ice123
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Posts posted by ice123
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Has someone attended or knows someone who has opted for the MSEC degree at Duke. I wanted to know how good it is. Also is such a degree offered in other institutes. This combination is of interest to me since I am a BE(Hons) Computer Science and MSc(Hons) Economics graduate.
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On 9/4/2017 at 1:25 AM, DGrayson said:
From what I've been told no. When I was at UT, a faculty member that was on the admissions committee basically said that they didn't read it. I wouldn't completely blow it off and not do it, but I don't think it needs to be the main focus of your application.
What part of the application should be the main focus?
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On 8/26/2017 at 5:40 AM, DGrayson said:
It won't matter. If they cared about your writing ability they would look to your statement of purpose, but most Econ programs very rarely even read them, at least according to a committee member at UT. All they really care about is that Quant score, which will get you through the first round.
Do you mean to say that the Statement of Purpose is not very important for PhD economics programs?
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4 hours ago, DGrayson said:
No problem! The math background is a major plus. The fact that you didn't have math in your econ classes is a little worrying, but since most of it at that level is just straight optimization, I won't really worry too much about it. Also, the AWA scores don't matter at all. If they need an example of your writing, they will look to your Statement of Purpose but almost no one does. With what you've told me, Ph.D sounds like the best route to go down, but like I've said before I would also apply to a few MA programs just in case.
What are my chances of getting into a top PhD program such as MIT and Stanford? I read online that your research projects matter in the top universities
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On 8/26/2017 at 5:34 AM, DGrayson said:
Hey Ice123!
Your profile is going to be a little difficult to evaluate properly because you're coming from an institution outside the US, but I'll do what I can. First of all, I wouldn't worry too much about not having done research. What most Ph.D programs in economics care about when accepting students is having them pass their comps at the end of the first year, then they worry about research. Plus your interests could change during that time anyway. Your quant score is fantastic! What gives me pause is that you got an MSc in Economics rather than a straight MA. There may be a difference in coursework in India, but usually an MA indicates more of a "pure" economic track that highlights more mathematical rigor. I think the question that should drive your decision to apply to an MA vs Ph.D program is the level of mathematics courses you have taken. Any decent program will have required you to take at least multivariate calculus and a course in matrix/linear algebra. Keep in mind that that is the bare minimum. Most students have taken differential equations, perhaps a mathematical probability or statistics class, and a course in real analysis. If you have the bare minimum, I would give applying to Ph.D programs a shot, but apply to a few MA's (I did one a UT Austin and really enjoyed it) just in case.
5Thanks a lot for your help!
I have good grades in Linear Algebra, Probability-Statistics, multivariate calculus and differential equations. Being an engineering student I have done a fair bit of math but I am a bit out of touch with calculus, but I'm pretty sure I can brush it up before starting school. My economics courses weren't very rigorous and involved little math and almost no calculus. Also, I am worried about my AWA score.
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I have a BE(Hons) Computer Science and MSc(Hons) Economics dual degree from BITS Pilani, India.
CGPA: 9.11/10
GRE: Quant: 170, Verbal:169, AWA: 4
I have excellent grades in Economics. However, my MSc coursework was not very rigorous and certainly not researched oriented. I have attended summer school at LSE. I have a done an internship at the Reserve Bank of India (the Indian central bank). However, I do not have any published work.
I want to pursue research in Economics. Since my economics coursework was not rigorous, I was advised by one of my teachers to do a masters which is research oriented and rigorous. I have the following questions:
1. Should I go for an MS/MA/MSc from a reputed university before going for PhD or should I directly go for a 5 year PhD program which includes two years of coursework?
2. If I go for a Masters before going for a PhD do I still have to do a 5 year PhD program at US universities?
3. Is my AWA score too low?
Duke MS Economics and Computation
in Economics Forum
Posted
I have been accepted into the Duke MS Economics and Computation program. I wanted to know the reviews of this particular program. What is the cost of the attendance? Also I wanted to know about the funding, financial aid and availability of student jobs.