I finished my master’s in mathematics a year ago from ETH Zurich. Now I want to do a PhD in economics, preferably at a top graduate school. My questions are:
Would admission committee give minus points for me if I have a gap for two years at the time of PhD application? I want to apply in the US in December 2020, and it would be two years of my masters completion by then. I will be teaching mathematics at undergraduate level during these two years.
How can I prepare myself for an admission into a top PhD program for economics? Would getting involved in a research project in economics with a local economist be seen an advantage for me? Would working at a local research institute be helpful? How can I make my application competitive? How can I exhibit the knowledge in economics that the top PhD programs demand?
The last time I studied economics was during my high school, where I did two basic courses on micro- and macro-economics.