stats_physics

Hi, What is the reputation of the Statistics department at UMN-Twin Cities? I see a lot more about UMN Biostats, but see that UMN Stats is also ranked well. Any information would be helpful! Thank you!

Hi, Sorry for hijacking the thread, wanted to ask re your comment on recommendations-- I'm a while out of undergrad and won't have letters from undergrad professors. My letters will be from a few PIs and faculty that I've done research with (Psychiatry, Neuroscience world). I know that's suboptimal, even though the letters will be very strong-- do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks for the feedback!

Hello, thanks for looking!! Type: Domestic white male Bachelor: Undergrad at a top ivy Major: Physics GPA: 3.93/4.0, Magna Cum Laude Courses taken: High school: Calculus 1-3 (A), Linear Algebra & Diff Eq (A) College: Proof-based Linear Algebra/Matrix Theory (A), Math methods of Physics (A-), Physics courses including 2 Quantum courses, Astrophysics, advanced classical physics sequence, etc, all A's with A- in senior thesis. Currently enrolled: Mathematical Statistics through Harvard Extension (basically follows Rice, will definitely get an A). Will take this summer before application: online semester of real analysis (https://netmath.illinois.edu/college/math-447). Research experience: 1. Most recently, several years at a neuroscience/psychiatry lab which I would call biostats-adjacent. I do all-things "data"-- stats for psychiatry papers (level of complexity of ANOVA, regression, nothing fancy), some relatively simple ML, some more data-engineering type programming, etc. Some ML on EEG data, some open-label treatment studies, etc. I'll have at least first-author paper in a solid journal (with only basic stats), and probably a small handful of co-author papers by the time I apply. 2. Did some volunteer research for a bioinformatics prof that led to publication before my current job. Statistics + Python. 3. Undergrad research in Astrophysics-- one co-author paper in cosmology, one (good) applied math internship in industry 4. Some non-STEM research in political science Other info: 1. Without doxing myself, a highly successful 3-4 years in non-academic, arts-related career post-college, before coming back to academia. 2. Solid programming in Python, Matlab, Bash, SQL, etc, almost entirely from research, not much formal CS education. 3. I'm a strong writer (academic and otherwise) and will write a compelling statement of purpose GRE: haven't taken and may have to prioritize working hard in Real Analysis. LOR: Will have strong LOR from neuroscience lab (from neuroscience and Psychiatry faculty) as well as from previous bioinformatics PI. No one in a Stats/Biostats department, and all of my recs will be from research, since it's been a while since undergrad. They will definitely attest that I'm a strong academic writer, have confidence in me as a PhD student. They won't be able to attest to whether I can do proof-based math, more along the lines of "statsphysics developed algorithm for precision-medicine approach to optimize treatment for __ and is great at research", etc. Strengths: 1. Undergrad Physics GPA at a name-brand Ivy. 2. Research experience-- I'll have at least half a dozen publications in non-statistics field where I played a quantitative role, and a few where I either will be first-author or drafted the manuscript. 3. SOP: I think I can tell a good story about what has led me to Stats/Biostats Weaknesses: Lack of math in undergrad, even though I was a Physics major with rigorous courses, I'm playing some catch-up taking real analysis this summer. Also, I'm 5 years out of undergrad, 3/5 years spent in not academia. --- I'm still sorting out whether I'm applying for masters or PhD programs, and in Statistics or Biostatistics. I'll most likely end up applying to a combination. I think that my app will lend itself more towards biostats because of my research experience, but I want to keep my options open-- I can totally imagine myself loving doing more methods/theory research. I'll say something in apps about interest in Statistical Learning or Causal Inference, but I'm unsure in reality. What are my chances at Stats, Biostats PhD programs, as well as masters programs? Hard to get perspective, given a pretty atypical background. Mentors have strongly encourage I just do a PhD, but of course that's what a bunch of PhDs say Thank you so much for your time and for reading!