Profile eval fall 2023 PhD Biostat

[strawberrychocolate]

MS Biostatistics student looking for advice!

Undergrad: top 30 LACs -- Statistics, Data Science (summa)
Grad: MS Biostatistics Ivy League (not Harvard)

Type of Student: International female

GRE General Test: 
Q:170
V: 160
W: 5.0

 

Applying to: Biostatistics PhD 

 

Research Experience: Right now, projects on survival analysis (both applied and methodological) with a senior researcher -- not sure about potential publications! During undergrads, did summer research at a well-known cancer hospital and an institute for applied maths, and 2 year research at school.

Letters of Recommendation: Two faculties with whom I'm doing/planning to do research with at grad school; one might be from profs teaching classes or undergrad studies who knows me very well

Grad coursework: Same core coursework as PhD students -- using Casella and Berger for Probability and Inference. Have the option of taking the qualifying exam after 1st year (this coming June) with PhD students

 

Publications: one conference paper on machine learning/applied maths from undergrads summer research. one coming up on using nonparametric tests for an applied project. Co 1st author for the former. 

Plan to apply: UPenn, BU, Columbia, Yale and maybe Harvard -- I want to stay in the northeast, New England preferably 

 

Can someone give me advice on the my school list? After my PhD I might go back to Asia where people care a lot about prestige and brand name of the school, rather than dissertation advisors. I realize this list is ambitious and would appreciate if someone can recommend some "safe" schools. Many thanks!

[trynagetby]

If you've had a lot of advanced mathematics background (Real Analysis I, II, Proof-Based Lin-Alg, + one more advanced class like Analysis of Algs, Abstract Algebra, Numerical analysis etc.. ) those schools are definitely all well within reach. If you've just had Real Analysis or even no Real Analysis you have a dece chance at all those schools but a clean reject from all of them is very well in the realm of possibility (I don't know anything about BU).

Given your locational preference those schools pretty much cover the northeast. I'd throw in JHU too if Maryland isn't too south for you. Safe(r) schools would be like UNC, Umich, Duke. But those are pretty out your geographical preference.

[strawberrychocolate]

@trynagetby Thanks for your perspective! I had Real Analysis, Discrete Maths and Linear Algebra during undergrads, but it's LAC so I don't know how much they weigh. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I thought maths courses matter when undergrads apply for PhD right off the bat, but once students enter grads school, courses still matter but not so much as the school name and research experience; especially in my case when I'm also taking PhD courseworks. Aren't most biostat programs using Casellar and Berger for their prob/inference and qual exam? Thanks!

[trynagetby]

There's nothing wrong with an LAC! I think your list is still reasonable , if pretty top heavy. The PhD courses definitely help a lot and I think that's a reason why you have a good shot at those programs, but generally the rule is the more math you have as an undergrad the better.

Honestly, the biggest factor will be the strength of your recommendation letters. If you think your letters are top-notch your list is probably good. Take my advice with a grain of salt as I only applied to 2 biostat schools, and got into 1.