Choosing Program, please give me advice

[Jasmine Ng]

Hi,

I got accepted into some program, and try to decide to choose one, I wonder can you guys give me some suggestion? My goal is going into industry after my PhD.

Texas Tech University - PhD Mathematics and Statistics (tuition + 16k/years)

University of California Irvine - Master in Statistics

University of Colorado, Denver - Master in Biostatistics (information financial support will come in 2 weeks)

Virginia Commonwealth University - PhD Biostatistics (tuition +30k/year)

University of Cincinnati - PhD in Statistics (tuition + 20k/year)

University of Mississippi - PhD in Biostatistics (tuition +24k/year)

I still have 6,7 programs not heard, yet.

Thanks

 

 

[Geococcyx]

A 30k stipend from VCU seems pretty impressive, given that it also appears to be your highest-ranked PhD program (albeit that doesn't really matter for industry).  Maybe Richmond is a lot more expensive than I think?  A cursory cost of living calculatory check seems to suggest 30k is still really good, but who knows how valid those are.

I should obligatorially note that you don't need a PhD to go into most industry, but I understand that may be more convenient for you to get a PhD, particularly since it looks like you're an international student and there might be visa details to work out.

Congratulations on your offers!

[bayessays]

VCU and Cincinnati are ranked the same.  I'd go to one of those. Denver or UCI could be an ok option if funded.

[Jasmine Ng]

Thanks for both of advices!

Right now, I am considering Denver vs VCU. Because Denver does not likely offer PhD for B.S, I got accept to Master instead. However, they said I am a top candidate for MS program so I will be receive funding and they said if I past qualify exam after my 1st year, I can move to PhD program smoothly, but not guaranty. I try to avoid to apply PhD program again,... but Denver is one of my top program....

[cl27]

I also asked Denver about moving from the MS to the PhD program. This is a direct quote from the program administrator: "If you are highly committed to getting a PhD, and do well academically and in your qualifying exams, you will likely have no problem joining the PhD program."

I found this to be quite encouraging and might also choose that path!

[SomeNerd]

Since nobody has talked about TTU, I am going to mention it briefly (it is my undergrad institution). Stats is in the same department as math, on your diploma it is not a big deal to have a phd in math not in stats, everybody knows those departments are quite common. But prelims are not only restricted to stats, one of the prelims you have to pass is in math. Some people take complex analysis cuz it's ez (it's not a pure waste of time obviously since the math faculty there are great, but it is not THAT related to stats). The department lost three stats faculty last year due to different reasons, hired a new one but he is trapped in China for some family reasons. So not a whole lot of faculty to choose from and each of them are doing different topics, there is one doing biostats (from Ohio State, but has LOTS of students), two doing consulting, one doing machine learning/data science in general, don't remember about the rest from the top of my head. 

16k minus tax minus student fees is the bare minimum to live in Lubbock as a single person. Lubbock is cheap, but 16k is really not a whole lot. Summer assistantship is available but competitive (new rule starts this summer I think). Btw if you want to come to TTU for its basketball game or Patrick Mahomes (JK I know you probably won't), game tickets are not included in the fees you pay so you have to buy tickets yourself. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by SomeNerd

[Jasmine Ng]

2 hours ago, cl27 said:

I found this to be quite encouraging and might also choose that path!

Yup, I asked the same question and got the same answers. Will you attend to the visit day on March 6?

@SomeNerd Thank you for your information, I applied TTU because I interested in one professor in department, however, Texas is not my best place to stay for over 5 years :)))

[cl27]

@Jasmine Ng yes I will be attending, just bought my flights a couple hours ago! message me if you’d like to chat!

Edited February 26, 2020 by cl27

[Ginger?]

I'm just hijacking this thread to say that I'll be at the visit day next week too, and I'm glad I'm not the only one not offered funding yet. Grad school is going to be so cool!

[SomeNerd]

17 hours ago, Jasmine Ng said:

Yup, I asked the same question and got the same answers. Will you attend to the visit day on March 6?

@SomeNerd Thank you for your information, I applied TTU because I interested in one professor in department, however, Texas is not my best place to stay for over 5 years :)))

hahaha I lived here for 4.5 years, about to be 5. Not a good place to be in the summer but fall/spring/winter is not bad. 

[fd.z]

On 2/26/2020 at 11:56 AM, Jasmine Ng said:

Yup, I asked the same question and got the same answers. Will you attend to the visit day on March 6?

@SomeNerd Thank you for your information, I applied TTU because I interested in one professor in department, however, Texas is not my best place to stay for over 5 years :)))

when is the open house for VCU?  I saw three offers on the forum and email them to check my status. told that they are still reviewing. 

Does that mean they are waiting for the result from first round admission and I have been waitlisted?

 

[Jasmine Ng]

12 hours ago, fd.z said:

when is the open house for VCU?  I saw three offers on the forum and email them to check my status. told that they are still reviewing. 

Does that mean they are waiting for the result from first round admission and I have been waitlisted?

 

It was about a month ago. They had 13 admitted students with 4 student got offers financial support

[bjeffery]

On 3/11/2020 at 12:28 PM, Jasmine Ng said:

It was about a month ago. They had 13 admitted students with 4 student got offers financial support

Did you hear back from them about the financial support yet? Four students officially got funding offers already? I went for the Open House, but haven't heard from them since.

[Jasmine Ng]

42 minutes ago, bjeffery said:

Did you hear back from them about the financial support yet? Four students officially got funding offers already? I went for the Open House, but haven't heard from them since.

I got a financial support but I am not sure whether they sent all of the funding.

[bjeffery]

On 3/20/2020 at 5:10 PM, Jasmine Ng said:

I got a financial support but I am not sure whether they sent all of the funding.

Thanks! 

[IdoMath]

I also got funding offer from VCU. The department and faculty seem really good, but I am not sure about the neighborhood and the safety for a single female. What do you think?