2016秋季申请 寻求定位建议

schoggiUID: 3585845

更新：本人已决定不再继续准备经济学硕士或者博士的申请。在准备申请历史博士。

目前想多和他人请教一下，可以弥补自己背景经历方面的缺陷。由于第二个本科只读2年就能毕业，所以目前专业课成绩基本都没有。写得详细一点就当做供经历类似的留学生作参考吧。在此声明未来只为更准确描述个人信息而编辑此贴，不会删帖。昨天看到某位论坛用户吐槽删除或者隐藏定位贴的行为，所以既然决定自报家门，就不会申请过后藏起来了。

1st Bachelor's Degree: BA History, minor in Economics, Texas A&M University
GPA: 3.85/4.00 magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Current University: 瑞士某商学院, BA Economics
GPA: 5.38/6.00 (10月份前的目标是把GPA提高到5.4以上；不知道是否有系内排名，UPF读博士的瑞士校友说我们学校成绩在5以上基本能够去BGSE)

GRE/TOEFL: 没考过GRE，GMAT在2013年考了个700（V39 Q47 AWA6.0）,会避免GRE数学考砸。TOEFL iBT是2009年考的，分数已过期，107。

Current Courses:  
Grades known: Financial&Management Accounting 4.5/6.0, Introduction to MATLAB 5.5/6.0, Behavioral Macroeconomics(De Grauwe Textbook) 6.0/6.0.
Grades unknown: Micro II (Goolsbee Textbook实际考题难度和Varian新书差不多比Goolsbee难), Macro II (Gärtner Textbook), Statistics (similar to the structure of MIT OCW's Probabilistic Systems Analysis), Public Economics I (Tresch Textbook)
Will take in spring 2015: Micro III (mainly Varian, some Kreps, Church&Ware, Macho-Stadler&Perez-Castrillo), Macro III (Sorensen&Whitta-Jacobsen), Econometrics (Wooldridge Textbook), Public Economics II (Tresch Textbook), Linear Model&Variance Analysis (MATLAB programming), Behavioral Economics (Camerer Textbook)

Paper:无paper无publication; 结业需要写thesis,大概会想在political, public或者behavioral间选一个topic

Research: worked for a sociology professor (Yale BA UMich PhD) back at TAMU for a year in 2011-2012 and at the time got a very good RoF from him saying I'm the second most outstanding student he has ever taught, not sure if I can still get the RoF since I haven't been in touch with him after December 2014.

LoR: Another intellectual history professor (Harvard PhD now teaching at Chicago) knows me very well but I don't think her letter would help with applications to economics programs?
For Behavioral Macro and for next semester's Macro III I have the same professor who ranks top 7% on RePEc, so if I do well next semester might be able to get his LoR. Also would like to talk more to my Public Econ professor, who has done interesting research and recently published an article on QJE.

目标和选校: 当下目标是Master's Program，最终目标是回美国读博士。

LSE EME or ECON, TSE, PSE, BGSE, CEMFI, Mannheim, Sciences Po, SSE, Duke, UCSB, Texas A&M, UWM.
本校的研究生我可以直接录取，不过实在不想再在瑞士待着了。在考虑去学LSE Summer Real Analysis证明自己数学不至于太差。

顾虑: 数学底子不强，虽然学校教育质量很高不过数学方面的能力也没法突出表现。另外就是不知道在和国内优秀的学生同台竞争是否会比较吃亏，毕竟国内学生数学底子好是出名的了。

希望能够获得多一些的意见和批评，非常感谢！

ＨＥ→赫γUID: 3382109

看到micro 3是范里安的时候着实醉了一下。。。。。。楼主列出来的项目除了EME和duke感觉剩下的都没啥问题。。。。。。

schoggiUID: 3585845

ＨＥ→赫γ 发表于 2015-2-1 04:06
看到micro 3是范里安的时候着实醉了一下。。。。。。楼主列出来的项目除了EME和duke感觉剩下的都没啥问题。 ...

不懂什么是醉了一下...? 其实Micro III是mixed的，有很多Varian的章节，然后有几个Kreps的章节，Church&Ware的Industrial Organization的章节等等...

DUKEZHYUID: 3311563

楼主还是没列出数学课有哪些，经济课程申请master应该够了。如果想回美国其实还有其他master项目可以考虑比如TUFTS和VANDY的GPED。Duke这两年很难进（虽然官网数据录取率有超过三成，但是感觉剩下的七成也都是条件很不错的申请者）。题外话：楼主PBK好厉害....我根本修不完那么多humanity和natural sciences....

schoggiUID: 3585845

DUKEZHY 发表于 2015-2-1 04:52
楼主还是没列出数学课有哪些，经济课程申请master应该够了。如果想回美国其实还有其他master项目可以考虑比 ...

我的顾虑就是数学课。在德州时学了Calculus I，但是没学Calculus II。在瑞士这边，录取我后学校把Mathe I 和Mathe II这两门涉及Single&Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra的课给waiver了，所以technically我被假设成已经掌握这些知识而且哪怕是我Micro&MacroII都考了高分(考题用很多Mathe I&II)，实际上却从没修过这些课......所以才在考虑是否该去修LSE的real analysis。 谢谢你的推荐，那两所学校我都会考虑的。

话说PBK还好啦加油一下应该就能被选，你目前是美本吗？

cheesechanUID: 3505689

LSE 的 method summer school的real analysis, 對你的background是一個很好的補充, 其teaching quality 也很不俗(only concern is too hurry....), strongly recommend.

如果不是一定要去美國PhD的話, 建議考慮直接申歐洲的MPhil / top master, 選一家university with a econ department which is good in the field you are interested in, 之後直接在那兒把PhD搞定不再浪費時間轉校.

