u/Lasersandtacos212

I’m applying to Economics PhD programs this cycle and have run into a problem: the schools that fit my research interests best are disproportionately very highly ranked.
I’ve worked as an RA for 2.5+ years and have developed fairly specific interests in IO, networks, and transportation, particularly research combining those areas.

When I look for departments with several faculty members who could realistically advise that kind of work, I end up with a very top-heavy application list. I can obviously add lower-ranked programs, but the fit often becomes much weaker.

I’m also struggling to judge how competitive my own profile is because my academic record is unusual. My undergraduate and Honours degrees are separate degrees. My undergraduate degree was not pure economics and my performance was relatively weak. After being hired as an RA, I completed a separate Economics Honours degree that is effectively the first year of graduate economics training in my system. I took eight graduate-level economics courses, including PhD Microeconomics, and received A-range grades in all eight.
My academic performance therefore improved very sharply at around the same time that I began doing research and moved into graduate-level economics.

I’m unsure how admissions committees will weigh the weaker undergraduate record against the much stronger and more recent graduate economics record.
That makes it difficult for me to tell whether my application list is appropriately ambitious given my profile, or just wildly unrealistic.
I know interests can evolve during a PhD, and I’m realistic about how unpredictable admissions are. I’m therefore wondering how others would balance:

strong research fit + very low admissions probability, versus weaker fit + a more diversified application list.

At what point would you compromise on research fit for the sake of having a more balanced list? And how would you evaluate an applicant whose earlier undergraduate record is substantially weaker than a later, separate year of strong graduate economics coursework including a strong honours thesis?

A very popular question on this subreddit, I understand.

I’ve just completed 2 years of predoctoral research work. During this time I completed an honours degree with a thesis and continued working as an RA under my professor.

An honours degree in Australia is considered the first year of graduate school so I was able to take graduate coursework while completing my thesis and I did well completing with a 4.0 GPA and I was able to take PhD Microeconomics and get the dean’s award for that unit and for my Honours thesis, I was also able to publish this paper online so it’s indexed on REPEC and now I’m working on extending this work.

Now I understand that Math Grades are heavily weighted, despite trying my best I wasn’t able to complete Real Analysis simply because it was too expensive for me to take at the time, and my degree structure left very little room for electives outside the economics department. In hindsight I would have completed atleast a Minor in Mathematics but oh well.

I wonder if it’s worth applying to PhDs this cycle or should I focus my energy on getting into a Masters Program?

At the end of the day I just want an opportunity to work and do research in Networks and IO 🥲 and I’ve tried my best to polish my profile as much I can but I would be lying if I said nothing ever feels good enough.

Hey! I’m 24, currently deep in the trenches of grad school (Help me!) if you’re wondering: I’m an Economist :)

Outside of work/study, I love good food (sushi, café hopping but nothing too fancy, just good vibes), traveling, and deep convos about life, love, and everything in between. I’m the kind of person who feels things deeply I care a lot, maybe too much sometimes and I really value honesty, emotional warmth, and friendships where both people truly make each other a priority.

I’m also a bit of a dreamer half of me is focused on academic/career goals, and the other half just wants to laugh at silly stuff, listen to music, and share the little joys in life.

Genuinely, I need friendships in my life where I get to learn something new everyday. Maybe that’s Academic or not, I just like learning new things about new people.

I’d like to strictly be platonic friends, so yeah please keep that in mind.