I'm not worried about and don't mind being identified, so I'll include some details from my CV. I've also posted this to the corresponding stat/biostat thread at
http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/8981 ... tatistics/
Undergrad Institution: Private research university, 30th–40th national university in US News.
Major(s): Mathematics.
Minor(s): None.
GPA: 3.64 (3.89 freshman and sophomore years, 3.07 junior and senior years).
Type of Student: Domestic Asian male.
GRE Revised General Test:
Q: 170 (97%).
V: 170 (99%).
W: 5.0 (93%).
GRE Subject Test in Mathematics:
M: 750 (71%). Since I'm applying to stat PhD programs, I chose not to submit this because I took this after a 2.5-year break (details below), so I felt it was not representative. Submitted only to UC San Diego, who required it and ended up being the only school that admitted me.
TOEFL Score: N/A
Program Applying: Ph.D. in statistics.
Research Experience:
– Astronomy research during and between two REU summers at home institution; one of 10+ coauthors in ApJ paper.
– One summer of computing-based research between HS junior and senior years; regional finalist in Siemens Competition.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Selected sample:
– Goldwater Scholarship, both eligible years.
– $10,000/year external scholarship awarded each year at home institution to one STEM major with research aspirations, both eligible years.
– $3000 external scholarship for one semester of study at Oxford.
– Four-year full-tuition merit scholarship from home institution.
– 90th–95th percentiles on Putnam Competition in freshman and sophomore years.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Research assistant during the aforementioned period. Competitive-application research talk and award at home institution, research talk at undergraduate physics research symposium, invited lecture for NSF-funded high-school math circle, research talk/poster/paper for Siemens Competition, two misc. academic talks.
Any Miscellaneous Points that M̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶H̶e̶l̶p̶ Hurt: Due to illness from my junior year onward, my academic performance deteriorated rapidly and I stopped working on research. In my junior year, I failed a course during study abroad, and received a D in 'Monte Carlo methods' in my second semester, where I had a GPA of 2.95. In my senior year, I completed a total of three courses and withdrew from all others. After my senior year (may 2014), I took a 2.5-year gap for treatment, during which I achieved nothing and was not employed, and in fact I had not yet graduated at the time of application because I still had to submit an essay to satisfy a writing requirement. I have fully recovered, but schools have little more than my word for it.
Applying to Where: (results as of 2017-04-12)
U of Washington - Stat PhD /
Rejected on 2017-01-19.
UC San Diego - Math PhD with specialization in stat /
Admitted in first round on 2017-03-01, $35k 1st year ($10k from 25% TAship), then $20k 2nd–5th year (all from 50% TAship).
UC Berkeley - Stat PhD /
Rejected on 2017-03-07.
Penn State - Stat PhD /
Waitlisted on 2017-03-10. Withdrew application on 2017-04-12.
U of Michigan - Stat PhD /
Rejected on 2017-03-14.
UNC Chapel Hill - Stat PhD / 'Waitlisted' by inquiry on 2017-03-07, I
expect rejection.
Waitlisted by email on 2017-04-04. Withdrew application on 2017-04-12.
UMass Amherst - Math PhD with specialization in stat / 'Waitlisted' by inquiry on 2017-03-07, I
expect rejection. Withdrew application on 2017-04-12.
UCLA - Stat PhD / No response to inquiry on 2017-03-07.
One admission out of eight applications is unimpressive, but evidently it's possible to be admitted even with abysmal junior and senior years. I hope this information helps, and good luck to you!
Everyone, please consider adding the funding offers from all your admissions to
http://www.phdstipends.com/results regardless of whether you accept them or not. This will help applicants and students, like us, gauge departments, schools, and offers. Thanks!