Stat/Biostat PhD Profile Review(Engineering(IE) Based, No Real Analysis)

[statsreal]

Undergrad Institution: QS ~150ish Asian University
Major(s): Industrial EngineeringB.S / Industrial Engineering M.S at same univ
GPA: 3.76/3.91(M.S.)

Type of Student: International (Asian)

GRE General Test: 154(V)/167(Q)
 

Programs Applying: IE/Statistics/Biostat

 

Research Experience: 1 second author published(optimization) 2 first author (1 biostat, 1 optimization) under review
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 2x First Class Honors in undergrad

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for an undergrad Computer Science course

Letters of Recommendation: One Research Advisor(Strong) 2 prof that tought me Linear Algebra, Operations research, Applied Statistics. (Got a good grade and did decent projects)
 

Math/Statistics Grades:  Calculus 1,2(highschool) Calculus 3(1year, B,C+), Linear Algebra(B+) ,Numerical Analysis(B), Engineering Math(ODEs) (A+)
Probalbility  & Statistics(A, Calculus Based), Applied Statistics(A+), Operations Research 1,2 (A, A+), Design of Experiments(A+), Finance Engineering(A+), Computer Programming(A+),  Data mining(A+), Time Series Analysis(A+), Reliability Engineering(A)
Grad: Reinforcement Learning(A+), Computational Statistics(A+, does a lot of linear algebra, includes some proof based linear algebra), Large Scale Optimization(A+)

Any Miscellaneous Points that Might Help: 

My academic record in undergrad shows a strong upward trajectory, with a GPA of 3.96 over my last 60 credits. While my early math grades were not as strong, I've proven my ability in junior/senior statistics-related courses.
I have self-studied real analysis but did not have the opportunity to take a formal course. (I didn't realize that it was necessary until recently :(  )

Applying to Where: 

While I am mainly applying to  Ph.D. programs in Industrial Engineering I also want to apply some in  Statistics/Biostatistics since My research experience includes some work in biostatistics, and I have a strong interest in high-dimensional statistics. 

For Industrial Engineering, I'm targeting departments that aligns with my research interests. My list includes:

Northwestern (IE), UT Austin (IE), ASU (IE), NC-State (IE)

For Statistics/Biostat

I am applying to several Ph.D. programs in Statistics and Biostatistics. While I have a record in statistics coursework and research, I have some concerns about my foundational math background.

Specifically, my early undergraduate math grades were not strong, and I was unable to take a formal Real Analysis course.

Given these points, I am trying to better understand where I stand for the following programs:

• UConn (Statistics, they seem to do biostat research in stats department)

• University of Florida (Biostatistics)

• UMass Amherst (Biostatistics)

• Iowa State University (Biostatistics)

How would you classify these schools in Stats/Biostats as Reaches, Targets, or Safeties for my profile? Any insights or additional suggestions for similar programs(that'd be good for internationals) would be greatly appreciated!

Edited August 3, 2025 by statsreal
title chage, nuiance change