Considering Applying Again

[dasgut]

Hi All,

I got shut out over a year ago from PhD programs during my application season.Having now done time with a prestigious consulting group I'm pretty sure i do want to go for the PhD in stats. I'm bored to tears and I need a job where I can be consistently intellectually challenged. A school (ranked in the 40's according to US News) near me offers the doctoral level mathematical stats sequence at night (i.e. they use "Theory of Point Estimation" for the first semester and "Testing Statistical Hypotheses" for the second). I'm considering taking it. When I applied in 2012, one very highly ranked stats program indicated that while I had an outstanding grad GPA and very strong math background my lack of a formal statistics background was a big blight on my application. What I'm wondering is this: will it significantly improve my application in a year if I take this sequence?

 

My stats are as follows:

 

Undergrad Institution: Top 20 Private University(US News)
Major(s): Finance & Accounting
Minor(s): Mathematics
GPA: 3.51 (3.87 Last 2 Years)
Type of Student: DWM

Grad Institution: Top 70 Math (US News)
Concentration: MS in Pure Math
GPA: 3.97

GRE General Test (Retake):
Q: 167 (95%)
V: 162 (90%)
W: 4.0 (48%)
GRE Subject Test in Mathematics (Retake):
M: 840 (89%)

Research Experience: 2 Summers With Office of Naval Research, probably doesn't count but I also work in mathematical and statistical modeling for a Big Data consulting firm
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: N/A
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for management accounting sophomore year (prolly not applicable, but it is teaching exp)
Any Miscellaneous Points that Might Help: 7 grad classes with all A's (Measure Theory, Functional Analysis, Topology, Algebraic Topology, Differential Geometry, Applied Math I&II, Research Course in Minimal Surfaces)
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
-GPA over the last two years of undergrad and all of grad school= 3.92
-Professors indicated my score on the PhD analysis qual (taken to receive my MS) was the highest my year and for a few years

[dasgut]

Anyone have any input? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[MsDarjeeling]

I'm not in math or stats, but have you tried contacting programs you're interested in to see if taking those courses would be appealing to them?  Simply telling you that a lack of stats courses was not good is helpful, but not real specific since there are several courses to choose from.

[biostat_prof]

Can you get a recommendation letter saying that you did well on your qualifying exam? Did you do equally well in your analysis coursework? If so, can you get a recommendation saying that? My gut reaction is that it's going to be an uphill climb at most of the top-ranked departments. In my (highly ranked) department, your undergrad GPA would probably sink you unless it is offset by very strong recommendations or very impressive research/work experience. Taking some classes using the Lehmann books would definitely be helpful, especially if you do well enough to get a strong recommendation out of it. Good luck.

[dasgut]

biostat_prof. W.r.t analysis and math I took the following courses (all were A's except an A- in scientific computing) : Real Analysis I & II, Grad Complex Analysis, Grad Analysis I & II (Measure Theory and Functional Analysis respectively), Grad Applied Math I & II, Graduate Topology I & II, Grad Differential Geometry, Abstract Algebra I & II, Scientific Computing.