statshopeful2014

FWIW, from the profiles I have seen here and on mathematicsgre.com, I have noticed that having below a ~3.7 overall GPA seems to make PhD admission to a top 10-15 Stat and top 5 Biostat department unlikely, keeping in mind the GPA bar appears inversely proportional to the prestige of the applicant's institution (a 3.65 from Stanford is better than a 3.8 from Average State U, generally). Of course, a gpa below that threshold can be overcome by outstanding performance elsewhere in the application (like having attended an elite school, amazing letters, etc.,) Anyway, for most applicants, the best advice seems that one should apply to a range of schools, with a max/min relative to the schools the applicant feels they would be admitted to. EDIT: From the few schools that post admissions statistics, I know that UNC-CH Biostat has an average admit GPA of 3.8 and Duke Stat is also around a 3.8.

Duke has some data up on this years cycle,http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/admitsta.htm. Looks like applications were at an all-time high for PhDs...and foreign applicants as a percentage have gone down over the years (meaning competitiion for a domestic applicants is getting fiercer.) I've got a year and half until I apply, hopefully the job market recovers well enough that applications will go down by then!

As I have mentioned in other threads a quick LinkedIn search will show that, at least in biotech, that many people have degrees in Statistics from unprestigious schools. I think Applied Math to Stat is right...just make sure you have internships/programming experience/relevant dissertation and you should be good. What a relief to know that Statistics is not a zero-sum game like most other academic fields today....

A quick peak through LinkedIn (big pharma/CROs) seems to suggest that elite credentials aren't necessary for employment...it seems that job prospects are good enough that school prestige is as essential a factor as it would be in other fields.

I've read that at least at big pharma companies (pfizer, merck, etc.,) that to make it to the director level one needs a PhD; a quick linkedin search can confirm that.

Interesting observations. When it comes to an advisor, how much say does a student have in who they choose to work with? Do students typically get they advisor they ask for? Or is the process somewhat random?

Here's some data for PhDs in statistics regarding placement. Harvard: http://www.stat.harvard.edu/alumni/PhD.html Chicago:http://galton.uchicago.edu/people/alumni-phd.shtml Wisconsin: https://www.stat.wisc.edu/doctoral-graduates Penn State: http://stat.psu.edu/alumni Of those who tenure track at these schools, the majority seem to have landed a position at solid schools with the exception of Wisconsin where academic placement seems poor. Chicago, Harvard, Penn State seem to place half in academia (post-docs, non-TT included) and industry. At a quick glance, it appears getting on the TT is far from a given even after attending an elite school. Now why this is the case is hard to ascertain. Some graduates might find academia is not for them and go to industry despite having opportunities to continue, there might be no suitable academic offers, or the money offered in industry is too good to turn down. Maybe some faculty more experienced in this matter could comment. Additional thoughts: I guess one should be weary of doing a PhD in Statistics with the sole intention of becoming a professor since clearly, many do not go that route.

interesting to note that while the two above profiles are for the most part similar (of course it's hard to say anything about letters), that the applicant to biostats had a lot more acceptances than the stat applicant. I wonder, Stat Applicant, if you had applied to biostats instead of stats if you would have gotten into most of the schools you were rejected from.

. Can you possibly tell us your math background? I am a non-traditional student trying to come from a qualitative discipline to statistics/biostatistics and am looking at some of the schools you got into. I presume Calc 1-3, linear algebra, anything else?

Can we have this format instead? I find this helps future applicants. Undergrad Institution: (School or type of school, such as big state, lib arts, ivy, technical, foreign (what country?)... Overall Reputation in Mathematics?) Major(s): Minor(s): GPA: Position in Class: (No numbers needed, but are you top? near top? average? struggling?) Type of Student: (Domestic/International (Country?), male/female?, minority?) GRE Scores: Q: xxx (xx%) V: xxx (xx%) W: x.x (xx%) M: xxx (xx%) TOEFL Score: (xx = Rxx/Lxx/Sxx/Wxx) (if applicable) Program Applying: (Pure Math/Applied Math/Statistics/Operation Research/Biostatistics) Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications or conference talks etc...) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?) Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, etc...) Any Miscellaneous Points that Might Help: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...) Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Applying to Where: School - Program / Admitted/Rejected/Waitlisted/Pending on (date) / Accepted/Declined School - Program / Admitted/Rejected/Waitlisted/Pending on (date) / Accepted/Declined School - Program / Admitted/Rejected/Waitlisted/Pending on (date) / Accepted/Declined