Realistic chances of funding for Biostatistics MS -2020 intake

[biostats_chick]

hello all, 

I have a strong interest in applying for an MS in Biostatistics - the 2020 intake. However, my finances are not particularly strong and not receiving any funding would be a deal breaker in my situation. Anyone applying for the MS has been offered a tuition waiver or more from the following list (in progress) of universities?

Harvard University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Michigan
University of California, Berkeley
University of Minnesota
Yale University
Columbia University
Emory University
University of Pennsylvania
University at Buffalo

 

My questions are: 

1) What kind of funding did you get and what university? (tuition waiver, TA/RA, other?)

2) What factors, in your opinion, accounted for your selection for funding? 

 

Thanks! 

 

 

[statgolem_engineer]

Hey, if funding is a concern, you should look at Vanderbilt University. They offer 70-80% tuition waiver and almost all students get assistantships. However, it's a highly selective program with only 4 people admitted each year. I would stay away from Ivies if I were you. They charge a bomb and RAships don't waive off tuition in-general. 

 

Regarding the universities in your list:

1. Harvard - I received a 37.5k scholarship from them but even then my cost of attendance is coming out to be around 60-70k. 

2. UNC - There are plenty of assistantships available due to UNC being in the research triangle but I'm not sure about the tuition waiver part. I did not certainly receive any. 

3. UMinn - It can be pretty cheap if you get assistantships. I think almost all your tuition is waived off if you work a certain number of hours as a TA/RA. Check out their financial aid page. 

4. Columbia - Very limited scholarships and as expensive as Harvard (without scholarship).

 

Also, it would be helpful if you mentioned your stats in your initial post along with your citizenship. 

[GoPackGo89]

If you already have a solid resume then you could find funding at UNC Bios which can cover tuition for working as TA/RA. You would need to secure this yourself though. It won't come as apart of your acceptance.

[biostats_chick]

10 hours ago, statgolem_engineer said:

Hey, if funding is a concern, you should look at Vanderbilt University. They offer 70-80% tuition waiver and almost all students get assistantships. However, it's a highly selective program with only 4 people admitted each year. I would stay away from Ivies if I were you. They charge a bomb and RAships don't waive off tuition in-general. 

 

Regarding the universities in your list:

1. Harvard - I received a 37.5k scholarship from them but even then my cost of attendance is coming out to be around 60-70k. 

2. UNC - There are plenty of assistantships available due to UNC being in the research triangle but I'm not sure about the tuition waiver part. I did not certainly receive any. 

3. UMinn - It can be pretty cheap if you get assistantships. I think almost all your tuition is waived off if you work a certain number of hours as a TA/RA. Check out their financial aid page. 

4. Columbia - Very limited scholarships and as expensive as Harvard (without scholarship).

 

Also, it would be helpful if you mentioned your stats in your initial post along with your citizenship. 

Hi!

Thank you for the informative reply. 

I get that UNC and Uminn are some options to consider while Ivies, as expected, are stingy when it comes to bios master's students, but also in general?

Any idea of Univ of Michigan? 

 

Something about me - 

I am European and currently based on the US East Coast working as a research analyst in the Public Health department for one of the most prestigious world organizations for over one year; by the time I could return to grad school, I would have completed about 2.5 years in this institution; I am planning to continue working remotely for this employer even during my bios master's program --- 

Currently I happen to collaborate with Harvard School of Public Health on some project work and this is why I listed Harvard but if you say, funding is scarce, it may not be worth the additional pressure/stress I am  perfectly fine with one of the other schools; 

I have an applied economics background - Bsc Economics (First Class Honors) (London, UK), Master's in Applied Econ from a very good public university in the US (GPA: 3.89/4); I was an RA for 2.5 years during my first master's degree; I supervised data collection in a couple of West African countries; conducted econometric modelling as part of my Msc thesis; worked in several countries, on several continents. I speak multiple languages but that is common for Europeans though

Relevant coursework (done in the US, during grad school): Statistics and Probability (A), Real Analysis (A), Linear Algebra (A), Methods of Applied Statistics (A), Regression Models (B); Mathematics for Economists (A) and other econometrics courses. I do not have formal calculus courses - not in the 1-3 sequence and I am planning to take a few classes alongside working this year before mailing my application to bios programs. GRE is still pending but I am an awful standardized test taker and not sure what to expect. 

Anything else you could suggest to improve my chances of admission would be welcome. I also have clear research interests (not sure if that counts at all at master's level?) so perhaps even reaching out to some professors ahead of time to touch on funding could help? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[biostats_chick]

2 hours ago, GoPackGo89 said:

If you already have a solid resume then you could find funding at UNC Bios which can cover tuition for working as TA/RA. You would need to secure this yourself though. It won't come as apart of your acceptance.

