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FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Concerning Admissions to the Statistics/Biostatistics Graduate Programs

FAQ Table of Contents

Questions on applying
Questions about funding
Questions about how our program works
Questions about student life
Especially for international students
1. I'm having trouble getting a Visa. Can anyone help me?

--- QUESTIONS ON APPLYING ---

WHAT ARE THE DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION?

To be considered for a university fellowship, all your application materials, including the application fee, must be received by January 15 if you are a U.S. applicant. For international applicants the deadline is November 30.

For international students the application deadline for Summer or Autumn Quarters is May 1. For U.S. applicants, the deadline is May 15. Chances for obtaining funding, however, are greater for applications that are received earlier because we begin making offers early in the year.

WHERE DO I SEND MY APPLICATION MATERIALS?

Applicants should submit directly to the Graduate Admissions Office:
1) The online application (requires online payment of application fee)
2) One official transcript or record of marks for each college or university-level school attended
3) Official test scores

Applicant should submit directly to the Statistics Department:
1) One official transcript or record of marks for each college or university-level school attended
2) A statement of intent
3) Three letters of recommendation written on recommenders' original letterhead stationary,
each accompanied by a completed Ohio State Reference Form
4) A curriculum vitae or resume no longer than two pages.

MAY I ENROLL STARTING IN WINTER OR SPRING QUARTER?

We accept applications for all quarters. However, there are two reasons why almost all students start in either summer or autumn quarters. First, several of our course sequences start in the autumn and continue for two or three quarters. Secondly, funding is generally not available for students starting in quarters other than summer or autumn.

WHAT SHOULD BE IN MY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE?

The statement of purpose should describe why you want to study statistics/biostatistics and what you plan to do with your degree. The statement is used by us and, for the fellowship candidates, by the university committee to assess as student's interest in statistics/biostatistics and motivation to obtain a graduate degree. It's the one place in the application where your personality can come through.

The statements are extremely important in the fellowship competition and often make or break the case for a fellowship candidate.

WHAT CODES DO I USE FOR THE GRE AND TOEFL SCORES?

GRE scores:
Code for Ohio State University -- 1592
Code for Statistics Graduate Programs -- 0704
Code for Biostatistics Ph.D. Program -- 0704

TOEFL scores:
Code for Ohio State University -- 1592
(There are no department codes for the TOEFL.)

WHAT ARE THE GPA, GRE, AND TOEFL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION?

OSU requires a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all previous undergraduate and graduate work for regular admission to graduate school.

We require the GRE General Test; we do not require any of the GRE Subject Tests. We do not have a minimum score requirement for the GRE.

For international students who are required to take the TOEFL, we require at least a 600 on the paper-based TOEFL (250 on the CBT, 100 on the iBT). When making TA offers, we look for TOEFL scores that are much higher than these departmental minimums.

There are additional specific requirements for GPA and GRE for students to be nominated in the University Fellowship competition. These include the following:

A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent on another numerical scale, suck as 4.5 on a 5.0 scale, 5.4 on a 6.0 scale, etc.); or First Class rank in a British-based grading system; or overall percentage of at least 88% for percentage graded systems.
An average in at least the 75th percentile on the Verbal and Quantitative components of the GRE General Test and at least a 4.0 on the Analytical Writing component. Please note that the requirement does NOT mean that you must have a 75th percentile in both the Verbal and Quantitative components, but rather that the average across both must be at least 75.

CAN YOU WAIVE THE APPLICATION FEE FOR ME?

We are not able to consider an application until the application fee has been paid and the admissions office refers the application to us. Last year we had over 225 applications. You can understand why we cannot pay the application fee for so many applicants!

We realize that the application fee can be a burden, especially for some international students. Many such students are able to arrange for the application fee to be paid by a friend or relative in the U.S.

I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT A MASTERS OR PH.D. DEGREE. WHICH SHOULD I APPLY FOR?

