<p>
</p>
<p>CMC economics does not appear to be heavily mathematical; its intermediate microeconomics course only requires “some calculus” (or calculus 1), while its econometrics course only requires that and a non-calculus-based statistics course.</p>
<p>[Department:</a> - Economics - Claremont McKenna College - Acalog ACMS?](<a href=“Economics - Claremont McKenna College - Acalog ACMS™”>Economics - Claremont McKenna College - Acalog ACMS™)</p>
<p>Perhaps Bowdoin, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon or Wake Forest</p>
<p>Pomona, Stanford, Rice</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Add the criterion of good math and statistics offerings. Consider the following recommendations for preparation for PhD study in economics:
<a href=“https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/grad/admissions/preparation[/url]”>Preparation;
<a href=“https://sites.google.com/site/markborgschulte/berkeleyclassesirecommend[/url]”>https://sites.google.com/site/markborgschulte/berkeleyclassesirecommend</a></p>
<p>Be aware that, at state flagships like Berkeley, economics is a very popular major, but most students are not doing the math-heavy PhD-bound version. For example, Berkeley has both less-math intermediate economics courses (100A, 100B, 140) and more-math versions (101A, 101B, 141); the less-math versions are several times as large as the more-math versions (450 versus 60-90 students).</p>
<p>If your GPA translates to a 4.0+ after UC weighting, Berkeley is probably a match for you, not a safety (it is selective enough that it is not a safety for anyone).</p>
<p>Minnesota may be worth a look, as it is not as selective at Berkeley (it is also significantly less expensive). Although the basic intermediate economics courses are not heavily mathematical, it has a good selection of more advanced mathematical economics courses that you can take afterward.</p>
<p>As far as dorms and such go, you may want to post on the forums specific to each school about the availability of “quiet” dorms and how easily avoided the rowdier parties are (but note that almost all schools have some level of partying).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>On the undergrad level, what is the difference between a great dept and a decent one? Don’t all econ departments teach the same thing, and don’t all the faculty come from the same top schools?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A typical economics department will offer the following undergraduate course work:</p>
<p>Introductory economics (micro and macro, or combined course)
Intermediate microeconomics
Intermediate macroeconomics
Econometrics
various upper division electives</p>
<p>However, there can be significant differences in the level of math emphasis between different schools’ economics departments. For example, intermediate microeconomics courses may list a math prerequisite as little as first semester frosh calculus, or as much as multivariable calculus. The elective selection may or may not have a lot of mathematical economics courses, depending on the department. Given the OP’s interest in mathematical economics and preparing for PhD study in economics, these differences can be much more significant than for someone intending to go to law or medical school, or typical bachelor’s level employment, after majoring in economics.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I am taking the A Levels, which is considered an international qualification for UC and therefore, if I understand correctly, it will be evaluated separately and there will be no UC GPA. </p>
<p>I am taking the most rigorous course-load (will take 9 A Levels) and am in the top 10%. I do not, however, have straight As or 4.0 UW - could Berkeley still be a match? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Will look at Minnesota - any offhand comments on Michigan, Wisconsin, UIUC?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My intuition is that there is little difference, but many have advised me to to aim for the best programs in my major (for Economics, that would be MIT, Chicago, etc.) or prestigious schools that feed into Wall Street. NB: My school is typically Asian, sends over a hundred to Ivies and Oxbridge every year. </p>
<p>I am, however, more concerned about the quality of education, undergraduate experience, etc. rather than the name. I was wondering, therefore, if the common advice given around here is still relevant.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke would make a good safety (in same consortium as Smith).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Had not really considered this - it is a great point, and I will start taking a closer look at the Economics courses offered at each school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Would Mount Holyoke be sufficiently safe (to count on as a safety) for me?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes – given your interests, the economics, math, and statistics course offerings should be checked carefully to determine the academic suitability of the schools you are considering. Go to each school’s web site and search for “course catalog”, “economics courses”, “math courses”, “statistics courses”. Also, you may want to check the on-line schedules to make sure that the desired courses are offered at a reasonable frequency.</p>
