Anyone help me? Possibility of getting into stat top50 Program with my background

[panletitbe]

I'm currently a first year stat master in Michigan, Ann Arbor, it's an applied stat program, but I'm taking all PhD level courses, and they are vary theoretical. Courses: Statistical Inference(more theoretical than Casella's book), Asymptotic theory, Stochastic process, Linear models, Multivariate analysis(data mining/statistical machine learning), statistical computing. 

 

My current graduate GPA is 3.9/4.0, but as an international student, PhD application is very competitive, and my undergraduate GPA is only 3.4/4, from Asia. Other information: GRE V154+Q170+AW3.0, GRE math sub about 85%(I may retake it if it's necessary) 

 

I'll do research in a bioinformatics lab this summer, with topics related to machine learning. I'll apply for 2016 fall Stat Phd programs, with research fields around statistical machine learning. If I apply with these background, is it possible that I can get admitted into a top 50 program? 

 

Thanks all!

[Stat Assistant Professor]

It's not out of the question, but given the lower undergrad GPA AND the fact that you're an international student, you may want to target schools mostly in the range of USNWR rankings of Ohio State and below (to be honest, your best chances may be at places like UMissouri and Virginia Tech, but you might be able to get into places like University of Florida and Ohio State). I don't think your math GRE subject score is a problem; you should not have to retake it.

[panletitbe]

It's not out of the question, but given the lower undergrad GPA AND the fact that you're an international student, you may want to target schools mostly in the range of USNWR rankings of Ohio State and below (to be honest, your best chances may be at places like UMissouri and Virginia Tech, but you might be able to get into places like University of Florida and Ohio State). I don't think your math GRE subject score is a problem; you should not have to retake it.

Thanks for your information. Just an another question, when you say USNEWS ranking, you mean statistics ranking? Or national university ranking? I would be glad if I can get admitted into OSU or UFL..

[WhiteLion]

I was in a similar position to you. I had poor undergrad grades but did very well (4.0 GPA) in a master's program. In fact, my undergrad grades in math were quite bad(3.0 average), my master's institution is unranked, and I did not take the subject GRE. However, I do think my letters were strong and I am American rather than international, which I know is an advantage. I was accepted by Purdue and Ohio State(you can see my other results in my signature).

 

Based on what you have posted, the fact that your master's will be from Michigan and the fact that you took and scored quite decently on the subject GRE clearly make your application look stronger than mine before letters and American/international are taken into account. I can't say I know exactly how much more competitive admissions are for international students, but I would be surprised if you didn't have good results applying at schools in the 25-50 ranking range. In fact, I know some international students whose resumes I think are probably less impressive than yours who go accepted to places like Purdue and UNC, so I would also not be surprised if you got offers from some top 25 schools as well.

 

I think you should pick a range of schools throughout the top 50 to apply to, depending on how much money you can afford to spend on application fees. Pick a few schools in the 25-50 range that you are confident you will have a good chance at, pick some in the 10-25 range as reaches, or even pick a top school or two if you don't mind gambling and it's not a financial burden to apply. Even though application fees are expensive, I think the cost of applying is relatively small compared to the potential benefit of receiving an offer, even if one's chances aren't great at a particular school. Plus, as many people have previously commented, there are so many qualified applicants for top schools that sometimes admissions results can be a bit random.

 

Since you are already at Michigan, you should ask faculty there about the possibility of PhD study at Michigan. Michigan is a great school, and if you can impress some people there during your master's studies, maybe they will lobby for Michigan to take you. Besides, you want to be impressing people and making connections anyway so you can get good letters for all your applications. You can also ask professors with whom you have developed a relationship for advice about where you might be competitive in PhD applications.

 

Maybe I am underestimating how much harder it is for international students, but I still think it is worth being bit ambitious with a backup plan. After all, you won't get in anywhere you don't apply.

[panletitbe]

I was in a similar position to you. I had poor undergrad grades but did very well (4.0 GPA) in a master's program. In fact, my undergrad grades in math were quite bad(3.0 average), my master's institution is unranked, and I did not take the subject GRE. However, I do think my letters were strong and I am American rather than international, which I know is an advantage. I was accepted by Purdue and Ohio State(you can see my other results in my signature).

 

Based on what you have posted, the fact that your master's will be from Michigan and the fact that you took and scored quite decently on the subject GRE clearly make your application look stronger than mine before letters and American/international are taken into account. I can't say I know exactly how much more competitive admissions are for international students, but I would be surprised if you didn't have good results applying at schools in the 25-50 ranking range. In fact, I know some international students whose resumes I think are probably less impressive than yours who go accepted to places like Purdue and UNC, so I would also not be surprised if you got offers from some top 25 schools as well.

 

I think you should pick a range of schools throughout the top 50 to apply to, depending on how much money you can afford to spend on application fees. Pick a few schools in the 25-50 range that you are confident you will have a good chance at, pick some in the 10-25 range as reaches, or even pick a top school or two if you don't mind gambling and it's not a financial burden to apply. Even though application fees are expensive, I think the cost of applying is relatively small compared to the potential benefit of receiving an offer, even if one's chances aren't great at a particular school. Plus, as many people have previously commented, there are so many qualified applicants for top schools that sometimes admissions results can be a bit random.

 

Since you are already at Michigan, you should ask faculty there about the possibility of PhD study at Michigan. Michigan is a great school, and if you can impress some people there during your master's studies, maybe they will lobby for Michigan to take you. Besides, you want to be impressing people and making connections anyway so you can get good letters for all your applications. You can also ask professors with whom you have developed a relationship for advice about where you might be competitive in PhD applications.

 

Maybe I am underestimating how much harder it is for international students, but I still think it is worth being bit ambitious with a backup plan. After all, you won't get in anywhere you don't apply.

Thanks for your kind and encouraging words. Congrats on your offer!!

 

For the difference between American and international, take Michigan for example: in Fall 2015, Michigan stat PhD program has 77 domestic applications, where 15 of them are admitted, 264 international applications, where 18 of them are admitted.

 

I've asked my program advisor about the chance of getting into the PhD program in Michigan, and the reply is that the program seldom admitted students from master program, even though you had good GPA and worked hard...

 

I'll try to work hard this summer and get strong letters, and still focus on the schools ranking 25-50, hope I can have good results!

[Mechanician2015]

Are you in a thesis MSc?

 

Sounds like you could participate, at least as co-author, in a publication by the time you apply for PhD. That might boost your chances.( Of course, my background is not related to your field, so take my comment with a grain of salt).

[panletitbe]

Are you in a thesis MSc?

 

Sounds like you could participate, at least as co-author, in a publication by the time you apply for PhD. That might boost your chances.( Of course, my background is not related to your field, so take my comment with a grain of salt).

Yeah, I know how important publication is, I'll work hard this summer.

[panletitbe]

BTW how to "reply" to someone on this forum.....

[Stat Assistant Professor]

Thanks for your information. Just an another question, when you say USNEWS ranking, you mean statistics ranking? Or national university ranking? I would be glad if I can get admitted into OSU or UFL..

 

The Statistics Graduate School rankings (though this list does not separate Statistics and Biostatistics rankings, so you'll need to separate them). I agree that the programs ranked in the top 15ish by USNWR are indeed the best, but below that, I am not sure how precise the rankings really are (for e.g. I think some programs like Yale and Cornell are underrated, and I think perhaps they are penalized for being smaller programs).

 

PS - use the "Multiquote" and "Quote" buttons to reply to previous posts directly.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Applied Math to Stat