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Arn

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    Biostatistics - PhD

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  1. The most important part of the application for you in is the SOP. Ask yourself: why do you want to study Biostatistics? This answer is what will set you apart from other international students whom you are competing for the ultra limited admissions spots. I'm sure you'll ace the GRE and you really don't need anymore coursework, you need to figure out a way to set yourself apart. Seriously, a lot of people undervalue the importance of the SOP but I guarantee that my SOP is the reason I was accepted to all 8 schools I applied to, including 2 schools on your list. Also, consider applying to more schools. UNC Chapel Hill, University of Minnesota, and University of Michigan are great schools. Additionally, I don't think Stanford has a Biostatistics program and reconsider applying to a school in the UC system - budget cuts are unpredictable in the west these days.
  2. You don't need real analysis or CS coursework to be accepted to an MS or PhD program, that's for sure. I don't even have a math degree and I was accepted to a few decent schools. I think the best bit of advice is to write your personal statement so that it reflects a deep passion for Biostatistics and how it can be used as a tool to prevent/treat human disease. Good grades and a decent GRE score are important but keep in mind that the people you are competing with for admission will have these traits as well. That's why it's essential that you use your personal statement to set you apart from other applicants. Have you somehow, perhaps through experience of some kind, demonstrated your interest in Biostatistics? I think this is important as well.
  3. Xero, I finally decided to choose the University of Minnesota. It came down to location and financial assistance. Now that I'm out of BU, have you heard anything?
  4. This is a tough choice! Did you have a chance to visit the universities? The vibe I got from schools is what ultimately led me to make a decision. Besides that, it looks like the rank of the schools is what's holding you back from choosing to attend Michigan. Do you really hold rank in such high regard, especially when Michigan is already in the top 10? At Minnesota, for example, a current PhD student has already accepted a tenure-track, assistant professor position at Harvard. To me, this shows that the relative rank of a school is not as important as you think when it comes to post-PhD plans.
  5. Last year, UC Berkeley's Statistics program was in the top 10 (as expected), not the Biostatistics program. I pointed this out to illustrate the futility in using rankings to guide graduate school decisions. The USNWR ranking in particular is questionable in my opinion considering that Berkeley has a Biostatistics group, not a division or department.
  6. The newest USNWR rankings came out. I picked out the first 10 Biostatistics programs and re-ranked them accordingly: School - Biostat Rank Harvard - 1 University of Washington - 1 Johns Hopkins - 3 UNC Chapel Hill - 4 University of Michigan - 5 UC Berkeley - 6 University of Minnesota - 7 University of Wisconsin - Madison - 8 UCLA - 9 Columbia - 10 USNWR changed their methodology which is why UC Berkeley was able to find its way into the top 10. Apparently, school reputation as determined by high school guidance counselors is given a larger weight this time around.
  7. The top Biostatistics programs seem to reside in the best schools of public health. NYU and Brown do not have schools of public health. I'm not sure if this is a good recommendation to give, but personally I wouldn't even consider applying to a Biostatistics program at a university without a school of public health. A list of schools of public health can be found here: http://www.asph.org/...nt.cfm?page=200
  8. Xero, My major is in the biological sciences and I come from a small state school out west. No publications. I know I seem pretty unimpressive but I should admit that I was also accepted to University of Washington, University of Minnesota, Emory, and University of Pittsburgh. I don't mean to change the subject, but I have it narrowed down to BU, UW, and UMN; all (probably) with funding. What's your opinion about these schools?
  9. What kind of stats are you looking for? My GPA was above 3.8 (out of 4.0) and my GRE was about 600V/760Q but I think these kind of scores are usual among applicants. Also, I'm currently an undergraduate and I was accepted to the PhD program.
  10. BU Biostatistics sent out hard copy acceptance on February 14th (I received one).
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