<p>Colgate, Colorado College, the University of Richmond, and Gettysburg College offer “mathematical economics” majors. The Colorado College program requires 2 calculus courses, differential equations, linear algebra, probability & statistical modeling, in addition to economics courses and a senior thesis. [Mathematical</a> Economics Requirements - Economics & Business - Colorado College](<a href=“http://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/economics/requirements/math-economics-requirements/]Mathematical”>http://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/economics/requirements/math-economics-requirements/)</p>
<p>These are liberal arts colleges in the OP’s “match” zone (comparable to Smith and Bryn Mawr; more selective than Hendrix or Kalamazoo). Colorado College and URichmond offer merit aid. </p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Average class size at Colorado College is 16 students with a 25-student maximum (unless the course has 2 instructors, in which case the limit is 32). Some courses (such as courses in transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy) have enrollment limits as low as 8.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>[Colleges</a> With The Happiest Students](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Colleges With The Happiest Students: Newsweek, College Prowler List | HuffPost College)
Colorado College, Pomona, the University of Richmond, and (perhaps surprisingly) the University of Chicago all make the “happiest students” cut. However, I’d encourage you to consider climate and physical surroundings if you are prone to depression. Satisfaction with academic quality (as indicated by measurements such as freshmen retention) is a good sign, but isn’t necessarily the same as “happiness”.</p>
<p>For the OP’s needs & wants, I think Pomona would be one of my top picks. Although it is always important to have a solid safety, for a Mississippi resident with her qualifications and financial situation, I doubt it will come to that. Chicago and Colorado College have Early Action options (as does Kalamazoo). If you get good news in December, the EA school(s) becomes your safety (assuming cost isn’t an issue). Otherwise, there’s still time to apply to less selective colleges.</p>
<p>Will look into all the colleges mentioned above - I’ve a couple of papers to write and exams to study for since it’s term time, so I’ll take quite some time to research and modify the list. Thanks so much for all the suggestions :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I had considered Smith and Bryn Mawr low matches (likely) with Wesleyan/Wellesley being high matches (50-50) due to my school’s great track record of sending over a hundred to Ivies and Oxbridge every year. If Smith and Bryn Mawr are solid matches though, I think my list would be too reach-heavy. Should I look into more matches/safeties? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Is there a significant advantage applying EA to schools? The EA deadlines are right in the middle of my A Levels exam period, and doing both well would be really stressful if it is even possible. Needless to say, given such a schedule I would prefer to apply RD only. As such, I will only have one shot at this unless I take a gap year, so I need a list that is safe.</p>
<p>Yes, I think Mt. Holyoke could be considered a safety and you would likely get merit aid as well. To be honest, it is hard to find ‘intellectual’ safeties. I know because we had to do it last year for D2. She has similar stats to yours. She was accepted with a 21st Century Scholarship (25K plus funding for a summer internship) at Mount Holyoke. She ended up attending one of her reaches she was accepted to, but it was nice to have the Mt. Holyoke option. I do think they are fairly serious about academics there and there is a ‘nerdy’ streak that appealed to her. Because of the consortium, you may have the option of taking a few more advanced classes at one of the other consortium colleges if they are not offered at MH, too.</p>
<p>I do think applying EA gives you an advantage. All the school’s applications are out now, so if you start now it shouldn’t impact you A levels too much. My D was accepted in the EA round at U of Chicago last year, and it took a TON of pressure off the rest of the college search to know that she had one solid intellectual option in hand. :)</p>
<p>Will look at MH :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m an 11th grader, so I will be applying next year, not this :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Pomona’s economics courses do not seem to have that heavy a math emphasis that the OP is looking for. For example, intermediate microeconomics lists only first semester frosh calculus as the math prerequisite.
