Hi, I'm currently a biostatistics MS student and I'm looking to apply to some biostatistics PhD programs. I would love to get some advice on improving my application and selecting programs. Thank you!
Undergraduate Institution: Top 5 Public
Major: Mathematics and Economics
GPA: 3.5/4.0
Graduate Institution: lower end of top 10 for biostats according to US news ranking
Degree: Biostatistics
GPA: 3.85/4.0
GRE General Test: 170Q / 163V / 4.5W
Type of Student: Domestic Asian
Math classes: Multivariate Calculus I & II (A), Probability I & II (A), Linear Algebra II (A-), Optimization (B+), Algorithms (A), Applied Numerical Methods (A), Real Analysis (C+), Discrete Structures (A-), Financial Mathematics (C+), Differential Equations (B+)
Stat classes: Biostatistical Methods I & II (A), Statistical Inference (A-), Data Science I & II (A)
Misc classes: Programming courses in C++, Python, Java, R and MySQL.
Research Experience:
1. (Sophomore year of undergrad, 3 months) Summer research assistant in a biochemistry lab. Did some simple visualizations/analysis of data but mainly wetlab work. Not sure how relevant this is.
2. (Junior - Senior year of undergrad, 10 months) Research assistant at data science lab and worked with cardiovascular data. Produced some software but no publications.
3. (Current, 1 year so far) Research assistant working with functional genomics data. Wrapping up the current project and in the process of drafting a paper but it probably won't be submitted for review by the application deadlines. Letters:
One from the professor who is my current research supervisor and two from biostats professors who I took courses with. Not sure how strong the letters will be. The supervisor one will probably be on the stronger side but the other two will probably be just ok. I've talked with the two professors a few times throughout the year about course material / projects / goals but haven't done any research with them so the scope of their letters might be limited to classroom performances.
Research Interest: statistical genetics
Schools:
Biostatistics PhD Programs:
University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Columbia, UCLA, Yale, Emory
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My undergrad grades were pretty bad. I didn't really have plans for grad school back then and would slack on and off, so I often had semesters with all As and A+s followed by semesters with mixtures of As, Bs, and Cs. There wasn't really an upward trajectory. I'm not quite sure how I can make up for this besides getting better grades now.
What are my chances at the programs that I have listed above, considering my low undergrad gpa and lack of publications? I'm a Washington resident so I'm considering applying to UW as well, even though I'm pretty sure my chances are slim to none. Will my state of residence matter and is it even worth trying? Please let me know if there are any schools I should cross off from my list and schools I should consider.
Any input will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!