Need help! Where should I apply?

[hoyas9488]

I've recently decided to pursue a masters/phd in statistics after years of focusing on going to graduate school in economics. I realized the abstract math really did not suit my style as much as I wanted to fool myself into believing and that I was much more interested in statistics.

My situation is the following. I graduated May 2010 from a top 20 private university (according to US News) and decided to do Teach For America. However, since joining TFA I have realized I wanted to apply to grad programs in statistics this fall yet am uncertain as to which range I would be competitive.

My undergraduate major was in economics but I have taken the following math courses:

Calculus I - A

Calculus II - A

Calculus III - A

Linear Algebra - A-

Probability and Statistics - A

Ordinary Differential Equations - A

Pre-Analysis course - B+

Real Analysis - A-

Game Theory (in the econ department) - A-

My overall gpa was 3.91. The rest of my classes are economic courses with a bunch of university requirements mixed in.

I am proficient in Stata but have limited experience in other programs outside of Stata.

Additionally, I have very close connection with multiple economics professors since I always planned on going to grad school for econ but have very little connection with my old math professors (outside of them being able to say I performed well in certain courses).

My questions are the following:

(1) For masters programs, which range of schools would I be competitive for? i.e. 10-20, 25-50, ....?

(2) Is funding available for masters programs? If so, where at? How much? and is there anywhere I could find more information about this besides individual school websites?

(3) When I do apply, would it be acceptable to use economics professors as my recommendations, or should I use at least one mathematics professor?

(4) Since my interest in statistics is more recent, would that be detrimental if I apply to PhD programs? (I ask this because I feel that it would be best to get a masters first and then just continue on to the PhD if I still desire to)

(5) I will be working in Hawaii for the next year and was wondering if it would be helpful to take some sort of advanced statistics course part time at the Uni. of Hawaii as a signal of my interest in statistics. Would this be pointless/useful????

Any information would be greatly appreciated!!! I will be applying soon and would love to have some sort of answer to these questions or at least be pointed to where I could find that information. Thanks so much!

[emmm]

I will be working in Hawaii for the next year and was wondering if it would be helpful to take some sort of advanced statistics course part time at the Uni. of Hawaii as a signal of my interest in statistics. Would this be pointless/useful????

I don't think taking classes you're interested in is ever pointless, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't help your application. So, if you have the time to take the class (and the money), I'd say, "Why not?" If nothing else, it might help when you actually ARE in a graduate program to have finished some required classes &/or prerequisites already.

[hubris]

Your grades look good, what about GRE scores?

Also, econometrics is basically applied stats, which might allow you to use your econ professors recs (there is an interesting feud between each camp as to who is real and true).

As for funding, you get to do some of the work ,too

However, usually MA/MS are not funded.

[hoyas9488]

my gre scores are solid. quant is 780 and verbal is 650 with 5.0 writing.

with these scores , the classes ive taken and my gpa, would i be competitive for top 50 or ?

[hubris]

my gre scores are solid. quant is 780 and verbal is 650 with 5.0 writing.

with these scores , the classes ive taken and my gpa, would i be competitive for top 50 or ?

In true blind leading the blind style, I think you have a reasonably strong application.

No weak points jump out and you did fine your in analysis class (aside from terrible economic conditions).

So, roll the dice!

Edited June 30, 2010 by hubris

[floffel]

I've recently decided to pursue a masters/phd in statistics after years of focusing on going to graduate school in economics. I realized the abstract math really did not suit my style as much as I wanted to fool myself into believing and that I was much more interested in statistics.

My situation is the following. I graduated May 2010 from a top 20 private university (according to US News) and decided to do Teach For America. However, since joining TFA I have realized I wanted to apply to grad programs in statistics this fall yet am uncertain as to which range I would be competitive.

My undergraduate major was in economics but I have taken the following math courses:

Calculus I - A

Calculus II - A

Calculus III - A

Linear Algebra - A-

Probability and Statistics - A

Ordinary Differential Equations - A

Pre-Analysis course - B+

Real Analysis - A-

Game Theory (in the econ department) - A-

My overall gpa was 3.91. The rest of my classes are economic courses with a bunch of university requirements mixed in.

I am proficient in Stata but have limited experience in other programs outside of Stata.

Additionally, I have very close connection with multiple economics professors since I always planned on going to grad school for econ but have very little connection with my old math professors (outside of them being able to say I performed well in certain courses).

My questions are the following:

(1) For masters programs, which range of schools would I be competitive for? i.e. 10-20, 25-50, ....?

(2) Is funding available for masters programs? If so, where at? How much? and is there anywhere I could find more information about this besides individual school websites?

(3) When I do apply, would it be acceptable to use economics professors as my recommendations, or should I use at least one mathematics professor?

(4) Since my interest in statistics is more recent, would that be detrimental if I apply to PhD programs? (I ask this because I feel that it would be best to get a masters first and then just continue on to the PhD if I still desire to)

(5) I will be working in Hawaii for the next year and was wondering if it would be helpful to take some sort of advanced statistics course part time at the Uni. of Hawaii as a signal of my interest in statistics. Would this be pointless/useful????

