2019 Stat Ph.D. Profile Eval

[BL250604]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some help about my list for Ph.D. programs in statistics. I figured now is as good as ever to post a profile especially because I am starting to work on my personal statement, SOP, and am trying to figure out my life a little more before senior year starts. Any advice is really appreciated as I am pretty different from most of the posters who are on this forum, so I hope my profile will help those who are in a similar boat to me! I apoloigize for the length but my background really isn't the traditional application you would see. 

 

Undergrad Institution: Small LAC in PA
Major: Mathematics and Finance
GPA: 3.45 (overall), 3.3 (Math)

Type of Student: Domestic White, also a very well decorated NCAA athlete, if that helps

Courses/ Background:

Calculus I-III (B+), Linear Algebra (C+) , Mathematical Statistics I&II (B) , Transition to abstract math (proof writing) B+,  Combinatorics and Graph Theory (B),  Math Analysis (B), Experimental Mathematics (A), Independent study: Statistics; researching rivalries (A), Independent Study: Statistics; predicting voter turnout (A)

 

Next semester I will be in:

Math: Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra (Graduate level to show I can do linear algebra because I was dealing with personal issues that semester), Statistical Models, CS: Multimedia in Python (if relevant)

 

GRE: Retaking! 158 Q / 156 V (I'm a terrible standardized test taker, but hope to hope to be around 160-163 Q)

 

Research Experience: 3 total years of research. One paper in statistics on assessing the prevalence of gerrymandering is in review now (done with my advisor and I), we are currently working on another project related to voter turnout (a paper will come out of it by the fall, again by my advisor and I), Previously a research assistant on researching rivalries in baseball (with a very famous mathematician) ,Have an OEIS sequence pending  review now for publishing (I constructed a new sieve to find all prime numbers), Finally, Will be a Researcher in algebra in the Spring
 

Letters of Rec: I will have 4: 1 from my advisor, 2 from professors I have done research with, and 1 from the research coordinator.

 

I would say they will be pretty good. I am very close with my major advisor and he is a very good writer, and knows a lot about me. My statistics research advisor graduated from PSU a few years ago, and we have been doing research for 2+ years, onto 3. My other research letter is from the dept head who I did baseball research with. He is very well known in sabermetrics (baseball statistics), and I hope that will help. Finally, my last letter writer is the REU program head, and I have had him in numerous classes. He was one of the directors of DIMACS at Rutgers and he not only knows a lot of people but is also pretty famous. He worked with some of the most famous graph theorists and knows a lot about the process as he has sat on graduate committees for 20+ years, so I hope he knows what to write!

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List, Outstanding poster award at JMM18 for statistics (given to 3 kids), Presented research at 7 conferences (including JMM), Have research grants over the last 2 years including 2 summer REU's in number theory.

 

Given my academic record is all over the place (I dealt with crippling migraines which I have every day for 2 years, hence my poor performance) I will be applying to a lot of school. However, the two semesters I haven't dealt with migraines, including the last semester, I received a 3.8 so my grades are on the way up, and the trend can be seen in my math GPA as well!

 

Schools:

GW

Temple

South Carolina

UConn

NCSU (Because of all my spatial statistics research, I know its a reach)

FSU

UNC Charlotte (applied math)

UNH

PSU (research advisor just graduated a few years ago from there)

VT

Rutgers

UMich (family friend runs a bio lab there)

UMD (best friends dad has a astrophysics lab there)

George Mason

UVA
OSU

UC Riverside

UNC

UGA
UF

 

I know the list is very long but that is because I would be happy going to pretty much all of them, I just need to get into one! 

 

Thanks so much for any of your help!

 

Ben

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by BL250604

[Stat Assistant Professor]

It is going to be tough for you since your GPA is a bit on the lower side and you did not attend a prestigious school where a slightly lower GPA could be forgiven somewhat (e.g. UChicago, MIT, Caltech).

Even a place like University of Georgia is probably a reach. Schools at the tier of George Mason and below seem more reasonable but not guaranteed either.

If you are determined to get a PhD in statistics, I think you will need to get a Masters first and take more upper division/graduate-level math classes too to demonstrate that you can handle the graduate coursework (which will be very theoretical and mathematical even if your research ends up being on the more applied side, e.g. with spatial statistics).

