PhD 2020 Application

[mathstats_forever]

 

 

Type of Student: Domestic White Male

 

Undergrad Institution: Ranked around 100 on school rankings
Major: Mathematics
GPA: 3.7

Math/Statistics Grades:  Calculus 1-4 (A+), Linear Algebra (B), Real Analysis (B),  Abstract Algebra (A+), Topology (B+), Probability (A), Differential Equations (A+), Partial Differential Equations (A), Data Analysis I and II (A), Mathematical Statistics (A+).

 

Graduate Institution: Top 25 Math department 
Major: Statistics (within Math Department)
GPA: 3.90

Math/Statistics Grades:  Mathematical Statistics 1-3 (A-, A+, A+), Applied Statistics I and II (A), Survival Analysis (A) and other courses in applications related to machine learning and data analysis where all were A's 

 

Additional Info: For Math Stats 1 the textbook used was Asymptotic Statistics by Van de Vaart and then Theory of Point Estimation by Lehmann and Casella for Math Stats 2 and 3. Also, I have already passed the qualifying exams with a PhD Pass for the Math Stats Sequence at my graduate institution.

 

GRE General Test:
Q: 166
V: 162
W: 5

Programs Applying: Biostatistics/Statistics

 

Research Experience: One publication on image data analysis and industrial collaboration research project with a biotech company (undergrad), and a grad student researcher for the past year
 

Letters of Recommendation:  First letter will be from the professor where my first two research projects are from, second letter will be from the professor I am a  grad student researcher for and the last one will be my professor who taught the Math Stats sequence. I expect them all to be very strong.

Coding Skills: R and C++
 

Concerns: I am really worried about my grades in my undergrad specifically my grades in linear algebra, analysis and topology. However, I really hope my grades during my masters make up for it.

 

Applying to Where: 

 

Biostatistics

• UNC
• Vanderbilt 
• Duke
• Boston University
• Emory

 

Statistics

• UC Irvine
• University of Florida
• University of Texas-Austin
• NC State

 

 

Am I aiming too high with schools like UNC, Duke and NC State?

 

[Bayesian1701]

I don't know anything about Biostat programs. Your stat list looks good assuming your biostat list isn't too ambitious.  

[Geococcyx]

I probably know less than the above poster, but of your listed biostat programs, both Duke and Vanderbilt are (to my memory) both very new and very small.  If you're really a fan of what those programs do, then I'm certainly not going to stop you, but you'd probably be able to find schools that are both more prestigious/potentially better (depending on research area) and easier for you to get into.  I don't know if UNC biostat is too much of a reach or not, but I might suggest trying places like Minnesota biostat or UCLA biostat over one or both of those smaller programs.  You said you did image data analysis, so if you're interested in medical imaging via biostatistics, you may want to consider UPenn biostatistics (in Perelman).  

Did you have some particular research interests/geographic preferences/etc. you'd like to bring up?  I'm not quite clear what you like or don't like about these schools, except maybe some hope to be in the Research Triangle.