If you’d rather talk about "fiscal policy," "market forces," and the mysteries of supply and demand than catch up on the latest hot goss, you’re in the right place. We’re guessing you want to study econ in college, but you might not know exactly how to kick off your journey. Not to worry, we've got your back, and we're here to lay out the game plan.
Econ is one of the most popular majors, not just in the Ivy League, but at almost every college in the country. Popular means competitive, so you need to start creating an academic profile that screams "I'm all in on this economics thing!" now. Top-tier colleges like to see that students have taken the time to dedicate themselves to their chosen major, it shows responsibility and it shows that you’re actually excited about your stated academic passion. Let's break how to get into an econ program down:
Learn Things!
You should start by devouring any and everything economics. There are a lot of ways for you to start soaking up as much info as you can. Online platforms like Coursera, The Great Courses, and Yale Open Courses are treasure troves of economic knowledge. You should also start reading books by economists or about economic theory, and you should stay plugged into the latest economic news - read newspapers, magazines, journals, and crank up those economic podcasts. You might also want to explore specialized summer programs centered around economics to get some intense exposure over a few weeks.
Build out your Niche
Once you've absorbed a ton of economic knowledge, it's time to narrow your focus. If you first latched onto microeconomics, you might then go a little deeper on supply and demand. You then decide to get further into the supply curve shifts, then you learn about how Covid impacted the supply chain. Soon, you’re fascinated with how policy changes can address issues in a suply-chain crisis situation. You’re basically using this time to create a funnel for your interests. Get funneling!
Join (or Start) Clubs
If your school has Econ clubs, join them. If they don’t? Start them! You can start a broad one, like just your bog-standard Economics Club, but you can also get more specific. Macroeconomics club? Behavioral Economics Club? If you’re looking to get an econ degree because you want to go into business, then start some business-centric clubs.
You can also join extracurriculars that aren’t specifically econ, but add some social-science-y flair, like writing for the school paper, joining the debate team, or the community service org that teaches financial literacy.
Internships
Internships are the gold-standard (pun intended) for getting firsthand exposure to your potential career path. Most people who study econ are not setting out to become academics or economists, so you probably have another path in mind. That path should inform what you try to get an internship in, so if you’re interested in business, get an internship at a bank or investment firm. If you’re looking for public policy, try a think tank, NGO, or nonprofit. Same goes for students trying to turn an econ degree into a career in accounting, data science, financial planning, or consulting.
Get a Paid Job
Internships are great, but you know what’s even better? Paid jobs. Jobs show a heightened level of responsibility on your applications. While it's awesome if your job aligns with your major, schools also appreciate your dedication to work, regardless of the role. Whether you're working at a call center for a bank on the weekends or saving lives as a lifeguard at your local pool, they both show off your work ethic.
Capstone Projects
This one's all about turning your beloved, finely-honed niche into something tangible. The dream goal here is research with a professor, but that shouldn’t be the only thing you pursue. Getting a research spot with a professor is hard, but it’s not impossible. Start by reaching out to local profs who are currently doing things that align with your niche.
You could also start a newsletter featuring your own takes on Economic news, confer with the city government on starting a Junior Economic Commission to learn how to make city budgets, or truly anything else you can imagine.
As you can tell, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to getting into an economics program. It's all about discovering your true passion within the field. But, there's a roadmap to get you there. And remember, it's vital to keep those grades and scores high (like our current interest rates) - you won’t get into a top-tier college without them.
If you need help finding and nurturing your niche in economics, reach out to us today.