<p>Hi all,
I posted a few threads here before for undergrad stuff. As I am turning senior, it's abt time to discuss grad school...
I am now at Rutgers nb, major in Econ and math, minor in poli Sci, gpa 3.86, will graduate by next May.
My pursuit is one of the nation's top Econ programs, incd uchicago, mit, Yale and other big names. Every professor I know here at RU says I have my chance, though really skim. But I give my shot anyhow.
anyone has similar experience plz don't be shy to share your story.
(cont...)</p>
<p>I’m not totally sure what kind of information you are looking for; your journey to a great PhD program in econ is going to be the same as any other student’s.</p>
<p>-Maintain your high GPA.
-Hopefully, you have already started getting some research experience in economics. The most competitive students have ~1-2 years when they apply to PhD programs, with the most competitive to top programs having started in their sophomore year and done a summer REU. However, every field is different and I’m not sure how it operates in econ. Still, I’m pretty sure some econ research experience is necessary for good chances.
-Identify the programs at which there are professors that have research interests similar to yours and who can supervise you in your work. If you’re currently a junior, this summer is the time to work on that so you can be ready come fall.
-Draft personal statements over the summer. Give yourself some time for editing/revisions.
-Take the GRE over the summer, and aim to do very well - at least 160 on each section, and I really think at least 170 on quant for econ.</p>
<p>The previous post was made through my cell phone, which really suxxx… guys, don’t wast your money on Blackberry…</p>
<p>Then, thank you Juillet. I never expect anyone to follow the thread that fast. last time when I opened a thread asking for info abt transferring, it took several days to see people feed me back…</p>
<p>Regarding your initial doubt - I’m seeking for share of info, knowledge, or interesting ideas, from ‘anyone having the similar experience’, since it is highly unlikely that I will be the only one here applying for those top grad schools next year.</p>
<p>A little bit more abt myself… I am Asian, RU junior with 92 credits (by this summer), spent my freshman and first half sophomore year at RU-newark, then came to NB a year ago. Before getting into RU, I tried several prestigious colleges, and entered UMich, W&M, UNC-CH, and failed in Cornell, Brown, and Gtown.
My GPA is thankfully well kept in the past year, as I took 20 credits each semester. The only professional exp I had was working with one of our department head for his paper, helping him collecting data and drawing charts, nothing too serious to be able to put on the resume though. I am working on my individual paper right now, with assistance from our senior faculties, yet they are not very optimistic towards my topic… what a shame…</p>
<p>Academically, I am never a talented student. The only complement I received is from my Calc teacher, who strongly discouraged me in being a Econ guy; she thought Math is the future… I am not very talented at math either though, I hardly can keep my A’s in math sequences, and I am really concerned that I will not get an A in Calc 3 this year…</p>
<p>RU is a not a very competitive exporter of students, but small person can dream big. I don’t want to be alone on my way challenging the giants, that’s why I am here.</p>
<p>I’m almost finished with my dissertation, so I am finding myself with a lot of time on my hands, lol.</p>
<p>If you helped a senior professor collect data and create tables and charts for his publication, you should absolutely put that on your CV. That’s research experience, even if it was time-limited.</p>
<p>I’m not going to say ignore your professor, but professors are always going to try to get you to into their own field. They love it and they can’t understand why anyone else <em>wouldn’t</em> love it. I had a computer science professor try to convince me to major in computer science in college; a calculus teacher encouraged me to become an engineer and even within my own field lots of people tried to steer me into clinical psychology (I’m in social/health and had no interest in seeing clients). Everyone will have their own opinions. Smile and thank them, and then do whatever you want.</p>
<p>On the other hand, though, if you are getting assistance from a senior faculty member with a paper and they are not enthusiastic about your paper, it may be worth asking why. Is it an overdone topic? Are they aware of another student who’s doing it already, but better? Perhaps it’s a field of econ that’s dead and they feel you’ll have difficulty finding an advisor for it.</p>
<p>Do you really feel that you are not a talented student, or is it a sense of “imposter syndrome” creeping in? Imposter syndrome is when perfectly good students think they aren’t “good enough” because of the competitive nature of academia. Really objectively evaluate your own accomplishments. If you can’t, ask an advisor or trusted professor to help you. Ask them bluntly: Am I good material for a PhD program in economics? Could I complete the work? Is my work up to par with the most competitive applicants for top economics PhD programs? If you have a 3.86 and your professors are saying you have a good chance, I would say that your worries are probably just the normal worries of senior undergraduates. Try your best to push them behind you and apply anyway.</p>