Reason to worry?

[PittPanther13]

So it appears that some biostatistics PhD decisions have started to roll in for some applicants, which naturally causes worry in those of us who haven't heard anything yet. So I am now wondering if I should be concerned that I could be left out in the cold at the end of this, so I'd appreciate some feedback and critique of my application prospects.

I am already enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh for a MS in biostatistics, and will be graduating this April with around a 3.85 GPA. My undergrad was in math, and although I didn't do spectacular, I would say I performed about on average with the usual grad school applicant. I have research experience, conference presentation experience, and a pending journal publication which I should hear back on soon from a summer internship I had. Also, one of my recommendations is from the chair of the biostats department who is highly respected in the statistics community.

So now I've seen that some decisions have come in for PhD students who applied to Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill, and I'm wondering if maybe I aimed a little too high with the schools I applied to, as I have yet to hear anything. My UNC app was turned in about a month ago, so I'm hoping maybe it wasn't reviewed yet, but the Harvard app has me concerned because their deadline was earlier and it seems emails have gone out for interviews. If anyone could give me an outside perspective on what the future decisions could hold that would be great. Here is where I applied, all of them are biostat PhD programs:

Johns Hopkins

Harvard

UNC Chapel Hill

Cal Berkeley

Washington

Pittsburgh (current student)

Thanks, and good luck to everyone applying

[bayessays]

UNC was stilling sending out acceptances at least as recently as yesterday so it's definitely possible they haven't gotten to your application yet, and a lot of programs send acceptances out as they review them.

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

Relax. It hasn't even been a month yet since the deadlines for most (Dec 15th)... Heck, some schools deadlines are tomorrow!

[cyberwulf]

Sit tight. Depending on the system the school uses, it may be several weeks between the time an application is received and when the admissions committee actually reviews it. Furthermore, most departments use some variant of rolling admissions such that obvious admits and rejects are contacted early, but those on the borderline aren't told anything until the adcom has reviewed most of the remaining applicants (typically by mid-February).

[Shostakovich]

I thought this forum was a little quiet compared to other forums on this website 

 

Looks like you're in good shape. You can check the results survey page from prior years to see when people got into certain schools, and doesn't seem like any of the schools stopped sending out acceptances before 1/14. Only one I'm slightly worried about is Washington, they said they do most of the decisions by January and looks like a number of people got in on 1/14 last year.

[OhioStateStudent]

Where is the results survey page?

[Shostakovich]

Where is the results survey page?

 

http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

I heard from Michigan and Minnesota that an admission decision would likely be sent late January/ early February, but I applied relatively late/close to their deadlines. I also received and email from Boston today letting me know I should sent an updated transcript with fall term grades, which I guess means they are at least looking at apps.

If it means anything, I applied to UW in November and haven't heard anything either. I'm not holding my breathe for that one though...

Edit: looking at the results forum from last year, very few decisions had been reported at this point. It looks as if they really start to come in between January 15th-20th and continue until March... Brace yourselves, it looks like decisions are near!

Edited January 15, 2013 by Noco7

[PittPanther13]

Thanks for the input, I have been checking the results page quite a bit, and the one that started the worrying was hearing that Harvard had emailed out for an interview, but it's hard to know whether that was part of the entire acceptance email blast or if there are more to come. Then again Harvard was kind of a longshot attempt anyways, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it is a rejection.

 

I'm not holding my breathe too hard for Washington either, but I still would be disappointed to get a rejection as it's likely my 1st or 2nd choice right now. The only other update I've received is that my Johns Hopkins app has been sent in for review, and has had that same message up on my application for about 2 weeks now, so I'm going to tell myself that means I've passed the obvious rejection stage and can maybe squeak into an acceptance.

 

Hopefully with most of the deadlines finishing up tomorrow, we can start to hear something back in the next week or 2. 

[OhioStateStudent]

Looking at the survey just makes me feel worse and worse about my prospects

[PittPanther13]

Yeah, when I first saw that page I thought it would be really useful and inspiring. But since I've still yet to hear anything, and found out that some schools (cough, Berkeley, cough) will take an eternity to let me know their decision, I've found that it's just been kind of demoralizing... 

