xitsmike

Addendum: Large public Uni in NYS - not particularly 'known' for math/econ, known more for nano-scale technology. Best source of accepted profiles to columbia biostats is actually the surveys from this site. But there are so few who provide GPA/GRE data that the few I do see is not a large enough sample. No data from Columbia. Thanks

So I just made my first attempt at GRE today - estimated score at end was 164V/159Q [does that headline number ever change or just the percentiles?]. Given the programs I am hoping to apply to this is disappointing to me. For personal reasons I am only considering programs in NYC area at the moment. My profile as of yet is incomplete as a lot of the meat on my application will hopefully be obtained this semester (before submitting apps) and the following semester (to be appended to my apps after submission). Nevertheless, I hope you will be so kind as to offer some thoughts on my profile as it stands, whether I should retake GRE, what else I could do, and what other programs I might consider in NYC with good job prospects post-grad and a skill-set transferable between industries. Age: 26 Intented/Desired programs: Columbia Biostats MS/APT (dream program - I would pay for the 1 year as just an MS) CUNY Grad Center Economics PhD (Mathematical Finance concentration) MS Statistics/Applied Statistics programs in NYC?? (whatever I can get into) Current Profile: School: Large NYS Public uni Major: Mathematics/Economics GPA: 3.9 Degrees held: BA Poli Sci (I am currently a returned/2nd bachelors student) Quant courses: Stats 1 (A), Calc I-III (A, A-, A-), Linear Algebra (A), Abstract Algebra (A), Intermediate Macro/Micro (A/A-) Soft: AmeriCorps national service, current local volunteer work, etc. No sports or greek. Grades TBD this semester: DiffyQ, Probability for Stats, 2 CompSci courses (one is object oriented programming/C++...taken with view toward biostats reqs). Grades TBD Spring semester (I can append the grades to my application at least to Columbia Biostats, the only program with which I inquired): Analysis, Applied Stochastic Processes, Statistics, [other?] Also, possible Student Assistant (Data Analyst) position coming through this semester (doing mostly SQL/Microsoft Access work, maybe some SAS) I've done all the quant coursework listed above aside from Stats 1 since Summer 2011 when I returned to school. Yes, you can pretty much flip a coin for me between doing an economics program or a stats/applied stats program - the best I get into is the route I'll take. Assuming I do not retake the GRE or my 2nd attempt is not much improved and also assuming continued A's in the courses this semester, please offer comments/advice on my prospects in NYC. Or even just point me towards programs maybe you considered yourself and merit my looking at. Of course, the big concern which is second only to being located in NYC is that the program be reputable enough to guarantee decent job prospects post-graduation. Thanks!

I was hoping to apply to Columbia biostats MS, or secondarily to MS in stats/applied stats at NYC schools. Only interested in NYC for personal reasons. I guess I am retaking the GRE in a couple months? 3.9 GPA Math/Economics Cal 1-2-3 (A,A-,A-), Linear Alg (a), Abstract Alg (A), Stats 1 (A)........Probability, Stats, Stochastic Processes, Analysis, DiffyQ to be done this and next semesters so grades TBD. Data analyst assistantship this semester Any decent programs I have a shot at without retaking, just so I can feel OK going into the next GRE knowing I have some options already?

I guess I am having trouble finding such vacancies as well - more shut doors, or maybe it is just me. Maybe it is just to deter the torrents of unqualified applicants, but every job posting either lists qualifications I do not have (2-3 years exp, knowledge of [unknown proprietary software], degree in [not political science], etc). What do your friends do, if you don't mind me asking? When did they start in their positions - before or after mid 2008? I am not picky, but I am trying to stay in the NYC metropolitan area. I've heard of positions in sales and market forecasting, one such job which a friend of a friend got with a large appliance manufacturer having taken only 1 higher stats course (his father is a well known mathematician I took), jobs working with and analyzing consumer spending data, business/financial/investment/workout analyst, market researcher - there are a lot of titles I don't know even exist I am sure but which I would enjoy working in, basically any title which allows me to use and build on my mathematics knowledge so it was not all for naught and which pays a salary w/ benefits. On your advice and from what else I have read about it being valued by admission committees, I have since added 2 CSI courses for this coming semester(one is a pre-req for the second which teaches C++ but they gave me a waiver). If I don't figure this out I'll probably keel over from my constant school/work pace and worrying.

Let me rephrase my question. Given my profile, what programs am I QUALIFIED to enter next year or summer? I feel lately like every door is shut. A lot of the programs I would be interested in have either academic requirements far over what I will have completed after this year (ie an MFE) or work experience requirements which I do not have (i.e. Baruch MBA: at least 3 years experience it seems, average being higher, and it has to be in a related field at a well known company). I am looking for any programs where I am eligible based on my profile and can build on my mathematics coursework, and then I will decide what is the best fit for me from there. But I am not willing to put another 3 years into undergraduate coursework to get into an MS program. I am now looking at Biostats MS/APT (Accelerated Predoctoral Training) as a possible option - no work experience/research experience necessary, coursework required is 2 years of calc, linear algebra, some analysis recommended, and a programming language C/C++. I can have all that this year - hence I am interested in it. I know this is probably not the typical way to decide what to do with your life - but at 26 and with my age cohort leaving me in the dust career-wise, the time consideration is what holds primacy. Basically I have/will have very respectable grades and substantial coursework in Math/Stats (3-4 stats courses by end), but not great work experience and no relevant research (I did my honors thesis in 2009 on a Political Theory topic for my Polisci BA); also I am assuming I will have very high general GRE scores in math/verbal. So frankly, I wish I knew what doors I had open to me. I know some people have been researching grad school programs since high school - I have not. Help me out please!!

