Best MA prep for PhD in Public Policy/Economics

[alo93]

Hello, all!

 

I am in desperate need of advice. I applied this cycle to 9 PhD programs in Public Policy and was rejected from all 9. While this is largely speculative, I believe my biggest weakness in terms of my apps was my lack of quantitative/math/econ training (qualitative BA and less than stellar GRE score of 156). Aside from that, strong undergrad GPA from UC Berkeley, senior honors thesis focused on policy, 1.5 years of research/evaluation experience in the industry, 2 years of RA work for 2 professors. 

I now have the opportunity to complete an MA and hopefully compensate for the quantitative gaps in my CV. I am hoping for input on which program I should pursue (in other words, which program would be most impressive to admissions committees and provide the best prep for a PhD in Public Policy/Economics). 

 

1. LSE, Social Research Methods

2. Oxford, Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation

3. NYU, Applied Quantitative Research

4. Columbia, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences

5. Chicago, Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods

 

 

Please help!!