[Program:</a> Economics Courses - Pomona College - Acalog ACMS?](<a href=“Program: Economics Courses - Pomona College - Acalog ACMS™”>Program: Economics Courses - Pomona College - Acalog ACMS™)</p>
<p>However, a possibility at Pomona or other Claremont colleges would be to take intermediate microeconomics (Economics 154) at Harvey Mudd, which is “An advanced treatment of micro-economic theory using formal mathematical models for analysis”. No math prerequisite is listed, but it probably assumes a math background required of all Harvey Mudd students. The OP may want to check whether Pomona and the other Claremont colleges allow that substitution for an economics major, and how much math emphasis is in the Harvey Mudd course.</p>
<p>Since you have completed all lower division math and introductory economics already, you may want to take a look at these course home pages.</p>
<p><a href=“Courses | Department of Economics”>Archived Course Homepages | Department of Economics;
<p>For example, the OP can compare the course materials for 100A (intermediate microeconomics, less math) with 101A (intermediate microeconomics, more math):</p>
<p>100A:
[Intermediate</a> Microeconomics - ECON 100A Spring 2004](<a href=“http://are.berkeley.edu/courses/ECON100A/2004/]Intermediate”>http://are.berkeley.edu/courses/ECON100A/2004/)
[Home</a> Page](<a href=“http://are.berkeley.edu/courses/Econ100A/2005/]Home”>http://are.berkeley.edu/courses/Econ100A/2005/)
<a href=“Courses | Department of Economics”>100A Economic Analysis--Micro | Department of Economics;
<p>101A:
[Econ</a> 101A, Microeconomic Theory](<a href=“http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/webfac/dellavigna/e101a_f09/e101a.shtml]Econ”>Econ 101A, Microeconomic Theory)
[Econ</a> 101A, Economic Theory–Micro](<a href=“http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/cle/e101a_f13/e101a.shtml]Econ”>http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/cle/e101a_f13/e101a.shtml)
[Econ</a> 101A, Economic Theory–Micro](<a href=“http://cle.berkeley.edu/e101a_f11/e101a.shtml]Econ”>http://cle.berkeley.edu/e101a_f11/e101a.shtml)</p>
<p>100A is probably similar to a typical intermediate microeconomics course at most schools. Courses similar to 101A appear to be less commonly offered; if you want an economics department that teaches with that level of math, you may have to look a lot more carefully.</p>
<p>More school suggestions:</p>
<p>Columbia: research university whose intermediate microeconomics course requires multivariable calculus; reach for everyone type of admissions</p>
<p>Barnard: women’s LAC next to Columbia with convenient cross registration to Columbia’s courses; supposedly not as difficult to get admitted to than Columbia</p>
<p>Note: Barnard’s own intermediate microeconomics course is less math intensive, listing only calculus 1 as a prerequisite; check whether substitution of Columbia’s course(s) is allowed if you major in economics at Barnard.</p>
<p>^^ Pomona offers a choice of either a general economics plan or a mathematical economics plan. The mathematical economics plan is supported by courses in mutivariate calculus, linear algebra, analysis, probability, mathematical modeling and operations research. Whether mathematical analysis is well-integrated into the upper-level econ courses, I don’t know.
[Major</a> in Economics | Economics Department](<a href=“http://economics.pomona.edu/department/major/]Major”>http://economics.pomona.edu/department/major/)</p>
<p>I have read that someone going into grad study in econ should have a very good math background, but that their econ background is not that important (since they will learn the econ in grad school).</p>
<p>See, e.g., <a href=“Wesleyan’s Blog System”>Wesleyan’s Blog System; "Preparing: Math. The most important thing in admissions is your math background (more than economics itself I suspect most econ PhD programs would love physics and engineering majors). "</p>
<p>Also <a href=“http://economics.uchicago.edu/graduate/apply.shtml:[/url]”>http://economics.uchicago.edu/graduate/apply.shtml:</a> “Admission to graduate study requires a bachelors degree or equivalent. This degree need not be in economics, although some background in Economics is certainly desirable.”</p>