[PhD Stats:How to better position myself for next season?]

I disagree that trying to get more research experience is the right way to go. If you're planning on applying again next year, you've only got six months, and there's no way you can do anything substantial in that time period, particularly if you're working full time. Even if you're looking to apply in fall 2014, a year and half is a relatively short time window.

 

Everyone here seems to take it as a given that your math grades/profile were just fine, but I think this is where you should focus your improvement efforts. Based on the info you've provided, if I were evaluating your application I might be concerned that your math background was a bit light, and that the lower grades in your more advanced math classes (analysis and calc III) indicated that you were approaching your "mathematical ceiling", so that more advanced math/stat coursework at a top-level department could go badly. You could go a ways towards alleviating those concerns by doing well in a couple of advanced math courses (e.g., measure theory, topology, etc.) and in the math GRE (e.g., 80th percentile or better). 

 

Oh, and you should probably take a hard look at your letter writers again, to see if you might be able to discern who (if anyone) wrote a less enthusiastic one.

Thanks cyberwulf! I've decided to take upper level math courses instead of the GRE.

I think your comments regarding recs are spot-on... I hardly developed any relationships with my former professors and most of the letters were "did well in class"-type letters. Will try to impress the math professors at NYU/columbia for better recs

 

Incidentally, I am thinking of throwing a couple of apps at biostat programs next season, but I have no biostatistics background--do you recommend that I take some biostatistics classes (binformatics specifically)? Or should I stick to upper level math courses for now?

[PhD Stats:How to better position myself for next season?]

I'd love to see the Subject GRE scores of folks coming from stat. programs.  If you're trying to get into the best of the best, you should recognize that you're competing with the best for these spots, and as such having a weakness anywhere isn't going to do you any favors (and I don't consider a 60% on the subject GRE to be even close to weak - maybe for a math program but for stats. . .please).

 

I would simply realign your wishes with reality.  The pedigree of a persons school can only take them so far.  If you are dead set on only getting into Ivies or New Ivies, then I would imagine you are in for a rough road.

 

Thanks. I did think my list was top-heavy, and intend on applying to lower ranked schools come next season. Although, given my waitlists at those 4 schools, I would argue that it wasn't totally unrealistic of me to apply to those schools. I may be wrong.

[PhD Stats:How to better position myself for next season?]

Try to get a part time or preferably full time RA position at some reputed POI's lab, get better references and try to publish. Even if you have to quit a full time job, which is risky, you could look at it as an investment in your future.

Yeah, this would be the most ideal but unfortunately not possible. Need the money from my current job (ugrad debt) and can't work part time since I am on an H1b visa.

[PhD Stats:How to better position myself for next season?]

Was waitlisted at Wash, Cornell, CMU, Yale. Looks like there's a good chance I won't make it in anywhere, so I was thinking of ways to improve my application. My undergrad was in Stats at a top 10. Undergrad GPA was 3.9 and GREs were (Q/V) 800/650. Have taken the standard Calc I-III, Linear Algebra (including upper level LA), Analysis, Probability/Stat Inference (but not measure theory based probability).

 

My grades in real analysis/calc III were not stellar (B/B+ respectively--not an excuse but it was because I was academically immature, and not because I didn't understand the material).

 

1. Study for/take the math GRE: It's 6 years since I've taken Calc/LA, so this may be a good way of proving to admission committees that my basics are solid. Incidentally, given my background how much do I need to study to get a "decent" percentile score? What constitutes a "decent" score? 60th percentile?

 

2. Take upper level math classes at NYU/Columbia: Thinking of either taking real analysis, measure theory, or PDE. (Can only realistically take one)

 

3. Take upper level CS courses at NYU/Columbia: My interest is in machine learning/AI, and given that a lot of machine learning algorithms require run-time analysis, I would be interested in taking a course on algorithms.

 

If I had infinite time I would do all 3 but I work full-time so I can only realistically do one.

 

Any suggestions?

[Who's sitting on no acceptances? Come commiserate]

On waitlist from four schools (Wash, Cornell, CMU, Yale)

Rejected from four (Harvard, Stanford, Purdue, UMich)

Waiting on one more school.

 

All stats.

 

Things are NOT looking good.

[Yale Statistics PhD]

Hey, I see from the results survey that Yale has sent out its acceptances, waitlists, and rejections. I was one of those waitlisted.

To those accepted (or those who know people who have been accepted), can you post here (and whether you will be attending)?

 

I am on waitlist from four schools (Washington, CMU, Cornell, Yale), and no acceptances so far. Needless to say, I am panicking a little bit and Yale is my top choice.