Applying for economics/public policy PhDs - nervous, anxious and just figuring this thing out -- I welcome any advice that you can give me.

[sheoftherain]

Hey everyone! I found gradcafe a little too late, unfortunately. This also a repost from the Government Affairs forum, since I misjudged what was going on there.

I am applying for PhDs in Public Policy (first choice) and Economics (Second choice), in schools with strong urban research going on. I have been feeling pretty okay about my chances and would love to hear your perspective on my chances.

I have given myself three years to try and get into a PhD, and it is my first attempt this year. I wasn't as put together as I wanted to be, so I am also open to school suggestions (especially for safer options, I look at my list and see too much ambition, given my mixed background when it comes to quant)

Considering applying (applied) to: 
Applied to PhD at USC Econ, USC Price, MIT-DUSP, HKS-PEG, UCI-Econ, LSE-Economic Geography, UChicago Harris.

Undergrad Institution: University of Delhi, top college, first class degree.  (2013-2016)

Undergrad Major: Economics with a minor in Political Science  

GPA: 80.5/100

Postgraduate Institution : Top interdisciplinary/ social sciences institution in India (2017-2019)

Post-graduation Major: MA in Urban policy (very qualitative + so I picked up a lot of data management, statistical skills working as an RA)

GPA: 7.8/10 Also the gold medalist (top scorer in the class)

GRE: 161 Q 167 V 4.5 AW

Quant Background: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistical Methods, Some Econometrics (All from a quant heavy undergraduate course). Have a lot of on-the-job experience handling large datasets, performing intermediate level statistical + spatial analysis - familiar with handling satellite imagery etc. 

Programming Background: Stata, python

Relevant Work Experience:  3 years, as research assistant for policy relevant research. I have 2 papers in the publication pipeline with three tenured professors from two R-1 universities (I have applied to both).

Languages: Fluent in English. 117 TOEFL iBT

Strength of LOR: Expecting very strong recommendations from two of my ex-professors, I have been working as an RA for one of them since 2018 (started working in the middle of my masters'). Third LOR is from one of the professors I mentioned before - they have worked with me closely, but I would expect a boilerplate/thoroughly professional LOR, nothing personal per se. 

Strength of SOP: Fair, I have taken some stylistic liberties with it, but have been told that they mark me as a unique student, and I have tried to cover for my lack of quantitative training for the last two years. 

[DecisionTheory]

Hi! Looking at your profile, your research experience definitely seems to be very solid. I also know that the University of Delhi is very well known, compared to other non-US institutions so I feel like you have good chances of getting into a Public Policy PhD, but I must admit that I do not know too much about Public Policy programs. I think that, in Economics, your GRE quantitative score might hurt your chances. Perhaps you could consider applying to some of the top European universities  (Bocconi, UPF, Paris School of Economics, Stockholm, Bonn, Mannheim, UC3M). I am not sure, but I think that some of these programs do not require the GRE and I know that some of them are still receiving admissions, so perhaps you should check them out. I wish you the best of luck with your applications. 

[sheoftherain]

Thanks, I will check these out!

On 1/21/2021 at 10:30 PM, DecisionTheory said:

Bocconi, UPF, Paris School of Economics, Stockholm, Bonn, Mannheim, UC3M).