Where should I look to apply for a Stats PhD? Applying for Fall 2019

[TangentMan]

Undergrad/grad Institution:  Top 30 Undergrad Institution; Top 10 Math program
Major: Mathematics
GPA: 3.63/4.0 cumulative, 3.71/4.0 major 

Type of Student: Domestic Black Male

Undergrad Courses: 

Honors Analysis I (B), Intro to Math Modeling (B+), PDE (B+), Honors Algebra I (A-), Honors Algebra II (A-), Theory of Probability (A-), Statistics (A-), Complex Variables (A-), Calculus of Variations (A-), Fluid Dynamics (A), Calculus I-III (A), Linear Algebra (A), ODE (A), Vector Analysis (A), Honors Analysis II (A)

 

Graduate Courses:

Graduate PDE (A-)

Applied Stochastic Analysis (A)

Measure Theory (A)

Analytic Number Theory (A)

Probability Limit Theorems I (A)

GRE: 

Q: 167
V: 163 
W: 5 

 

Mathematics GRE:

880

Programs Applying: 

Statistics PhD

Research Experience: 

Spent two summers working on Fluid Dynamics research

Recommendation Letter: 

Two with professors that I've done research with; one from a well-known professor that I've taken three classes with since Sophomore year. Two of those classes at the Graduate level.

Coding Experience:

R, Matlab, Python

Other experience: 

I've been a Grader/Tutor for the Math Dept for the past 3 years. Community service activities on campus

Awards/Honors:  

N/A

 

I'm really anxious about the application process so if you all could give me some suggestions on where to apply, I would really appreciate it!

[GoPackGo89]

Your profile seems like it'd be in the conversation anywhere you apply. Do you have a list in mind?

[StatHopeful]

You've done well in the courses that matter, particularly well in your graduate level courses. You've got a solid general GRE and a good (for stats especially) math subject test. Your GPA is a bit on the lower end, but coming from a solid math program I don't see this hurting you too much. 

Your URM status will be a boost to your profile, and should convince you to apply to more higher-end schools than you might otherwise. However, disregarding that entirely you are a strong candidate who I would think has a chance just about anywhere.

The application process is pretty stressful, but try to apply to a decent range of programs in the top 15, a few safety-ish schools (larger programs inside the top 25) and I'm sure you'll have a handful of good options to choose from. 

[Bayesian1701]

Your profile is good so you could probably apply anywhere you wanted as long as you don’t apply to only the top 10 programs.  You could get into a top 10 program but there is a lot of randomness in the process.  I agree with @StatHopeful that if you balance top programs with some of the larger programs (NC State, Florida State, Texas A&M)  you should have options.  

[StatsG0d]

With that kind of score on the subject GRE, schools like Washington and Stanford are reachable. But I'll go ahead and echo everyone else and apply around. The only thing I could see hurting you is your analysis grade.

[bayessays]

On 6/9/2018 at 11:04 AM, Bayesian1701 said:

Your profile is good so you could probably apply anywhere you wanted as long as you don’t apply to only the top 10 programs.  You could get into a top 10 program but there is a lot of randomness in the process.  I agree with @StatHopeful that if you balance top programs with some of the larger programs (NC State, Florida State, Texas A&M)  you should have options.  

With this profile, a program like Florida State seems like a pretty extreme safety. 

[TangentMan]

 

On 6/9/2018 at 12:41 AM, GoPackGo89 said:

Your profile seems like it'd be in the conversation anywhere you apply. Do you have a list in mind?

Here's a list of schools that I'm interested in:

Stanford

Harvard (Biostats)

Yale

Columbia (Biostats)

UCLA

Emory (Biostats)

Vanderbilt (Biostats)

Ohio State University

Penn State University

Rice University

Florida State University

UT Austin

[Gauss2017]

You may want to think about Duke, Upenn, and Michigan.  They are very good programs

[GoPackGo89]

On 6/25/2018 at 9:18 PM, TangentMan said:

 

Here's a list of schools that I'm interested in:

Stanford

Harvard (Biostats)

Yale

Columbia (Biostats)

UCLA

Emory (Biostats)

Vanderbilt (Biostats)

Ohio State University

Penn State University

Rice University

Florida State University

UT Austin

I think most past applicants/students/faculty would agree you are getting into at least one of those. Your biostat list seems very bottom heavy to me. If you are taking suggestions from strangers, maybe look into UNC, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Washington, Minnesota, Penn. Depending on your location preferences those schools might be worth an application

[TangentMan]

Hey so I'm also thinking about applying to some Operations Research programs as well. Do you think I have a shot at any of these? If it helps at all, one of my recommenders that I've done research under has told me that I was able to accomplish more in a month than others who had been working on that particular topic for 1-2 years.

MIT

Princeton

UNC Chapel Hill

Florida Institute of Technology