US or EUROPE(ETH) Master for PHD preparation? Thanks!

[havenz]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm posting a question for my friend. 

 

The thing is, he's hesitating where to go between MS in Statistics at UW and MS in Math at ETH(Swiss,Europe).

 

He wishes to pursue a PhD in US in field of Stats/Probability after master's degree. UW's stat master is a great option while ETH is also very research-oriented and strong in probability.

 

So I would like to listen to your opinions. Could you please share any information you know about this? Which one would be better when applying PhD programs in US?

 

Anything would be highly appreciated. Thank you guys so much!

Edited February 27, 2014 by havenz

[Stat Assistant Professor]

If he does well in the UW Master's program, that would be an excellent way to segue into a PhD program in the U.S. 

 

I am not sure what the reputation of ETH is amongst departments in the U.S., but one thing to consider is that there will already be a LOT of competition from abroad, with so many applicants from a select few colleges in China, India, and to a lesser extent Canada and the U.K (for instance, about 70% of the PhD students at UMich are international, and a good deal from China). It seems as though a lot of international students who *already* have Master's degrees end up doing another Master's degree in the U.S. in stats before continuing on to a PhD here, because the faculty are familiar with the quality of the programs here.

 

Most stats faculty are well aware of the extraordinary reputation of UW and would trust strong letters of recommendation from faculty there. Perhaps one of the faculty members on this board can speak better as to how ETH is perceived amongst stat departments in the U.S. However, UW is highly reputed, I do know that much.

[clurp]

They're both really good schools. I'd just choose based on whether you want to live in Zurich or Seattle, whether you'd math or stats, and which would be better financially. 

[StatPhD2014]

Ask this topic to the faculty of both of these schools, or ask the professors at your undergraduate institution. Do you really want advice for this kind of decision to come from an anonymous forum?