Good luck to everyone making last-minute decision before the April 15th deadline! I know it is stressful to make such a life-altering decision and it is easy to be overwhelmed. Just remember that it is impossible to predict the future (even when you have a PhD in statistics!) and all you can do is inform yourself as best you can and follow your gut!
Undergrad Institution: Low-ranked, medium-sized public university known for engineering Majors: Mathematics, philosophy Minor: Applied statistics GPA: 4.00 Type of Student: Domestic white male
GRE General Test:
Q: 169 (94%) V: 166 (97%) W: 6.0 (99%) GRE Subject Test in Mathematics: M: N/A
Programs Applying: Statistics and mathematics PhDs
Research Experience: I attended an REU in coding theory. From this project, I got an authorship on a paper. I also attended a well known SIBS program and have done some statistics consulting for my campus writing center. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: I received a few department awards for "excellence in mathematics" and that sort of thing, and I've been a part of a few winning teams in regional math competitions. I also won a few awards for writing projects and have a pretty solid record of activities outside of math and stats. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I have minimal experience as a TA for calculus ii, but I have a few years of experience tutoring everything from math and stats to history and writing. Letters of Recommendation: All of my recommendations came from professors in my department, none of whom are famous per se but each of whom knows me well. Math/Statistics Grades:
Abstract Linear Algebra (A+)
Group and Ring Theory (A+)
Commutative Algebra (A)
Algebraic Geometry (In progress)
Advanced Calculus I (A+)
Advanced Calculus II (In progress)
Measure Theory (A+)
Mathematical Statistics (A+)
Introduction to Probability (A)
Financial Mathematics (A)
Design and Analysis of Experiments (A+)
Regression Analysis (A+)
Introduction to Applied Statistics I / II (A+ / A+)
Introduction to Topology (A)
Algebraic Topology (In progress)
Dynamical Systems (A)
Partial Differential Equations (A)
Any Miscellaneous Points that Might Help: I have a pretty long list of various activities that each on their own aren't special but, when united together, form a CV so mean it makes medicine sick. (I just have a lot of extracurricular stuff. It's like I went to high school for college.)
Applying to Where: (Color use here is welcome)
Boston University (Math) / Rejected
Michigan State University (Math) / Accepted (Declined)
Northwestern University (Math) / Rejected
Pennsylvania State University (Math) / Accepted (Declined)
University of Illinois - Chicago (Math) / Waitlisted (Declined)
University of Maryland - College Park (Math) / Pending
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Math) / Pending
University of Wisconsin - Madison (Math) / Rejected
Carnegie Mellon University (Stat) / Accepted
Columbia University (Stat) / Rejected
Duke University (Stat) / Accepted
North Carolina State University (Stat) / Accepted (Declined)
Ohio State University (Stat) / Accepted (Declined)
University of Chicago (Stat) / Accepted
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Stat) / Pending
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (Stat) / Pending
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Stat) / Accepted (Declined)
University of Wisconsin - Madison (Stat) / Accepted
Reflection: I was quite anxious about my applications because I felt that my background was not brimming with research and gleaming with prestige, and I made two mistakes as soon as I finalized my list of options. Firstly, I should have been more assertive with my picks of stats programs. I didn't need to apply to every good school that I thought might accept me, and I could have reached just a little higher just for the sake it. Don't get me wrong - I'm extremely pleased with my outcomes and grateful, too. I did not expect to get accepted to Duke or CMU or UChicago and am still limited in my imagination to dream at this level. I probably could have passed on NCSU and UMinnesota, which are not as good fits for me, and instead thrown my hat in at Harvard or Stanford literally for no other reason than to see if it might've been possible. I probably wouldn't have chosen them if I did get accepted I suppose, but I admit that I do wonder. Either way, though, I realize that it would have been totally okay to take a gap year if I didn't get any acceptances for the reason that I shot too high and didn't play safely, and it would have saved me a few hundred dollars too.
Secondly, I should not have gotten too excited about math programs - there's nothing wrong with math, but it's obvious to me now that I am supposed to devote my life to studying statistics. I hadn't spent a whole lot of time doing statistics, and the bells and whistles of Pure Math were always tempting me; any time I browsed YouTube or went to a math competition or attended Math Club, that spark of intellectual curiosity inside of me would jump a bit higher. I kept convincing myself that I only was considering statistics as a back-up because it's more profitable or less competitive. Somehow stats were an abhorrence, a perversion, a delinquency, and only were disguised as "a real job" in order to woo weary sailors away from that Ithaca in the ethereal Arts & Science College up above. It took some discussions with my professors and with my peers to climb down from that notion. Now I am more aware of what I want to do with my PhD, writing my statement of purpose became easier for statistics programs than for math ones.
