Biostats programs

[beandog95]

Hello,

I do not know where to apply for biostats programs. I feel like there are either really good programs or really crappy ones. not a whole lot of middle ground.

I am majoring in math with a GPA is 3.36 (crappy GPA, I know) at a small private school. I am taking the GRE soon.. I do have a lot of great summer experiences. SIBS at UW Madison and interning at a Cancer Research Institute this summer- I am paired with a biostatistician working on her research team. I have gone to a lot of conferences too and presented posters. I believe that I will have pretty good letters of recommendation and I have been working on my personal statement. I also know C++, R, SAS, Minitab, and Maple.

I am assuming that my chances for a phd program are minimal so I am going to pursue a MS at:

1. UW Madison

2. CU Denver

3. University of Minnesota

4. UNC

5. University of Michigan

First, question: Is my assumption that a phd program is out of my reach true?

Second: For MS programs: Am I aiming too high? If so, what schools should I be looking at?

Thank you so much for your input!

[wine in coffee cups]

I think you might be selling yourself short. Yes, your GPA is going to be below average for the top PhD programs, but it sounds like you have good research experience and better than average math preparation given that you're a math major. Is your GPA in just math/statistics prerequisite courses higher than your overall GPA, or maybe you have an upward trend in grades? Does the small private school you attend have a good academic reputation? Maybe you should apply to a mix of master's and PhD programs, and indicate on your applications when possible that you'd like to be considered for a master's if denied for the PhD. I'm no expert but your list of places for a master's sounds reasonable enough. Have you asked the faculty at your undergrad institution or any of the other biostatisticians you've worked with for advice on where to apply?

FYI, there is tons of advice regarding biostats in the Mathematics & Statistics forum. One regular poster, cyberwulf, is on the faculty of a biostatistics department and consistently posts helpful information, for example

[cyberwulf]

Glad to know what some folks have found my advice helpful! Anyway, it sounds like you're probably going to have a tough time landing a PhD offer at a Top 6 place (generally considered to be Harvard-Hopkins-Washington-Michigan-UNC-Minnesota). But, as w.i.c.c. correctly points out, a lot depends on the rest of your profile; if your math grades are quite a bit better than your overall GPA, and you get some very solid letters, you might have an outside shot at one of the places on your list (this advice doesn't apply to CU Denver since it's not really in the yard compared to the other four).

I think you're probably in a relatively good position to gain admission to a strong MS program, where a good performance will set you up well for PhD admission in a couple of years. Be warned, however, that you will almost certainly not be able to get guaranteed funding as a Masters student. If funding is a major issue, you might look into the next tier of PhD programs, which would include places like Columbia, Brown, Penn, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, UCLA, and Boston University (I'm probably leaving a couple of places out).

[beandog95]

My math GPA is not higher than my overall GPA. I think I have like... a B/B- math GPA.. My school reputation does not have a good academic reputation, which is more so why I look at my GPA as such a weakness. Thank you for both of your inputs. I think I will apply as a masters student to an edited version of my original list and add in some of the next tier programs for phd. Funding is an issue, but I have decided that I am going to grad school regardless since I do see it as an investment.

Why is the reputation of CU Denver's biostats program?

What score for GRE should I be aiming for if I am looking at this next tier of schools? I know for the first tier I would need essentially a 170 quant, but for the second tier, a 165? And as far as verbal goes, 158?

[cyberwulf]

What score for GRE should I be aiming for if I am looking at this next tier of schools? I know for the first tier I would need essentially a 170 quant, but for the second tier, a 165? And as far as verbal goes, 158?

If your school is little-known and your math grades marginal, then you might be out of luck for top-tier MS programs; but I would still include a few in your app list.

See my comments on GRE scores in

[beandog95]

Okay, thank you. Do you know the reputation of CU Denver's biostats program?

[cyberwulf]

Do you know the reputation of CU Denver's biostats program?

I know a couple of people there, but it is not very well known on the national level. Certainly not nearly as prestigious as the other places you list.