Importance of Stats Research for PhD programs

[yenhcz1995]

I'm a junior undergrad with a mostly pure math background. However, very recently, I'm becoming more and more interested in stats through self-learning and will probably apply to PhD programs in it. However, outside of the standard undergrad probability theory, data analysis, operations research, and mathematics statistics classes, I don't have any actual research experience working with datasets or doing anything stats-related. My only hands-on coding project was using Python for a pure math research project last summer.

I've been accepted to a pretty decent pure math REU (lots of submitted and published papers among its participants), but I'm wondering if it might be better to look for a stats-related research opportunity instead (or do something like SIBS or RUSIS).

Also, I'm gonna try to take the grad mathematical statistics course at my school in the fall, but I'm wondering what else I can do in the coming year to make my application more attractive? I noticed a lot of the phd students at top programs have work experience coding at startups/tech firms and/or applied stats REUS under their belt.

[Dora the Destroyer]

nah man go for the nice math experience, statistics phd programs love people who do real math!

Edited February 26, 2017 by Dora the Destroyer

[Innominate]

I'm a student, not a professor, but for what its worth this doesn't seem to be a big deal.  I had an interview at a school where the admissions committee member flat out told me that they don't care how much stats students have seen since mathematical preparation is a vastly better predictor for program success.  Also, if you search there's a recent thread about SIBS where some more qualified folks say that it's unlikely to differentiate your application or make you stand out.  Too many people do it and it's not proof of ability to research of course.

The one thing that a lot of schools will want to see is at least one course in distribution / probability theory (calculus based but not rigorous).  I didn't have access to any mathematical statistics courses, no research (even in math) and got into both the top 10 schools I applied to.