Bayesian1701

Since you are a domestic student your chances you be pretty good at most middle and lower tier programs. Your grades are going to prevent you from getting into a great MS program but you should have options. I don’t think you will get funding but if you are paying for it the standards will be a lot less. Is your goal to stop at and MS and work in industry or get into a PhD program? Your initial post was a little old so do you have a list now?

It's not true for most programs probably right now, but I wouldn't count on Austin. I do mean it would be a second wave slot and their goal class is 5-7 this year so the odds aren't looking too good for those how haven't heard. Sometime in March the second waves will start coming. Who are you waiting on? There are a couple of programs that have reputations (cough cough Columbia and FSU) for being later in the process.

@BStat Following back up on UT Austin there are 8 people here. So probably only a few offers left if any. Historical yield rates are 40-45% and there could be people admitted but not attending.

I agree with @bayessays if you rec letters are great you have a good chance at getting into a top department. I might consider applying to Texas A&M as well if their application is still free because it is a Bayesian program and less of a reach than Duke. But since the sample size of people with tons of research experience like you have is relatively small its hard to be certain about what would happen. It's going to come down to whether or not they are willing to gamble that your mathematical maturity is good enough when your math grades aren't amazing (relative to most people in top programs) and you don't have any graduate classes.

@huxlb get Magoosh and try their advanced quant plan. Maybe buy the official GRE writing practice to see if you can raise it a little. My first practice test I a 164 and I was able to raise it to a 167 with a lot of studying over three months. I would wait to study for the GRE until the summer and focus on grades instead. If you are in any upper level math/stats classes try to get As in all of them. A solid semester right before applications could really help you out.

UT Austin stats visit day is this Friday so I think they sent their first round. However, that does not mean you will be rejected. Historically their yield rate is 40% so there should be more offers coming out. I'll let you know how many people are there. All I know is I am not the only one going.

I have no idea what is equivalent to TT but a VAP / adjunct should not be considered tenure track. I doubt they would do that unless they were trying to hide something. If you looked on departmental websites where people have been placed you should be able to see their title and PhD institution. Would you mind sharing the link?

What's the acceptance deadline for York, and are you still waiting for Carleton? Maybe ask for an extension at York and check on your status at Carleton if you are still waiting since it's been a few days since you posted.

I am a native Texas and I wanted to clarify taxes. Texas has no state income tax but they do have a sales tax of 8.25%. A lot of what you would probably spend your stipend on (food except like candy and soda, rent, basic necessities) would be tax-free. But clothing, books, junk food, and alcohol (I think it's taxed differently but I don't drink) would be taxed at 8.25%. Even considering this you would have a lot more money is Houston because your rent would be way cheaper. Check the academic placements for the specific programs since it would probably vary which was better in that regard.

True. I just don't want her to flood her list with lower tier programs like I did. I really should have covered the middle better.

Also to clarify I put Northwestern in the list not because it was a top tier but because it has a large number of applications relative to its spots (it's smaller than Duke and UNC) making it more competitive than other similar programs that are larger.

I don't think you have to add any lower tier schools. I guess you could add Missouri (at Columbia) and Baylor, but only if you really want to go there. Don't add schools just so you will have more options. Next year you will have about 2 months to visit programs and decide. Cluttering your list is not a good idea. @bayessays Do you agree she is likely to get in at least one place on her list and that her list is fine in its current state?

I agree with bayessays that your grades will likely not help. Still you should get into a place like Virginia Tech (maybe even a contenter for the fellowship) or Georgia. Anything above top 15 is basically not guaranteed for anyone and is slightly random based on factors you can't control (other applicants, funding issues, research fit). If you look at the competitive people who applied to a significant portion of the top schools (4-10) most of them get into only a few of them. It's going to be hard to get into Duke, CMU, UNC, and Northwestern, but you probably have better odds than the average applicant which means you may get into one of them. You're not going to get into everywhere but nobody does. You could apply more conservatively but having 5(+) acceptances like I have right now has its own set of problems. If you apply to all of those places you are very likely to get in at least somewhere.

