So you want to be an economist. You’re dreaming of research, calculations, and supply and demand — and perhaps a future in academia, policy, or consulting.
One of the first steps to making this a reality is to get accepted into an economics graduate program, and you should concern yourself with how you can be the most competitive applicant possible.
Here are three ways to get that competitive edge when you’re applying to economics graduate programs.
1. Be on Top of Your Knowledge
Prerequisites are important when applying to grad school. And for many graduate economics programs, the minimum requirements for prior coursework consist of a variety of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and mathematical courses like calculus and statistics.
But if you would like to apply to a top graduate program or even be better prepared for the rigor of a future PhD program, you should the initiative to take several more mathematically based courses in undergrad, in addition to any courses that may prepare you for the rigor of a graduate education.
If you’ve been out of undergrad for a while, you should consider taking a refresher course. Being up-to-date on the latests trends and practices of your desired field can only give you a competitive edge.
2. Dive into Research
Graduate programs often place a lot of emphasis on research experience, especially if you are applying to a program at a research-intensive university. Similarly, in a PhD program, besides your coursework, your main focus is primarily to conduct research.
This means that in the application process you will be considered based on your ability to conduct excellent research. Prove and develop this skill by diving into economics research, participate in an undergraduate honors student’s thesis, or expose yourself to different research workshops and seminars at a university, government policy, or in the private sector.
It’s also important to make research contacts with faculty. This gives you the opportunity to participate in faculty research and learn about what is important to the faculty in your field.
Not only will this give you diverse experience and help you determine how you would like to specialize in your degree, but it will allow you to experience the concrete results initiated by your ability to conduct research.
3. Ensure the Quality (and Diversity) of Your Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are a method of re-emphasizing and validating your many talents and experiences. The letters should speak to your ability to excel in challenging coursework in past academic experiences and should exemplify how you’ve developed in a professional, employment sphere.
Good letters of recommendation come from tenured faculty who have a national reputation in the field or from a key person in your department (it’s a red flag to grad schools if you don’t have a letter of recommendation from someone in your department). Less-than-ideal letters of recommendation come from faculty not in your field. Bad letters of recommendation are from friends, family, or your minister.
Additionally, if you have research experience (and you should) in the three different areas mentioned in the previous section (university, government, and private sector research), provide a letter of recommendation from a professional in each sector. These diverse letters should highlight your different research experiences and form a more complete picture of you as a competitive applicant.
Of course, these three methods do not encompass all that you need in order to be accepted to a graduate program in economics. Qualifications such as having a high quantitative GRE score and a solid GPA are likewise important and should not be disregarded.
But by following these three strategies, you can be sure to have a competitive application in applying for an economics graduate degree.
WVU’s Admissions Team is here to help you navigate the application and admissions process. That’s why we’ve put together a free, downloadable resource for you to reference — Everything You Need to Know About Applying to Graduate School at West Virginia University.
