NYU x Northwestern (Econ PhD)

[koragg]

Hi,

Could I please get some thoughts on deciding where to accept? Living standards, preferences, money aside - I just want to gather which department people find better. I am leaning towards macro in my studies.

In my opinion, they are fairly similar in rankings. I know that some people are much better informed about the development of the departments. Do you think in 5 years NYU will be better than NW? As of now it seems NW is still a bit more prestigious but NYU is rising?

I know it is not an easy question and it "really depends" but I am sure that you understand I am just trying to use every possible way of gathering info.

Thanks!

[rising_star]

That question is going to be nearly impossible for anyone to answer. It's impossible to predict what will happen to a department in five years as there could be faculty who retire, get poached away, or change the direction of their research. The better questions to ask are ones that focus on your specific area within the field of economics. It doesn't matter if NYU improves its faculty in development economics if that's not at all related to what you're doing, you know? At this point, it sounds like you're trying to game the system and figure out where things will be in five years. Without a crystal ball and/or a time machine, no one can tell you this for sure. Go with your gut and accept at the place that feels right to you.

[jazzontherocks]

I agree, whichever curriculum suits you best, go for it. If the list of courses appeals to you, that would be the university you can move forward with. All the best.

[CakeTea]

Ditto. You should look at fit and research focus of supervisors. What about teaching requirement and funding during summer? You can look at destination of PhDs and tenure track.