Jump to content

jblsmith

Members
  • Posts

    103
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by jblsmith

  1. Hey guys, just wanted to revive this old post. First off, I'll update you by saying that I finished my first year in the PhD program and then passed the Comps on my first attempt to be admitted to Candidacy. I'm now nearing the end of my second year and everything seems to be going well. In the almost two years I've spent here I've not heard any stories of the now infamous Ms. Cohen. Of course, I haven't explicitly asked any of the older students or professors either. I might just do that... To DamianD, I would ask how he hasn't heard of UH if he was looking to apply to Rice? The Departments at UH and Rice work extremely close with one another. We share a weekly seminar series where visiting professors alternate between the two campuses to give seminars in Macro, Micro, and Econometrics. And our students are able take classes at either campus. True, Rice is more theoretical which may make it more prestigious but the distinction between theory and applied work is quickly fading and now many of the best economist are empiricists Furthermore, while Rice may have a better reputation for being a private school, UH benefits from public funding by having a much bigger department and many more funded graduate students. This in turn means more publications, citations, and placements for the department. I would strongly encourage any perspective student to apply to the program as it is very well respected in the field and Houston is a great place to live!
  2. Unfortunately, I don't know if your GRE and GPA are strong enough to get into a Tier I school, your criminal history notwithstanding. Like you I made some mistakes as an undergrad, and I did have to provide some documentation to one school but I got in with funding anyway. From the way it sounded, I don't think the Department saw the documentation, just the University administration. If I were you, I would look at MA programs. Spend a year really demonstrating a grasp of mathematical economics then apply to PhD programs as you finish the research phase of the MA.
  3. Whoa, easy there partner I never said I had "a huge problem" with it, obviously I've revealed that I'm willing to fulfill the requirements of a liberal arts education because I went to a small, private LAC. But wouldn't it be nice if there were schools that offered a more specialized 4 year degree as well? Variety is, as they say, the spice of life. Then one wouldn't have to choose between their field and type of education. I agree with this too. A degree no longer tells employers what you've learned, rather it merely acts as a signal that you are capable of learning and have the maturity and work ethic necessary to complete some set of requirements. I'm not trying to attack LAC's I'm just suggesting another way of thinking about education. Indeed, many other countries value the specialized approach and it's something that US institutions might want to consider.
  4. What about fields where there are no technical/vocational/trade schools? Like International Development, English Literature, or Econ? How would someone wishing to pursue these degrees go about getting a trade school-style education? I think this is another huge problem with the job market, especially in the US. I feel that there are too many students spending too much money on degrees which, in reality, they don't need and it's all because jobs which have no reason to, require a BA/BS. In short the market for higher education is over-heated which is why you see such high tuition costs. But this is a topic for discussion in another thread. But as I said in an early post, that is what K-12 education is for. The whole premise of primary and secondary education is that it prepares people with all the skills they need to function in society.
  5. Dare I say that I may actually agree with Just me, however, I'll try to restrain my cynicism to a light trickle. As an economist, I strongly believe in the benefits of specialization. I feel that people become more productive when they pick a trade and devote to it. I also believe that by the time one reaches college they have (or should have) all the broad knowledge they need to function in society. That's what primary and secondary education is for. In my opinion post-secondary education should be a time for specialization and differentiation where students gain an in-depth knowledge of a particular field thereby becoming more productive members of society. The Liberal Arts philosophy obviously believes the opposite, that "well-rounded" individuals are more valuable. With that, I don't feel that LAC's make art majors take math classes because there is some sort of profit motive but I do feel there is some misplaced sense of altruism. I also agree with Two Espressos, that if LAC's offered more specialized course schedules they would begin to look more like trade schools. But so what? What's wrong with vocational training? It gives students the skills they need to lead happy and successful lives. Just because their talents are more aligned with plumbing than with English literature doesn't make their education any less valuable. Maybe the trade school model is more efficient; instead of apprentice electricians spending time analyzing Chaucer their learning how to wire a house. This lowers the overall cost of education by cutting tuition and getting them into the workforce sooner. One wonders what an Econ trade school would look like...
