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Before the PhD · Apply
Letters, the GRE, choosing programs and the timeline
The parts of the application students most often leave to the last minute, and the ones that most often decide the outcome.
Letters of recommendation
Letters are among the most influential parts of an economics PhD application. Research on admissions decisions has found that committee ratings and letters carry more weight than test scores, and that letters from people who write many letters are especially informative, because committees have learned how to read them. The best letters come from economists who have supervised your research and can compare you with other students they have worked with.
Choose writers who hold a PhD and know the research process, ideally people who have seen you do research. A letter from a non-economist or from a professor who only knows your grade adds little. Ask each writer directly whether they can write you a strong letter, and give them room to say no; one weak letter can hurt more than good letters help. Give them at least a month, along with your CV, your draft statement, the list of programs and deadlines, and a short note on the work you did together.
The GRE
Many economics programs still require or recommend the GRE, while others have made it optional; check each program. Where it matters, the quantitative score is what committees look at. Many programs expect quantitative scores above roughly the 80th to 85th percentile, and the most competitive programs often expect the 90th percentile or higher. Practice under timed conditions, take the test early enough to retake it if needed, and consider submitting a strong score even where it is optional, especially if your math background is limited or comes from a school committees do not know well.
Choosing programs
Admissions are competitive and unpredictable; top programs admit roughly one applicant in ten. That is why most applicants apply to ten to twenty programs. Apply broadly, but only to programs you would actually attend, and generally only to programs that fully fund their students.
Look for departments with several faculty members working in your area, not just one, since faculty move and interests change. Look at placement records: where a program’s graduates work is the best predictor of where you will. Consider the program’s strength across fields, its location, its funding package and its culture. If cost is a barrier, ask about application fee waivers; many programs offer them.
A typical timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Spring and summer before applying | Finalize your program list. Take the GRE if needed. Start drafting your statement. Talk to your letter writers. |
| September–October | Formally request letters. Revise your statement with feedback from economists. Ask about fee waivers. |
| November–January | Submit applications. Many deadlines fall in December and early January; check each program. |
| February–April | Decisions and visit days. Talk to current students. Compare funding offers. |
| By mid-April | Accept an offer. Many U.S. programs follow an April 15 deadline for accepting funded offers. |
If you do not get in, it is not the end. Many successful economists were admitted on their second try, after a predoc or a master’s that strengthened the parts of the application that were weak.
Sources
Bai, Esche, MacLeod and Shi, NBER working paper on economics PhD admissions (2022), summarized at Marginal Revolution; J-PAL, Applying to PhD programs and Deciding if a PhD is right for you; American Economic Association, Preparing for Graduate School.