That's an interesting point. Can you perhaps elaborate what do you mean by "securing this yourself"? Would that imply reaching out to professors ahead of my application and see if we can find some research common ground and also discuss the funding aspect? I have often read that this is not a common practice in the US and I am unsure as to whether doing this might actually harm my chances more? 

[fireuponthedeep]

51 minutes ago, biostats_chick said:

That's an interesting point. Can you perhaps elaborate what do you mean by "securing this yourself"? Would that imply reaching out to professors ahead of my application and see if we can find some research common ground and also discuss the funding aspect? I have often read that this is not a common practice in the US and I am unsure as to whether doing this might actually harm my chances more? 

I can corroborate this being somewhat common, for UofMN at least. The biostats department and the public health career services department both bluntly stated that incoming masters students should essentially cold call professors that aren't a part of the biostats department and ask about opportunities, especially for the first semester.

Since masters students aren't guaranteed assistantships, whatever you can secure for yourself is what you're gonna get. As far as harming your chances of getting aid, well, the worst that'll happen is being ignored. I'm planning on reaching out to math/biology/psychology department professors and seeing if there are lower level courses I can get a teaching assistantship for, since I did it for 2 years in undergrad and have some experience. However, I don't imagine spamming all those professors with the same email begging for a TA position would be looked charitably upon, so I'm going to practice my due diligence and individually email those that are teaching courses I know I could help with lol. 

Idk the specifics of how funding works at other schools, but getting an assistantship for x hours a week equates to y% of your tuition being waved, e.g. if I worked 10 hours a week then 50% would be waived, and that's standard procedure for all UofMN assistantships. Getting money beyond tuition being waived would necessitate a PhD

Edited April 9, 2019 by fireuponthedeep

[biostats_chick]

3 hours ago, fireuponthedeep said:

I can corroborate this being somewhat common, for UofMN at least. The biostats department and the public health career services department both bluntly stated that incoming masters students should essentially cold call professors that aren't a part of the biostats department and ask about opportunities, especially for the first semester.

Since masters students aren't guaranteed assistantships, whatever you can secure for yourself is what you're gonna get. As far as harming your chances of getting aid, well, the worst that'll happen is being ignored. I'm planning on reaching out to math/biology/psychology department professors and seeing if there are lower level courses I can get a teaching assistantship for, since I did it for 2 years in undergrad and have some experience. However, I don't imagine spamming all those professors with the same email begging for a TA position would be looked charitably upon, so I'm going to practice my due diligence and individually email those that are teaching courses I know I could help with lol. 

Idk the specifics of how funding works at other schools, but getting an assistantship for x hours a week equates to y% of your tuition being waved, e.g. if I worked 10 hours a week then 50% would be waived, and that's standard procedure for all UofMN assistantships. Getting money beyond tuition being waived would necessitate a PhD

How common is it for a prospective biostatistics graduate (master's) student to secure an RA/TA with a different department? Can it be a department, other than biostatistics but in the same School of Public Health? 

Edited April 9, 2019 by biostats_chick

[fireuponthedeep]

47 minutes ago, biostats_chick said:

How common is it for a prospective biostatistics graduate (master's) student to secure an RA/TA with a different department? Can it be a department, other than biostatistics but in the same School of Public Health? 

I can't tell you exact figures, since they didn't provide those during my visit. But all the Masters students I met while visiting campus had some sort of graduate assistantship, whether as an RA or TA, and they indicated that it wasn't particularly hard to find them, especially since MS students are likely to have skills that researchers in other departments need, mainly using R/SAS to clean and analyze their data, but frequently don't possess themselves. The only issue with that is gaining those skills might take the 1st or 2nd semesters worth of courses, so that might not be an option until then.

It can totally be a different department, and frequently is! One masters student I met was a TA for an online course in social work (idk the exact school/department) since that was her undergrad specialty. It seems like it's honestly dependent on the strengths of the individual student and whether they're willing to reach out and find those opportunities. It's definitely not taboo to reach out between departments looking for those opportunities. As I actually find out for myself this fall, I am more than willing to let ya know what that entire process looks like tho

Edited April 9, 2019 by fireuponthedeep

[CherryBlossom_]

20 minutes ago, fireuponthedeep said:

It can totally be a different department, and frequently is! One masters student I met was a TA for an online course in social work (idk the exact school/department) since that was her undergrad specialty. It seems like it's honestly dependent on the strengths of the individual student and whether they're willing to reach out and find those opportunities. It's definitely not taboo to reach out between departments looking for those opportunities. As I actually find out for myself this fall, I am more than willing to let ya know what that entire process looks like tho

Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but that’s some gold piece of information! 

