[Q] How many PhD programs should I apply to?

[u/vv-97]

Hi,

I'm planning to apply for stats PhD programs, along with a few biostats programs, this cycle and trying to get a sense of how broadly people are applying.

For those applying this year, or who applied in the past year or two, how many programs did you apply to? I was thinking 8-12, but given the uncertainty around funding I'm wondering if people are applying to more this year.

I'm interested mainly in spatial stats, especially gaussian processes and deep generative methods for modeling spatiotemporal data.

Please share your thoughts if you're working in similar areas. Also any suggestions on departments and people working in these areas are welcome.

Thanks.

[u/ThePevster]

Hard to say overall. Like you noted there’s a lot of uncertainty with applications overall due to the funding issues. I’d say you should apply to as many schools as possible that you’d want to attend. If you can find 20 schools that you can see yourself attending and that have professors who do research you think is interesting, then apply to 20 schools (if you can afford it). If you can only find 5 suitable schools, then apply to those 5. Basically apply to as many suitable schools as possible but make sure they’re suitable.

Also consider how married you are to your research interests. I know a lot of people end up doing research that’s different from what they wanted to do when they applied. It’s always good when a department has a good variety of research options

[u/SilverChildhood8919]

I’m a retired professor. You’re treating this as a volume of paper problem when it’s really a person and field of study question. Rather than numbers, you should be considering the important things:

1) Do some advance work. You are going to be a partner of sorts, with your major professor. They will criticize your work, sometimes harshly. You should meet potential major professors first, and decide whether you can work with them and respectfully listen to their opinions. Ideally, talk to some of their students and recent Ph.D recipients.

2) Is their field of research what you want to do as a career? Ideally your dissertation will be published in 3 or more peer reviewed journals. That means it’s your area of expertise when you seek a long term position. Your dissertation is like a resume, it defines you. Yes you can change your interests after you get a job but you will need to get the job based on your dissertation and publications.

3) Also consider the reputation of the university but only after items 1&2. It does no good to attend a top ranked college but be terminated because you can’t get along with your major professor.

So I’d say 3-4 carefully vetted colleges.

All the best!

[u/idliOP → u/SilverChildhood8919]

Wow, that's really insightful. Thanks!

[u/STATASUCKSBRO]

Eight to twelve is only broad if the advisor fit is broad. Spatial stats plus Gaussian processes can shrink the real list quickly once you remove departments with one relevant faculty member who is not taking students.

[u/xu4488]

Tough to say. I don’t know much about your profile. There are a few that require GRE (or even GRE subject math exam). I applied to 13 programs and only got into one (but funded through another department for the first semester). For spatial statistics, UC Davis is solid.

If this is your first round, I suggest looking at funded masters programs like Wake Forest and UMN Duluth for backups.

[u/ForeignAdvantage5198]

as many as needed to get accepted