To reduce paperwork later, it is better for us if you apply for the Ph.D. degree if you are undecided.

One real advantage to our degree programs is the ease of switching among them in the first year of the program. Many of the required first-year classes for the MAS, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees are the same. In addition, the courses required for the Ph.D. qualifying exams in Statistics and Biostatistics are the same, so that switching between those two degree programs is also easy.

MY GPA, GRE SCORES, AND TOEFL ARE VERY GOOD. WHAT ARE MY CHANCES FOR ADMISSION AND FUNDING?

We really cannot say based only on your GPA, GRE and (for international students) TOEFL scores what your chances of admission and a funding offer are. We look at the entire application, including your courses (and grades in them), your personal statement, and your letters of recommendation.

--- QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING ---

FOR HOW LONG WILL MY FINANCIAL SUPPORT BE CONTINUED?

We expect to continue supporting students to whom we initially offer financial support, either through a university fellowship or a TA position in the Statistics Department, until their degree is completed. (Such support may be in the form of a TA, RA, or additional university fellowships.) That period is up to two years for a student in the MAS or masters program, and five or six years for students entering the Ph.D. program. Continued funding is contingent on your making suitable progress toward your degree and satisfactory completion of your assigned duties as a TA or RA.

SHOULD I CONTACT OTHER FACULTY MEMBERS ABOUT A TA/RA POSITION?

Please DO NOT contact other faculty members about TA/RA positions as they will just forward your message to the graduate studies chair! All TA offers come from the graduate committee through the graduate studies chair. We do not offer RA positions to incoming students who are not in the department already.

WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS ARE THERE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

For the 2007-08 academic year, the university will pay 85% toward the health care coverage of funded, eligible Graduate Associates (GAs), Fellows, and Trainees and their dependents who are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan. That subsidy amount is applied toward UPC premiums if you elect to enroll in that plan. Healthcare premiums are a pre-tax deduction.

ARE TUITION AND FEES COVERED BY A UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP OR TA?

Yes, tuition and most fees are covered if you are awarded a university fellowship by the graduate school or a TA by the department. Similarly, if you are offered an RA position by the department after you are here, that will cover tuition and most fees.

--- QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW OUR PROGRAM WORKS ---

WHO WILL BE MY THESIS OR DISSERTATION ADVISOR?

Unlike some other departments, we admit students to the statistics department to work in statistics or biostatistics, but not to work with a particular faculty member. Statistics has typically been a graduate discipline and students do not arrive with enough background to know in what area they will eventually do their research. You will be assigned a course advisor for the first year or two after you arrive. During those two years, especially in the summer, we suggest that Ph.D. students take some independent studies courses with faculty members they might like to work with. Students, together with faculty members, decide who will be their dissertation advisors.

MY UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR WAS NOT MATH OR STATISTICS. CAN I STILL APPLY TO YOUR GRADUATE PROGRAM IN STATISTICS/BIOSTATISTICS?

While an undergraduate degree in mathematics has been the traditional route to graduate work in statistics, it is not necessary. We are fortunate in having statistics/biostatistics graduate students from many undergraduate disciplines currently in the department. These include accounting, biology, business, computer science, economics, engineering, finance, genetics, management, medicine, psychology, music, and even Latin! We find that this mix of students' backgrounds creates a great atmosphere in the department, and we believe that this is a real strength of the department.

The important features of your undergraduate education for our graduate programs will be a strong mathematics background that includes advanced calculus and good quantitative skills.

CAN I TRANSFER GRADUATE CREDITS FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION?

While we do not transfer credits from another institution to count towards the required credit hours for graduate degrees in Statistics or Biostatistics, we do not require you to repeat courses that you have taken elsewhere. You will, however, need to replace those hours with alternative courses and will be responsible for the material on the departmental masters exam or qualifier exam.

If you have already completed a masters in statistics elsewhere, depending on how similar that program was to ours, you may be able to take the Qualifier I exam the fall quarter of your first year and start with your second-year of course work. There are fewer credit hours of course work required for students who arrive already holding a masters degree.