  6. I feel blessed to have a lot of good friends, people who I go out on the weekends with or stay in close contact. Then I have a handful of really close friends, those I could go to for advice or other personal issues. None of these closest friends are in my field or even went to grad school. Most of them are football buddies from high school and college. Nothing brings people together like playing a varsity college sport. The time and effort it takes forges extremely strong interpersonal bonds. Plus, I've never really fit in with the grad school crowd. One, because I'm American. Two, because I like to go out and have a good time on the weekends. I guess I just don't have much in common with someone from mainland China.
  7. Put in the specific context of Government Affairs I see that my comments are not applicable. I didn't realize what topic the thread was under, I just clicked and started writing. Think before you type.
  8. I don't think so for two reasons: First, I'm pretty sure most universities will take you at your word that you graduted with honors. Second, I don't know that it really means all that much to adcomms. Graduating with honors from one university may mean something completely different than graduating with honors from another university. Yeah, it can't hurt but I don't feel like they're going to put much stock into it. They'll be far more concerned with the courses you took and the grades you got. That being said, be prepared to send the appropriate credentials if they do ask you about your honors. Lying on your application (or failing to provide the appropriate supporting materials) is a real quick way to get rejected or have a standing offer revoked.
  9. I would defintely include relevant coursework. With so much disparity between degree requirements from one school to the next I think it is important that you let prospective schools and/or employers know exactly what you've studied. For instance, my UG major was economics. At my institution the economics degree was quite rigorous, requiring a several upper-level math courses. However, at other institutions the economics degree may be more applied and policy based. I wanted to let schools/employers know that I had more rigorous training. Moreover, I took additional advanced math classes which schools/employers whould not have known about had I simply stated "Degree in Economics." This paid off, for once I entered thesis-stage with my MA program I took a job as an analyst doing heavy statistical work. My director explicitly told me that it was the "Relevant Coursework" section on my resume that caught his eye and got me an interview. He went on to say that he interviewed a number of other candidates who graduated with degrees in econ but that they did not have the mathematical background I had. As far as the blog, I would leave that out. I feel that it is too informal for a CV. While it shows initiative and an interest in writing, there is no peer-review of blog-enteries so adcomms cannot know the quality. Plus, blogging is still in its infancy, I don't think it garners the respect to make its way onto a CV.
  10. I think there are too many differences from one program to the other in order to make this sticky. For instance, my program (economics) seems to require a much stronger transcript and GRE score than suggested above but work and life experience seem to play almost no role in admissions decisions. The original post is a good guideline but I fear that it is in danger of misleading some who's actual degree requirements are quite different.
  11. Haha, I'm in the exact same situation. I'm defending on the 9th and I leave for my Ph.D. on the 11th. It's not so much the thesis, but the university's red tape that I have to cut through in order to gradaute.
  12. I feel like you have a good shot at getting into one of these programs but how would an MPA help you become an economic consultant? I can better understand your motive for learning Arabic than doing more graduate school in public administration.
  13. I don't know how someone who majored in history and English composition would get a teaching position in economics.
  14. Your transcripts and CV are strong and you said you didn't want the obvious "retake the GRE" suggestion so I have to ask: how are your SoP and LoRs? You're not a native English speaker so I would definitely suggest going through multiple revisions of your SoP (and CV) with someone who is fluent. Who is writing your LoRs? How well do you know them? Are they well known in their field? If you feel that this is a source of weakness in your application I would suggest working on building relationships with possible referees.
  15. Most applications have a section which allows you to list pertinent coursework that you are planning to complete before enrolling in gradaute school. However, becasue you have not been graded in these classes they are little more than a curiosity. At best, the adcomm will assume that you will perform about as well in these classes as your other courses.
  16. I grew up and did my undergrad in Iowa. I am certain that the upper-Midwest has the worst weather in the Western hemisphere: 100°F with 100% humidity in the summer then -30°F with the wind-chill in the winter. My last winter in Iowa there was one day where it was officially colder than the North Pole. I moved to the Southwest for my MA and I will remain here for the foreseeable future. The winters are mild and even the summers are more tolerable becasue there is very little humidy. Plus, you dont have to worry about tornadoes, hail, mosquitos, severe thuderstorms, 10' snow-drifts, mosquitos, ice-storms, biblical flooding, mosquitos, or fish flies.