[BL250604]

15 hours ago, Applied Math to Stat said:

It is going to be tough for you since your GPA is a bit on the lower side and you did not attend a prestigious school where a slightly lower GPA could be forgiven somewhat (e.g. UChicago, MIT, Caltech).

Even a place like University of Georgia is probably a reach. Schools at the tier of George Mason and below seem more reasonable but not guaranteed either.

If you are determined to get a PhD in statistics, I think you will need to get a Masters first and take more upper division/graduate-level math classes too to demonstrate that you can handle the graduate coursework (which will be very theoretical and mathematical even if your research ends up being on the more applied side, e.g. with spatial statistics).

Thank you for the feedback! Do you think that one of the programs will offer admission into the master's program, or I would need to apply separately into some master's programs? 

[BL250604]

I would prefer to get straight into a Ph.D. track, but if this isn't possible, I can apply to some Master's programs for sure! 

[Stat Assistant Professor]

52 minutes ago, BL250604 said:

I would prefer to get straight into a Ph.D. track, but if this isn't possible, I can apply to some Master's programs for sure! 

You would need to apply separately to Masters programs. Given your current profile, I think most of the schools on your list are out of reach (for PhD), so I would reduce the list of PhD applications substantially and focus primarily on Masters applications.  Assuming you perform well in a Masters program, I think you would have a shot at maybe a school at the level of Ohio State or UF (but maybe still not at the tier of UMN).

I would also consider biostatistics programs if you are interested in spatial statistics.

[BL250604]

45 minutes ago, Applied Math to Stat said:

You would need to apply separately to Masters programs. Given your current profile, I think most of the schools on your list are out of reach (for PhD), so I would reduce the list of PhD applications substantially and focus primarily on Masters applications.  Assuming you perform well in a Masters program, I think you would have a shot at maybe a school at the level of Ohio State or UF (but maybe still not at the tier of UMN).

I would also consider biostatistics programs if you are interested in spatial statistics.

Thank you, I appreciate all of the feedback. Do you think any of the programs on my list I have a decent shot at given my research experience (since I figure that it gives me a little leg up in that category, especially given that I have multiple projects)? How does a revised list, like this, look?

 

GW

Temple

South Carolina

UConn

FSU

UNC Charlotte (applied math)

UNH

PSU (research advisor just graduated a few years ago from there)

George Mason

UVA

UC Riverside

 

The reason I am keeping PSU is because of the connection with my advisor, I dont think that its realistic, but he said it can't hurt for me to apply there. For florida state, it seems that I am in the range for GPA (3.31 is there avg accepted), but am a little low on GRE. I am a little below their typical funded average GPA (3.6) , however. For other schools, there aren't many statistics, so I am a bit weary.

[Bayesian1701]

I would consider adding Mizzou for an MA application or possibly a Ph.D. depending on whether you want more of a backup plan or want to be more risky.  They fund some domestic MA students (and all their Ph.D., not in the applied masters track though). They have some professors doing spatial research (mainly environmental) , and the MA program is flexible enough to take some Ph.D. courses.  At my visit day, one of the other admitted students was admitted to their MA with funding, and another current student was also a funded MA student, and there have been other reports of MA funding on here.  

I don't know how helpful it would be to get a masters at a MU for going on to a Ph.D. program.  However, at both of the admitted student days I attended (UT and Mizzou) almost all of the people with a masters (about half) had one from a low ranked or unranked university (Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Illinois University, some other state schools I forgot) except for two international students from Columbia and Duke plus some people from UT’s masters program accepted at UT, but I don't know how their profiles compare to you.

I am pretty familiar with Florida State. I had two professors/recommendation writers who got their Ph.D. there.  In one of my conversations about my chances (specifically about what GRE score I should shoot for), I was told that there admissions aren't nearly as competitive for domestic students as it international students.  Their average is influenced by the higher GRE scores and GPAs of their international acceptances and people with below average GRE/GPAs do get in, so I wouldn't count yourself out.  FSU is probably realistic.

I would recommend the Magoosh online course and Nova GRE math course (a book) to help you raise your quant score.   

I could see some Ph.D. program taking a chance on you because of your research experience even though your grades aren't good.  

