Advice Needed for Ph.D. Statistics

[PrinceRuthless95]

Undergrad Institution: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Major(s): Actuarial Science
GPA: 3.82
Type of Student: International Male

GRE General Test: 
Q: 165+ (Expecting)
V: 150-155 (Expecting)
W: 4.5 (Expecting

Applying to: Statistics PHD
 
Research Experience: Some undergraduate finance researching work involving logistic regression, simulation in R, and time series.

Work Experience: Calculus/Stats Tutor, 2 years underwriting in insurance (non statistical related)

LOR: One from mathematical statistics professor (fellow of ASA), one from finance professor for researching, and one from Physics professor.

Math: Calc I, II (A+), Calc III (A), Linear Algebra (B), concerned with lack of mathematical background

Statistics: Mathematical Statistics I (A-), Mathematical Statistics II (A)

Please give me advice on any graduate school within my range. 

Should I strengthen my mathematical background by taking online courses (already graduated 2 years), how about real analysis via NetMath @ UIUC?

Should I consider Master, I don't think I can afford many of them, and not sure which program funded Master. 

Thanks for any insight on moving forward

Charlie

[Stat Assistant Professor]

I don't think your profile is competitive, especially compared to other international students who have much more breadth and depth of math classes. The B in Linear Algebra is possibly concerning as well.

I would recommend getting a Masters degree where you take real analysis AND advanced proof-based linear algebra (to partially atone for the B in lower division LA -- then have one of your LOR writers point out that you got an A in advanced linear algebra) AND maybe one other math class such as a second semester of real analysis. Then you can try your luck and apply to Statistics PhD programs. I think you could possibly get into some schools in the 41-80 range of USNWR. Higher than that is probably out of reach, given how competitive admissions is for international students these days.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Stat Assistant Professor

[PrinceRuthless95]

Your advice are most realistic and helpful, do you think I should bother taking online course like real analysis? I know it's a criteria for Ph.D. admission but not sure about Master. What school for Master do you suggests? It's hard to find school with funding, but I guess that's what make it less competitive than Ph.D.

[Stat Assistant Professor]

There are not many funded Masters programs in Statistics, but there probably are a few if you search for them. Another possibility is to do a Masters in Mathematics with a Statistics concentration. In such a program, you could take a core of statistics classes -- two semesters of mathematical statistics at the level of Casella & Berger, regression, design of experiments, and linear models), along with some theoretical math classes like real analysis and advanced linear algebra. Masters programs in math may be more likely to be funded. I would look into those where you can do a Stat concentration, as well as the few funded Statistics MS programs that exist.