<p>I will be graduating from UCSB with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. GPA around 3.0 - 3.5. My parents household income is between $45,000 - $60,000. I am planning to attend an in-state school in California because of the low tuition. Which graduate schools for econ have pretty decent to low tuition cost? Or what are some good econ grad schools I should take a look at?</p>
<p>You should not be paying anything for graduate school - they pay you. </p>
<p>Check out the "Graduate School Admissions 101" thread for the basics.</p>
<p>Talk to your professors about places where you will both fit and have a good shot at admissions.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response! I believe you are right. The professors at my home school should truly know which good schools will fit me. </p>
<p>Sorry that I didn't catch that the first time around because the "Graduate School Admissions 101" thread is 15 pages long. lol </p>
<p>"Most master's students are expected to pay for their degrees"
So I guess this is true in California ?</p>
<p>Also, your parents' income will be irrelevant for grad school financial aid -- once you have a bachelor's, you're considered financially independent.</p>
<p>well, with a gpa of 3.0-3.5 from UCSB, you're not likely to get into a "good" econ dept. graduate admissions is highly competitive and a low GPA such as that is a pretty strong signal that you're not properly motivated. grad school is not out of the question, but you may have to lower your standards.</p>
<p>That's not entirely true. A 3.3-3.5 is certainly fine, providing your references, GRE, and SOP are very good.</p>
<p>It would be very difficult for somebody coming out of UCSB with such a GPA to place in a decent school in economics. Teh SOP is virtually worthless, and GRE's really only serve as a cutoff. GPA, mathematical prep, LOR's, and research experience are king, beyond that, little matters. Stick to what you know, DSP.</p>
<p>Um, I am sticking to what I know. I have known actual people in econ to do it out of lesser colleges than UCSB. I'd also point out that you listed several things besides GPA that matter, all of which can sway for the applicant. One of those things, LORs, I had listed. Very high GREs can garner a second glance of the other things are in order.</p>
<p>And by the by, rudeness is unnecessary.</p>
<p>Sorry but what does SOP stand for ?</p>
<p>SOP = "statement of purpose," sometimes called "letter of intent" or "personal statement."</p>
<p>The SOP isn't worthless in econ, as far as I can tell. In fact, considering how many math heads apply for econ PhDs, I'd say that it's very important. </p>
<p>However, a 3.0-3.5 is going to have a hard time with top 10 econ departments, especially if the math grades aren't stellar. The average GPAs and GREs for econ programs are incredibly high, and being outside of the range, while not an absolute death sentence, makes life very difficult.</p>
<p>theghostofsnappy, I don't know what you consider "good". I certainly know of people who are currently at Cornell's Econ PhD program with a undergrad GPA of around 3.4 from a UCSB-like school. Now, I don't think Cornell's Econ PhD program is a good one, but it is a top 20 so some might view it as good enough. Top 10, I don't think it is possible. Not impossible but super unlikely unless you have something strangely strong going for you. There are plenty of things that might compensate for a weaker GPA. A strong reference from a well-known economist in the field might. A strong grade in analysis might. I think the mix of what's important varies even within the top 10 schools. If you are interested in development or labor, someone who might vouch for you in the admissions process might be willing to discount weaker math grades more than if you were interested in game theory or theory.</p>