Statistics PhD Evaluation

[choldawa]

I'm a prospective PhD student in statistics hoping to get a better idea of my chances. I'm interested in Bayesian stats and its applications in machine learning.

 I have no idea where I stand so any help would be greatly appreciated. Some preliminary data:

Undergrad Institution: US News 35-40
Major(s): BA Mathematics
Minor(s): Spanish
GPA: 3.9

Type of Student: Domestic White Male

GRE General Test:
Q: 164 (88%)
V: 162 (89%
W: 4.5 (72%)  

GRE Subject Test in Mathematics:
Have not taken yet. Should I?

 

Programs Applying:  UCLA (PhD stats), UCI (PhD Stats), USC (PhD Stats), Caltech (PhD  applied and Comp. Math).

I'll be looking to apply this fall, and hoping to move to LA for personal reasons.  Do I have a shot at these schools. Any suggestions of other programs I'd be competitive for if I don't end up in LA?

 

 

Research Experience: Just a Python-centric data science independent research course this semester. 
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Typical Dean's list etc.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Internships with BlueCross, Marriott, tech analyst. Served 2 year mission in Chile. 

Letters of Recommendation: (3, personal, but none are particularly well known: algebraist, probabilist, machine learning)

 

My main concern is that I switched from a stats BS to a math BA and as such my coursework for a math major is pretty weak.

Coursework:

Calc 1-3 (A,A,A)

Linear Algebra and Diff Eqs (A)

Linear Algebra- Proof based (A-)

Honors Real Analysis (A-)

Probability (A)

Bayesian Stats (A)

Stats 1-2 (A,A)

 

THOUGHTS? Thank you so much!

Edited January 22, 2016 by choldawa

[localfdr]

Being an applicant myself right now, I do not think I am in a position to evaluate your profile. But if you are really interested in Bayesian Statistics, I would recommend also looking at UK universities. My feeling is that most US statistics departments (with some exceptions, notably Columbia, maybe Berkeley because of Michael Jordan) are not particularly strong in Bayesian stats, while the opposite can be said about some UK departments. This is even more so the case if you are doing Bayesian Stats in machine learning with people like David Barber, Zoubin Ghahramani and David MacKay being there.

Edited January 22, 2016 by localfdr

[koobear]

From what I hear Duke is very adamantly Bayesian.

[choldawa]

Thanks yeah I looked at Duke. I guess I just want to know if I'm even qualified to start looking at these schools or if I need to look at lower ranked PhD/ masters programs.