Hi all, I know there are some posts on this topic already, but I figured other people might currently be making the same type of decision. Right now, I think that I want to eventually go for a PhD in either stats or biostats (I'm undecided, I like the more applied nature of biostats but I would not want to limit myself to only applied work if I can handle the theory). I didn't think my background/research experience was good enough for good PhD programs, so I'm hoping to use a MS in biostats/statistics as preparation for the PhD. At this point, my choice likely comes down to the MS in biostats from UNC or the MS in stats from Minnesota.
I know that having a strong theoretical foundation is of primary importance for PhD applications so my inclination is to go to Minnesota as statistics programs are (in general) more theoretical than biostatistics. However, I've read on this forum that UNC biostats is known for having a pretty theoretical program (not sure if this applies to the Masters?). Also, I think that I'd have better opportunities to be involved in research in a biostatistics department rather than a statistics department.
Which program do you think is better for PhD preparation? Do you think doing UNC's biostats program would hurt my chances for a statistics PhD? Possibly important information: I graduated with a BA in math and got an A in real analysis, but I haven't taken statistics since high school. Thanks for any help you can provide!