Do we know what economists do? Kind of. Can we help you get into college as an economics major? Absolutely.
Ok, but actually, econ is a really great degree to have. It can help you in business, politics, public policy, journalism, and law (among others). Because of its broad application, this means it’s a popular major–especially in the Ivy League and at top-tier colleges. Now you’re thinking, “how can I set myself apart? I’m just a 16 year old who saw that Warren Buffett had an econ degree?” No worries, we got you. Oh, and we do know what economists do.
Reading
One of the best ways to dive into economics is by reading books on the topic. There are a lot of subfields in econ, like behavioral economics, business economics, global economic development, International trade and finance, labor economics, and econometrics. We know, a ton of options. As you start your journey into econ, you want to keep in mind that you need to find a niche within the field. Reading books like The Undercover Economist or Freakonomics might give you a good intro to the field, but you should dive deeper once you uncover things you want to learn more about.
Online Classes
Websites like Coursera, The Great Courses, and Open Yale Courses provide tons of free and/or easily accessible online classes to learn about literally anything you want. However, you are here reading this because you want to be an econ major, so maybe stick to the econ classes. Online courses will allow you to take one of the broad topics you’re interested in, like macroeconomics, and spend a few weeks diving into the minutiae. Who knows, you might come out of the class wanting to become an expert in the Gini coefficient.
Summer Programs
Summer programs are an excellent way to develop your interest in econ further while also getting a lil’ sample of the college experience. Typically, students spend 1-4 weeks on campus taking a college-level course, often for credit. Depending on the niche you’re finding yourself in, there are a variety of summer programs that can satiate your need for data and numbers, and money. At schools like NYU, Brown, Harvard, and Tufts, you have the option of taking a wide swath of college courses. If you’re into econ for more business-y reasons, look at Wharton or UCLA’s Investment Institute for your summer plans.
Research
Getting a research opportunity as a high school student is hard, but not impossible. You could undertake your own, but it’s way more impressive to do it under the tutelage of a professor. If you’ve followed our guide, you’ll have a niche developed within economics that gets you excited. Take that niche and search out professors who specialize in those areas. Then, email them and pitch yourself as their research assistant. Prepare for a lot of “no,” but don’t let that discourage you.
Intern
While there are economic institutes and think tanks for you to intern at, you can also change your scope a bit. If you’re into global economic development, you could intern for an NGO or non-profit. If finance or business is where you want to land, intern for a hedge fund or corporation. If you decide to intern, make sure it’s a worthwhile experience. A lot of internships can turn into becoming the coffee runner and paper stapler, so you want to make sure you find something where you’ll gain valuable experience.
Get Published
You might get some of that aforementioned research published, but you can also take getting published into your own hands. Economics is, after all, a social science. That means there’s lots of space for opinions, debates, theories, and *musings* on the field. Pitch ideas to smaller/indie magazines and publications that cover economic topics, or start your own blog!
If you want to study economics at a top-tier college, you need to be prepared to do the work to make yourself stand out. Doing the work now won’t just help you with admissions, but it will also help you figure out if you’re truly interested in economics. We don’t want you, two years into college, feeling like you picked the wrong thing. Dive in now, figure out your passion, and explore it with lots of curiosity!
If you need help developing your extracurriculars and strategizing for college admissions, reach out to us today.