Top 15 Worthy?

[m4thguYY]

Hey all,

I am curious if I even have a shot at the three big names near me, in NYC, namely Columbia, NYU, and Princeton for a PhD in Economics.

Ive only attended SUNY schools, namely Binghamton and Buffalo (Buffalo math dept is well-respected comparatively)

My main weak point is my undergraduate degree in Mathematics, graduated with a 3.1

Yet, everything else is strong.

I have an 800 on GRE Q, I have a MAT (Masters) in Mathematics & Mathematics Pedagogy, which should show my ability to teach courses while doing a PhD, GPA 3.65. I also have an M.A. in Pure Mathematics & Probability Theory, GPA 3.71, Concentration GPA 4.0.

My LOR are from amazing faculty, one with PhD in Math Physics from Harvard, one from my Project advisor, one unknown (but from a good professor that I got an A with).

Also, my Project Thesis is "Economic Applications of Stationary and Absorbing States using Markov Chain representations" (tentative name, whatever)

My economic background is minimal, college intro class, business calc, graph theory & applications.

Do I have a shot at these schools at all?

Also, Rutgers is ranked ~40th in the country, would I be safe to assume I will make Rutgers? Is it worth getting an econ PhD from a rank 40?

Thanks all, much appreciated!!

Edited March 5, 2012 by james8787

[Behavioral]

Rutgers shouldn't be a problem.

What specific classes did you take as an undergrad and what grades did you get in each one? The importance of these grades will be moderated by the fact that you have a Masters, but they're still important as that's what adcomms will use as a first-step in weeding out applicants.

[m4thguYY]

Rutgers shouldn't be a problem.

What specific classes did you take as an undergrad and what grades did you get in each one? The importance of these grades will be moderated by the fact that you have a Masters, but they're still important as that's what adcomms will use as a first-step in weeding out applicants.

Hey man, thanks for the quick reply. Yeah I figured Rutgers was an easy in, but would a PhD in Economics from a 45 rank do me any good besides academia (if that)?

Anyway, my grades are messed up UG, especially in a few core classes. I am really smart in math but undergrad I did way more of the math I wanted to do in my room from random textbooks than the math from the classes I didn't go to haha

Keep in mind, if I were to take any of these classes now during the summer before applying, I could do that and easily get an A anywhere.

Undergrad

Calc I - B+

Calc II - C

Linear Algebra - B-

Stats - A-

Calc III - B

Intro to Higher Math - C

Calc for Business & Mngmt - A

Graph Theory - B-

Topics in Higher Math - B-

Combinatorics - C+

ODE - B

Dynamical Systems - C

Graduate (MAT)

Stats & Prob - A

Topics in Geometry - A

Number Theory - B

Graduate (MA)

Applied Math I - B

Computational Physics - B

Mathematical Physics - B +

Abstract Algebra - A

Real Analysis - A

Cryptography - A

Stochastic Processes - A

Probability Theory - A

[Behavioral]

Ah. Well if you can hint to your letter writers to reflect your improved abilities, then you should be fine.

The graduate Real Analysis (A), along with some important classes (Prob Theory, Stochastic Theory, etc.) should be enough to show that your undergrad grades were a fluke.

You might get weeded out in an administrative cutoff before they even look at your file, so do see if you can get one of your letter writers to e-mail a professor at the schools you're applying to so they can pull your application.

[m4thguYY]

Ah. Well if you can hint to your letter writers to reflect your improved abilities, then you should be fine.

The graduate Real Analysis (A), along with some important classes (Prob Theory, Stochastic Theory, etc.) should be enough to show that your undergrad grades were a fluke.

You might get weeded out in an administrative cutoff before they even look at your file, so do see if you can get one of your letter writers to e-mail a professor at the schools you're applying to so they can pull your application.

So worth a few hundred dollars in application fees if I can pull that off with my letter-writers?

[Behavioral]

If it were me -- yup.

[ghanada]

Don't lose hope! I'm in a completely different area (biomedical engineering), but I had an incredibly low undergrad gpa (2.57) for no reason other than a lack of goals and direction. I did some research work, published a bit, and completed a Masters with a 3.74 gpa. I have been accepted to Columbia for a PhD in the fall. So yeah, anything is possible. I will admit that I heard from some admission POIs that my low undergrad gpa put me in a huge disadvantage and hurt my chances, but I was at least acknowledged and waitlisted in many places. With some perseverance and a little luck, you still have a decent shot!