risys82 wrote:
(...) Therefore, I have enrolled for a calculus class at a community college. What level of calculus do I need to be at to be a competitive applicant? The school I am taking calc at is a community college, and there are four calc classes (differential equations, integrals, multi-variable, and integration of functions with more than one variable). Would I need to take all four? Does it matter whether I am taking these classes at a community college vs another school? Are taking all of those other courses (econometrics, game theory, etc) basically mandatory pre-requisites to be competitive or will taking them give me a slight advantage in admissions? I have taken a linear algebra class and 2 business statistics courses in my college days.. is this sufficient? Of course I have forgotten a lot of this because I haven't touched it in years, so I am guessing that some refresher courses are in order? Or will this not be necessary (i.e. I will be taking the courses again for my PhD).
Is there any way for me to gain some exposure to research prior to applying? The nearest schools to me are San Jose State and Santa Clara University, which are teaching schools, but I am guessing at least some professors do research? I was thinking of maybe emailing some professors there and asking them if there are any opportunities available to assist with research. Would this be advisable/not advisable? I still have my full time job, but I am hoping this is something I can squeeze in.
Also, how exactly can I determine which schools will I be a competitive candidate for? Is it simply a matter of checking out their websites, contacting the schools, or what?
First, congratulations on that GMAT score, it's great and is definitely not a weakness for any school (though the GMAT score alone will not make you stand out at the very top schools either). My $.02 on your questions:
1) Math is math. I don't think it matters where you took those courses. If you get a C or fail a course, it'll be bad anywhere; if you get an A, it'll be good for your profile.
2) I don't know how much is needed to be competitive. Just Calc 1 is probably not enough. Calc 1 + all 4 other courses you mentioned would probably be overkill. You can take 1000 math courses and it will always marginally improve your abilities, but there are clearly decreasing returns to scale in this signaling game. I'd say differential equations and integrals have the highest chance of being useful in a PhD program, especially if the program you take has a significant Economics core (Microecon, General equilibrium, and so on), or if it has an emphasis on analytical accounting research (part of it is sometimes called Information Economics).
3) Microecon, game theory, etc will give you an edge, just like some other guy with an MA Statistics (but no Econometrics/Game theory/Microecon) will have an edge, or another with an engineering degree may have an edge. Nothing is mandatory, but on the other hand if you don't have anything that others don't, you won't be competitive. You have 3 professional designations, which very few applicants will have. That's good, but how good, I don't know -- probably school-specific.
4) Linear algebra + 2 b-school stat courses = just fine. Nobody cares if you forgot all this stuff, none of the faculty members you'll meet remember either (unless they've used that knowledge in the past month) No refresher needed at this point. However I can recommend a good refresher-type book if you have time after you send out applications: Mathematics for Economists, by Simon and Blume. Easy read, lots of basic exercises. Covers basic linear algebra, basic calculus, this type of stuff. Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Economists-Carl-P-Simon/dp/03939573305) Exposure to research: good idea. A good thing with research is the flexible hours, so as long as you have time you should be alright, provided a faculty member wants to help you out.
6) How competitive you will be: check the "current students" section and look for student bios. Ultimately it's a black box.
Hope this helps!