underworked

Depends on your goals. I did a summer session course because I thought it would look better as opposed to an online course for my application. If you're in and just need to fulfill the pre-req then taking online classes is probably more cost effective, provided the school accepts it.

Still waiting on UNC and Iowa State for their MS programs. Anyone hear anything?

Just heard back, waitlisted for Duke

I'm still waiting too. Not sure what this means but not super hopeful

I clicked on check application and it brings me to a page that says Application Status: Offer.

I was one of the people who posted results but didn't get an email. I applied directly to the MS program.

I applied there too and a bunch of other master's programs. Kind of in the same boat and only heard back from one so far.

The wait is making me anxious. I received an email from UW yesterday, only to find out it was for a survey about the application process.

Hi everyone, I was looking around in the forums but couldn't find much on this topic. I was a non-math/stat major in undergrad and am applying to masters programs in Statistics. I ultimately do want to end up with an industry job, but I also think that I might want to do a Phd in stats after my masters as it would potentially open up more doors to a more interesting career, particularly in the data science and machine learning field. However, most masters programs in Statistics from what I gather are terminal masters that are not good preparation for a Phd. I've heard the Chicago and Duke masters programs are good, but don't know what other programs there are out there that will help in applying for a Phd. I would highly appreciate it if anyone had any suggestions for masters programs. Thanks!

Thank you. I've taken the standard series of core math classes, but not much else. I've gotten As in Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Econometrics, and an A- for Intro to analysis.

I'm trying to decide if I should take mathematical statistics in the fall and would really appreciate some advice from you all. I'm applying to masters programs in statistics and I understand that mathematical statistics is a very important class that the adcoms look for. I was an Econ major in college and didn't take all the statistics prerequisites (probability and math stats) in college. However, I managed to take probability as a summer class and am now just short of the math stats requirement. There is an opportunity for me to enroll in a math stats class in the fall at a college near me, however, I am also working full-time and fall is shaping up to be a particularly busy time, which means I could be working 60-70 hours for some weeks. I have just started studying for the GREs and will need to take it in the fall as well. So, I'm facing a dilemma here- I'm concerned that I won't have enough time to do well in the class, but at the same time I know how important the class is for stats admissions (I'm aiming to get into some top 10 and 20 schools for masters). In addition, taking the class would also be an opportunity for me to get a recommendation letter related to stats as right now my potential recommendation letters aren't that strong. Should I just focus on the other parts of my application (GREs and personal statements), or should I try to take the math stats class but potentially not do as well? Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I ended up taking the probability class offered at the local college, so now I'm just short of mathematical statistics. Any advice on choosing programs to apply to? I'm having a hard time determining what would be a good fit, and what tier programs I should apply to. I gather some schools and programs like CMU are more stringent on having the mathematical stats prerequisite than others.

Thank you lynntoujours and now_and_then and congrats on your acceptances! This gives me some hope. I did some research and found a probability class that I might be able to attend in the summer. It is quite a bit of a commute from where I am now, and is taught by a grad student rather than an actual professor . Is there any benefit to taking this as opposed to an online course?

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice on applying for MS Stats programs. I've been working in consulting for 2 years and recently have been thinking of applying to Master's programs in statistics to transition into data science. My main concern is that my math background is light, and I haven't taken probability and math stats, so I'm not sure if I'm competitive for stats programs. I don't know where to turn to for advice on grad school because I didn't have any contact with stats professors in college, so I'm hoping I can gain more information here. Undergrad Institution: Top 15-20 liberal arts college Major(s): Economics GPA: ~ 3.9 GRE: Haven't taken it yet Courses: Linear Algebra (A), Calc III (A), Intro Discrete Math (A), Intro to Statistics for Economics (A), Intro to Real Analysis (A-), Econometrics (A) (taken where I studied abroad, this was a year long course covering multivariable regression, instrumental variables, and time series analysis) Other: I'm also concerned about my lack of strong LORs because I didn't take enough math/stats classes, wasn't thinking about going to graduate school and didn't build up relationships with professors. Also, none of my potential recommenders will be stats professors. My options are: Final economics research paper done with an econ professor where I used regression analysis, likely to be strong but not sure how relevant. All other recs likely to be lukewarm- Real Analysis professor: I thought I was an average- average-plus student in the class, but this was the latest math class I took in college and I didn't get a horrible grade. Calc professor: I did pretty well in the class and the prof wrote a letter of recommendation for a study abroad program I applied to, but this was a long time ago (sophomore year) and I haven't been in touch since. Professor also known for being forgetful... Work manager: Has a PhD in econ and taught for a couple years before transferring to industry. However, I don't work directly with him too often (more like my supervisor's supervisor) and the stuff we do at work is more menial tasks like cleaning data rather than analysis. Questions: 1. How much does my limited math/stats background hurt when applying to MS programs? Is it worth it to take an online class in Probability? This is one of the prerequisites for a number of schools apart from mathematical statistics that I'm missing. Due to my work schedule and location, it's hard to find in person classes I can attend. 2. Which of my options look better for LORs? (I know it's not ideal) 3. How competitive am I as an applicant? Do I even have a shot at the top 10 schools? Top 20 schools? I'd really appreciate any and all advice. Thank you!