hola16 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Hi I am planning to apply to a bunch of grad schools for a Statistics master's program, and I am not sure whether my scores and other credentials are good enough for top schools. Undergrad: Top 10 Private Ivy in the East Coast GPA: 3.83/4.00 Major: Econ Minor: Math Took all of the Math courses required for MA admission, like linear algebra, advanced calculus, etc. and received all As on them. GRE: V 162 M 165 W 5.0 (Didn't take the GRE math subject test.) RA/TA experience: worked under a Business/Management professor as a RA for a semester Work experience: internships in consulting, economic research, etc. Not URM Recommendation letters: two-excellent, one-pretty good I guess? How are my chances for Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Chicago, and other top schools for Stat MA? Also, what other schools do you recommend for Stat MA? My goal is to pursue a Ph.D. afterwards. Thank you so much!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwulf Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 With a 3.8+ from an Ivy league school, you are in good shape for admission to all the top M.A. programs. Have you taken any math beyond the pre-reqs? That seems to be your only potential weakness. Even without much math beyond the pre-reqs, you'd likely be competitive for a lot of good PhD programs -- if your eventual goal is a PhD, why aren't you applying right now? hola16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hola16 Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 With a 3.8+ from an Ivy league school, you are in good shape for admission to all the top M.A. programs. Have you taken any math beyond the pre-reqs? That seems to be your only potential weakness. Even without much math beyond the pre-reqs, you'd likely be competitive for a lot of good PhD programs -- if your eventual goal is a PhD, why aren't you applying right now? Thanks for your reply! One reason is that I want to have more research experience and take more advanced math/stat courses. Since I already graduated, I can't take independent research or advanced courses at my undergrad institution anymore. Beyond the pre-reqs, I took a few Stat and Econ+Stat courses like Forecasting Methods (using JMP), Quantitative Data analysis course (Econ+Stat), Econometrics, Probability/Random signal.. I don't know if this would help though. But I didn't take any advanced math courses beyond what's required for Math minors, and that is my concern too... Thanks for your advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwulf Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 OK, well, if your target for PhD study is a top-shelf school like Stanford/Chicago/Harvard, then doing really well in a top Masters program is probably your best bet, since you might be a tad "math-light" for direct entry to the PhD program at those places. But I like your chances of direct admission to most PhD programs outside the Top 5-7 departments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughwu Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I think you could apply for PhD of top schools directly, and there is big chance that you will be admitted by some of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igotnothin Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Are admissions committees really this formulaic? A's in math from a good school and you're in? With a 3.8+ from an Ivy league school, you are in good shape for admission to all the top M.A. programs. Have you taken any math beyond the pre-reqs? That seems to be your only potential weakness. Even without much math beyond the pre-reqs, you'd likely be competitive for a lot of good PhD programs -- if your eventual goal is a PhD, why aren't you applying right now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwulf Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Are admissions committees really this formulaic? A's in math from a good school and you're in? And what other formula would you suggest that we use? Getting excellent grades from a good school is a pretty strong indicator that a student is smart and talented. Yes, of course, there's more that goes into making a researcher than stellar grades (that's why we look at letters, test scores, and to a much lesser extent personal statements), but admissions committees are in the business of taking bets on who's going to be most successful, and a student with a proven track record of academic success is usually a pretty safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igotnothin Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 If I was on a committee choosing the 10 or 15 students to join my department for the next 5 years (or 2 for MS), I would look for more than an A in real analysis. Research experience, programming, personal statement, publications - some evidence that you can do more than get A's in math classes. And what other formula would you suggest that we use? Getting excellent grades from a good school is a pretty strong indicator that a student is smart and talented. Yes, of course, there's more that goes into making a researcher than stellar grades (that's why we look at letters, test scores, and to a much lesser extent personal statements), but admissions committees are in the business of taking bets on who's going to be most successful, and a student with a proven track record of academic success is usually a pretty safe bet. 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