marketforces

Just graduating from a state school and thinking of applying to grad programs in the fall. Dual Degree: B.A. in Economics, B.A. in International and Area Studies Minors in Math and Poli Sci Graduated with Honors, 3.54 GPA Econ Courses: Game Theory and Mathematical Econ are the classes that stand out from a grad admissions perspective. Math Courses: 4 semesters Calculus, Diff EQ (got a D the first time, but retook it and got an A), Linear Algebra, two statistics classes cross-listed at the grad level, Discrete Math Teaching Experience: Two Semesters as a T.A. for a large intro-level poli sci class. One semester as a T.A. for Honors Intermediate Micro, 3 years with part time job tutoring poli sci and econ for 20 hours a week. Research Experience: Honors thesis (Marxian analysis of the financial crisis, interesting but not particularly quantitative), summer as a research assistant for a Political Scientist researching state higher education budgeting. Letters: Expect a great one from a stanford PHD (political science) who is the dean of our honors college, another from a political scientist (econ undergrad) for whom I served as a T.A., who supervised my thesis and who is now at Harvard on a research fellowship, and a third okay letter from my labor economics professor who I served as a T.A. for Intermediate Micro. I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I am historically good at standardized tests and have plenty of time to prepare. I will likely apply to schools such as UMass-Amherst, New School, Utah, American, Colorado State, maybe the Denver master's program and Winnepeg Concerns: My biggest concern, besides my GPA being on the lower side, is that two of my letters will come from outside of the econ department. I hope to explain this as a result of the poor fit between my interests and those of the extremely orthodox department where I did my undergrad. How will I do?