I’m about to start a master program without funding in the US (and my currency is devalued when compared to USD :S)!

I’ve applied for Statistics/Applied Math programs, but I have practical knowledge with SAS and some other packages (5 years working in Finance), and I graduated as a Chemical Engineer. Does that mean that I could, for example, look for positions in the Chemical Engineering Department? Even though I’m not actually enrolling in a Chemical Engineering post-Grad program? 

And one more question: to do so... would it be necessary for me to be a licensed engineer in the US? (I mean, to officially register etc?) 

It would be GREAT should I be able to seek opportunities in other departments (such as the engineering ones)!

Edited April 9, 2019 by CherryBlossom_

[GoPackGo89]

I'll share an idea I heard recently. Find professors on campus who are looking to hire postdocs. This could be evidence they are looking to expand their lab and might have startup money to hire a qualified masters level student.

 

[fireuponthedeep]

15 hours ago, CherryBlossom_ said:

Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but that’s some gold piece of information! 

I’m about to start a master program without funding in the US (and my currency is devalued when compared to USD :S)!

I’ve applied for Statistics/Applied Math programs, but I have practical knowledge with SAS and some other packages (5 years working in Finance), and I graduated as a Chemical Engineer. Does that mean that I could, for example, look for positions in the Chemical Engineering Department? Even though I’m not actually enrolling in a Chemical Engineering post-Grad program? 

And one more question: to do so... would it be necessary for me to be a licensed engineer in the US? (I mean, to officially register etc?) 

It would be GREAT should I be able to seek opportunities in other departments (such as the engineering ones)!

I feel somewhat like the blind leading the blind since I don't know for sure, beyond what I've been told and seen on the UMN job boards, so take this with a grain of salt! But I think that that is a definite possibility. The UMN internal job search portal lists available graduate assistantships that anyone can view and apply for. They looked like normal job applications, you submit your resume and if you have the requisite skills potentially they'll hire you. So if you were to see a RA/TA position in the Chem E department and you have what they're looking for, I don't see why you couldn't apply for it! Additionally, I know Emory has a similar portal to look for RA/TA positions, so I'd imagine they're fairly ubiquitous across American universities, but I can't definitively say that every school has one. That would depend on your school, but there's still the option of manually searching through the Chem E department and finding professors you think you could help, then emailing them. Worst case scenario they ignore you, assuming you're polite and respectful in your email. 

I will say that it seems likely that preference might be given to students w/in their own department, and I'm sure there are downsides to seeking positions outside the biostats/stats department if you're looking for research opportunities specifically w/in biostats/stats. But for my part I just want my masters to be cheap and don't really care about the research since I'm gunning for an industry job after I'm done. UMN is so big that there seem to be a surplus of GA positions available, you just need the skills for them and they don't seem to care what department you're in if you can help. Obviously in an ideal world you'd find something in the biostats/stats department, but life ain't always that idyllic.

As far as the licensed engineer question, I honestly don't know, but I guess that would depend on the specifications of the individual position. If it's a TA position, it doesn't seem like you'd need one? But I have no clue, I know nothing about engineering lol. Maybe try posting on one of the engineering subforums and see if they've been required to have engineering licenses for those postions?

[CherryBlossom_]

4 hours ago, fireuponthedeep said:

I feel somewhat like the blind leading the blind since I don't know for sure, beyond what I've been told and seen on the UMN job boards, so take this with a grain of salt! But I think that that is a definite possibility. The UMN internal job search portal lists available graduate assistantships that anyone can view and apply for. They looked like normal job applications, you submit your resume and if you have the requisite skills potentially they'll hire you. So if you were to see a RA/TA position in the Chem E department and you have what they're looking for, I don't see why you couldn't apply for it! Additionally, I know Emory has a similar portal to look for RA/TA positions, so I'd imagine they're fairly ubiquitous across American universities, but I can't definitively say that every school has one. That would depend on your school, but there's still the option of manually searching through the Chem E department and finding professors you think you could help, then emailing them. Worst case scenario they ignore you, assuming you're polite and respectful in your email. 

I will say that it seems likely that preference might be given to students w/in their own department, and I'm sure there are downsides to seeking positions outside the biostats/stats department if you're looking for research opportunities specifically w/in biostats/stats. But for my part I just want my masters to be cheap and don't really care about the research since I'm gunning for an industry job after I'm done. UMN is so big that there seem to be a surplus of GA positions available, you just need the skills for them and they don't seem to care what department you're in if you can help. Obviously in an ideal world you'd find something in the biostats/stats department, but life ain't always that idyllic.

