u/vv-97

Hi all,

Hope you're all doing well. I recently interviewed for a PhD position in biostatistics at UiO. Shortly after the interview, I asked about their timeline for a decision. They said they'd reach out to my references for feedback and then notify the top-ranked candidates, and that this would realistically take 2–3 weeks. It's now been almost 3 weeks and I still haven't heard back.

Would now be a good time to follow up? I'd love to hear from anyone who's been through this process. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi all,

Just wanted to share an anecdote, not trying to discourage anyone.

Recently, several of my friends and I applied to PhD programs in a quantitative field. We all have a master's degree in the field, and one friend in particular had noticeably better grades than the rest of us, especially in one of the key theory courses.

After submitting our applications, we all shared our SOPs with each other. Turns out this friend didn't write his himself. He paid a consultant, and what he got back was basically an unedited, first draft quality ChatGPT statement. They didn't even bother making it sound natural. It read exactly like something from a lazy first prompt. Despite that, he ended up with better offers than the rest of us.

To be clear, this friend is genuinely smart and capable, but it was still a bit of a black pill moment for me, realizing how little the SOP might actually matter compared to grades and other factors.

Hi all,

I recently finished my MS in Statistics at a T25 program in the US. I'm really interested in research and applied to several PhD programs, but didn't get into any (getting a PhD here has become ultra-competitive due to funding cuts). I now have to return to India and am starting to look for roles in stats/data science.

My only experience so far is working as a TA and a statistical consultant at my university. (Thankfully I was fully funded, so I have no loans.) My plan is to land a decent job, gain work experience, and reapply to PhD programs down the line.

My coursework was mostly theory-heavy, so I think I'll need to pick up a lot of the modern deep learning material on my own now. I'd be grateful for any guidance on how to approach this job search and what I should focus on learning to land a job as soon as possible. I'm not picky about the role and can't afford to be, but I'm hoping for something decent enough to let me build practical skills that complement my theoretical background.

One thing on my mind: I'm in my late twenties with no full-time work experience yet, and I sometimes worry about starting later than my peers. If anyone here began their career a bit later, I'd love to hear how it went for you.

Thanks a lot for your time!

Hi all,

I'm in a bit of a tricky spot and could use some advice.

I recently finished an MS in Statistics from a T25 program. I applied to PhD programs last cycle and unfortunately didn't get any offers, so I'm now looking at PhD positions in Northern Europe. The catch is that most of them require an MS thesis, which I don't have.

Here's why. My program offered two paths: a qualifying exam covering the first-year MS/PhD sequence, or a thesis option. Since I was planning to continue into the PhD at the same school (where I'd be writing a full dissertation anyway), I was advised to take the quals instead of doing a thesis. I passed the quals, but I wasn't ultimately able to continue into the PhD program there.

So now I'm stuck without a thesis, which a lot of European programs seem to expect. I'd strongly prefer doing my PhD in Europe. Between the funding cuts and the visa uncertainty, the US feels like a difficult place to commit to a PhD right now.

Given all this, how would you suggest I approach landing a PhD position in Europe? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I'm an MS student at a T25 program and recently got denied for an internal transfer to the PhD track. Last semester I got a B in measure theory, and my performance this semester slipped as well due to some serious personal issues — my GPA dropped to 3.62. My department told me that theory course performance is a strong predictor of passing the quals, and they weren't confident I could clear that bar.

I know a big part of my struggles came from what I was dealing with personally, but the rejection has me questioning whether I actually have what it takes for a PhD — or if I was just telling myself that as an excuse.

I'm trying to figure out my next move. Reapplying next year is still on the table, but I'm not sure if I should double down or reassess the path entirely. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you reapply, and if so, what did you do differently? Or did you pivot, and how did that go? Any honest advice is welcome.

Thanks

Hey everyone,

I'm an MS student in statistics at a T25 program and recently got denied for an internal transfer to the PhD track. Last semester I got a B in measure theory, and my performance this semester slipped as well due to some serious personal issues — my GPA dropped to 3.62. My department told me that theory course performance is a strong predictor of passing the quals, and they weren't confident I could clear that bar.

I know a big part of my struggles came from what I was dealing with personally, but the rejection has me questioning whether I actually have what it takes for a PhD — or if I was just telling myself that as an excuse.

I'm trying to figure out my next move. Reapplying next year is still on the table, but I'm not sure if I should double down or reassess the path entirely. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you reapply, and if so, what did you do differently? Or did you pivot, and how did that go? Any honest advice is welcome.

Thanks