@Laura06 how low was it? I also had a bad semester where I got a 3.1. It was my second semester and I have done fine since. I almost considered talking about it but instead I used the room to talk about my mathematical background. The main problem is that might be the last semester the AdComms see (for early deadlines and assuming you haven’t graduated yet) but if it was because you got a C in American Literature and a B in Spanish but gots As in math/stats courses it wouldn’t be as bad as getting a C in Mathematical statistics and a B in real analysis and made an A in American Literature.

I think your list is good and you should get into probably around 3 or 4 of them with funding and possible more which is a good aim. And given the randomness of admissions the only way to increase that is to under apply like I did. Your profile is pretty similar to mine and I have done well so far (4 funded offers including UT Austin and TAMU). Your research experience is probably your biggest selling point. Use your SOP to describe the story of your research. I spent over a page (of 2) discussing mine because I wanted to showcase my involvement. Some of your grades are a little concerning (probability theory, math stat, real analysis) and your GRE is on the low side. Sign up for something mathematically intense for next semester (real analysis II, graduate level probability, graduate level stats class) so that you can show you will be ready to possibly take measure theoretic probablity in your first semester (like you would at Duke and TAMU). If your GRE score is from a practice test and you haven’t taken the real thing yet try to raise your quant a point or too but it probably not worth retaking. Get a math professor from a proof based math class to write you a letter for at least TAMU, Duke, Florida and CMU to show mathematical maturity. I am going to guess you are interested in Bayesian statistics based on that list and if that is the case maybe add UT Austin and drop somewhere else.

@ileeminati Probably not. I think they have a huge unofficial waitlist that they put everyone on and once their spots fill with people accepting the offer they start sending out rejections based on past results. They have basically a rolling system on whether you made the priority deadline of 12/1 or not from my understanding

If I schedule an alternate weekend for another program during my spring break (and the spring break of this school that I am having issues scheduling) I could fit them in then. That particular program hasn't finalized a weekend and they seem to really want me so I don't think they would mind a separate visit. I also want to hold a weekend for the school I am waitlisted at for at least now (there is a relatively high probability I get off it in the next few weeks). I may have to skip it for time constraints due to 3 others visits and other commitments leaving me down to 3 days left I could visit. Right now I could still go there but in a few weeks if the right things happen I could easily change my mind, and they are last on my list. I think I am going to see about putting a visit on hold if the flight falls through. I don't want to schedule a visit in late March and then cancel because I already decided. If the flight falls through I would be much closer to the program on all my other available dates due to the fact I am visiting family nearby. Here is what I am thinking about saying if the flight falls through: I have thought about it some more and I think what I want to do is postpone scheduling a visit. I will be willing to drive down if I choose to visit later on. I have received other offers and I want to see how my other visits go. At this time I do not want to withdraw my application but I want more time to think about what I want to do. I am still interested in your program but I don't want to schedule a visit for over a month away knowing it is possible that in a few weeks I will end up canceling because I have decided to attend elsewhere.

I think Duke has reviewed all the applications. My first email from them said I was in the top 15% (which implies that they reviewed all of them) and my waitlist notification implied that they had sent out offers to their first choices. @DJ3Sigma where you interviewed? I think they accept/waitlist basically everyone interviewed, but reject anyone not interviewed.

Do we know for sure that they are only giving 1,000 awards this cycle? This makes it sound like the budget isn't going to be cut. Also any guesses on when awards will be announced? Last year they came out in the middle of March but before that it was usually the end of March or April.

I don't know if they would pay for mileage if they did it would probably be about the same as a flight anyway (it's over 400 miles one way). This has been now complicated by a huge increase in price for plane tickets on that and all other days in March. So now instead of a $310 flight it's $527+ (and almost full) and I have a meeting scheduled apparently for that day. I am having second thoughts about the visit since I have other offers and they aren't my top choice. I might like it but if I am going to have to drive myself or spend my money on the plane ticket I don't think it's worth it. The communication hasn't been great and hadn't since I gave them a list over two weeks ago, and I heard back only after I emailed them. Between then and now I have booked two visits before and after the date (I originally thought 3 visits in a row would be fine but now I am not so sure). I emailed them back and forth today but I am thinking of canceling the visit on Monday if I am still having second thoughts. It's just not working out, maybe it's a sign or something. I think I should back out now and before they finalize my travel arrangements and schedule.

