Hello all. I am going to be applying to some statistics grad programs over the next few months and I am looking for some advice. Here is my profile:
Domestic male
Undergrad: Big 10 school
Major: Actuarial Science
GPA: 3.75, 3.90 Major (graduated in 3 years)
Work:
3+ years as an actuary for an insurance company (financial)
Undergrad Math TA (precalc 1 quarter)
Calc tutor - 2 years
GRE: 149V/169Q/4.5AW
LOR: will have decent letters from math professors
Related courses:
Calc II-A
Calc III-B+
Calc IV-A
Probability-B
Intro to Mathematical Stats I-A
Intro to Mathematical Stats II-A
Linear Algebra-A
Applied Regression Analysis-B+
Actuarial courses-Life contingencies (3 courses, all A), Interest theory (A-), Financial Economics (A)
Actuarial Exams: Probability, Financial Mathematics, Life Contingencies, Financial Economics, Construction and Evaluation of Actuarial Models, 2 Written assessments bason on actuarial readings and practices. I am an Associate of the Society of Actuaries.
Schools: Wisconsin, NC State, Iowa State, Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Va Tech, Missouri
My concerns/weaknesses are:
-I have been out of school for 3 years
-I have a low Verbal GRE score
-I was not a traditional math major and have not taken real analysis
-I do not have any research experience
I ultimately want to earn a PhD. Is it reasonable for me to be accepted to any PhD programs in Fall of 2014 based on my profile? Would I need to get a MS first then try for a PhD since I don't have analysis? Is it worth it to retake the GRE to try to improve my Verbal score? How hard is it to be accepted to a school's MS program then transfer into their PhD program-easier than applying for PhD? Is my list of schools too optimistic?
Any other advice or feedback is welcomed. Thanks in advance for your help!
