Statistics and Biostatistics PhD Profile Evaluation

[kasuganosora]

HI, everyone.

I am going to apply for statistics and biostatistics PhD programs in the next fall.

I would like to know whether I was a good candidate.

I appreciate all the help!

 

Undergraduate institution: The 1st rank university in Japan. 

Major: Mathematical and Information Engineering

Type of student: Foreign male

Overall GPA: 3.9 

Relavant courses:

Math(Linear Algebra,Complex Analysis,Differential Equation,Real Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Topological and Differential Geometry, Statistics, Probability, Optimization,Numerical analysis,Graph Theory, Set Theory and Foundation of mathematics etc)

Computer science (Algorithm, Machine Learning, Operating System,Parallel Computing etc)

Biology(Population Genetics, Biological chemistry, Bioinformatics) + many biology courses in Edx and Coursera

* these relevant courses are all A

Programming skill :Python ,R , C, C++

General GRE(V/Q/AR): 153/170/3.5

GRE Subject math:  880(93%)

TOEFL: 103(R30 L28 S19 R26)  

Research experience: 

One year research experience in the lab of statistical genetics.

Two short lab experiences in the national biology research centre in Japan.

I  joined an one year machine learning project project in my university.

Awards:  The first rank in the Japan Statistical Society Certificate. (Many Japanese graduate students take that test)

Rec letters: 

1: Stat professor in my school. He is a Harvard alumni. He knows my math ability very much.

2: The professor in statistical genetics. Now I am one of the members in his lab. 

3: The professor of CS.( As I mentioned, I joined an one year machine learning project in his lab.)

Research interests: At present, I am interested in statistical genetics. I would like to apply statistics to human genome research.

School I plan to apply to(PHD): 

Stanford(Stat (Biostatistics PhD Training for Personalized Medicine)),Chicago(Stat),Oxford(Stat),Cambridge(Stat)

Harvard(Biostat),Washington(Biostat),Hopkins(Biostat),Michigan(Biostat),UNC(Biostat),UC Berkely(Biostat),University of

Wisconsin(Biostat)

 

I still have one year to apply.  So I would like to know what I should do to be a more strong candidate.

And I heard that in the case of foreign students, the admission would be more competitive.  

Should I apply to  MS rather than PhD?

 

[sild]

I think you are definitely in the game based on the statistics you have provided.  The math subject tests are not often taken by applicants, and you have a strong score.  If you have one more year it would be great to get some research or other experience with faculty at one of those schools, perhaps even visiting a summer program if possible.

[kasuganosora]

Thanks, sild.

I would try to contact with faculty by using summer program.