<p>So, how hard is it to gain admission into a top 10 Econ graduate program? I keep hearing it is quite difficult, but am not sure how difficult it is. I know that GREs should be above 700, especially in the quantitative section, but what about GPA and research for places like Chicago or Princeton? I got to JHU and am considering Economics as a major, along with Math, and I know Hopkins doesn't have the greatest Econ department around. But would a 3.75-3.85 and lots of research in math and econ (along with good GREs and recs) do well in admissions to top graduate programs?</p>
<p>Well, you've heard correctly. Your QGRE score needs to be as close as 800 as possible, and anything below, say 770, and you can kiss your chances goodbye. Verbal is more or less meaningless, and unless its pretty poor, won't matter much at all. I'd say a 3.75+ in math and econ (the rest of your GPA won't matter a whole lot) at a minimum, with math through real analysis at least. These things will get you through the first round or two of cuts. </p>
<p>After that, it really comes down to LOR's and how the dept thinks you'll fit in. Don't knock Hopkins, as they've got a solid dept, and they've got some big time folks (Moffitt is chief editor of AER). Solid letters and you'll do well. Average letters, and you'll have trouble. Don't screw up that part. Research will help, but it might be hard for you to come by - you won't publish.</p>
<p>What kind of acceptance rates do top 10 schools have for their econ phd programs?</p>
<p>Also, how important are references from professors?</p>
<p>I don't think you fully understand how stiff the competition is for top 10 economics ph.d programs. There are hundreds of applicants (400-500) for ten to twenty places. Even top 50 requires a very solid profile and good recs. The top ten is more designed for people who actually have unique ability, uncanny ability in math and clearly demonstrated research ability. If you're a top student in your program with great grades in math and core econ courses, decent lors, and a gre score above the cutoff, i'd say that's top 50 material. For top ten you are going to need a couple of big extras of some sort, to differentiate you from the hundreds of other profiles that are just as good or better.</p>
<p>Nauru's response is a bit cold, but its also the truth. From everything I know, there are few programs as hard to get into as Econonomics when it comes to PhDS. Needless to say, the Top 10 programs are full of great applicants.</p>
<p>What kind of acceptance rates do top 10 schools have for their econ phd programs?</p>
<p>Roughly 5-15% depending on the program. For example, I think it was for this year's entering class, Harvard admitted 4.5%</p>
<p>how important are references from professors?</p>
<p>One of, if not the most significant portion of your application. These will make or break you.</p>
<p>Not to make this any worse, but if Harvard admits 4.5% of its applicants, that 4.5% out of 300-400 highly qualified applicants. Economics PhDs aren't given out like candy.</p>
<p>300-400 would be pretty low. I'd say at least upwards of 700.</p>
<p>I think nauru's right about the stiff competition.</p>
<p>I'm positive that the top 20 or so programs have admit rates well under 10%. With the majority being under 5%.</p>
<p>In addition, these applicants are not going to be the academic calibur of freshman admissions- they're all going to be super intensive. So you may want to consider the "real" rate to be even lower (plus factor in the growing interest in the field of economics).</p>
<p>The good news is that unless youy plan on becoming part of a Presidential administration or working as a top mover and shaker for the World Bank, you don't really need an Economics PhD from a top school.</p>
<p>This is also true. But a lot of people still want to be able to show off their university brand name i think.</p>
<p>The good news is that unless youy plan on becoming part of a Presidential administration or working as a top mover and shaker for the World Bank, you don't really need an Economics PhD from a top school.</p>
<p>Depends on what you're doing. If you're interested in the private sector, sure. If you're interested in staying in academics and placing at a decent research university, be better your school, the better your odds.</p>
<p>Your placement at a (decent) research university has far more to do with the research you have published than brand name on your degree.</p>
<p>Your placement at a (decent) research university has far more to do with the research you have published than brand name on your degree.</p>
<p>That's a bit naive. Cute, but naive nonetheless. Yes, somebody from a top university doing poor research will have a tough time finding a job. However, if you're coming from a poorly ranked university, and even those ranked 20-50, you may do solid research, but find it hard to place in a reputable (US top 50, hell, top 100) dept. </p>
