Fall 2022 MS Biostatistics (Non-traditional Applicant)

[cmpj]

Undergrad Institution: Top 15 Canadian University (USNews)
Major(s): Life Sciences
GPA: 3.97
Type of Student: Canadian (Immigrant)
 
Math/Statistics Courses (A+ in all of them):
Calculus 1, 2, 3 
Discrete Mathematics 
Linear Algebra 1, 2 
Ordinary Differential Equations 
Complex Analysis 
Real Analysis 
Intro to Probability 
Intro to Statistics (algebra based)
Intro to Computer Science 1, 2 

Partial Differential Equations (in progress)
Mathematical Statistics (in progress)

Research: None

Programming Skills: R, Python

Applying to:

University of Toronto - Biostatistics MS
Waterloo - Biostatistics MS
McMaster - Statistics MS (Medical Statistics Concentration)

I am 36, and I used to work as a massage therapist/acupuncturist. In 2018 I decided to get a bachelor’s degree so that I could apply to medical school. However, after taking a few math and statistics courses, I realized that I was more passionate about quantitative approaches in health research, so I have decided to pursue a master’s degree in biostatistics. Since my background is unusual, I would appreciate any advice on my situation and my university choices. Also, I am curious to know what kind of explanations I should include in my SOP.