hence the questions I asked.</p>
<p>I have been told (by students in top math and econ PhD programs) that work ethic is the most important part of completing a PhD, more so than pure intellect, but obviously you cannot get through the program without that either.</p>
<p>I assumed you were an international student due to your english skills eloquently prevailing in your opening post. As a freshman you can transfer. The person(s) giving your LOR can have a big impact depending on who that peson is, and better schools usually have more notable faculty. That should be worth some consideration</p>
<p>"I assumed you were an international student due to your english skills eloquently prevailing in your opening post."</p>
<p>I guess you are being sarcastic but my english is not the worst either...</p>
<p>its not bad actually. I would however assume anyone wanting to go for a PhD has to have at least some intellectual aptitude( so i assumed you are intellectual), so in turn i would assume they can write, but you had consistent errors, not significant though. Assumptions are nothing but an opinion of mine which can be dumb...so take no offense from what i am saying</p>
<p>southpasdena thehostofsnappy, could you both give me an idea of how tough it is to get to a good grad school (the big 5 may be). How were your own stats like? Or is there something like the most important thing that needs to be kept in mind while applying or while in college. Calculus and and other maths don't seem to be a problem as I have A's in them. I will be taking real analysis in my junior year. The problem though is that we don't have applied econometrics or introduction to econometrics in this college. So I could may be take them in summer in a different school. We have topology I guess but I haven't heard of it as a consolidating factor for a grad school. Anyways, what did you guys do in summer?</p>
<p>For the big five, or six rather, as Berkeley is now considered a peer, great stats are not enough. For example, last year, Harvard admitted 4.5% of applicants. In that crowd, you're not only up against some of the best students in the US, but the best students in the world, many of whom are considered the top students in their *country<a href="not%20top%20100,%20like%20top%205">/I</a>. </p>
<p>Netting great LOR's is absolutely key in landing a top admit. It isn't necessary for these to be from well-known economists, but it is usually sufficient in as far as you'll get admitted where they say you will. For example, if you were to get a LOR from Brad Delong saying that you were the best he'd seen in years, and that you should be admitted to a top 5, you'll very likely be holding an acceptance letter from MIT, Princeton, etc. in a few months. If Joe-Schmoe Economist were to write you the same letter? Its much less clear, but highly unlikely. </p>
<p>My profile? Its a little goofy (2 years at a JC, then transfered to W&M after dropping out of college), and the numbers aren't exact, but more or less accurate. At the time of application:</p>
<p>Cum. GPA: 3.912 (3.86 @ W&M Econ and Math double, graduated Magna and PBK)
Econ GPA: 3.96
Math GPA: 3.77
GRE: 770Q/5.5 AW</p>
<p>I worked as a research assistant for a prof, doing the econometric work on two of his papers, roughly a year's worth of work, off and on. I also did the econometric work for a paper that I co-authored with a prof. Senior honors thesis. LOR's from the above profs, plus honors thesis advisor.</p>
<p>Course work was more or less standard in econ, with the exception of 9 hours of econometrics. For math, I had the standard calc seq. ODE's, Linear Algebra, Intro to Proofs, Probability Theory, Real Analysis, Matrix Analysis. Also took Measure Theory and Stochastic Processes my last semester.</p>
<p>I landed a few top 15 admits, but sadly not a top 6. Though my school is ranked #5 in my field so its no biggie.</p>
<p>I took math courses in the summer, and did research for myself and profs.</p>
<p>What kind of research did you do for yourself? And with professors....my college's prof s do not seem to do reasearch ...or may be they do I dunno/...</p>
<p>I'd rather not discuss the details of my paper, but its a general equilibrium trade model. Its publishable (well not in its curent form), so I don't want to go too deep.</p>
<p>And if your profs aren't doing research, I'd really work on getting out of there. You can check on their research by looking at their *curriculum vitae<a href="CV">/I</a>, usually posted on their webpage. Asking for LOR's to transfer can sometimes be touchy, but I suspect in your case, given your goals, your profs would be more than understanding.</p>
<p>I am just a freshman and I haven't even grasped the wide spectrum of the implications of economics in the current world. Let alone my ability to do an extensive research in Economics. I am an international student which means that I cannot do an internship too due to the work limitation in the US for foreigners. So what would your suggestion be in my case? Anything that i can do and at the same time get acknowledgment.</p>
<p>Work on transferring and then get in good with a prof. That will be your best bet.</p>