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

Which schools did you guys apply to?

I myself ended up applying to 11, and preferring to stay on the East Coast (making an exception for UW), I think I had a decent list of schools representing all tiers... And in my order of preference they are: UW, UNC, Minnesota, Michigan, Brown, Emory, Yale, Boston, Pitt, Med U of South Carolina, Vanderbilt.... The last two were free applications.

[OhioStateStudent]

Mine in no order: OSU, Northwestern, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UMass Amherst, UConn, MSU, UIUC, Rutgers

[OhioStateStudent]

And for what it's worth I'm terrified that I won't get into any of them (with funding)

[PittPanther13]

Which schools did you guys apply to?

I myself ended up applying to 11, and preferring to stay on the East Coast (making an exception for UW), I think I had a decent list of schools representing all tiers... And in my order of preference they are: UW, UNC, Minnesota, Michigan, Brown, Emory, Yale, Boston, Pitt, Med U of South Carolina, Vanderbilt.... The last two were free applications.

 

I'm guessing you're applying for biostats as well? PhD or Masters? I think that is a very smart idea to apply to several different tiers, I'm kind of regretting not going for some more safety schools. UW and UNC are great, it's nice that it looks like their responses should be coming soon too. 

 

 

Mine in no order: OSU, Northwestern, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UMass Amherst, UConn, MSU, UIUC, Rutgers

 

Which programs are you applying to? It looks like the east coast is getting the most of the applications

[Shostakovich]

Looking at the survey just makes me feel worse and worse about my prospects

 

About the survey also be sure to filter out the International (marked with I) apps, they have a way higher bar for admission and these days they make up the majority of the applicant pool.

[OhioStateStudent]

I'm applying to all Statistics PhD programs.

 

For Umass though, I am applying to both the MS/PhD, so if they will consider me for the MS if I do not make the PhD cut

[applyin&prayin]

I also have not heard back from university of washington and applied back in November. there don't seem to be any results updates for the school either but I guess those can lag quite a bit

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

To PittPanther, yes I'm applying to Biostats. I applied to the PhD programs, but I'm coming straight from undergrad so I also indicated I would like to be considered for Masters if I didn't make the cut for PhD.

My biggest concern is that I'm coming from a Biology degree and haven't taken Real Analysis. I made an A in Linear Algebra and Calc II last semester and I'm currently taking Calc 3

[PittPanther13]

I was hoping Washington would be one of the first I'd hear back from considering their application deadline was the earliest out of all the schools I applied to, but unfortunately I think everyone is still waiting since I haven't seen anything on the results page for decisions this year. So at least everyone is in the same boat. 

 

As far as coming from a biology degree into biostats, it's really not uncommon to be a non-math or stats major and end up not having a "requirement" or 2 the school says is needed. Usually they make an exception or have an intro level course at the school for you to take if they accept you which addresses the missing class. 

 

My concern for myself is that since I'll already have the M.S. completed in April, that I don't have the option of them admitting me into the school for anything else but the PhD. Also, if I don't get reasonable funding, then I'm also not in good shape. 

[applyin&prayin]

I think washington sent out acceptances today. I didn't receive anything.. how about the rest of you?

[PittPanther13]

New reason to worry: according to the results page, 2 PhD applicants to Washington heard back via email and were accepted. And it's all quiet on the western front as far as my inbox goes.

[PittPanther13]

Nice timing applying&praying, I think we panicked at the same moment

[applyin&prayin]

a result for University of Pennsylvania statistics too. I guess I'm out there as well.

 

well this sux, including harvard there goes like half of my applications

[PittPanther13]

I'm praying that since its west coast they could be sending them out until 8PM east coast time. I might just email them directly and ask them to end this torture. I think I drained 20% of my phone battery checking my email in the last 10 minutes.

Harvard I'm not too hurt by if I don't get in, but Washington would cause me to drag my feet for a few days.