INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE PHD APPLICANTS

Time Table

Graduate applications for the academic year are available in September from the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The 2007-2008 application schedule for the Department of Economics:

• January 9, 2007 - Stanford applications due in the Department of Economics
  
• March 15, 2007 - Admissions decisions mailed
  
• April 15, 2007 - Economics Department must be informed of student decisions
  
• Mid-Aug - Required arrival for newly admitted Ph.D students

To request general information, please go to the following website and follow the appropriate links: the URL is http://www.stanford.edu/dept/gradadmissions/index.html

Application forms cannot be downloaded. You must either apply on-line or send for a paper copy.

For Information about the Application for Graduate Admission go to http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying/about.htm

Type or print carefully your complete name and mailing address and the material will be sent to you by first class mail to addresses in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and by an international mailing service to overseas addresses. Please allow 3-4 weeks for the application to arrive in foreign countries.

Please return the application and supporting materials to:

Department of Economics
Graduate Admissions Committee
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6072

For specific questions about the graduate economic program: grad@econ.stanford.edu

Admissions Criteria

The Department of Economics often receives letters from people who are interested in the Ph.D. program, but seek additional information to determine whether they should actually apply for admission. This statement has been prepared to answer some of the most frequently raised questions.

Admission and financial aid decisions are made by the Admissions Committee of the Department in February of each year for the class which will enter the following September. The Department receives more than 700 applications per year, and about 50 are admitted. The entering class size usually consists of 25 students. The Department does not defer admission; applicants must begin their studies in September of the year in which they are accepted.

The Department does not have a predetermined formula for weighing admission criteria, nor does it have any rigid cut off points on these criteria. All factors are taken into account and weighed by the Committee. However, the primary consideration is the likelihood that the candidate will be able to complete the Ph.D. program with distinction. The committee looks for evidence that the applicant will be able to deal successfully with the quantitative material which is heavily emphasized in the core curriculum, and that the student will be able to do high quality independent research.

The criteria which are considered include:

• Preparation and performance in undergraduate studies, especially in economics, mathematics, and statistics - send two copies of official original transcripts for all secondary institutions attended
• GRE scores, especially the quantitative
• TOEFL results (if applicable)
• Three letters of recommendation, especially as these reflect research ability
• Statement of purpose.

In deciding whether to apply, you should be aware of how competitive the process is. Most of our recent successful applicants have had scores above the 95th percentile on the quantitative GRE, and received excellent grades in economics and math courses.

The Department requires competence in the calculus of several variables, linear algebra, and probability and statistics as they are used in modern economics. Deficiencies in these areas must be remedied, preferably prior to entering graduate school; the Department holds a math review course during the five weeks prior to the start of the Autumn quarter which entering students are expected to take.

Applicants are not required to have been undergraduate economics majors, but some substantial preparation in economics is desirable. In general, the quality and extent of undergraduate education are an important part of the applicant's record, as is any relevant work experience.

The Department does not accept the transfer of actual units of previous graduate work. However, students with previous graduate work may be able to pass some of the required comprehensive examinations upon entrance, thus reducing the time required for the Ph.D. degree. In particular, a student is given the option of taking the economics and econometrics comprehensive examinations upon arrival at Stanford in the autumn.

Success in the program requires outstanding skills in speaking and writing English. The Committee takes particular care to verify these skills; for all applicants, scores on the verbal section of the GRE are given considerable weight. In addition, foreign applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This examination should be taken no later than October and preferably earlier. Applications will not be considered unless the GRE and TOEFL scores are included.

The GRE and TOEFL test results should be submitted by the Educational Testing Service. You may provide self-reported results with your application, but final decisions on admission will not be made without the official scores from the testing service.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance for first-year students ranges from no aid to a full fellowship which includes tuition; it is awarded on the basis of merit. In the past, the Department has been able to support all qualified second, third, and fourth-year students with teaching or research assistantships.

Sources of funds for research assistantships are from private industry, the National Science Foundation, and private endowment organizations. Government contracts for defense programs are not solicited by the Department.

The Department of Economics expects prospective applicants to apply for any external funding for which they are eligible, and especially to the National Science Foundation's program for graduate fellowships in economics, if they are U.S. citizens. NSFs are awarded on a geographical basis, and you may wish to consider using a home address rather than a school address on your application to increase your chances of receiving this award. For applications, write to:

National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
P.O. Box 3010
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-3010
(423) 241-4300
FastLane Graduate Research Fellowship Program