Admissions Blog

How to Showcase your Quantitative Skills when Applying

By Pooja Tanjore '25
Posted Jan 29 2025
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As you may know by now, SIPA admissions values your quantitative background. We value not only your work experience using quantitative skills, but also your formal coursework in this field. Here are tips to show off your quantitative background. 

  1. If you did not take macroeconomics, microeconomics, or quantitative methods in undergrad, try taking a local university course before applying. If you have a STEM bachelor’s degree, taking these courses could still be helpful. Ensure you take them from a place where you can get a transcript with a formal grade. This will show your preparedness to enter into international and public affairs analysis. 
  2. Wondering if you should take the GRE or not? SIPA does not require the GRE, although we do recommend submitting it. I recommend taking the GRE if you do not have a strong quantitative background. Scoring well on the quantitative portion of the GRE can fill in your quantitative weak spots on your application. Don’t submit a bad score!
  3. If you have job experience, think about when you applied quantitative skills. Did you calculate something? Create a database based on an algorithm? Ensure that your quantitative skills and knowledge are highlighted on your resume. When you use action verbs to start the bullet points on your resume, ensure that each job description includes one line using a quantitative action verb (ex., Calculated, audited, accounted for, etc.)
  4. Ask your recommenders to speak to your quantitative abilities using specific examples. If you ask a professor, ask them to highlight a time you conducted quantitative analysis, for example. If you ask someone from work, ask them to do the same and list the result of your quantitative work. Provide specific examples to your recommenders if it makes their life easier. 

Good luck! We look forward to receiving your completed application soon.