<p>I don't know if I am the best person to ask. I just have general knowledge based on seeing several friends go through the process and having talked to them and their colleagues at places like Harvard and Berkeley.... But you can feel free to fire away.</p>
<p>One thing I know is that math is generally key. A friend who went to Princeton and now teaches at Yale applied to the "top 5" I mentioned above and was rejected from all of them for econ. He had done advanced econ. classes, but simply didn't have the demonstrated math skills.</p>
<p>So he went to Princeton for a doctorate in Public Policy. They demanded a good record, but were more forgiving on the math side of things.</p>
<p>
[quote]
not to hijack this thread, but how much of this advice applies for someone at Harvard college trying to get into, say, MIT or Harvard econ phd? is there anything I should specifically try to do aside from math, research, and possibly econ grad school courses? also what kind of math grades would be OK, B+'s, A-'s? Also, what are my chances coming from Harvard? Thanks.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you want to be pretty much the top applicant to any PhD program in the social sciences you will need:</p>
<ol>
<li>at least 2 publications in peer reviewed journals</li>
<li>at least 4 poster presentations at conferences in your field </li>
<li>at least 1 paper presentation at conference in your field</li>
</ol>
<p>If you have ^^^, I'm tempted to say your grades won't even matter. PhD programs don't really care much about grades, but about your demonstrated potential to be a good researcher. You need to break away from the viewpoint most students seem to have that grades are still all important - high school is long gone.</p>
<p>Independent research can certainly make up for grades, but given that it is incredibly rare for applicants to have what dobby outlined, many top econ programs will judge your research potential through letters of recommendation with professors that you hopefully RA'd for. And as such, grades, especially in real analysis, linear algebra, econometrics, and your intermediate theory classes are very important. Berkeley's website says that sucessful applicants usually have above 3.7, and based the testmagic forums (<a href="http://www.urch.com)%5B/url%5D">www.urch.com)</a>, and econphd.net, I think that its very rare for for someone to get into a top 10 school with less than 3.8-9 unless they're coming from a well-regarded undergrad school like Chicago or Harvard.</p>
<p>Grades might not be sufficient, but I still think they're necessary, and moreso in economics than in other fields since:
1) it requires more technical skills to produce quality research than other social sciences,
and
2) it is usually taught with very little rigor or technical focus at US undergrad schools, as compared to physical sciences,
and so, students are less likely to have quality research experience without a graduate education than other fields, and so grades have to carry more weight.</p>
<p>But these are just conclusions based on second-hand knowledge in a field that I have just dabbled in, so dobby might still be right.</p>
<p>If you don't have a strong math background coming out of undergrad (in terms of classes) and you have very strong math skills...How can you pursue a degree that provides a more solid math background?</p>
<p>Hi---what do you think of my chances of getting into a good PhD program with the following econ classes:</p>
<p>Macroeconomic Development Microeconomics
Quantitative Macroeconomics Quantitative Microeconomics<br>
Calculus I and II Econometrics
Monetary Economics Statistics
Entrepreneurship Leadership Development Administration
Current Economic Affairs Intro to International Relations
Economic History of West Africa Foreign Trade and Investment in China<br>
Identities and Conflicts in Africa Current Economic Affairs
Regional Geography of Africa Renewable Energy
US Foreign Policy Art, Politics & Society in Modern China</p>