Tough Decisions After a Brutal Admissions Cycle

[open_ball]

Hey everyone,

This admissions cycle was rough. I thought I had a solid profile, but either it wasn’t quite good enough or I just got unlucky. I was rejected from all the top 10 programs I applied to—oh well. 

My main research interests are in machine learning, particularly Gaussian process modeling and conformal prediction, with a potential future interest in e-values and other ML reliability tools. My ideal career path is as a research scientist or professor—I don’t want to end up in a traditional statistician or software engineering role. I'd like to work on real problems, so I am not big into pure probability or mathematical statistics. (I should have applied for biostats).

Now I’m facing a tough decision between 3 very different PhD offers:

1. UNC STOR (Statistics & Operations Research) – The stipend is $23K, which is quite low for Chapel Hill. The department nominated me for a competitive university-wide fellowship, and if I win it, attending would become much more feasible. However, the chances of winning are low. While UNC has strong academic placements, my research interests don’t fully align with what’s going on there. I am ready to survive the core coursework, but I am not sure how relevant all the courses are to my research interests.

2. An Engineering PhD – The stipend is over double UNC’s. Some people (mostly prestige-focused) tell me I should take it because it is at an Ivy. However, the program is in an isolated area, and I wouldn’t necessarily get the rigorous statistical training or the title of ‘statistician.’ This could affect my long-term research trajectory. I am very interested in the topics of the research. 

3. An applied math PhD. I'm not huge into this option because it's in a relatively rural and high cost of living area with a stipend on the lower side. 

I’m torn between these options. UNC seems like the better fit academically, but financial constraints make it a tough choice. The Ivy would provide financial stability but might not align with my long-term goals. 

Would love to hear thoughts from those who have navigated similar dilemmas. What would you prioritize in this situation? Would you consider taking the UNC offer and seeing if you could find someone who is doing work that does align, and if not consider mastering out or transferring programs? 

Edited February 20 by open_ball
Rephrase things