Edited June 23, 2018 by Bayesian1701

[BL250604]

22 hours ago, Bayesian1701 said:

I would consider adding Mizzou for an MA application or possibly a Ph.D. depending on whether you want more of a backup plan or want to be more risky.  They fund some domestic MA students (and all their Ph.D., not in the applied masters track though). They have some professors doing spatial research (mainly environmental) , and the MA program is flexible enough to take some Ph.D. courses.  At my visit day, one of the other admitted students was admitted to their MA with funding, and another current student was also a funded MA student, and there have been other reports of MA funding on here.  

I don't know how helpful it would be to get a masters at a MU for going on to a Ph.D. program.  However, at both of the admitted student days I attended (UT and Mizzou) almost all of the people with a masters (about half) had one from a low ranked or unranked university (Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Illinois University, some other state schools I forgot) except for two international students from Columbia and Duke plus some people from UT’s masters program accepted at UT, but I don't know how their profiles compare to you.

I am pretty familiar with Florida State. I had two professors/recommendation writers who got their Ph.D. there.  In one of my conversations about my chances (specifically about what GRE score I should shoot for), I was told that there admissions aren't nearly as competitive for domestic students as it international students.  Their average is influenced by the higher GRE scores and GPAs of their international acceptances and people with below average GRE/GPAs do get in, so I wouldn't count yourself out.  FSU is probably realistic.

I would recommend the Magoosh online course and Nova GRE math course (a book) to help you raise your quant score.   

I could see some Ph.D. program taking a chance on you because of your research experience even though your grades aren't good.  

Thank you so much for the help, and the glimpse into FSU. I hadn't considered Missouri, but its not a bad option thinking about it. I think possibly floating an MA application there and seeing what happens, particularly for funding wouldn't be a bad idea.

As for FSU, I really appreciate the advice. I really like the campus from what I have seen, and from I have heard, most people seem to really enjoy their experience there. Also, there is a spatial statistician there Dr. J Bradley, who's advisor is arguably the most famous spatial statisticians of this era (Cressie). After reviewing some of his work he seems to be a pretty decent match for my research interests. Do you think it would be worthwhile to reach out to him, or to make a note of my interest in working with him in my application, in my Personal Statement?

Thanks!

 

[BL250604]

Just a quick update. I got a 5.0 on AW (expected higher but oh well), which is 93% ile, so that should help. All of my GRE scores should increase the second time around, and I will also work with a tutor to nail down my Quant score.

[BL250604]

Hi all-

Thank you again for your valuable input. I reached out to a professor at FSU (bradley) asking a little more about their spatial statistics program and telling him about some of my research. My hope is that since a lot of undergraduates do not have spatial statistics as a course, or even for research that he would possibly advocate on my behalf during the admissions process. Additionally,  I will be taking a full year long bayesian independent study, as well as a full year long research project in bayesian hierarchial models with our spatio temporal model which we are currently developing (/developed thus far). Thanks again, and please let me know if you have any more schools which pop to mind or if any of this information is something which I should emphasize in my personal statement/SoP.

 

Ben

[StatsG0d]

18 hours ago, BL250604 said:

Hi all-

Thank you again for your valuable input. I reached out to a professor at FSU (bradley) asking a little more about their spatial statistics program and telling him about some of my research. My hope is that since a lot of undergraduates do not have spatial statistics as a course, or even for research that he would possibly advocate on my behalf during the admissions process. Additionally,  I will be taking a full year long bayesian independent study, as well as a full year long research project in bayesian hierarchial models with our spatio temporal model which we are currently developing (/developed thus far). Thanks again, and please let me know if you have any more schools which pop to mind or if any of this information is something which I should emphasize in my personal statement/SoP.

 

Ben

Honestly, I don't think that any applied research experience will matter much in graduate admissions. What the adcoms really look for first and foremost is mathematical training. It won't matter much if you can do applied research if you can't do well in courses like a Casella Berger mathstats course. I will echo the advice of others and say it would be best for you to find a MS program you think you can get into. Do well in the MS, and a PhD admission will be much more attainable.

It is good that you're taking another linear algebra course. That, along with your GRE scores, are the weakest portion of your profile.