Summary of Applying to PHD Stats Programs

[statisticsfall2014]

Hey Everyone,

I wrote a post on applying to statistics PHD Programs. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think:

http://statisticalsignal.com/?p=5

[echlori]

Very nice summary!

 

Re Diversity Statements, it seems that it's a new requirement for Michigan this application cycle. I don't remember doing one the previous year.

[statisticsfall2014]

Thanks, yeah those were the two applications I filled out where I had to do something besides just the typical 4-5 requirements. I would guess they're more critical for the University as a whole than the specific department. 

[agent229]

Helpful post for the future generations ;-) I do have to nitpick a tiny bit though... the math GRE is not required at Chicago. A lot of people think it is, and it is probably preferred, but not required technically.

[statisticsfall2014]

Good call! I've switched it and edited that paragraph to adjust. Yeah I didn't have much insight into the math GRE. The vibe I get is that if you take it and do well, it can be a huge boost to your application. However, the majority of applicants don't take it. 

[wine in coffee cups]

Good on you for doing such a nice job consolidating this advice and sharing your experiences. I would have found this useful while I was applying. I particularly liked the bits about the "debate" on statements of purpose (though not really a debate so much as cyberwulf describing how his department uses them, nobody else having much of a clue beyond a reasonable suspicion of heterogeneity) and the advice to use applying for fellowships as an opportunity to think about your motivations and research interests.

 

All of your advice seems pretty reasonable to me except that specific 70th percentile math subject GRE recommendation. I think that's an apocryphal tidbit that someone here once posted, apparently confidently enough to convince others to buy into it and parrot it even if they didn't take it themselves! Is there a reputable source underlying this (e.g. some professor at a top department flat out saying so)? If not, I don't think anybody here knows what makes a good enough score on that test for the statistics programs that encourage or require sending it. Stanford publicly posts an 82nd percentile average on their admissions FAQ, but could conceivably have a very wide distribution of scores of admitted applicants. And I would not be surprised if whatever bars that exist for the subject GRE at Stanford or elsewhere are lower for domestic than international applicants, might be lower for women or underrepresented minorities, might be ignored or waived altogether for a sufficiently interesting applicant from a non-math major who didn't have the breadth of pure math background to contemplate taking it and doing okay (well, whatever "okay" means).

[statisticsfall2014]

Thanks! But yeah that's true, I edited the end of that paragraph to take out the specific advice, and included pretty much what you said here. It would be nice to get more input on the mathematics GRE though, I never really intended to take it so I didn't really spend any time looking into it, but it would be nice to hear more input.