What it Takes to Enter the Top 5 Economics Schools

Required Documents for Submission

Following documents need to be submitted online

• Common /Universal College Application Form duly filled up
• Harvard College Questions and Writing Supplements
• SAT or ACT with Writing scores from conducting agencies directly
• 2 SAT subject test scores
• School Report and High School Transcript
• 2 Teachers’ Report about the applicant
• Mid Year School Report
• Final School Report

While applicants are encouraged to submit additional subjects test scores, AP scores, IB scores, A level scores or any other scores as evidence of breadth and depth of academic achievements, selections to the undergraduate programs are NOT based on these scores or any “cutoffs”. For reference, the 25th/75th percentile score for SAT for students admitted to Harvard College in 2013-2014 was 2100/2350.
Harvard has a foreign language requirement, which can be fulfilled by taking a foreign language class while at Harvard or getting a 5 in AP exam, a 7 in IB exam or 700 or more in a SAT subject test.

2.    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

MIT does not use Common Application Form; instead its uses online application form of its own.

January 1 (Regular Decision)
November 1(Early Action)

Process of Submission

• Fill up and submit Part 1 of Application Form – Biographical & Parent info, preferred field of study
• Pay the requisite fees as suggested by the university.

Completion of these two activities initiates the application process for MIT.

• Fill up and submit Part 2 of application Form
• Essays – answers to a series of short questions and one essay
• Activities – max 5 activities involved in school
•  Self Reported Course Work Form for US school students only 
• 2 High School Teachers’ Report- Evaluation A from math or science teacher
• Evaluation B from humanities, social science or language teachers
• Secondary School Report, Transcript, Recommendation Letter by Guidance Counselor
• SAT or  ACT with Writing scores from conducting agencies directly
• 2 SAT subject test scores – one in math, one in science subjects
• TOEFL marks for non native English speakers

MIT does not have any “cutoff” marks for standardized tests.  The last step is to get an interview with a member of MIT Education Council, a network of 3000 MIT graduates around the world who volunteer to meet with applicants in their home town. When possible, interviews are conducted face to face at a mutually agreed place like a local coffee house. When meeting is not possible interview is conducted via SKYPE. When interview is not possible the applicant is informed about it through an e-mail and MIT does not hold it against the applicant. MIT, however, strongly recommends taking an interview.

3.    Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Princeton is a highly competitive research university in US. 

January 1 (Regular Decision) December 15, if possible.
November 1 (Early Action)

Required Documents for Submission

Following documents need to be submitted online

• Common /Universal College Application Form duly filled up
• Princeton’s writing Supplements – 2 essays from 5 choices (250 words min.)
• One more essay (500 words) from 5 choices
• Application Fees
• SAT or ACT with Writing scores from conducting agencies directly
• 2 SAT subject test scores
• School Report and High School Transcript
• 2 Teachers’ Report about the applicant
• Mid Year School Report
• TOEFL scores for non native speakers of English

Princeton also recommends, but does not make it compulsory, an off campus interview with a volunteer from Princeton Alumni Schools Committee.

Princeton accepts students who will begin their year as freshman in fall. Princeton does not accept students who have started a college or university program elsewhere.  Princeton also does not consider the application which has been submitted in 3 earlier occasions.

4.    The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

This is the University that was founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1890. It is associated with 85 Noble Prize winners, offers more than 50 majors and Economics major is highly coveted here.

January 1 (Regular Decision)
November 1 (Early Action)

Required Documents for Submission

• Common Application
• The University of Chicago Supplements – one short essay on why you would like to attend the UChicago, one extended essay from 5choices, Both these documents are available at Common Application website and should be submitted online there.
• Application Fees
• SAT Reasoning or  ACT scores from conducting agencies directly
• School Report and High School Transcript
• 2 Teachers’ Evaluation Report about the applicant
• Mid Year School Report
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores for non native speakers of English

 The University of Chicago only admits students who have demonstrated a superior level of English language competence: we strongly recommend a score of 100 or higher on the Internet Based TOEFL or 600 or higher on the Paper Based TOEFL. Minimum required scores in the IELTS are an overall score of 7, with sub scores of 7 each. The minimum acceptable score on the Pearson’s Test of English PTE is 70.
The university discourages sending documents via email. It wants documents to be uploaded at UChicago Account (created by the University for the applicant after receiving the Common Application) or faxed or posted.
Submitting transcripts test scores, secondary school reports, and recommendations are only official if they come directly from the institution. Any of these materials that come directly from the student are unofficial, and won’t count toward our application requirements.

5.    Stanford University, Stanford, California

Application Deadline

January 1 (Regular Decision)
November 1 (Early Action)

Stanford uses Common Application. Therefore all submissions are done online at commonapp.org site though they accept printed submissions.
 
Required Documents for Submission

• Common Application
• The Stanford Writing Supplements – three short essays within 250 word each; One extended essay, max 650 words, from 5choices. Both these documents are available at Common Application website and should be submitted online there.
• Application Fees
• SAT (critical Reading, Math and Writing) or/and  ACT Plus Writing scores from conducting agencies directly
• School Report and High School Transcript
• 2 Teachers’ Evaluation Report about the applicant
• Mid Year School Report
• IELTS scores for non native speakers of English

Stanford recommends but does not make it mandatory for students to take standardized tests and report the scores like SAT subject tests, AP tests, TOEFL tests. Stanford does not recognize IELTS as a measure of English proficiency.
Two teachers, from grade 11 or 12 and teaching subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, Foreign Languages, History /Social Studies, should submit Common Application Teacher Evaluation Form and an evaluation letter online.