Desired Discipline versus Stanford

[dino88]

I have a crazy advice question which I wanted to ask your advice for. First, let me say that I am very fortunate this year and hope everyone else gets a good admission too. I can't make up my mind and I'm going crazy. It's apples and oranges. Here is the choice:

1) Stats PhD at a #3 to #10 school depending on how you view the rankings. Very solid though, but not Stanford (#1 ranked) or Berkeley (#2 ranked).

2) Interdisciplinary quantitaitve PhD at Stanford with the definite ability to get an M.S. in Stats during the PhD due to it being so interdisciplinary. Credits count for each.

I checked out both schools - they have solid programs. I want to be a professor and I'm leaning toward 1) Am I nuts?

Thanks.

[cogneuroforfun]

Can you find placement from the Stanford program? If its graduates go on to get professorships that you would want, I don't see why you would turn it down. The advice I've heard is that it doesn't matter what official name is on your degree, it matters what research you've done and what you want to do (and obviously the reputation of your program). How does the research fit differ between your two options? Sure 1) is a statistics PhD, but if faculty at Stanford are doing the research you want to do, then I think that definitely outweighs the name of your degree.

[liszt85]

1)

(Assuming that 1) fits your interests better than Stan)

You are not nuts. If you get to do what you really want to do in a top 10 school, it wouldn't even matter! Stanford might be attractive but if your career takes a different turn due to your inability to study exactly what you want to study, it might actually be detrimental to your cause. Its a blessing to have a best research fit, a good funding situation and a top ranked school at your disposal. Make full use of it!

[dino88]

Thanks! Research fit is better at 1) versus Stanford. I would have to meet someone at Stanford to find someone I could publish with, but Stanford seems like the place where you could make that happen. The research with the advisor that called me would be probably result in one publiciation by the time I graduated and it is interesting, but more applied. If Stats is applied math, then this program is applied stats. Placement is better at the specific 1) program, however if you specialize with an M.S. in Stats at Stanford or a little more, who knows? Most of the interdisciplinary students in my dept. at Stanford have business goals and don't go to academia, so I'd be the one reaching for other courses in the Stats dept. to go to academia. Basically, I can use about half the credits in that program to take completely in the Stats dept. At 1) about two-thirds go to academia.

[liszt85]

So as I understand it, you want to be doing stats but if you attend Stan, you'll end up doing applied stats. If you are sure about your primary research goals and if academia is your career path, and if you're already sure that school ranked #3 has many opportunities, I'd say go for it!

Unless of course you're able to find somebody right away in Stanford who would enable you to do similar work there. Yes, it being Stanford, there's a definite possibility, but I'd say make sure before you accept rather than going there with just high hopes and a song on your lips

[cogneuroforfun]

Yeah, it certainly seems like you should be picking school #1 over Stanford. If Stanford's name is all that's causing you to question going to another school that is ranked in the top 5 or 10 for stats, then I think you should for sure be saying so long to Stanford!

[Aceflyer]

Yeah, it certainly seems like you should be picking school #1 over Stanford. If Stanford's name is all that's causing you to question going to another school that is ranked in the top 5 or 10 for stats, then I think you should for sure be saying so long to Stanford!

I couldn't agree more with the above post.

[alicealice]

It's quite possible that studying your favourite subject away from Stanford will produce better work (and a generally more happy you) than studying a somewhat related subject at Stanford. Statistics isn't the sort of field where you have to worry about securing a job post-graduation, especially not if you graduate from a top 10 program. My advice would be to visit both the top 10 school and Stanford if you have the chance, and see which one fits better. Regardless of whether you can visit, keep in mind that your supervisor and the work that you produce are more important than the brand name of the school you graduate from--at least that's the case with stats.

[nandelle]

I'd say the top ten program, unless you have your heart set on Stanford.

[ejuliast]

I couldn't agree more with the above post.

Also agreed. Don't go there just for the name, regardless of what your family says. My family is also giving me the "but Stanford sounds better than some of your other choices" speech, and it just doesn't matter when my goal is academia. You have to find the best fit research-wise and people-wise in order to produce high quality work and get ready for the job market.

[dino88]

Yea, I think you guys are right. I'm getting that "Stanford" speech from everyone who is not really informed as to what I am doing. Next week, I'll make my decision and most likely go for the discipline. Thank you!

[samsam]

Do you mind telling us which top 10 school in statistics you're considering of going?

[nandelle]

Do you mind telling us which top 10 school in statistics you're considering of going?

Yeah i'm kinda curious too