Preparing for a Ph.D.

A PhD program is very different from a terminal master's or your undergraduate studies. You work as a TA or RA and do your own research. You might also teach classes.

Certainly, you need to prepare for years for a PhD program. I did the fast-track 4+1 BA/MA program, so my experiences in terminal Master's applications are very limited, but some advice might still apply.

Here is a list of required materials when applying to most PhD programs in economics. I will keep updating each section.

1. Transcripts (official or unofficial, varies across schools)

Most schools require unofficial transcripts. Some schools ask you to update your transcripts from the semester you are applying after you submit all the materials. Be mindful of the requirements as they MAY NOT SHOW UP IN THE PORTAL!

 For international students who attended schools outside of the US and whose original transcripts might not be in English, carefully read the program's requirements. Do not hesitate to reach out to the programs to discuss this. You might also need to re-calculate your GPAs on a 4-point (4.0) scale.

I talk about how to tailor your curriculum and take the most useful classes in the next section.

2. Three Letters of Recommendation

Plan and contact your letter writers about your application intentions early. 

For PhD programs you want your letter writers to be (senior) faculty who are experienced in conducting research, have a lot of academic connections, and most importantly, know you very well. I am not talking about just taking 1 or 2 of his/her/their higher-level electives and getting A's. This shows you are a good student (and maybe a very active one in class) and could ace the hard classes. If you did research with them, no matter if it's RA or a thesis/independent study, it would be much better because they could write about your research ability and academic aspirations. This shows the admissions committee you are a passionate researcher with a lot of potential.

For terminal masters you might even ask your internship supervisor for a letter. All I know is these programs are much less focused on research, and so are your letters.

3. GRE and English Tests for foreign students

Start preparing for them early and do your best. Although I, among many professors and PhD students in economics, do not think the GRE reflects a student's potential in research or success, most economics PhD programs still require it for admissions (as of the Fall 2024 admissions term). There is an emphasis on GRE Quant scores for economics programs. Even if they say it's optional, I still suggest submitting them if your Quant scores are pretty -- the admissions process is a black box, and no one knows what happens in there. What you want is for all your material to show you are a good student with a very strong quantitative background and a good researcher.

Personal note: I did not enjoy preparing for standardized tests, even though I grew up in China and took the gaokao (college entrance exam) myself. It was not fun at all. However, it's part of the process. Think of it this way -- you only have to do it a certain number of times in your entire life. You get it over with and then you move on with your life. This was what I told myself when I didn't do well in my gaokao and decided not to re-take it no matter what.

4. Statement of Purpose

Weirdly enough, I loved my final SoP. I started drafting it in late September and finished my final version in mid-November. When you polish it over and over again, what you will realize is you understand your research interests and motivations more clearly. 

My SoP is very personal (but it does not have to be). I briefly talked about the life experiences that motivated me in my research in the first paragraph. I talked about my academic achievements (dual honors degrees) and the independent research papers I had written in the rest. I talked about how I want to extend my previous research under Profs. XXXX's advising. I mentioned the school's research centers related to my interests. 

What you want to show in the SoP is you have carefully thought about what you want from a PhD program. This includes why you are doing all of this, what you have done to prepare for this path, what you want to do in those five years, and what you want to do afterwards. 

I have met my fair share of peers who did not have a clear picture of what they wanted --- this has cultural reasons in it, I must admit

• Everyone around them was applying to big-name master's programs, then I'll do it too. 

• Everyone else was taking the Civil Servants' Exam (to be qualified for a government job in China), so I'll do it too. 

• My parents said an economics degree is good-looking on the job market, so I'll do it as they say. 

Stop all of these! Think about what YOU want, not what "everyone else" or "my parents" want. A lot of my peers were "dragged" forward because they are afraid of doing things differently from others and being left behind. Your research motivations might come from other people in your life, but your motivations should be your own.