<p>The fact is that where you place is highly influenced by where you do your graduate work. In addition to simply influencing your research, the effect of one's advisor cannot be ignored. The placement records of depts bare this out.</p>
<p>theghost,</p>
<p>One of my favorite profs at my university is an Economics PhD and he would tell you that everything you have just said is patently false. No offense, but I have been around Econ people enough to know that what you just posted was pretty much regurgiated from something you read off of CC. Prestige in academia is like your GPA when applying to grad school--it means something, but it is FAR from meaning everything.</p>
<p>Well, actually, more important than the prestige of your school, and arguably even more important than the quality of your research is the eminance of your advisors and their opinion of you. Schools that are thinking of hiring you will check with your advisor before making you an offer. If your advisor only gives you a lukewarm endorsement, or no endorsement at all, then that will give any school great pause. Furthermore, as you start out as an assistant prof, and sometimes even later in you career, you will be seen as your advisor's fomer student - that is, until you develop a body of work that allows you to be seen as a truly fully fledged researcher in your own right.</p>
<p>lead,</p>
<p>I'm not talking about the "prestige" of the school, but the name on the diploma. Don't confuse the two, as there are many prestigious schools with lousy depts. However, and I will say it again,</p>
<p>The fact is that where you place is highly influenced by where you do your graduate work. In addition to simply influencing your research, the effect of one's advisor cannot be ignored. The placement records of depts bare this out.</p>
<p>The further you are near the top, the better access you have to people that are doing meaningful, cutting edge research in the field. That has a strong influence on one's own research when it comes time to sit down and write a dissertation.</p>
<p>Moreover, as sakky pointed out, one's advisor is highly influential once somebody hits the job market. Once again, when you've got a very strong endorsement from, say, one of the top five researchers in your subfield, its going to mean a hell of a lot more than does an endorsement from some mid-level economist that's never published anything meaningful. </p>
<p>Yes, there are outliers, but by and large, where you do your graduate work has a profound influence on your first job. No econ prof that you know is going to deny this. I'm glad you know one. As a PhD student in economics, I know my fair share.</p>
<p>Snappy,</p>
<p>I never said I know just one Econ prof, and I'm not making this up as I go either. The point I was trying to make is that although going to Harvard or LSE to do your Econ PhD's WILL effect your very first job and allow you to network, in the long run your career will depend much, much more on other factors. If your a PhD in Econ I can understand why you have convinced yourself that your worth will be measured by where you are doing your grad work, but thats just not true. Its not true in any field.</p>
<p>lead,</p>
<p>You seem to be confused. Nobody is talking about in the long run over one's career. Note we are talking about placement (see my quote of nauru). Moreover, I would never claim that one's worth is simply measured by where one does their graduate work. As I said before, somebody from a top university doing poor research will have a tough time finding a job.</p>
<p>Is your placement a function of it? Yes, of course. It is a highly important part of your profile when you hit the job market. This will, however, affect your mobility throughout one's career, but it is much less important.</p>
<p>I don't think you're making anything up. But its obvious to me, as it would be to anybody in my shoes, that you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry.</p>
<p>Well you said it yourself ghost. "Somebody from a top university doing poor research will have a tough time finding a job."</p>
<p>Nobody is disputing the fact that graduating from a high profile department will help. But it isn't nonsense to say that research is the most important part of your profile if you are planning to apply for positions at research universities, where you will be paid to conduct economic research, and the excellence or mediocrity of your career will be determined primarily by your research.</p>
<p>I'm not in a ph.d program at this point, but my sister did her's at Yale. So that's where a lot of my knowledge/opinions come from.</p>