GRE Q是很難考砸的 - 之前一個星期多做sample paper熟習一下題種, 考的時候小心一點就是.

research interest = ??

如果擔心數學不夠, 而學校又沒幾個數課可選, 折中的方法是多選三五個stat/metrics class, e.g.:
Stochastic Methods in Finance, Further Topics in Regression Analysis, Linear Time Series Analysis, An Introduction to Financial Econometrics, Game Theory and Applications, ....
或是申個exchange去其他學校, 那個學期專玩mathematics & statistics...

schoggiUID: 3585845

cheesechan 发表于 2015-2-1 05:37
LSE 的 method summer school的real analysis, 對你的background是一個很好的補充, 其teaching quality 也很 ...

Thanks a lot cheesechan!

Research interest: public economics, political economics, economic history, and behavioral economics. I'm still a beginner so can't say that I won't change my preferences.

I don't mind applying to some European MPhil programs, but my girlfriend prefers to go to the U.S. as she hasn't been out of Europe in her life, and I prefer American culture to European culture. I find the people in Europe too reserved to befriend and miss the warmth of good ol' Texan people lol

cheesechanUID: 3505689

schoggi 发表于 2015-2-1 05:42
Thanks a lot cheesechan!

Research interest: public economics, political economics, economic hi ...

老實說, 除了personal reason, 我看不到你為啥要讀你現在的second bachelor in economics.
以你的first bachelor with a minor in econ, 夠申一個ok decent的master了吧.......?

P.S. 寫完後發覺這段很廢話.....

schoggiUID: 3585845

cheesechan 发表于 2015-2-1 05:55
老實說, 除了personal reason, 我看不到你為啥要讀你現在的second bachelor in economics.
以你的firs ...

嗯，我最初是想读法学院，不过个人当时对德语法语都很喜爱。自己的mentor是德国籍在休斯敦定居的商人，他是法学博士，对美国法学院教育有些看法，和他探讨后觉得自己还是不去法学院的好，遂想到德语区提高德语学商科，以后申请历史博士或者国际关系或者下海之类的。来到瑞士后渐渐对商科和下海没兴趣，发现自己不是那块料，觉得自己还是更想搞学术，不过对历史政治哲学经济都有兴趣，觉得若是搞经济的话可以覆盖其他几个领域。不过我觉得我当时minor economics也申不到decent master吧...?不过当时没觉得能成。

cheesechanUID: 3505689

schoggi 发表于 2015-2-1 06:04
嗯，我最初是想读法学院，不过个人当时对德语法语都很喜爱。自己的mentor是德国籍在休斯敦定居的商人，他 ...

如果你的minor是讀了intermediate mico, macro, econometrics,
估計申EME之類很硬/mathematical的master會有問題, 但是一般的econ master的話, 估計you will only face the same problem as you face now - not enough mathematics....

算了, 這個多提也沒意思...

DUKEZHYUID: 3311563

schoggi 发表于 2015-2-1 04:59
我的顾虑就是数学课。在德州时学了Calculus I，但是没学Calculus II。在瑞士这边，录取我后学校把Mathe ...

I am currently enrolled in a university here in the States. Make sure you tell the committee (draft a extra announcement and upload it into the application system--most universities have the extra announcement section or something alike.) how you got your calc courses waived in the Switzerland institution. Definitely take a linear algebra and a real analysis course if Duke is your dream school (I am not saying that these two courses are thresholds in the admission process, but many of the applicants, especially those from China, do take these courses in the undergrad study). Best luck! BTW, PBK in my undergrad univ. requires 60 credits in Social/Natural Sciences and Humanities, that are far beyond what my coursework can load........

schoggiUID: 3585845

cheesechan 发表于 2015-2-1 06:08
如果你的minor是讀了intermediate mico, macro, econometrics,
估計申EME之類很硬/mathematical的mas ...

I'm a VWL major now and at our school there's only contextual studies and no minors. I've been thinking that even if I didn't take Mathe I&II, an above-average GPA would demonstrate that I'm on the same level as other bachelor's students at our school. If they could make it into good MA programs in Europe then intuitively I would think that I have the same chance without Mathe I&II on my transcript.
If as you mentioned that my math is the biggest problem that will prevent me from getting into a good program, then my last resort for the lack of math background is UZH with its Hochschulübergreifendes Program, from which I can take Analysis I & II and Lineare Algebra in German. And Analysis I&II cover single/multivariable calculus and real analysis.

伪摇滚爱好者UID: 2990861

cheesechan 发表于 2015-2-1 05:37
LSE 的 method summer school的real analysis, 對你的background是一個很好的補充, 其teaching quality 也很 ...

关于数学课的补充说得太好啦

schoggiUID: 3585845

DUKEZHY 发表于 2015-2-1 06:29
I am currently enrolled in a university here in the States. Make sure you tell the committee (draf ...

Can't remember if it's the same criteria for PBK at my alma mater but I graduated with 141 credit hours, 21 credits over the graduation requirement.

I'm going to focus on European MA programs and Duke isn't my dream school since I know I won't get a scholarship and it's too expensive. I'd say CEMFI is probably my dream school but the competition is fierce now. I would like to apply to Duke simply to see where I will be among all applicants :)

schoggiUID: 3585845

cheesechan 发表于 2015-2-1 05:37
LSE 的 method summer school的real analysis, 對你的background是一個很好的補充, 其teaching quality 也很 ...

可惜了，我没选Stochastic Methods in Finance（已经满了）而是选了Linear Models and Variance Analysis,为了明年修Linear Time Series Analysis.不然这学期直接修Linear Time Series Analysis? 话说Game Theory and Applications也体现mathematics ability吗？ 若算是个signal我就撤了public economics II选game theory了 :)