University application support and mentorship programs

Authors
Clare Hofmeyr Yanang Silas-Bossan
Contributors
Priya Manoj Nair
Last updated

Summary

This page contains links to various resources to assist you in the process of compiling an application to a master’s or PhD program. Here we list institutions, programs, and online resources that support and mentor prospective students interested in applying to economics graduate degree programs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Many of these resources are tailored for African scholars, though most are not limited to African applicants.1

Resources on compiling an application to a master’s or PhD program

Many of these have been found through posts on Twitter/X. The sources are linked next to each item. As these are sometimes documents within someone’s personal Google Drive or other cloud storage, links may break if files are moved. This is not a comprehensive list but rather can serve as a starting point in your search for these resources.

Personal statements and statements of purpose
CV
GRE preparation
General advice and assistance

Chris Blattman’s blog has a wide range of advice for people considering or currently enrolled in a PhD program. He provides helpful advice on everything from writing a statement of purpose, securing funding, the job market for PhD holders, predoctoral positions, applying to PhD programs, and much more. 

Graduate Applications International Network (GAIN) provides a range of resources related to choosing and applying to PhD as well as advice and ideas for ways to prepare for a PhD.

Mentoring resources and support

This section provides link and brief descriptions of institutions, programs, and online resources that support and mentor prospective students. This is not a comprehensive list but can serve as a starting point in your search for these forms of support.

Across regions

Graduate Applicants International Network (GAIN) supports prospective graduate students from all countries across Africa applying for excellent programs (both master’s and PhD) in economics and related fields (public policy, political science). GAIN supports graduate applicants through information sharing, mentoring, peer-to-peer support, and reduction of financial barriers, with the goal of strengthening the pipeline for African students into the Economics profession. They have a rich bank of resources you can check out here.

Project Access Africa is a network of students currently enrolled in schools in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe who are paired with and mentor prospective African students to help them get into their dream master’s program. The universities where this program exists include Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Bocconi, Stanford, London School of Economics, Columbia, University College London, Harvard, Sciences Po, Imperial College London, and King's College London.

Women in Economics Program is an initiative that matches women economists with mentors to provide advice on career advancement. The mentoring can be geared toward a professional career, academics, or more personal goals. They take applications once each year.

Effective Altruism (EA) Forum is an initiative at the Global Priorities Institute (GPI) for people in the EA community (or sympathetic to EA) who plan to apply to economics PhD programs at top programs in United States and European universities. It aims to provide support with the application process and help mentees establish relationships with like-minded aspiring economists. Mentors are Forethought Fellows or participants in GPI’s Early Career Conference Program. Forethought fellows are students or early postdocs who are conducting research in areas relevant to improving the wellbeing of future generations in the long term.

The Africa Graduate Mentorship and Coaching program (AGMCP) is a mentor-mentee network facilitated by the Interconnections for Making Africa Great Empowered and Sustainable (IMAGES) Initiative. It is designed for mentoring and coaching graduate-level students (master’s and PhD) between twenty and thirty years of age in Africa in the areas of research and professional development.

Advice for PhD Students in Economics. While many of the resources shared on this site target those already enrolled in a PhD, there are some that relate to the admissions process, research assistantships and mentoring programs.

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) is a capacity-building institution working on research, training and policy outreach for economic development on the continent. AERC’s flagship training program (PhD and master’s) is designed to build a community of locally trained economists. They also offer topical workshops, visiting scholar and attachment programs and ongoing grant opportunities. Follow @AERCAFRICA on Twitter/X for the latest updates.

Association for the Advancement of African Women Economists (AAAWE) is focused on capacity and skill building for female African economists, including networking, mentoring, and assisting members in obtaining grants, fellowships, and internships; and facilitating knowledge sharing among members.

Economists at the International Growth Centre (Rahma Ahmed, Rania Nasir, and Nikita Sharma) have put together a curated list of resources for Black and other underrepresented minorities in economics, including mentorship, professional, funding, and other opportunities.