As far as the licensed engineer question, I honestly don't know, but I guess that would depend on the specifications of the individual position. If it's a TA position, it doesn't seem like you'd need one? But I have no clue, I know nothing about engineering lol. Maybe try posting on one of the engineering subforums and see if they've been required to have engineering licenses for those postions?

Thank you very much for your replies, @fireuponthedeep and @GoPackGo89! I’ll definitely look into these ideas when the program starts! 

As you said, @fireuponthedeep, best case scenario would be to find opportunities within the statistics/applied math departments, but if that’s not the case I wouldn’t mind to get back to my engineering roots, especially because there are some areas there I really like and I used to be good at (process control, for example).

[fireuponthedeep]

1 hour ago, CherryBlossom_ said:

Thank you very much for your replies, @fireuponthedeep and @GoPackGo89! I’ll definitely look into these ideas when the program starts! 

As you said, @fireuponthedeep, best case scenario would be to find opportunities within the statistics/applied math departments, but if that’s not the case I wouldn’t mind to get back to my engineering roots, especially because there are some areas there I really like and I used to be good at (process control, for example).

No problem! And I totally understand that impulse, I'm excited at the prospect of teaching basic calc again lol. Best of luck in your program!

[statgolem_engineer]

On 4/9/2019 at 10:45 PM, biostats_chick said:

Hi!

Thank you for the informative reply. 

I get that UNC and Uminn are some options to consider while Ivies, as expected, are stingy when it comes to bios master's students, but also in general?

Any idea of Univ of Michigan? 

 

Something about me - 

I am European and currently based on the US East Coast working as a research analyst in the Public Health department for one of the most prestigious world organizations for over one year; by the time I could return to grad school, I would have completed about 2.5 years in this institution; I am planning to continue working remotely for this employer even during my bios master's program --- 

Currently I happen to collaborate with Harvard School of Public Health on some project work and this is why I listed Harvard but if you say, funding is scarce, it may not be worth the additional pressure/stress I am  perfectly fine with one of the other schools; 

I have an applied economics background - Bsc Economics (First Class Honors) (London, UK), Master's in Applied Econ from a very good public university in the US (GPA: 3.89/4); I was an RA for 2.5 years during my first master's degree; I supervised data collection in a couple of West African countries; conducted econometric modelling as part of my Msc thesis; worked in several countries, on several continents. I speak multiple languages but that is common for Europeans though

Relevant coursework (done in the US, during grad school): Statistics and Probability (A), Real Analysis (A), Linear Algebra (A), Methods of Applied Statistics (A), Regression Models (B); Mathematics for Economists (A) and other econometrics courses. I do not have formal calculus courses - not in the 1-3 sequence and I am planning to take a few classes alongside working this year before mailing my application to bios programs. GRE is still pending but I am an awful standardized test taker and not sure what to expect. 

Anything else you could suggest to improve my chances of admission would be welcome. I also have clear research interests (not sure if that counts at all at master's level?) so perhaps even reaching out to some professors ahead of time to touch on funding could help? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, in general, public schools seem to be the cheapest and their RAships usually waive off some part of the tuition. The opposite is true for Ivies. 

 

I think you have a pretty strong profile. Make sure that you get a good quant score (at least 166) in the general GRE and to satisfy any requirements that the school may have like Calc 1-3 and Linear Algebra. My SOP read like a research statement and I got in, so I don't think it can hurt to have clear research interests as long as they are relevant. 

 

Also, do you intend to go for a Ph.D. after your Master's or industry? For the latter, you can consider borrowing from Prodigy etc. since Biostats jobs tend to pay fairly well. 

[biostats_chick]

On 4/18/2019 at 7:31 AM, statgolem_engineer said:

Well, in general, public schools seem to be the cheapest and their RAships usually waive off some part of the tuition. The opposite is true for Ivies. 

 

I think you have a pretty strong profile. Make sure that you get a good quant score (at least 166) in the general GRE and to satisfy any requirements that the school may have like Calc 1-3 and Linear Algebra. My SOP read like a research statement and I got in, so I don't think it can hurt to have clear research interests as long as they are relevant. 

 

Also, do you intend to go for a Ph.D. after your Master's or industry? For the latter, you can consider borrowing from Prodigy etc. since Biostats jobs tend to pay fairly well. 

Thank you for your feedback! I am currently studying for GRE and will be taking it this summer when my workload should be less. But I do not test well ...lol.... anyway, I will do my best to get a good Quant score. I think for now I will be looking at getting a job but I am open to a PhD too...i guess, it all depends on how much I enjoy my bios master's program and how this will shape my aspirations post-masters.