Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I apply for the Stat BB program vs the Pure Stat program? Can I apply to both?
All applicants need to formally apply to the main Statistics program, but to indicate you are applying specifically to the Stat BB program, please indicate Biostatistics & Bioinformatics as your first interest area.
If you are applying to the pure statistics program, please choose another interest area as your first choice. Biostatistics and Bioinformatics can be listed as your second or third choice.
You may not apply to both programs.
2. What are the most important factors in admission decisions?
Transcript (do you have a strong enough background to succeed in grad school at Maryland?), letters of recommendation, GRE subject score (optional, but recommended to submit if above 700). If you are an international applicant, the TOEFL (or IELTS or PTE) score is important.
3. How many students are accepted?
For the Fall 2024 admissions, approximately 60 students applied to the Statistics program as a whole. We offered 9 students admission to the pure Statistics program; 6 accepted the offer. The Epidemiology department offered 6 students admissions to the Statistics Bioinformatics & Biostatistics program; 4 accepted the offer.
4. Do you admit students for the Spring semester?
The Mathematics Statistics program accepts students during the Spring and Fall semesters; however, there is no funding for PhDs for Spring admits. Furthermore, there is no funding for MA students at all.
5. Do you admit students who are aiming only for a Masters degree?
In Statistics, if you are considering going for a PhD degree, you should apply directly to the PhD program. We do offer a MA without Thesis for Statistics/Stat BB. Please visit the AMSC website for more options regarding Masters degrees.
6. Do I need the GRE Subject test? What score should I have?
For the Fall 2023 application cycle onward, GRE Subject Tests and GRE General Tests are strongly encouraged but are not required. If you are only able to sit for one exam, please take the GRE Subject Test. We recommend you submit scores if they are above 700.
7. What grade point average do I need?
We would like to see transcripts with mostly A's in your mathematics courses. Your GPA should be above a 3.0.
8. International Students Only: What score do I need on the TOEFL?
Please see more information here: International Students
9. I am a student from a non-English-speaking country who received a Masters degree in the US or other English-speaking country/school. The Graduate School has waived the TOEFL requirement. Do I still need the TOEFL?
Your TOEFL scores will be waived for your application since you received education in the United States.
Please see more information here: International Students
10. I have a transcript from my institution that is encrypted. What should I do?
Do not upload an encrypted transcript to the application. It will upload as a blank document and will not be able to be used for evaluation. Please print the document out, scan it, then upload the scanned version.
11. Do I need to contact a faculty member before I apply?
No, you will find an advisor when you are enrolled in the program. However, you can note faculty members you want to work with in your application.
12. What if some of my application materials arrive late?
When materials arrive after a file has been reviewed, sometimes it gets missed. So, a few days late is often no problem, but a few weeks late could hurt your chances. Please do your best to get materials in by the deadline, including your letters of recommendation.
13. What should be on the Personal Statement and/or Supplementary Application Essay?
We want to know your mathematical interests in addition to your interest in attending the University of Maryland. For example, including which professors you are interested in working with, research projects you have completed, your future career interests, or exciting Mathematical ideas that interest you are all appropriate topics to discuss in the personal statement.
If there is something in your record that is going to raise questions (for example, it's been ten years since you were an undergraduate), answer those concerns if appropriate. If this applies to you, you can also discuss your community involvement or service, leadership, or overcoming social, economic, or physical barriers. There is no required length for the personal statement, it can be a few sentences long or a few pages.
14. What do I include in the writing sample?
The writing sample is optional and is a space for applicants to share any publications or written mathematical papers with the admissions committee.
15. How do I financially support myself during graduate school?
All of our accepted PhD students (except a few who are supported by employers) are offered support by the University, usually in the form of a Teaching Assistantship. This covers your tuition (up to 10 credits) and, as of 2024, pays a stipend of 28,311 dollars per year. First and second year students usually receive an additional 5,000 dollars per year. This makes the typical total of support for a first year student to be 33,311 dollars.
Additional opportunities for summer funding and research fellowships may be available. Teaching Assistants teach 4 to 6 hours per week, depending on the course. The total time commitment is around 12 to 15 hours per week. Some more advanced grad students are supported as Research Assistants, with funding usually coming from the advisor's research grant.
There is no financial support for MA Statistics students.
16. When are accepted students notified for the Fall Semester?
Acceptances are made from February through mid-April. You will receive an official notification through email and through the graduate application portal when a decision is available.
17. Does the program offer fee waivers?
You can send in your unofficial transcript and any other documents you think would be helpful (resume, letter of recommendation, research papers, etc) to our email . We will file away your materials and review all requests in early January, about one week before the application deadline (Jan 10). We only give out a handful of fee waivers each year
18. How long does it take to get a PhD?
The median time is around 5.5 years.
19. What percentage of the students complete the program?
Our recent estimate is that around 75% of entering students will complete their PhD.
20. What do students do after they graduate?
See the list of recent jobs.
