Finance to Biostatistics PhD, Plan and Questions

[Wct213]

I've been reading this forum and doing due diligence for awhile, but still have some lingering questions. Very impressive profiles scattered about on this forum. 

 

I am planning on applying for 2015 Fall matriculation. 

 

Work Experience: Quantitative/analytical role at a large bank/finance company. Heavy focus on statistical work. 

 

GRE: 167 for both Q and V

 

Undergrad (2011 Graduate): Decently-Ranked Undergraduate B-School (e.g. Wharton/Sloan/Ross/Stern)

 

Undergraduate Overall GPA: smidgen over 3.5

 

Calc I/Multivariable Calc: A-

Calc II: B+

Intro Stats/Regression: A

Financial Engineering: B+

Multivariate Regression: A-

Forecasting Time Series: A

 

I've taken undergraduate courses since then at Hunter College while working full time:

Calc III: A

Linear Algebra: A-

 

And graduate-level Mathematical Statistics in progress for the spring.

 

I've read cyberwulf's stickied post--perhaps my Personal Statement will matter more since I will have been out of school for quite a few years. 

 

1. Would taking the GRE Math Subject Test be accretive for Biostatistics PhD? 

2. Would Real Analysis or a Probability Class be more value-add over the summer? Or... could I get away with neither?

3. My undergraduate overall GPA is kind of low, although it was at a fairly rigorous school. To what extent would this be negated by my more recent coursework, and/or GRE results?

 

My aspirations include UCLA and UNC--warm weather schools near large airports.

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

 

[cyberwulf]

1. Don't bother taking the Math GRE subject test

2. A real analysis class would probably help you. You might be able to get away with neither, but I would recommend doing it/them.

3. To some extent. You're fairly light on mathematical preparation, so you will be relying more on letters of recommendation to convince adcoms that you're a bright, motivated person who will be able to close the mathematical gap quickly.

 

I think that UNC and UCLA are reasonable targets; you're not a shoo-in for either, but you're probably in the yard.

[StatPhD2014]

I've been reading this forum and doing due diligence for awhile, but still have some lingering questions. Very impressive profiles scattered about on this forum. 

 

I am planning on applying for 2015 Fall matriculation. 

 

Work Experience: Quantitative/analytical role at a large bank/finance company. Heavy focus on statistical work. 

 

GRE: 167 for both Q and V

 

Undergrad (2011 Graduate): Decently-Ranked Undergraduate B-School (e.g. Wharton/Sloan/Ross/Stern)

 

Undergraduate Overall GPA: smidgen over 3.5

 

Calc I/Multivariable Calc: A-

Calc II: B+

Intro Stats/Regression: A

Financial Engineering: B+

Multivariate Regression: A-

Forecasting Time Series: A

 

I've taken undergraduate courses since then at Hunter College while working full time:

Calc III: A

Linear Algebra: A-

 

And graduate-level Mathematical Statistics in progress for the spring.

 

I've read cyberwulf's stickied post--perhaps my Personal Statement will matter more since I will have been out of school for quite a few years. 

 

1. Would taking the GRE Math Subject Test be accretive for Biostatistics PhD? 

2. Would Real Analysis or a Probability Class be more value-add over the summer? Or... could I get away with neither?

3. My undergraduate overall GPA is kind of low, although it was at a fairly rigorous school. To what extent would this be negated by my more recent coursework, and/or GRE results?

 

My aspirations include UCLA and UNC--warm weather schools near large airports.

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

yeah dont bother taking the subject test, its a hard test and with your background you will have a tough time getting a decent score you'll gain a lot more and spend less effort by taking real analysis and probability. who are you planning to ask for recommendations that maybe an obstacle for you

[Stat Assistant Professor]

Definitely take Calculus-based probability

[Wct213]

Thanks for the responses. 

 

I would probably look to get two letters of recommendations from professors I take/took classes from over 2013 and 2014, and one from a Director or Managing Director at our firm who is familiar with my work. 

 

I could also think about re-networking my way back with a professor or two at my undergraduate alma mater, who probably don't really remember me. 

 

Would taking Calculus-based Probability in Fall 2014 be too late? As grades would not be available until a few weeks after applications are due, perhaps even a month.

Edited March 1, 2014 by Wct213

[StatPhD2014]

It doesnt really matter if they remember you , it depends on the course you took with them was it a high level difficult course? if so getting an A in such a class will get you a good recommendation if you took the class at a top university

[Stat Assistant Professor]

Thanks for the responses. 

 

I would probably look to get two letters of recommendations from professors I take/took classes from over 2013 and 2014, and one from a Director or Managing Director at our firm who is familiar with my work. 

