Fall 2023 Stats PhD Profile Review

[cmp024]

Undergrad Institution : Top 5 public university (US News)

Major(s): Statistics, Mathematics, minor in Physics

GPA: 4.0, haven't graduated yet

Type of Student: Hispanic male, domestic

Programs Applying: Statistics PhD, Fall 2023 admission

Courses taken: Calculus I-III, Differential questions, Modern Physics, Mechanics I, Data Structures and Algorithms, Electromagnetism I, Regression Analysis, Intro to Probability Theory, Sets and logic, Discrete math, 3 linear algebra courses (computational, proof-based, data science applications), Design of Experiments/ANOVA, Statistical Theory / Mathematical Statistics

Currently taking and plan to take: Time series analysis, a second probability course (stochastic processes, probability spaces), Abstract Algebra, Categorical Data analysis, Real Analysis I-II, Nonparametric statistics, Statistical computing, Statistical learning, Complex variables

GRE General Test: Haven't taken yet

Research Experience: Worked with a radiation oncology professor in a project involving proton therapy, mostly did literature review until I realized it wasn't my thing and left. Currently doing applied time series analysis with a statistics professor. I am the primary author for a current paper and it could be published.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for a research course, mentor for an undergraduate research program, tutoring chair for a Physics society chapter

Awards: Dean's list / Presidential honor roll some semesters, a merit scholarship

Letters of Recommendation (prospective):  Two from statistics professors. One is my research mentor and the other is one who I believe can write me a strong letter. Third will probably be from a mathematics professor.

Miscellaneous skills & points: Haven't taken any graduate courses yet and don't plan on it, but that could change. I have a few years of programming experience and have a few projects listed on my resume in various languages, including GUIs, implementations of B-spline and Bezier curve interpolation and visualization, and large-scale machine learning and AI. I switched into the math major sort of late so I won't be taking much after Real Analysis since I'm doing it my senior year.

Schools applying to: This is where I'm the most lost as I'm not sure where I should be applying to. A preliminary list is

UW

Florida State

U of Michigan

CMU

Penn State

Ohio State

Too early to say what I'm interested in exactly but I think that any school with a presence of Bayesian statisticians would be nice. My process for picking schools was looking loosely at USNews rankings, seeing if they had professors doing stuff I have marginal interests in, and weighing in whether I would want to live in the area. I also started looking at what alumni are up to, but to be frank I have no idea what I'm doing.

Overall I'm looking for advice and or recommendations for schools to apply to. If there is anything missing in my profile that I should try to address before I graduate. Thanks in advance.

[trynagetby]

I think your list is good with CMU will be the toughest nut to crack there. If you do well in Real Analysis, I think you'd be a serious consideration anywhere UW and below on the U.S News rankings (not to say you shouldn't apply higher, esp given diversity considerations).  Also if you're seriously interested in Bayesian stuff, the obvious question is why not apply to Duke/UT Austin?

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by trynagetby

[cmp024]

On 2/1/2022 at 6:55 PM, trynagetby said:

I think your list is good with CMU will be the toughest nut to crack there. If you do well in Real Analysis, I think you'd be a serious consideration anywhere UW and below on the U.S News rankings (not to say you shouldn't apply higher, esp given diversity considerations).  Also if you're seriously interested in Bayesian stuff, the obvious question is why not apply to Duke/UT Austin?

 

Yeah since unfortunately I'll be taking real analysis I in the fall of the application cycle, I might have to send another transcript or so in late December, which should not be a problem (hopefully?). Thank you for your suggestions as well!