OhioStateStudent Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) Hey guys, I'm at a crossroads here trying to figure out which last 3 schools to apply to for Stats PhD I'm between: Virginia Tech, U Conn, U Mass, University of Iowa, Michigan State. I like all the places and their faculty, so I'm really just trying to pick based on which 3 I might have the best shot at. Right now I'm thinking Virginia Tech, U Conn, and U Mass. My quick stats: OSU undergrad, Economics major, Math minor GPA: 3.56 GRE: 163V, 159Q, 5.0 AW Undergrad Economics research experience for 1 year Math classes: Lin Alg, Diffy q, Real Analysis, Probability, Numerical Analysis Stats: A few regular stats classes, Econometrics Rec letters: 1 from research prof, 1 from stats prof, 1 from econometrics prof Thanks Edited January 23, 2013 by OhioStateStudent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quant_Liz_Lemon Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Why not apply to all of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioStateStudent Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 I don't have the money for all 5 myself (or even 2). My parents won't pay for me to apply to more than 8, either. In their eyes, if I apply to 8 and don't get into any, applying to 2 more would be a waste, which I disagree with, but, there is nothing more I can do. I've applied to 5 so far, so now I have 3 more to choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tronathan Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I agree with your picks and think that the chances are best for those 3. I would think they could be high enough to substitute Michigan St or Iowa, if you prefer them over the first 3, and still have very good chances of more than 1 acceptance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shostakovich Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Is faculty the only reason you're choosing among those 5 schools? What are the other 5 schools you applied to? I think it could be a good idea to do maybe like 2-3 reach schools, 3-4 realistic schools, and 1-2 safety schools. If I had to choose 3/5 from that list (without knowing anything about your personal preferences) I'd choose UConn, U of Iowa, and Michigan State. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioStateStudent Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 No. I have considered other factors. Basically, I am essentially equally interested in all 5 schools, so I just want to choose the three that I have the best chance of admission. Are you suggesting those 3 based on your preferences, or based on my chances of getting in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shostakovich Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 No. I have considered other factors. Basically, I am essentially equally interested in all 5 schools, so I just want to choose the three that I have the best chance of admission. Are you suggesting those 3 based on your preferences, or based on my chances of getting in? Preferences. Would be tough to know your chances unless I was on the admissions committee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sisyphus1 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) No. I have considered other factors. Basically, I am essentially equally interested in all 5 schools, so I just want to choose the three that I have the best chance of admission. Are you suggesting those 3 based on your preferences, or based on my chances of getting in? why don't you shoot each of the departments an email and ask for their admit % rate over the past few years (and also the # of apps they get). i've found that most departments are quite willing with such information. Edited January 23, 2013 by sisyphus1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33andathirdRPM Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Which school(s) have faculty members with whose research interests you have the best fit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioStateStudent Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 They all do. They are pretty much homogenous goods in my eyes. The only real difference is their rank according to U.S. News: University of Iowa: 33, Michigan state: 44, UConn:40, Virginia Tech: 48, U Mass: Unranked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now