<p>Hey all,
I'm a current sophomore at a top 15 school and am unsure about my chances at grad school. I'm interested in doing an econ. Ph.D. but have a somewhat unique situation:</p>
<p>Freshman Year
Top 20 LAC
GPA: 3.825
Relevant Courses: Calc 2 (A), Intro Micro (A), Linear Algebra (B+)</p>
<p>I then transferred to my current school and will likely be getting a 3.0-3.2 GPA. A's and C's are very hard to come by and B's are by far the most common (we don't use +'s and -'s). So that GPA will definitely hurt for grad school but my cumulate GPA should be around 3.3, given my freshman year GPA.</p>
<p>Also, I'm a good test-taker and should be able to get 750+ on the Quant. section of the GRE.</p>
<p>Given this info, where do you think would be reasonable for me to apply to?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Mariogs</p>
<p>Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. Grad schools know of Brown's grading policies and it's going to be up to your LOR writers to show that you've done quality work in their classrooms (because they GRADED you). But I would at least try to bring some of your grades at least up to 90 so you can get that "A"... they'll also look at relevant courses more closer than others. So get As in those courses and slack off a bit in others (well, at least keep them in B range).</p>
<p>so you think getting a 3.2 (even in my major) won't look too bad?</p>
<p>You are going to need better than a 760 most likely, I'd shoot for at least a 780. If you want to go to a top 25 grad program you are going to need real analysis too. Other math will help as well. I've heard it said that most econ phd programs prefer math majors to econ majors.</p>
<p>I guess I'm way more worried about the GPA than the testing. I'm sure I can get 760 or better on the quant. section but will a 3.2 keep me out of top 25 schools?</p>
<p>I don't know much about econ grad schools, but that 3.2 gpa is already stamped in your transcript. The good news is that the cut-line for most grad schools is a 3.0 so you definitely have a chance to go to a top 25 grad program. However, this chance will significantly increase if you focus more on doing research, getting to know professors, and excelling in your future courses instead of that 3.2 gpa with the hopes of getting a 760+ quant on the GRE.</p>