  17. I'm wondering if she didn't apply to UH for admission but rather for an academic position and when the department found that she had lied to (or tacitly mislead) the committee with her CV they revoked their offer of employment. Maybe then she framed the story as a graduate student having their offer recinded better resonate with the GradCafe's audience.
  18. Ann Arbor is a whore, but that's beside the point. Why not get your degree at the better school then move to the better market after graduation?
  19. I started using it with my undergrad honors thesis and have been using it ever since. I use it for any paper or presentation where I have a lot of equations or tables. Like any other language you just have to dive in and start writing, and use google a lot. I can send you a couple short TeX files using the article and beamer document classes if you want.
  20. I got an MA before applying to PhDs and I was very pleased with my decision for a number of reasons. 1. Coming out of my undergrad I wasn't really sure if I wanted to do a PhD. The MA gave me time to consider it. It also gave me a better indication of my true abilities. 2. I got my BA in Econ and Poli Sci at a small, private, liberal arts college and PhD adcomms were not likely to recognize the program or the people writing my LoRs. By going to a public research university for my MA it gave me the name recognition I needed. 3. Economics is quite rigorous and because I double majored in Econ/Poli Sci I knew I needed more formal math training. I took a number of 300-400 level math classes in undergrad but I still wanted a stronger background. The MA gave me the rigor I needed. 4. Allowed me another opportunity to do research. I did an honors thesis for my BA but the more research the better. 5. I rocked my MA classes so the transcripts helped my PhD applications. 6. What's another 2 years of school on top of 21? Hope this helps!
  21. I was just kinding about doing your PhD in econ, I just like giving other social sciences a hard time for their relative lack of rigor. In all seriousness though, if you do your PhD in marketing, especially quant marketing, your job prospects are almost boundless and your starting salary will be at least 1.5x mine.
  22. The answer is absolutely, unequivically, 100 percent yes. Retake the test. I'm not sure how the new version works but failing to answer questions in the old version is by far the fastest way to lose points. To your second point, about skipping one section to improve another, it sounds like complete bullshit. First, I'm not sure how it would work. Do you really think twittling your thumbs for an hour during the verbal section will improve your quant score? If anything, I suspect the anxiety of waiting would only get you more flustered when the time comes. Second, even if you do manage to score an 800 on the quant section your 0 on the verbal is going to raise some major red flags with the adcomms. Just take both exams, if you are really more concerned with one over the other simply allocate more time to studying to the more important section.
  23. A 750 is still a strong score and I suspect that it is more competitive than you think. And remember, the GRE is not the only aspect of your application adcomms consider. Indeed, it may be the least important. The good news is that your transcripts appear to be strong and you have really solid research experience. If you think your GRE is out of synch with the rest of your application then why not just retake it? You have pleanty of time, pick out a new study book, study for another month and then try again. Simple as that. However, I wonder how the rest of your application looks. Did you take any formal math classes as an undergrad? I suspect you didnt get much rigorours training in you MPP, correct me if I'm wrong. What about your LoR's? It's better to have them come from profs/academics than industry people, are you still in contact with your advisor or journal editors?
  24. You've given us your transcript (which is very strong) but it is still only one part of your application. The biggest missing piece I see is research. Have you done any? Did you do an honors thesis or otherwise work with professors on their research? Anything published? What about your LoR's? How well do you know your referees? How well will prospective schools know your referees? Your SoP, do you have a draft that we could read? Finally, your GRE. While it's not the only part of your application it still is rather important. Have you been taking practice exams? What have you been getting on those? There are a lot of things that go into a graduate school application and in order for us to give you recommendations we need to know a little more about you. We don't need to have an answer to every question above but we need to have a lot more information.
  25. Take Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Advanced Econometrics, and Real Analysis this summer/fall and apply to Econ programs, that way you can really study how people act in the market. Psychology, Sociology, and Econ all study the same thing, human behavior. The only difference is Econ actually uses math.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use