 

I could also think about re-networking my way back with a professor or two at my undergraduate alma mater, who probably don't really remember me. 

 

Would taking Calculus-based Probability in Fall 2014 be too late? As grades would not be available until a few weeks after applications are due, perhaps even a month.

Many schools are lenient with transcripts. That said, if you are unsure if your fall 2014 grade will be available until after the deadline, you could reach out to secretaries at departments to see if there is any way you can have the grade for fall 2014 mailed to the respective departments or somehow added to your file. Most depts will not begin to review applications until after the New Year, so I think (?) there should be time to get an updated transcript to them but you can always check with the dept staff to see what you can do.

 

That said, I would also advise applying to a few MS programs as back-up (since you definitely meet the minimum requirements for MS programs, and the deadlines will be later too so you *can* send transcripts with the probability grade) and mentioning the fact that you are taking probability in fall 2014 in your statement of purpose (or in the "Supplemental Information" section of your application).  I would recommend taking real analysis in spring 2015 as well, and mentioning that you intend to take analysis somewhere in your application.

 

Letters of recommendation from tenured or tenure-track faculty would be a lot better (in most cases). In general, I would advise getting all LOR from professors rather than a boss if you're applying to PhD progrms. Just ask your old professors if they are willing to write the letter for you, and if so, give them some information on what you did in their class (projects, what grade you received, etc.).

[Wct213]

Thanks Applied Math to Stat.

 

I'm also a bit unclear as to what the delineation between a Mathematical Statistics and a Calculus-based Probability course might be. 

 

So far the Mathematical Statistics course I'm currently taking involves both calculus and probability.

 

Some schools' courses that I've looked at, such as CMU, does not appear to have a "bright-line test" between the two... e.g. "calculus based probability and mathematical statistics" refer to 36-225 and 36-226, both of which use the Wackerly, et al. Mathematical Statistics textbook. 

[Stat Assistant Professor]

Thanks Applied Math to Stat.

 

I'm also a bit unclear as to what the delineation between a Mathematical Statistics and a Calculus-based Probability course might be. 

 

So far the Mathematical Statistics course I'm currently taking involves both calculus and probability.

 

Some schools' courses that I've looked at, such as CMU, does not appear to have a "bright-line test" between the two... e.g. "calculus based probability and mathematical statistics" refer to 36-225 and 36-226, both of which use the Wackerly, et al. Mathematical Statistics textbook. 

 

Oh, at many schools, the probability/statistics sequence is a full-year sequence with the first semester being JUST probability  topics and the second semester after that being statistical inference (likelihood estimators, hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, basic Bayesian inference, etc.). Does your mathematical statistics class go into depth on both probability (including multinomial distributions) AND statistical inference? If so, you may want to clarify this somewhere in your application, otherwise the admissions committees might be unclear.

 

Nevertheless, I think taking either real analysis or a stand-alone probability class would look good for your application. Come to think of it, I think real analysis may look better, because it shows you can do rigorous math proofs. So perhaps you should take analysis in the fall of 2014 and state in your application that the statistics course you took inclues both probability and statistical inference (if it does).

[Wct213]

Statistical Inference is listed on the syllabus for this Mathematical Statistics class, but not sure about Multinomial Distributions.

 

If material may be redundant with a probability class, would a probability class for the fall still be optimal? Or, assuming I take Real Analysis in the summer, would it be better to choose from the grab bag of common Mathematics undergraduate courses (e.g. ODE, Topology, etc.), or perhaps even a second semester of Analysis?

[StatPhD2014]

Statistical Inference is listed on the syllabus for this Mathematical Statistics class, but not sure about Multinomial Distributions.

 

If material may be redundant with a probability class, would a probability class for the fall still be optimal? Or, assuming I take Real Analysis in the summer, would it be better to choose from the grab bag of common Mathematics undergraduate courses (e.g. ODE, Topology, etc.), or perhaps even a second semester of Analysis?

order of importance is Real analysis 1, Probability, Real analysis 2

[Stat Assistant Professor]

I would recommend taking real analysis and stand-alone probability. But ODEs is also a good subject to know, so it may be worthwhile to take that in the spring or summer before grad school, if possible. Perhaps an introductory programming class or stat computing class too.

[Wct213]

Thanks Applied Math to Stat.

 

It seems that ODE in the summer and Real Analysis in the Fall would fit my schedule much better than Real Analysis in the Summer and a Probability Class in the fall. 

 

To what degree would ODE help the strength of my application? And to what degree would not having a Probability Class be harmful?

[Stat Assistant Professor]

I think real analysis and probability would look better for the PhD than ODE and real analysis.