how to demonstrate statistical skills in application materials, if necessary

[twolucky]

My background is mostly in humanities and communication (related to social science) but has almost zero training in statistics. I noticed that many sociology programs expect applicants have some portion of the statistical background, even from a qualitative scope. So, I am wondering if it is necessary to address my potential or ability to do basic statistical tasks. I also noticed that many programs require taking some statistical coursework; is it a big stretch for non-STEM students? I didn't have any statistical courses during my undergraduate because I was an English major and only had a semester-long SPSS training which was not reflected on my transcript. Any comments and thoughts are welcome. Thank you!

[lkaitlyn]

I'm not sure what programs you saw formally require stats. When I applied in 2020, that wasn't required for any of the T25 programs, though it's obviously, like taking previous sociology classes, a good idea.

Some ways you can demonstrate stats competency: take a stats class and get a solid grade, nail the quant part of the GRE (not as good as the other options here), show a sample of your research that has (correctly) used statistics.

Since it sounds like you can't do that third option, I'd focus on taking a stats course (even a short one — you can then update them on your grade in December) and nail the GRE. If you can't afford to take a course at a local community college or something similar, see if you can find something self-paced online that's meant to be a semester that you can get a completion certificate or grade for.

Edited September 23, 2022 by lkaitlyn