clamofee

Hi, I am in a similar predicament, although the locations and certain considerations of the schools are quite drastically different. If you're going into the same department for grad, most people will discourage that. It seems like this advice is mostly for academia though, so since you said you're going into industry, perhaps that wouldn't matter. You'll know people in both places so it won't matter. Have you considered listing all the pros and cons and weighing them for a final score? Or flipping a coin? Seriously, those two methods work.

Sorry for hijacking this thread... But why are some PhD offers unfunded? I mean, would it be unfunded throughout five years, or just unfunded for the first year? If it's the former, wouldn't it be comparable to a rejection without the word "rejection"?

I'm looking at Vanderbilt too, and although I'm not going to the EE program I hope to work very closely with it during my PhD so any advice will be greatly appreciated! RPI is ranked #26 while Vandy is ranked #44 in US news FYI. I'm not sure how the rankings work. If both schools have labs you would want to work with, then perhaps considering location would be a good idea. Also Vandy gives significantly more funding, so if money is an issue I'll look into that. Good luck deciding! I hope you have an easier time than I do >.<

From what I've seen the top Biostats programs have stronger academia than industry placements, so naturally I'm curious which Biostats program this is. Mind sharing/PM me? I've heard that if you're interested in academia, theoretical will help more; if industry, applications will help more. If you know your goals it'll help in the decision process.

Thank you everyone for the replies! applyin&prayin, I can't speak for the faculty, but it seems like Harvard, Hopkins, Michigan, UNC, UW (in alphabetical order) are generally ranked top 5. Emory is probably top 10? I'm not sure how these rankings work though... Are they for MS or PhD? ^ditto. Perhaps it's time for an updated set of rankings? Although I'm not sure how useful it'll be.

People seem to say that Biostatistics graduates have no problems finding a job since there is a "shortage" of Biostatisticians, and that the pay will likely be well (certainly enough to support a family). This trend seems to continue for the next (n) years or so. Is that true? I guess with the recent budget cuts, I'm starting to get skeptical. I guess I'm also skeptical because I'm not sure how medical/basic scientists view Biostatisticians. Are Biostatisticians really needed? Of course, nobody will know how this industry will be like in 5, 10, 20 years. Those of us who entered the profession years ago didn't know how it would turn out to be. I'm just curious about what people really think about the field of Biostatistics in general. For those of you already in Biostatistics, why did you choose the field? What are some of the advice for someone considering it? Sorry about the rant. I'm seriously considering enrolling in a graduate program in Biostatistics this coming Fall, and I'd really like to know what I've gotten myself into.

At Michigan MS, it seems like even if you don't get funding the first year, it's very likely you get a RA/TA-ship that covers tuition + stipend the second year. No idea about UNC - all I know is they haven't even sent out funding information for all PhD admits, so perhaps that says something? Of the three schools you mentioned, Michigan provides the most generous funding. But then with the sequestration, what can we say!

I did a search through the "Results Search" tab (link: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=biostatistics) Seems like someone is admitted on Mar 11. I'd say wait for a while and you'll probably hear back soon! People seem to do the admits in waves.

Congrats! Of all your admits, Duke has the biggest name for BME (though UCSD and Columbia are pretty good). I assume that this MS is unfunded? I'd probably go to Duke because cost of living in Durham is so low!

Congratulations! It's always good to have options, right? Is there a reason you are only considering schools in NYC at the moment? When do you find out about the Columbia fellowship? If you don't get a fellowship, do you have to pay for living expenses AND tuition? I am of the opinion that nobody should go into debt to get a PhD. A doctorate degree is long and arduous. Nobody should worry about bread on the table, taking away the full experience of being in graduate school! I definitely will NOT attend Columbia if I had to pay tuition, but if it is just a lack of stipend, perhaps it's worth giving a shot if it's your dream school. Sorry, I don't know much about NYU/Columbia Biostat to give an opinion on the programs, but Columbia seems to have the bigger name.

Someone I know who applied to UNC last year never heard back from them (!). Good thing said person had other options and UNC wasn't the first choice. Might be worthwhile checking - who knows they might have missed your application! Good luck!

thanks zabius! I do really like the program and city, but I think I would feel pretty tied down to live in the same place for so long!! On the plus side, it will be closer to family (drivable, whereas most of my other options aren't really drivable). One thing I'm concerned about is what people would think when they see "University of XXX" twice on my CV (Bachelors, Doctorate). I'm unsure if I want to go into academia at this point, but it remains a viable option, and I certainly don't want to hurt my chances! - clamofee

Hi all, I am a current undergraduate switching fields. I recently got admitted to one of my college's PhD program (very well ranked in the field). I've heard that it's not advisable for students to get all their degrees from the same school, but it seems like that advice applies to mostly people remaining in the same department. What are your thoughts on staying at the same school but at a different department for a PhD? Thanks, Clamofee