Predictors of Success For Economics Ph.D. Students

What predicts success in graduate school (and beyond) for economists? According to this study,

• Higher GRE/math scores
• A more prestigious undergraduate institution
• A reference letter from a prominent researcher

I'd guess it's similar for Finance Ph.D. programs. - mathematical "chops" should be one of the biggest factors. However if one could come up with a proxy for "determination", I bet that it would also explain a lot (at least in terms of overall productivity over a career).

One of my colleagues once told me, "UP, if you're really smart and work hard, you'll publish a lot in top journals. If you're not quite as smart and you work hard, you'll still publish a lot, just in lower tier journals). Either way, if you work really hard (and intelligently), you'll publish a lot.

HT: Newmark's Door