United Kingdom and Europe

Applicant Mentorship Program (AMP) aims to help applicants from underrepresented backgrounds prepare their applications to Economics PhD programs by matching applicants to mentors who are PhD students in the Economics departments at Cambridge, London School of Economics, Oxford, University College London, and Warwick.

African Society of Cambridge University aims to provide general guidance and support on the postgraduate application process for Africans applying to the University of Cambridge. The program includes one-to-one mentorship support with a matched current student or alumni. This program is not targeted toward Economics only; it applies to all post-graduate programs at Cambridge University. There is limited financial support for application fees as needed.

PhD mentorship program is a two-month series of workshops and meetings that helps students to define career goals and the steps needed to achieve them, meet with scientists and researchers from various fields (and at different stages of their careers) who share their experience and advice, and network with their peers. While this program primarily focuses on women, men are also welcome, as most workshop topics are universal. It targets those planning to enroll in a PhD program at a Czech university.

The Black Economist Network is dedicated to providing a platform through which professionals and students of African and Caribbean descent in economics and related fields can connect, collaborate, share ideas and support each other. They host monthly events that allow members to connect physically or virtually, they have a WhatsApp / Slack group to debate and discuss issues related to economics, mentorship and avenues for sharing opportunities.

North America

Duke University, Department of Economics Graduate Mentorship Program aims to help applicants from under-represented backgrounds in the field prepare their applications to Economics PhD programs by matching them to mentors in the Duke Economics PhD program.

MIT Application Assistance and Mentoring Program (AAMP) aims to help students from underrepresented groups connect with a graduate student mentor in MIT or Harvard’s PhD Economics programs. The AAMP aims to increase the pipeline of diverse talent in Economics PhD programs and welcomes participation from all groups underrepresented in Economics.

Research in Color Foundation (RIC) is dedicated to increasing the number of PhD students of color in economics and economics-adjacent disciplines and amplifying meaningful economic and policy research on communities of color. RIC does this by matching minorities looking to pursue doctoral degrees in these fields with seasoned professionals who will serve as mentors. Besides identifying research ideas, and exploring additional needs before embarking on a PhD program, each mentor-mentee pair will have a chance to work together on a short six-month-long independent research project. They plan to meet the additional needs of the mentees, such as application costs (including test registration, preparation, and application fees), which add up to a substantial amount that can be prohibitive for low-income students. Lastly, they will offer the mentees an opportunity to present their research projects to their mentors and other interested parties at our annual conference.

The Association for Mentoring and Inclusion in Economics (AMIE) was established to identify and address outcome disparities for junior scholars in economics via a mentorship program for underrepresented minorities, first-generation or nationalities outside the United States focusing on capacity building and advice, long-term mentorship, awareness raising on mental health, providing opportunities to present work, provision of scholarships and conference travel, among others. Find their latest updates on Twitter/X @econmentoring.

The Economics Mentoring Program (EMP) is a student-run program aiming to help students from underrepresented groups connect with a graduate student mentor in Duke, Harvard, MIT, or Stanford’s PhD economics programs. The mentors can provide advice on graduate school and fellowship applications, as well as information about economics research and life as a PhD student or in an academic career, for students deciding whether a PhD in economics is the right choice for them. They have a rich range of resources for application and opportunities that you can check out here. 

The Sadie Collective aims to address the pipeline and pathway problem for Black women in economics and related fields through bringing together Black women at different career stages to share resources, network, receive mentorship, professional development, and advocate for broader visibility in the field.

Also see the J-PAL resource about navigating the PhD application process. It has some good practical advice and links to a plethora of additional resources.

J-PAL staff has also compiled very useful, practical advice from affiliates and recent PhDs on deciding if a PhD if right for you and choosing a PhD program.

Footnotes

1. This resource is based on two J-PAL Africa resources, “University Application Support and Mentorship Programs” and “Guidance for Writing a Master’s or PhD Application.”

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