SMH, your RA experience would be pretty useful in application, especially if you have built a close relationship with some economist(s) and can get strong, personal letters of recommendation. In that case, top 15 should be possible, conditional on your other preparation. I think one important factor is math - did you do much math in your undergrad and masters, and how well did you do? Regardless of your credentials, it is always a good idea to apply widely across the ranking if you're not a "perfect" candidate.
