TAMU Statistics

[AC1]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insights on TAMU stats department. I do not have any focused research direction and fairly open. It would be great if anyone can share some idea about say necessary coursework, prelims, research output, reputation, graduate placements etc. I know that it is a fairly big program and ranked ~20 according to US News (heard that this is irrelevant though), but what does this mean? Also I am open to hear from others about any other aspects about the program

Thanks in advance

[bob loblaw]

Can only comment as a fellow applicant but ... according to one junior faculty at Berkeley they said, it's a good, well-rounded department to consider.  Unlike some of the top ranked schools, he commented that it's a good place to do applied research as well. 

After reviewing the faculty research interests website,  I agree with his view on this.  It just seems like a well-rounded, cool department (from a research perspective). 

Edited March 4, 2021 by bob loblaw

[Ryuk]

I was in the stats department at TAMU as an undergrad. I can't answer much regarding technical details like coursework, placements, etc., but I can talk about most other things. The department seems pretty social, with lots of events that anyone can attend. The professors seem accessible through things like that, even big names like Carroll. I once asked a professor about their qualifying exams and they said that they virtually never use them to kick people out. Its seems like the stakes are pretty low and you only have to worry if you've been a terrible student.

The stats department shares a building with the math department, so it was extremely easy to take graduate math coursework and talk to math professors. I would assume that the same would hold for grad students. The CS department doesn't seem to be as close, but it was still super easy to access.

Not sure if location is important to you, but it is kinda in the middle of nowhere. That being said, it isn't some tiny village. The population is almost 300,000, so you'll still have a lot of options when it comes to food and entertainment. It gets both very hot (43 Celsius) and very cold (-13 Celsius).

They gave me all the tools needed to get into elite PhD programs. I imagine a PhD student in the department would be similarly well-suited for the job market. Let me know if you have any question you think I can answer!

Edited March 4, 2021 by Ryuk

[Stat Phd]

On 3/4/2021 at 4:07 PM, Ryuk said:

I was in the stats department at TAMU as an undergrad. I can't answer much regarding technical details like coursework, placements, etc., but I can talk about most other things. The department seems pretty social, with lots of events that anyone can attend. The professors seem accessible through things like that, even big names like Carroll. I once asked a professor about their qualifying exams and they said that they virtually never use them to kick people out. Its seems like the stakes are pretty low and you only have to worry if you've been a terrible student.

The stats department shares a building with the math department, so it was extremely easy to take graduate math coursework and talk to math professors. I would assume that the same would hold for grad students. The CS department doesn't seem to be as close, but it was still super easy to access.

Not sure if location is important to you, but it is kinda in the middle of nowhere. That being said, it isn't some tiny village. The population is almost 300,000, so you'll still have a lot of options when it comes to food and entertainment. It gets both very hot (43 Celsius) and very cold (-13 Celsius).

They gave me all the tools needed to get into elite PhD programs. I imagine a PhD student in the department would be similarly well-suited for the job market. Let me know if you have any question you think I can answer!

Hi, but apparently you would be qualified to do your PhD there, yet you seem to have chosen a different program. Could explain which program you preferred to TAMU PhD?

[Ryuk]

@Stat PhdAt this point, it really looks like I'll end up at Berkeley, but I haven't yet ruled out Harvard. I was accepted to all of the top 20 programs except for Stanford and CMU (I sent way too many applications).

However, if TAMU was one of the best programs that accepted me, I would gladly go. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have!

[Stat Phd]

3 minutes ago, Ryuk said:

@Stat PhdAt this point, it really looks like I'll end up at Berkeley, but I haven't yet ruled out Harvard. I was accepted to all of the top 20 programs except for Stanford and CMU (I sent way too many applications).

However, if TAMU was one of the best programs that accepted me, I would gladly go. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have!

Thanks, that’s amazing, congratulations!? 

What is your personal ranking of the schools you got admitted?

[Ryuk]

@Stat Phd Thank you! My personal ranking is probably UC Berkeley, Harvard Stat, U Chicago, U Penn, Harvard Biostat, in that order.

Other schools that I was admitted to but haven't put as much thought towards are U Washington, Duke, Michigan, Texas A&M, NC State, UNC, Cornell. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them, but many of admitted me after Penn and Berkeley let me in. While Berkeley is very high in the rankings, it also happens to be a better fit for my research interests than most other schools.

[Stat Phd]

Thanks, I would definitely choose UC Berkeley if I were you!