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kestrel18

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Everything posted by kestrel18

  1. Hello, guys! Those admitted to Michigan State University, huge congrats! Feel free to message me questions about the program. :) Current MSU Ph.D. student
  2. NY admits 20-25 students every year. They demonstrate an outstanding placement (who is better, actually?) record across various subfields, not only in formal methods/stats. For instance, their Comparative placement is also rock-solid. NY does not appear to be a boutique program. At the same time, say WUSTL (an outstanding program, accepts much fewer people. Like NY, it is also heavy-quant oriented). However, WUSTL is quite-significantly higher in the ranking.
  3. It seems there is some politics involved in this ranking: in my humble opinion, research output and the placement record are to be considered first and foremost. New York's Political Science Department placed 15th? Rochester is at 19th?...well, compare how many New York and Rochester alumni were hired as faculty by elite schools with some other higher-ranked programs.
  4. Guys, really, do not be afraid of Quant stuff. - It is challenging, right. At times, Quant classes even resemble a survival game. But they teach you a specific way of thinking and highly beneficial skills.
  5. Hello, First and foremost, congrats on being admitted into such great schools! I'd say the crucial thing to consider while choosing is the placement (recent!) record. In this sense, Maryland seems to be more successful. The attrition rate is the second essential factor: some (great!) schools admit, say, 10 persons, and only 3-4 out of them graduate. - It speaks a lot about the Department's culture and the overall well-being of the students. And about your odds of succeeding, of course. Third, the cohorts' size is vitally-important too: it is easy to get lost among hundreds of colleagues. Furthermore, in overcrowded departments, students struggle for face-time with their advisors. Fourth, the average graduation timing is very telling too. Fifth, funding opportunities for the summer workshops (like ICPSR) are another factor to consider. Hope it helps.
  6. Meanwhile, your problem of choice is, in fact, a beautiful thing Enjoy the moment!
  7. After reading the previous discussion, guys, here my 5 cents: Academia is not about money. No. It is about love-love to science, to the breathtaking feeling of discoveries and understanding that one is developing, doing something noble. It is about a fit between an inner (often innate) avid desire to learn and accumulating something that will always be with you. It is about a permanent journey and the spirit of the eternal youth. I'm not preaching, do not get me wrong: While having challenging stats classes, I'm asking myself quite often: " should I have swapped my highly paid job and quite relaxed way of life for the sleepless nights of a Ph.D. program?..." - But, when "that" paper is finally done, the semester is over, and I'm drinking a cup of coffee with a few sips of cognac, I feel fabulous. I feel I was right when I made a decision. And I understand that otherwise, I would be self-flagellating until the rest of the life if I did not try the taste of Academia. Academia is tough, transformative, and quite often painful, but the majority of you, I believe, will love it too. And yes, money...- In short: Be a good scholar, and you will have a well-paid job.
  8. Guys, those of you who were accepted to MSU, congrats! Our DGS told us there was an absolutely insane competition this year, and you made it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the program -current MSU Ph.D. student
  9. I recalled tremendous nervousness at this point one year ago: I was hectically checking my mailbox every 5...well, at times every two minutes. It was really, really torturous... So, hang in, guys!- I'm sure, next year, in hindsight, the majority of you will be remembering these days with a smile while learning the bedrocks of theory building and examining linear regressions
  10. The whole admission process depends on many variables: the structure and size of the Admission Committee, the size of the applicants' pool, specifics of bureaucratic procedures, etc. I do not exclude that some applicants might have already received offers from NW. Though, in my (subjective!) opinion, this probability is relatively low.
  11. NW is one of the favorite targets among habitual trolls on this forum. So, at least at this point, do not be disheartened regarding your chances to get into NW!
  12. Well...What can I say? - Congrats! I wish you success in your studies in such a great program! This part is quite arrogant. I'd recommend you to be less condescending towards future colleagues, though.
  13. I highly doubt those Northwestern acceptances were real. I may be mistaken, of course. But it is too early for them.
  14. U of T, McGill, UBC, Queens, McMaster, Western Ontario, Calgary...-the most prominent. But I'd say that any out of the top-20 Canadian Universities will make you a very competitive applicant. For instance, I graduated from U of Guelph (somewhere top-15), and now, in hindsight, I can say our MA program was simply excellent! (well, I may be slightly biased, consider it :)) But there is an important caveat regarding Canadian MA programs: some of them can kill your GPA, notably those located in Ontario.
  15. And yes, regarding MA, I would strongly suggest considering Canadian schools for these purposes: they provide excellent funding, in most cases completely covering tuition, and provide excellent training.
  16. Some of you, guys, have started thinking about an MA already...- It is way too early to panic!
  17. Guys, I intend to offend nobody, but to me, all that jazz around UCLA decisions seems too suspicious. I'd bet these "decisions" are the products of the regular trolls who, apparently, became especially acrimonious this year in the conditions of the ongoing pandemics
  18. Based on my experience, it is definitely time for the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University (OSU). In this respect, it is even strange we have not heard from OSU yet...- too many applicants? Who else might be at this point? - North Carolina, Pittsburgh probably - but these programs do not accept Ph.D. students this year, as far as I know. So, it is too early to panic
  19. Last year I was interviewed before I got accepted to my current Ph.D. program: It was a serious discussion for about 40 minutes with two faculty members, including the Admission Committee Chair and the Professor whom I had mentioned in my Statement. They asked me about my previous academic and professional background, motivation for Ph.D. studies, and why I had chosen their particular program. A significant part involved discussing the research puzzle that I had posited and how (in terms of methods and regional focus) I would tackle it. In the end, I had a chance to ask questions and was told they would recommend to Grad Studies to accept me to the program. Everything went in an amicable but professional atmosphere. Do not stress too much, and good luck to all of you!
  20. Guys, regarding Princeton on the results page: It is a habitual "Princeton troll" lurking here for many years. Usually, it awakens somewhere on 7th-8th January, claims an acceptance to Princeton, and then disappears for another year. This year it reemerged almost a week later than usual (why?). - Do not take it seriously, even better - do not pay attention at all. But, seriously, it is way too early for Princeton, do not drive yourself crazy!
  21. At the end of the first semester, I'm feeling like a coalminer returning to the surface...-It has been so exhausting!
  22. Good advice! And yeah...-R is a really cool research tool! I would also mention some knowledge about random variables distributions (e.g., Poisson, Bernoulli) would make life much easier at the end of the semester
  23. In my view, no need to retake. Focus on other parts of your file instead. Yet, throw your net as broad as you can: the competition this year will be hellish!
  24. Hello guys, Michigan State University granted its foreign Ph.D. students an opportunity to study and receive stipend remotely during the Fall 2020 semester.
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