Imhotep Posted May 6, 2012 Posted May 6, 2012 (edited) As an undergraduate I majored in English literature but after a year working in education and human rights in Indonesia, a short stint in Burma, and a year in Somalia, I am strongly leaning toward public policy programs. Unfortunately, I did not take micro- or macro-economics as an undergraduate. I'm looking to fill in this gap. I plan to apply to only a few of the top programs (Harvard, LSE, and a handful of others) and I'm wondering if there are schools that offer micro and macro that have a reputation as being particularly rigorous. Recommendations for schools in NYC or DC -- or, perhaps, online courses -- would be of particular value as I will probably be in one of the two after I leave Somalia and before grad school. Thank you ahead of time. Edited May 6, 2012 by Klaatu
constantSun Posted May 9, 2012 Posted May 9, 2012 Are we talking intro level classes? If that is the case, and it certainly sounds like it is, I would think any four year school would do. A community college or an online class probably wouldn't impress Harvard too much. On the other hand, I went to a large university and there were around 400 people in each of my intro to micro/macro econ classes, (I got the highest grade in one of them by the way), but I believe that the "economies of scale" at such an institution preclude what you might call "particularly rigorous". First of all, with your background, I would only take the classes, if they are prerequisites for the programs you are considering. Next, I would either go to a school based on its location OR to one that seems to have a professor that is doing impressive research. My guess is that you would prefer the second option. So, if that is the case, research the individuals at a few institutions OR read a few scholarly journals, and contact some of them and say, "I think you do great, interesting work and I want to be your research assistant for a semester or two." Impress them with your passion and smarts, get a great letter of recommendation from them, and go on to a great grad program.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now