The Marginal Benefit of Real Analysis on My Applications
Hello reddit,
I'm considering pursing a Masters/PhD in economics or public policy. My plan is to find a predoc/RA job for a year or two then either apply for and attend either a.) a T50 PhD program or b.) a master's program in the UK/US then apply for a T20 PhD program afterwards within the next 2-3 years. Here is my profile:
I have a B.A. from a liberal arts college and was top of my class.
Math: Calc 1-3 (A), Introduction to Proofs (A-), Differential Equations (A), Linear Algebra (A)
Programming: Coursework involving in R, Python, and Stata (A)
Research Experience: internships at two different government institutions, undergraduate thesis with honors, (possibly) a RA/Predoc role in the government in my home country for 1-2 years.
I'm considering taking Elementary Real Analysis with UCIC online as, if I don't, I will be out of contention for T10 programs. However, I think my performance will be poor (as I'll need to devote significant time to the course in addition to working a full-time job), there are many applicants with similar profiles (hence real analysis isn't a useful signal), and I will be pretty miserable for 4 months during the course (as I don't care much for proof-based math). I also don't think I want study at a department that has a heavy emphasis on math such as MIT. For this latter set of reasons, advisors at my previous institution have recommended I don't take the course.
I'd like a different perspective from you all. Is the marginal benefit of taking real analysis worth it given costs I listed? I suspect you all will recommend taking it, but I'd like to hear why.
Thank you all in advance.