Any information would be greatly appreciated!!! I will be applying soon and would love to have some sort of answer to these questions or at least be pointed to where I could find that information. Thanks so much!

I wouldn't worry about what department your recommendors come from so long as they speak about qualities important to being a statistician: mathematical aptitude, computing experience, data analysis, etc. I have spent the past year working for an economist (I'm starting stats phd this fall) and had 1 letter from math, 1 from stat, and 1 from econ. Obviously, stat departments won't know mathematicians and economists as well as they'd know other statisticians, but statistics is a small enough field that I don't think any grad programs expect undergraduates to have encountered three statisticians who can write letters for them. Also, since statisticians do a good deal of research in collaboration with people in other fields, having diverse recommendors shows your potential to be a valuable member of the scientific community as a whole.

What does worry me a bit about your profile is that you don't seem to have done that much statistics. It's pretty common for incoming stats grad students to have only a few stats classes during their undergraduate curriculum (most schools don't have a stats major), but one class is simply not enough. You also don't mention a BA or research done in economics, or any work experience that has you analyzing real data sets. I think that PhD programs will be unsure of how much interest you really have in the field given a relatively thin exposure to it.

That said, your grades from a well-respected school clearly show you have a lot of intellectual potential and I think, assuming strong recommendations/personal statement, you would definitely get into top 20 masters programs and be competitive for top 10. Doing a masters would also obviously beef up your stats creds for applying to PhD programs and signal your commitment to the field and academia in general (I think applying for a masters before PhD makes a lot of sense for people who have been outside academia for a few years).

There are indeed some masters programs that have funding. The reason is that lots of schools have massive undergraduate intro stats classes and are in constant need of TAs, so they use both masters and phd students. Though I don't know of a way to find a list of all schools that do this, big public schools are a good bet. Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan, A&M, NCSU, UNC, are all very good statistics programs and might have funding for masters students (there are others I could have added that list).

[hoyas9488]

I wouldn't worry about what department your recommendors come from so long as they speak about qualities important to being a statistician: mathematical aptitude, computing experience, data analysis, etc. I have spent the past year working for an economist (I'm starting stats phd this fall) and had 1 letter from math, 1 from stat, and 1 from econ. Obviously, stat departments won't know mathematicians and economists as well as they'd know other statisticians, but statistics is a small enough field that I don't think any grad programs expect undergraduates to have encountered three statisticians who can write letters for them. Also, since statisticians do a good deal of research in collaboration with people in other fields, having diverse recommendors shows your potential to be a valuable member of the scientific community as a whole.

What does worry me a bit about your profile is that you don't seem to have done that much statistics. It's pretty common for incoming stats grad students to have only a few stats classes during their undergraduate curriculum (most schools don't have a stats major), but one class is simply not enough. You also don't mention a BA or research done in economics, or any work experience that has you analyzing real data sets. I think that PhD programs will be unsure of how much interest you really have in the field given a relatively thin exposure to it.

That said, your grades from a well-respected school clearly show you have a lot of intellectual potential and I think, assuming strong recommendations/personal statement, you would definitely get into top 20 masters programs and be competitive for top 10. Doing a masters would also obviously beef up your stats creds for applying to PhD programs and signal your commitment to the field and academia in general (I think applying for a masters before PhD makes a lot of sense for people who have been outside academia for a few years).

There are indeed some masters programs that have funding. The reason is that lots of schools have massive undergraduate intro stats classes and are in constant need of TAs, so they use both masters and phd students. Though I don't know of a way to find a list of all schools that do this, big public schools are a good bet. Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan, A&M, NCSU, UNC, are all very good statistics programs and might have funding for masters students (there are others I could have added that list).

Thank you very much for the thoughts. I failed to mention it because I didn't realize it would be relevant but I have done economic research as a research assistant for multiple economics professors for over 2 years during undergrad. Hopefully this will be viewed in a positive light from the adcoms because I did have to manage large datasets for multiple projects.

I think what I am going to do is apply to a few top 10, a few top 20, and then a few programs from 30-50. This way I will have a couple reaches, a couple comfortable ones and a couple schools that should be sure bet.

I'm going to start looking around at each school and narrow down the list as I go along, but does that range sound wise?

[lhfields]

I will be working in Hawaii for the next year and was wondering if it would be helpful to take some sort of advanced statistics course part time at the Uni. of Hawaii as a signal of my interest in statistics. Would this be pointless/useful????

Aloha,

Hawaii. Oahu. Wonderful. Please go visit Hanauma bay, North shore, Ko Olina, Kailua park, and all other wonderful places in other islands. The only thing you should worry is getting a solid GRE score and personal statement. Also, I think it won't hurt to apply directly as PhD though chances might decrease. Remember, most Master's degree in stats don't offer funding, if any a very little amount. To enhance your quantitative background, taking more probability courses such as theory of probability, statistical methods, and stochastic processes, might be a good idea. I've been to UH Manoa library many times, and they are awesome.

LHF