Biostat PhD profile eval

[DevinC]

Hello all,

             I am currently a biomedical engineering student at Penn State and I would like to pursue a PhD in biostatistics. It will be great if any of you can give me some feedback from my info. 

 

Undergraduate

Major : Biomedical engineering (Have taken several math intensive courses)

GPA: 4.0

GRE scores: I will be taking it in few weeks and I am giving my score range from reliable practice tests:Quant - 162-168 , Verbal - 155-160

 

Research experience : I have done research in biomedical engineering department for the past two years (this research is mainly on epidemiology and computational biology). Also this summer I am doing biostatistics research at Ohio State.

 

LOR: I will be able to obtain two letters of recommendation from professors I have conducted research with at Penn State and one from my summer research professor at Ohio state.

 

I also have some leadership roles in student organizations (if that is relevant at all !)

 

I am planning to apply for PhD program at the following institutions : Harvard, John Hopkins, University of Minnesota, Boston University, Emory University, University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State and University of Buffalo.

 

I also have a question whether my major in biomedical engineering will hurt my application ( Although most of the research I have done and courses I have taken are related to the field of biostatistics) and how much does my undergrad institution play a role in admission into grad program?

 

Thank you

 

 

 

 

[cyberwulf]

To get a better sense of your chances, we'll need to know:

 

1) Whether you're a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or not

2) The (approximate) strength/reputation of your undergraduate institution

3) Which math/stat courses you've taken

 

Your profile as stated seems fairly strong, but the above details could make the difference between you having a decent chance of getting into the top places you applied, and struggling to crack some of the mid-range places on your list.

[Igotnothin]

Hey Devin,

 

I had a very similar profile when I applied for PhD programs in biostats last year. I got accepted to 4/9 schools I applied to, including the lower two of the "top 5" biostats departments (UNC and Michigan). I just couldn't crack Harvard, UW, and JHU. My sense was that they tend to prefer math/stats majors. Then again you might be a little better off having taken some higher level math courses - I was a little thin. Your epi/computational biology research will definitely help, and your summer at Ohio State should give you a boost.

 

Your list looks good but I'd drop Buffalo and BU and add Michigan, UNC, and University of Washington. Pitt's building a new school of public health right? I could see them shooting up the rankings in biostats and public health in the coming years. Harvard and Hopkins are wildcards, but absolutely apply and hope for the best. Good luck!

[DevinC]

To get a better sense of your chances, we'll need to know:

 

1) Whether you're a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or not

2) The (approximate) strength/reputation of your undergraduate institution

3) Which math/stat courses you've taken

 

Your profile as stated seems fairly strong, but the above details could make the difference between you having a decent chance of getting into the top places you applied, and struggling to crack some of the mid-range places on your list.

Hi Cyberwulf,

1) I am a US citizen.

2) As I told I attend Penn State, it is one of the best public school. It has strong background in research and academics.

3) I have taken calculus through differential equations, linear algebra, Numerical modeling and I am planning to take a computational biology course this fall. 

I also have experience in programs like MATLAB, R, Mathamatica and some Linux experience.

 

It will be great if you can give your thoughts from these info.

[DevinC]

 

Hey Devin,

 

I had a very similar profile when I applied for PhD programs in biostats last year. I got accepted to 4/9 schools I applied to, including the lower two of the "top 5" biostats departments (UNC and Michigan). I just couldn't crack Harvard, UW, and JHU. My sense was that they tend to prefer math/stats majors. Then again you might be a little better off having taken some higher level math courses - I was a little thin. Your epi/computational biology research will definitely help, and your summer at Ohio State should give you a boost.

 

Your list looks good but I'd drop Buffalo and BU and add Michigan, UNC, and University of Washington. Pitt's building a new school of public health right? I could see them shooting up the rankings in biostats and public health in the coming years. Harvard and Hopkins are wildcards, but absolutely apply and hope for the best. Good luck!

 

Hey lgotnothin,

                        Thank you for your feedback

                        Did you also finish your undergrad in biomedical engineering?

 

from what I have seen in the U Pitt website they are building a strong department specially by building ties with their alumni. 

[Igotnothin]

Yeah I studied biomedical engineering and minored in chemistry. My school was very reputable in the region but had no national name recognition. I think coming from a well-known school like Penn State is a little better. Good luck. 

[cyberwulf]

Hi Cyberwulf,

1) I am a US citizen.

2) As I told I attend Penn State, it is one of the best public school. It has strong background in research and academics.

3) I have taken calculus through differential equations, linear algebra, Numerical modeling and I am planning to take a computational biology course this fall. 

I also have experience in programs like MATLAB, R, Mathamatica and some Linux experience.

 

It will be great if you can give your thoughts from these info.

 

Your only weakness appears to be a lack of statistics coursework. Assuming you have another year of study remaining, I would suggest trying to fit probability and mathematical statistics into your schedule. A real analysis course, while not mandatory, would be a big help as well. 

 

With your current record, I think you will have a pretty decent shot at most departments outside the top 3, so I wouldn't be surprised if you had similar results to Igotnothin, above. You've probably got a decent chance at UW, and it wouldn't be crazy to apply to Harvard/JHU. 

[biostat_prof]

Yeah, definitely take real analysis if you can. My department will occasionally admit people who haven't taken it, but it's very rare. Usually you either need to be a minority or your credentials have to be almost perfect. But if you maintain your GPA and do well in real analysis and mathematical statistics, you should be competitive everywhere if your recommendations are solid. If they strong/outstanding, you could run the table. Good luck.