Thoughts on GWU Biostat?

[AliceLand]

Anyone got accepted by GWU biostat PhD program?

 

I am curious about what people think about this program and the school as a whole.

 

About the school.  I checked the GradCafe result survey.  I found that about 70% of the acceptance reported here came with the note of no funding.  And I know from people I know that funding in GWU is quite difficult to get, even for PhD students, especially first-years.  So my curiosity is that how could GWU, as decent ranking university and in such an ideal location, be in such lacking of fund to her graduate student?

 

About the program.  According to the previous ranking, this is a decent program with biostat ranking of 16 (I just picked this number up on the internet, correct me if I was wrong). But I feel their funding for PhD student is decreasing year by year.  This year all the admissions from them came with no funding, I think.  Also, a strange thing is that, after I was admitted the program (emailed to check website), I heard nothing from the program, not even admission email.  They even reply me after 3-4 repeated emails I wrote.  I feel a little uneasy about this.  From my friends experience with admission, they would usually be greeted with a nice email notification from the department head, then extensive emails from program coordinator about how to accept offers and get enrolled and many other emails about trivial details on studying and living in the school.  But in my case, even when I got reply from GWU biostat about my questions, I got nearly no useful information at all.  Anyone feel strange about this kind of attitude?  I am just curious, do they just accept anyone who applied and think few people would come because of the funding?

 

 I am not really sure about going to GWU.  But this is the only PhD admission I have so far, so there is a chance I might have to go.  The funding thing is huge problem.  I understand PhD students can usually get funding towards their senior years.  But I wonder how do people get by in their first year? Especially when GWU tuition is so high and DC is so expensive to live in.  

 

I recently got rejected from my top choice.  I thought I had a pretty good chance.  I am really devastated and don't want to wind up nowhere to go.  Any input would be highly appreciated. 

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

I can't help you much with reputation but with regards to how I feel of the department, I wanted to say that I've spent a lot of time this past year researching Biostat departments and even so, I have read/heard very little about GWU.... Because of this, I'm inclined to say its definitely a lesser known program. I'd also be interested in knowing where you found their ranking of 16, as I haven't been able to find them in biostat rankings....

With that said , if it is your only choice, I think it'd be a fine place to end up. Honestly, I think everyone gets caught up in the rankings too much on here (and I have to admit, I'm definitely guilty of this too). Certainly, the top 7-8 programs are a notch above the rest (I'm talking about Harvard down through Berkeley or Emory in Biostats), but when you get out of the top 10 I think the rankings become close to meaningless in terms of their ability to assess quality of departments (such that school A ranked 11 vs school B ranked 16 are probably so close, the difference of 5 spots is meaningless); research interests and potential advisor/mentors are significantly more important. I mean, unless you aspire to get a position in academia at Harvard, Washington, or some place similar, I don't think attending GWU will hind your career at all.

Basically, it's up to you. If funding is provided, and youve visited the department snd deeemed it to be a good fit, then I would take it if I was in your position. If funding isn't provided, it may actually be worth it to wait a year and try to get funding somewhere else (afterall, is a year worth $40k+ in debt to you?)

[AliceLand]

I can't help you much with reputation but with regards to how I feel of the department, I wanted to say that I've spent a lot of time this past year researching Biostat departments and even so, I have read/heard very little about GWU.... Because of this, I'm inclined to say its definitely a lesser known program. I'd also be interested in knowing where you found their ranking of 16, as I haven't been able to find them in biostat rankings....

With that said , if it is your only choice, I think it'd be a fine place to end up. Honestly, I think everyone gets caught up in the rankings too much on here (and I have to admit, I'm definitely guilty of this too). Certainly, the top 7-8 programs are a notch above the rest (I'm talking about Harvard down through Berkeley or Emory in Biostats), but when you get out of the top 10 I think the rankings become close to meaningless in terms of their ability to assess quality of departments (such that school A ranked 11 vs school B ranked 16 are probably so close, the difference of 5 spots is meaningless); research interests and potential advisor/mentors are significantly more important. I mean, unless you aspire to get a position in academia at Harvard, Washington, or some place similar, I don't think attending GWU will hind your career at all.

Basically, it's up to you. If funding is provided, and youve visited the department snd deeemed it to be a good fit, then I would take it if I was in your position. If funding isn't provided, it may actually be worth it to wait a year and try to get funding somewhere else (afterall, is a year worth $40k+ in debt to you?)

Thank you Noco7.  

 

If without funding, GWU is my last choice.  I have been contacting people in GWU for possible funding opportunities.  But there aren't any luck so far.  I still have 9 more school to go, although some of them are very unlikely to accept me, as I saw a few offers reported on the result survey yet heard nothing from the schools.  I am curious, do some schools just to hold their rejections to the last minute and give them out all at once?  

