PhD Profile Evaluation

[S. Wu]

Institution: Ivy

Major: Mathematics - Statistics

GPA:

Cumulative - 4.1/4.33 (major 4.15/4.33)

Type of Student:  International Asian Male

GRE General Test:

Q: 170 

V: 154

W: 3.5

Research Experience:

• Research in computational neuroscience for almost one year, mainly working on spike detection for spike sorting.
• Senior thesis in math department on nonlinear stochastic dynamical systems. Biweekly meetings with the advisor and composition of a synthesis paper.
• Behavioral informatics summer project; applying machine learning algorithms to identify the personality traits of individuals using phone data.

Work:

Summer data analytics intern at a telecom company

 

Courses :

 

Measure theory (taking), functional analysis (taking), Analysis I&II (A), Convex optimization (A), Complex variables (A), PDE (A), Numerical methods (A), Probability (A+), Statistical Inference (A+), Linear Regression Model (A+), Statistical Machine Learning (A), Stochastic process (A)

Teaching:

TA for Analysis I&II (grad/undergrad), and optimization (undergrad)

Letters of Recommendation:

• From a Stats professor who I have been working with on the computational neuroscience project.
• From a Math professor who I have been working with on my thesis and am currently taking class with
• From a professor in the school of communication at another institute who I have worked with in the behavioral informatics summer project

Programs: I want to try my luck in many many programs... mainly Stats PhD programs but I will also apply to applied/computing math PhD in the same school if I am allowed to do so.

Berkeley

Harvard

CMU

WashU

Chicago

Michigan

Duke

NYU

Upenn

MIT

Caltech

Cornell

UCLA

Brown

Concerns:

1.  I transferred to my current Institute for the last two years of my undergrad. My GPA in my previous institute is ok but not as good as the current one (got B+ in a calculus class and a discrete math class in one semester). Would it matter much?

2.  I was wondering how much the SOP's are weighed in the eyes of admission committees? I haven't  started drafting my SOP and I thought I may devote more time to the research to get better letters. But it seems that it's  late to make a big difference in my letters.

3.  Some of the schools require a degree in US to waive the TOEFL score, but  I won't be able to get my degree until next year and my TOEFL score has already expired. It is a little too late to take TOEFL again since some schools have their deadlines on Dec 1.

Any comments/questions are appreciated!!

 

 

[Bayesian1701]

I am also an applicant so I am not an expert.  I have however read the applicant profiles for the past few years and studied the results survey.  

I don't understand the GPA scale so I can't comment on that. Your math grades are good.  Your GRE quant score is perfect which is great, but your verbal and AWA is a little low for an international student applying to top programs.  There is a thread dedicated to the relative unimportance of SOP for stats programs at the top of the forum.  If you are applying for programs in this cycle I don't know how you can get meaningful research experience in a month or two.   Your list is long but it consists of mainly top programs.  A lot of the schools on your list (WashU, Columbia,  etc.) highly suggest the Math GRE but it is too late for you to take it for this cycle.  Your current lack of a TOEFL score may exclude you from most programs.  Take the TOEFL ASAP if you are applying for this cycle.   Almost all of the schools on your list are highly competitive, especially for international students.   Consider adding some less competitive programs to your list and removing those which have early deadlines and require the TOEFL.   If you don't have a valid TOEFL by the deadline it is probably not worth applying since some programs can not accept you without a TOEFL above the threshold.  Read up on the TOEFL requirements before you submit the application.   Some schools with later deadlines include:  Florida State (2/1),  Kansas State (1/15),  Missouri (1/15),  Baylor (1/15),  Virginia Tech (1/15).   If you don't require funding consider applying to MS programs they have later deadlines and are less competitive.  You could apply to PhD programs after you get a US Masters.

[statfan]

I don't think that you need TOEFL score if you did your undergrad in the States, even if you are not done. You have high grades in upper level math courses so your occasional lower grades won't matter much. Most departments don't care about your GRE verbal and writing unless you really bombed it. 154 verbal is a respectable score and you will be fine with that score. Your overall profile is very strong and I think your lists are fine. Most top phd programs admit a lot of international students, what they really care about is that if you have the potential to make contribution in this field. That being said, they would prefer a qualifed international student than a mediocre domestic student. 

Edited November 29, 2017 by statfan

[S. Wu]

2 hours ago, BrittanyA1701 said:

I am also an applicant so I am not an expert.  I have however read the applicant profiles for the past few years and studied the results survey.  

I don't understand the GPA scale so I can't comment on that. Your math grades are good.  Your GRE quant score is perfect which is great, but your verbal and AWA is a little low for an international student applying to top programs.  There is a thread dedicated to the relative unimportance of SOP for stats programs at the top of the forum.  If you are applying for programs in this cycle I don't know how you can get meaningful research experience in a month or two.   Your list is long but it consists of mainly top programs.  A lot of the schools on your list (U Wash, Columbia,  etc.) highly suggest the Math GRE but it is too late for you to take it for this cycle.  Your current lack of a TOEFL score may exclude you from most programs.  Take the TOEFL ASAP if you are applying for this cycle.   Almost all of the schools on your list are highly competitive, especially for international students.   Consider adding some less competitive programs to your list and removing those which have early deadlines and require the TOEFL.   If you don't have a valid TOEFL by the deadline it is probably not worth applying since some programs can not accept you without a TOEFL above the threshold.  Read up on the TOEFL requirements before you submit the application.   Some schools with later deadlines include:  Florida State (2/1),  Kansas State (1/15),  Missouri (1/15),  Baylor (1/15),  Virginia Tech (1/15).   If you don't require funding consider applying to MS programs they have later deadlines and are less competitive.  You could apply to PhD programs after you get a US Masters.

Thank you so much for the advice. I ended up taking the TOEFL and it shouldn't an issue anymore. 

[S. Wu]

2 hours ago, statfan said:

I don't think that you need TOEFL score if you did your undergrad in the States, even if you are not done. You have high grades in upper level math courses so your occasional lower grades won't matter much. Most departments don't care about your GRE verbal and writing unless you really bombed it. 154 verbal is a respectable score and you will be fine with that score. Your overall profile is very strong and I think your lists are fine. Most top phd programs admit a lot of international students, what they really care about is that if you have the potential to make contribution in this field. That being said, they would prefer a qualifed international student than a mediocre domestic student. 

Really appreciate your comment!