Fall 2022 Stat Master/PhD Application Profile for School Recommendations

[statapple]

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 Public University (USNews)
Major(s): Statistics

GPA: 3.47 after transfer, 4.00 in community college

Type of Student: Domestic Asian Male

GRE General Test: From ETS Practice Test, Taking in August
Q: 169
V: 170
W: 5
 

Math/Statistics Grades: 

Lower division: AP Calculus BC: 5; A in Calculus 3 (multivariable), Linear Algebra, Elementary Differential Equations, discrete math, introductory statistics

Upper division: Introductory statistical computing (R). A- in Numerical Analysis 1. B+ in second (proofs-based) Linear Algebra, Real Analysis 1, Intro Probability Theory, Mathematical Stats.

In progress (Fall 2021): Complex Analysis, Mathematical Optimization, Linear Models, Stochastic Processes

 

Research Experience:  None, but applying this semester. Did a procurement internship (business). No teaching experience.

 

Letters of Recommendation: I will ask for LoR from my numerical analysis professor, mathematical stats professor, and then real analysis professor. I've gone to their office hours a lot, but I think they will be weak because I did not have insightful questions (questions were about coursework).

Applying:

I want to go to a PhD program, but I don't think my GPA is nearly good enough. If PhD programs are unrealistic, please recommend some thesis/research-based master's programs to prepare for PhD. I looked at UMichigan's bridge program, but I don't qualify. In any case, I don't think I am qualified for any top 50 PhD program.

[Stat Assistant Professor]

You are right that if you want to have a chance of getting admitted into a PhD program, you need to primarily aim lower (as in the 60-100 range of the USNWR rankings for Statistics). 

The other option if you want to aim a bit higher is to do a Masters in Statistics where you retake Real Analysis and get an A in that and show that you can get A's in Casella & Berger Masters level mathematical statistics classes. Then you might be able to aim as high as 30 or so of USNWR, though I would not recommend applying to many schools above that (you should still aim for mainly schools in 40-80 or so). With a strong Masters performance, schools like UConn, UF, FSU, UIUC would not be totally out of the question.

[statapple]

If it helps, I attend UC Berkeley. But thank you for the honesty. For an academic master's program, would it be inappropriate to seek a letter of recommendation from my manager at the procurement internship? The work had nothing to do with statistics; she would be able to provide only a character reference.