I totally understand and I am in a similar situation. I am considering canceling a visit that hasn't been finalized yet. They wanted me to drive 6-8 hours originally and I was trying to figure out to arrange a flight and it's not working out. I don't know if it's worth it anymore considering my other offers. Deciding if it is worth missing that many classes/work to go on multiple visits is tough. Going to only 2 or 3 of the places is fine. Use location, funding packages, and other details to pick a few places you are almost certain you don't want to attend. If you really only want to go to one then just visit it. You don't have to visit everywhere. Which programs of the four do you really want to attend? Go with your gut.

They are probably on the admission committee or your POIs are unavailable for some reason. It also may be one the programs where you have a random advisor for the first few years while you are TAing, and then choose an advisor later when you start working on a dissertation. A lot of statistics programs work that way but I have no idea if that is common in anthropology. Post acceptance maybe see if a skype meeting is possible with the POIs you aren't meeting at the interview. Some of the POIs may not be taking graduate students, and that could be another reason they are not meeting you (though that might change in a few years when you actually start on your dissertation).

I have already made my first visit. I was already familiar with the area so I had been there before. Meeting people and seeing the department (offices, classrooms, buildings) is the main benefit. You can easily get all your questions answered pretty quickly and see if you really could see yourself attending there. I wouldn't memorize a bunch of CVs and read articles for the entire department but going over the websites of your POIs previsit is a good idea. For future applicants considering a preapplication visit don’t do it. I really don’t recommend visiting your first choice (even if the visit is paid for and you were nearby) until you are accepted unless you can handle falling in love and (potentially) being rejected. I regret visiting Baylor early because now I can’t stop thinking about how much I love it and worrying over my decision. I have waited four months almost post visit and even though I have 5 other acceptances and don’t care about my other two outstanding results waiting for my first choice has consumed me.

I had a similar situation and I waited a few days and then emailed the DGS (didn’t have a POI I was already in contact with). They may not have realized that your acceptance came through yet and maybe they will contact you soon. But contacting your POI post acceptance seems like a good idea. Maybe even contact the DGS as well (after waiting a until few days after the offer) for information on funding, visiting, etc.

I have been accepted to program that is 6-8 hours away from my current location. I do have a car and that is easily a one day drive. However driving to the visit would cause me to miss even more classes and on a plane I could get stuff done. I am already confirmed to visit 3 places and it’s not my top choice. They are however a top program and I am interested in them. When I sent the initial visit request I didn’t not ask about them buying a plane ticket (which is something I probably should have done). Right now they have me down for March 1. I want to ask if I they will buy (or reimburse at least partially) a flight for me for March 1-3 (~$310). They offered to get me an hotel since I can’t make the trip in one day. I am flying out to go somewhere else on the 4th and going somewhere next weekend so it would be a lot of travelling in a short amount of time. They nominated me for a university fellowship so I think they are very interested in me. I am going home to parents a couple of times (5 hours from me, 3 hours from the program) before April 15th. So if they aren’t going to pay for a flight I will try to squeeze it in then as a side trip. I guess I should have asked about flying earlier but what do I do now? How do I ask for support for a flight without sounding demanding? I have written a sample email below. Funded visits are common in my field for domestic students at most top programs, but I don’t know what is typical for them. Dear XXX, Is it possible for you to pay or at least partially reimburse me for a flight? I found one from March 1-3 for $310 through (details). It would have me land in the morning of the 1st and leave on the morning of the 3rd. This would be a better option for me because it would avoid missing classes and work on February 28th. If funding for a plane ticket is not available, I will be in (hometown that they will recognize as much closer than college town) during these dates and I can visit on those days to save travel time. Best regards, Bayesian