Fall 2024 Stats Phd/MS Profile Evaluation (and am I applying to "enough" schools?)

[stxnre]

Undergrad Institution: Berkeley
Major(s): Applied Math (concentrated in Data Science)
GPA: 4.00 (might dip after my last semester, which is this fall)

Type of Student: Domestic Wasian (half white half asian) male

 

Lower Div Courses:

Calc 3 (skipped 1-2, A+), Linear Algebra (A+ Intro to data science (A+) ,Intro to CS (A+)

Upper Div Courses

Linear Algebra (A+) ,Real Analysis (A+), Abstract Algebra (A+), Numerical Analysis (A), Principles of Data Science (A), Probability for Data Science (A+)

 

Current Courses: Machine Learning, Time Series, Complex Analysis

GRE: 170Q 161V 5W
 

Research Experience:  

One summer REU at UCLA in 2022 doing natural language processing on interview transcripts, but have been doing work with the professor ever since during the school year. We made one publication in SIURO. Another summer REU at IPAM (NSF institute) this summer, which was basically revolved around a linear statistical model for navigation. No publication (yet) but plan to present poster at JMM. Both involved applied statistics, time series data, and machine learning. I also presented both at the end of both programs.

 

Letters of Recommendation:

1 from my first REU advising professor. Another from the director of the IPAM research program. The third from my numerical analysis teacher. I think all three should be fairly positive, with the first two being much stronger as they have seen me in a research context.

 

Teaching experience: None officially in classroom

Professional experience: Besides the research, not really (though the NLP research I do is in a sense a very flexible part-time internship)

 

Programs Applying: Statistics (PhD and MS)

Applying: Stanford, UW, UCLA (MS), UCSD (math + stats), UCSB, UC Davis (MS?)

All of my schools are on the west coast, because I would like to be close to family, gf, and my friends. But I was looking at this site and realized just how many programs some people are applying to...

I am considering adding two more schools, assuming my recommenders are okay with it. Would that be helpful? I admit, I really want to get into Stanford (and you know, I could even do the MS there) but I know it is incredibly hard to get in. I have a pretty busy schedule because I am wrapping up my studies a semester early, but it would kinda suck if I didn't get into a program I really wanted to get into. But I also think the new schools probably won't be on the west coast

[bayessays]

Your profile is obviously great.  The only small criticism might be that your math background could always be deeper when you apply to a place like Stanford, but it's more than sufficient.

What's the reason behind only applying to UCLA/UCDavis's MS programs?   UCLA and UCD are great PhD programs (much better than UCSB).  I'd apply to Stanford, UW, Berkeley, UCLA, UCD, UCSD, UCI, UCSC and UCSB's PhD programs and I think you'd probably have some choices.

[stxnre]

Hm Okay! Thanks for letting me know. I think I was considering UCLA MS because I was originally seesawing between doing a phd or doing an ms, and UCLA seemed like a good place to MS since my family lives in LA. But I mean if I were to get into the PhD and I ended up not feeling it after 2 years, I guess I could master out. Don't know how much more competitive it gets though

[bayessays]

Check the programs individually, but basically any program will let you master out, and many people transfer out after the master's and go to a new PhD program (this may be a headache and some people feel guilty about it, but it happens all the time).