Overview
What this guide is, what it is not, and the perspective behind it.
PhD Application Guide
This guide is a personal data point from my 2026 PhD application cycle in economics, applied economics, agricultural economics, and environmental/resource economics.
It is not a program ranking, academic quality ranking, or advice that will fit every applicant. My goal is to reduce search costs for future applicants who are interested in applied, agricultural, environmental, energy, resource, and policy-oriented empirical work.
Guide Sections
Application Timeline
A practical month-by-month structure for organizing a PhD application cycle.
Choosing Programs
How I thought about Economics, Applied Economics, Agricultural Economics, and Environmental/Resource Economics programs.
Materials and Portal Management
Notes on SOPs, CVs, writing samples, transcripts, recommendation letters, and application tracking.
Interviews, Visits, and Final Decision
How to prepare for interviews, campus visits, student conversations, and the final decision.
What I Would Do Differently
Practical lessons I would carry into the application process if I could repeat it.