5. Diversity Statement

Depending on the school, sometimes this is called a Personal Statement, Supplemental Essay, Life Experiences, Personal History Statement, Diversity Statement, etc. The prompts vary a lot by school, so read carefully what they are asking. As I mentioned, my SoP was already personal (but not personal enough), so I expanded my personal story in these essays. I still talked about my first research paper -- my honors thesis -- as it is closely related to my personal story. 

What you should focus on here is what you did not show in your SoP. This is a complementary essay to show your personal side other than an academic one. Don't be afraid to talk about your fear or any other strong emotions. 

6. Writing Sample (mostly optional)

I submitted my honors thesis and my master's thesis, depending on the program deadlines. For deadlines before 1/1, I used my honors thesis. For later deadlines, I used my master's thesis. These drafts are available on my Homepage. Personal Note: When I re-read my papers, I was shocked by my horrible writing, especially in my honors thesis. The entire delivery was still very raw even though I revised it for several rounds before I submitted it. This is not necessarily a bad thing -- it means you progress now and then.

I am a LaTeX nerd and I love beautiful academic formatting. LaTeX's learning curve is not that steep, at least not as steep as the powerful app Notion. I will organize and sort out a help page on LaTeX for Stata users.

1. "Pick" the classes you take in college. 

I've seen students who are obsessed with a perfect GPA and are afraid to take any hard class because they worry they might not get an A in that class and that will ruin their 4.0. Do not be that person. You need the hard classes to learn the skills (also to prove you are smart in front of an admissions committee). If you heard some classes give easy-A's, try to avoid them. Most of the time, they are a waste of time and tuition. There is a difference between leniency on grades and straight-up horrible courses.

2. Major in math, if possible (for economics PhDs).

The first year PhD in economics is math-intensive, I have been told so. A math degree with solid quantitative background also expands your paths later on. If you want to do theory and macro work, you know you could take them up without too much sweats.

3. Take econometrics seriously

Econometrics is the most important series of classes for anyone interested in doing econometric theory and applied work. It is also common understanding that econometrics is the hardest course in economics. To succeed, you need rigorous understanding of statistics and probability theory. The tools and knowledge will become handy when you are asked to write proofs.

4. Write a thesis

Some programs might require a writing sample within 20 pages. When I was applying in the fall of 2023, I was writing my Master's thesis at the same time. Many programs' deadlines are around 12/1 or 12/15 when I surely haven't finished my Master's thesis or polished it. What I did have was my undergraduate honors thesis, so this was what I used. If you already have a thesis at hand, you don't have to sweat too much about a writing sample. 

You want to make it look professional. I am a LaTeX nerd (since my math proof-writing time) so all of my thesis work was done in LaTeX -- the main texts, the graphs, and the tables. Everything. It does not have to be all LaTeX -- MS Word has many nice and professional features for equation typing, too.

5. Talk to your advisors

A lot of Chinese students like to consult (and pay) private agencies about which programs to apply for. The so-called expert agents might even help you "take care of" your SoP and diversity essays. I strongly suggest against any of this.

What you really should do is to talk to your advisors. They know a lot about your academic background and your research interests. They know what the admissions committees are looking for in SoPs and they know how to deliver professionally. They might know a handful of faculty in the school(s) you are applying to -- they might have written papers with them, might have studied under their supervision, might have talked to them during conferences, etc. Do not underestimate the power of connections in academia. 

They might be your letter writers or just your major advisors, but they would be much more informed on the field(s) you are applying to and able to give you useful advice than anyone else. These information come from academia insiders, but the application agents are not. 

Unless you are applying to a brand new field that you have no prior knowledge (haven't taken any classes) about. If that's what you are doing, maybe think twice about this. You need to show sufficient preparation for the advanced studies. 0 knowledge is nowhere near it.

Sidenote: I was once told I should only aim at top-100 programs in the US and I could reach for the top-70s at best, but I got into much better schools than they described.