What are my chances? (Big Data programs)

[MarkE]

Based off of those who have been accepted or denied, I'm looking for a rough estimate of my chances at acceptance into a Data Science/Analytics program.  A consensus may indicate whether or not I should invest in hedging my opportunities with alternative paths for the upcoming semester.

Here is my profile:

Undergrad:

• Bachelor's of Science in Finance in 2008 from local university (ranked 100+)
• 3.87 overall GPA
• 3.94 Major GPA with top honors (and an award)

Work experience:

• Past 4 years working in Business Intelligence
• Proficient in SQL
• 2 years of prior business experience
• Internship (in compliance) from a highly regarded investment bank.

GRE: 313

• 159 V
• 154 Q
• 4.5 AWA

Concerns: 

1. I don't have a CS, Engineering, or pure Math background
2. My undergrad GPA was from 8 years ago, my Quant GRE score was from this month
3. I don't have any Calc coursework and only one basic Stats course (willing to take concurrently if possible)

Places I'd like to apply:

• Rutgers
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Fordham

Any feedback is more than welcome!

[Zack886]

Two pieces of advice:

1) Retake the GRE and raise your Quant score to at least 160+

2) Take some courses in math (calc/stats/linear algebra), and a programming course from either a MOOC provider like edX or Coursera, or at a local community college

[MarkE]

Thanks for the feedback

1) What is the timeline for applications for Master's programs?  All I see on here is people receiving acceptance and rejection letters which makes me think I'm really far behind.  Is that just for PhD programs?  Is that for people who are really ahead of the curve?  Are those a different wave of deadlines?

In short, do I have enough time to retake the GRE when I just took it this past week.

2) I did take some Coursera courses in the Data Science Specialization which taught R - is that something I should put on my resume?

Will they honor Calc/Stats courses not through a university - none of the universities I've seen offer those courses in the summer.

[Zack886]

If you haven't started applying yet, you are a bit behind. Many of the top programs have application deadlines in January and February, and even those that are rolling admission or have later deadlines may have accepted most of the incoming class by now. If you still haven't retaken the GRE (and I believe you have to wait at least a month between attempt, correct?), it may be better to wait until next cycle.

Definitely add the Coursera Data Science courses to your resume. It shows a lot of initiative and that you've done research to make sure you're interested in the field. Some programs are more strict than others about what credentials they need to see. Certain programs will only accept courses taken for academic credit from a university, while others are fine with MOOCs. So make sure to research each program's requirements carefully.

Let me know if you have any further questions, and best of luck!