Hi all, So I am a returned 2nd bachelors and have been taking courses for the past year with a goal of grad school in a program yet to be determined. At 26 I am trying to move as fast as possible but limited course offerings at my public university and long pre-req chains are conspiring against me. I spoke to a stats professor today about getting into a good MS stats program. Basically he said I needed to stay not 1 but 2 more years in order to do the stats coursework to be competitive. I was hoping to apply to things this year. At this point I really am caring less about what the career will be in the end and more about where I can get to faster (money problems, relationship, etc). Please take a look at my profile and tell me what YOU would do with it. Calc 1 (A), 2 (A-), 3 (A-) Linear Algebra (A) Introductory Abstract Algebra (A) Bunch of Economics courses (A's) and Financial Accounting (A) Next Semester: Probability for Stats Differential Equations (the only other thing I can fit into my schedule) Spring Semester: Statistics (2nd course after Probability) Maybe Applied Stochastic Processes The professor says I then have to stay for Applied Statistics (only offered in the Fall but I need to take the 2nd stats course first). What would you do if you were me and still split between MBA in Finance and MS in Stats, or other if it can land me a quantitative job..

OK, I thought about posting this in the freakout forum cus that is what I am about to do, and it is not application season. Thanks for bearing with me on a long post. If it is tl;dr then sorry, I understand. I am turning 26 this month and currently in an undergrad program in college I don't actually plan on completing. I am perennially changing my mind on what I need to study. I completed a BA at 23 in 2009 at the height of the recession, in PoliSci/CrJ and was not able to find any job I liked in it - not even any steady job for that matter, and definitely not one that paid well. Even though I graduated Summa cum laude, from honors program, 3.85 GPA, etc etc. I went back exactly 1 year ago in the summer and started taking math and economics courses. My thinking at the time was I need to do mathematics and some hard sciences or business type courses given the demands of the market, and I want to get into a good grad program which will require math undergrad work. So I've taken calc 1,2,3 lin alg, higher alg since then, taking basic analysis and probability for stats next semester. I am trying to move fast since I am not getting younger. Got A's in everything except calc 3 an A-. Also done economics intro to macro/micro, intermediate macro/micro and one other for total of 15 credits, all A's. I know I can pretty much succeed in any grad program, but choosing the right one is what my difficulty is. I think I know, I am unsure, I change my mind, I hear good things about other career prospects, etc etc. In the past I naively thought that if I just do well in my program I will get a job in the field. I went to public Uni due to cost. I want to apply to grad programs next year and not limit myself to public options, hopefully fund it with an assistantship. Parent aid is not an option so it will all be loans and hopefully tuition waiver for assistantship plus the stipend. Maybe this is a dream but.. I currently am a loan officer at a credit union. This experience plus good grades and math prowess I hope will make me competitive for some good programs, particularly in Business schools. But what would you go for if you were me and contstrained by the following: Getting older, need to be able to finish it in 2 yrs and start working (finite lifetime over which to pay off my ridiculous loans by then). Need to obviously acquire a good job after graduation and lowest possible risk of unemployment. Something that is math based or related. Something that my older age at time of graduation (29ish) will not count against me as an entry level job seeker. Since I will have already spent an extra 5 years not earning great income as compared to the person who did grad right out of college, I need to make decent income in an EL position - i.e. 60k minimum. Here's a curveball: given the conditions, I'm not even sure grad school is a necessity or the right choice. Here are options I am juggling: -Take some more stats/probability this year and start taking Actuarial exams in Spring. Apply for positions after 3 exams passed and no additional degree required to move up (just achieve fellowship in one of the societies and take the classes employer pays for to pass tests). -Apply to my local public uni's night/weekend MBA program (3 yrs) while continuing to work at the current employer. Move up within my employer upon graduation a definite possibility upon graduation. Interested in Analyst positions. -Keep going to grad school for math - work in numerous possible fields with an MA, especially if statistician. -enter local public uni MS Accounting program - finish in 2 yrs (but since my BA not in accounting, my MS won't have a concentration like forensic or tax accounting, it is a general MS program. Dunno how bad that looks. They say top firms recruit there from that program though. But then I won't have the 150 hrs for CPA out of grad. -take 24 credits in undergrad accounting in 1 yr and get EL job in accounting without finishing up a full second degree. Please ignore the fact that I kind of sound like "Maybe I will be a rocket scientist, or maybe a hedge fund manager, or maybe a CEO, or president." I know, it's ridiculous. But for sake of discussion please just assume I'm a genius (I'm not but I do OK in school) and can do whatever I choose. My school is University at Albany, SUNY. I have never really considered really considered what my options are for other schools - I grew up independent, had to fund college independently starting with and after going to community college, there was really no other option to think about except the public system. Maybe now I have more options. If you read this all - congratulations. So what would you do?