 

As for the ranking, it actually doesn't matter much to me.  In fact, it is difficult to find GWU biostat ranking and I don't even remember where I saw it.  Or it is just Public Health ranking.  Geographic location is one of the main factors in my school choice.  My husband is in Houston, so my top choices are the two school there.  Unfortunately I was rejected by UTH biostat and told to wait until after April 15 by Rice.  I applied to GWU because of the location in DC, where there are many job opportunities for my husband and also in the field of public health that I wish to work in.  But right now I am so anxious and super scared that I might get rejection from all the others.  

 

I also have admission from Emory for their MSPH program, unfortunately downgraded from PhD application.  I aimed for PhD programs and didn't think much about master programs.  I heard that it is not so hard to get jobs for graduates from this program but not so easy for them to enter Emory PhD program.  Any thoughts about it?  But the thing is that I will have to wait until after April 15 to hear about the funding.  

 

BTW, Noco7, I saw from other post that you are also applying for Vanderbilt.  Have you heard anything back yet?  I was told to wait about two weeks and that they only have 3-4 slot this year.

Edited March 11, 2013 by AliceLand

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

To answer your first question regarding all schools holding rejections to send out at once, I'm not sure... I do know that some schools will only immediately reject the obvious applicants not fit for their program and essentially place everyone else that isn't an obvious admit on a long unofficial waiting list. Because of this, it may seem like they wait to send out rejections, and while true, it's because decisions hadn't actually been made yet.

Concerning the MSPH offer at Emory, I would definitely take a funded masters offer from there rather than an unfunded PhD from GWU. In the event that both are unfunded, I actually would still take the MSPH Emory offer because of its greater prestige in terms of Biostats and I think it would open potential doors for a higher ranked [funded] PhD program in the future...

As with Vanderbilt, I haven't heard anything from them, but even if I am admitted there, I will be turning it down. I have a funded PhD offer elsewhere with a department I really clicked with when I visited. I turned down a couple unfunded MS offers already but [along with Vanderbilt] Im also still waiting to hear from Yale, Boston, and UNC.... I really expect Yale and Boston to send out notifications this week, but I'm not really sure what UNC's deal is. They've sent out acceptances and rejections for months now, and I haven't heard a thing, so Im pretty positive it'll end up being a rejection. With all that said, unless by some miracle Im admitted to UNC with funding, I'm almost positive I'll be accepting the offer I already have (despite the Yale and Boston decisions) because of how well I fit with the department and the funding package being offered (something I doubt Yale and Boston will match, though if they do, will make my decision very hard).

Anyways, best of luck to you! I certainly understand how stressful all of this is, I'm so glad it's almost all over!

Edited March 11, 2013 by Noco7

[AliceLand]

To answer your first question regarding all schools holding rejections to send out at once, I'm not sure... I do know that some schools will only immediately reject the obvious applicants not fit for their program and essentially place everyone else that isn't an obvious admit on a long unofficial waiting list. Because of this, it may seem like they wait to send out rejections, and while true, it's because decisions hadn't actually been made yet.

Concerning the MSPH offer at Emory, I would definitely take a funded masters offer from there rather than an unfunded PhD from GWU. In the event that both are unfunded, I actually would still take the MSPH Emory offer because of its greater prestige in terms of Biostats and I think it would open potential doors for a higher ranked [funded] PhD program in the future...

As with Vanderbilt, I haven't heard anything from them, but even if I am admitted there, I will be turning it down. I have a funded PhD offer elsewhere with a department I really clicked with when I visited. I turned down a couple unfunded MS offers already but [along with Vanderbilt] Im also still waiting to hear from Yale, Boston, and UNC.... I really expect Yale and Boston to send out notifications this week, but I'm not really sure what UNC's deal is. They've sent out acceptances and rejections for months now, and I haven't heard a thing, so Im pretty positive it'll end up being a rejection. With all that said, unless by some miracle Im admitted to UNC with funding, I'm almost positive I'll be accepting the offer I already have (despite the Yale and Boston decisions) because of how well I fit with the department and the funding package being offered (something I doubt Yale and Boston will match, though if they do, will make my decision very hard).

Anyways, best of luck to you! I certainly understand how stressful all of this is, I'm so glad it's almost all over!

Where is your offer from?  Do you mind sharing your stat?  I already received rejection from Boston.  I think it is their first round of rejection.  Sad...  I think I might have overestimate myself considering my non-stat background. Sign...

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

Where is your offer from?  Do you mind sharing your stat?  I already received rejection from Boston.  I think it is their first round of rejection.  Sad...  I think I might have overestimate myself considering my non-stat background. Sign...

I PM'ed you with a response.