I still feel very strangely about my results, honestly. From my perspective, this is the first time in my life that I've felt thoroughly verified for something that I've cared about. I'm not especially clever nor do I have outstanding achievements. I don't attend a prestigious university. I'm like a gritty country boy with a bit of a personality and some facility with math. What helped me stand out, then? If I were to guess why my applications to statistics programs were so successful, I would say that I presented a clear and honest sense of what my goals are and why I'm applying to grad school in my statements. I think of myself as a writer rather than a statistician, and I want to train myself to be the best darn science writer I can be. I think statistics is a deeply philosophical endeavor full of challenges for writers, but it also notoriously invites opaque reasoning when efficiency is prioritized over rigor. This problem, I feel, invites people like me whose competencies conspire to address it through good expository writing, and that is the main reason why I find the subject attractive. Meanwhile, I have some technical skills and want to continue learning and studying interesting problems. I didn't pretend that I am taken by unclarifiable passions for machine learning or statistical genetics, which I don't accuse *you* of doing, but I found it hard to interrogate myself to the point that I could actually say more than that I have similar passions. The specificity and authenticity of my motivation was probably the most affecting part of my application.
Toward this aspect of the journey, then, I would advise readers like me who come from more-or-less humble backgrounds to think seriously about what it is that you contribute. Prestige schools are like carnival games; it's worth the price to play. Just remember that in the academic elite people need to know who you are. You don't want to be Charlie Bucket who stumbled upon the last Golden Ticket and found his shoes on the ceiling by accident. I'm facing the fact that I will never feel like the smartest person in the room again, and I'm okay with that (although it's kind of spooky to think that there's going to be someone with a high IQ hiding under my bed). I'm excited to contribute my own experiences and ideas to whichever department I choose, and I have to know that I have that or else I won't be able to function when I get there.
Not to legislate on the exception to a rule, but considering my exceptional (meaning atypical, not superior) case, I would like to conclude that there is no "correct" way for one to improve one's applicant profile. As they say, there are many paths up the mountain, but the view from the top is the same. I may not know the first thing about mountaineering, but I think it's a bit like climbing the academic ladder. There are a certain number of cliffs or steep inclines that you will find yourself facing when you choose the Road Less Traveled. You can probably find the right equipment, but you need to be a little lucky to find a good deal or else it's going to be extremely resource expensive. Actually, I don't know how to bring this analogy together.
I hope my reflections have been entertaining if not insightful as well as inspiring without being pretentious.
Anyone else get an offer from Uwashington this week? I have a deep suspicion that I got off a hidden waitlist haha. Also to people waiting to hear back from schools that have already released acceptances: There is still hope!
In these days of virtual open houses and scrolling eclectic fora for useful info on what the heck kind of towns they are in which we're planning to spend the most stressful five years of our short lives, I really want to get a better sense of what people think about the schools I'm considering on the level of comfort and personality, not ranking. I happen to be a domestic student from a medium-sized public university with offers from some very reach-departments, and it matters to me that I don't end up somewhere that is grossly individualistic competitive since I know that I will need to grow a lot wherever I choose to study before I can handle that sort of pressure.
I've been chatting with some faculty and students from some of the programs that have already accepted me, and I've gotten only good vibes so far. For example, one faculty member at the University of Chicago described the students as being very good at coordinating with each other (although the preliminary exams are still a gauntlet). A PhD student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill told me that they have a friendly, small-town feel without compromising on big city opportunities. I am also holding out to hear from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Duke University, and Carnegie Mellon University as these are somewhat in purview right now, but I want to open this question up beyond my personal scope.
What anecdotal evidence or impressions have you gotten of the culture at a top statistics department? I'd love to hear anything and everything from anywhere and everywhere; "top" might mean top 50 or top 100 to you, and that's still relevant to the conversation. If you have attended a top statistics university for your undergrad too, then your contributions are more than welcome.
My offer letter was only from the department head and wasn't program specific. Granted I only applied to the core program and not any of the joint programs.
I submitted my application the day it was due, so it looks like there's no effect there. Well, guess we'll see if we ever hear... I'm just trying to convince myself it isn't automatically a rejection at this point ?
Me when UWashington acceptances came out and my inbox was empty:
It is the evening of the day
I press refresh on gradcafe
Rows of green I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch
As acceptances go by
My gpa can’t buy anything
I just wish I was better at proving things
All I hear is the sound
Of emails going around
I sit and watch
As acceptances go by
It is the evening of the day
I press refresh on gradcafe
Seeing profiles like I used to do
they think are new
I sit and watch
As tears go by
Congratulations!! That does seem quite early. My guess (and believe me I honestly don't know) is that coming from the assumption that smaller cohorts are being accepted, programs want to know what applicants are going to do right away. That way, if people refuse, they may offer that spot to another applicant waiting with the hopes that by April 15th, they have an idea of what their yield will be. I wonder what others here may think...
I received my first acceptance today from Colorado State (Stat PhD) with a teaching assistantship offer! They specify in the email that I should notify them by February 22nd if I want to accept the offer. This seems very early...do they not follow the April 15th deadline that most other universities seem to have?
Taudin got a reaction from trynagetby in Fall 2021 Statistics/Biostatistics Applicant Thread
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