WHAT QUALIFYING EXAMS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE PH.D.?

We have two sets of qualifying exams. Students generally take Qualifier I in the fall of their second year. Some students who already have a masters in statistics take these exams as soon as they get here, but that is not the norm. Qualifier I covers the statistics theory sequence, regression, and design of experiments. You can get copies of old exams from the department secretary (for the cost of copying them) when you get here. In addition, we hold a QI review course in the summer quarter.

Qualifier II is taken in the fall of your third year. Again, you may get copies of these old exams and this year there was a QII review class for the first time.

Both exams may be take na scond time if you do not pass on the first try. QI is offered in winter quarter for those who need to retake the exam. The second offering of the QII exam is in the spring quarter. We do have a good passing rate for the exams. We bring in students whom we think can do the work and will pass the exams!

I WANT TO GET A MASTERS DEGREE IN STATISTICS WHILE I WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY ON A GRADUATE DEGREE IN MY DEPARTMENT. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Many graduate students in other departments are working simultaneously on a masters degree in Statistics - either the MAS degree or the MS in Statistics - while they also pursue their graduate degree in their primary department. We are trying to get better records of such "external masters students," so that we can notify them when the masters exams are scheduled and can give them some priority on admissions to our classes.

Thus, when you begin working on a masters degree in Statistics, we ask that you schedule a brief meeting with the statistics department's advisor for external masters students, to fill out a preliminary "statement of intent" form and to discuss a few details about this program. After you have made substantial progress towards the masters in Statistics, you will also need to fill out a second form, the plan of study (in the department booklet), and submit it to the external masters student advisor for approval.

Eventually, you will have to transfer into the statistics department for the one quarter in which you actually receive our degree. (Under university rules, you have to be in a department to graduate from it.) To transfer in for the quarter, you will need to fill out a "Request for Transfer" form available from the graduate school. They will forward it, along with your grade record, to the Statistics/Biostatistics Graduate Studies Chair.

--- QUESTIONS ABOUT STUDENT LIFE ---

WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT'S GRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION LIKE?

As of Autumn 2007, there are 127 graduate students enrolled in the Statistics Department. They are as follows:

65 females
62 males

57 U.S. citizens
70 international

34 working towards an MAS or MS degree
80 working towards a Ph.D. degree in Statistics
13 working towards a Ph.D. degree in Biostatistics

I'M WORRIED THAT I WILL BE "JUST A NUMBER" AT SUCH A LARGE UNIVERSITY.

While it is true that OSU is a very large institution, as a graduate student you will mostly identify with the Statistics Department. Most of your classes will be in a few buildings and with the same group of students. You really will not notice the size of the university except to appreciate the wide variety of experiences and opportunities available to you at such an institution.

Our students will tell you that this is a very friendly department. The faculty, staff, and other students will help you if you ask for help. The faculty truly care about teaching. Our current students are our best recruiters. We have a committee of students willing to serve as "email mentors" to potential students who are considering an offer from the department. If you would like to correspond with such a student, please ask the Graduate Studies Chair for a contact.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT STUDENT HOUSING?

OSU's graduate student dorm is Jones Tower. General information about housing for graduate students can be found on the Student Affairs website.

For students who are married and/or have a child or children, Buckeye Village may be an option. They often have rather long waiting lists, so you should check with them as soon as possible. Another option for family housing is University Village. They are not run by the University, but they house OSU students and run a regular bus to campus. The leasing office is located at 505 Harley Dr. and their phone number is (614) 261-1211.

--- ESPECIALLY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ---

I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING A VISA. CAN ANYONE HELP ME?

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) can give you some helpful hints on getting your visa. Their email address is oia@osu.edu.

If you have trouble accessing this page, or need an alternate format contact webmaster@stat.osu.edu.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Admissions to the Statistics/Biostatistics Graduate Programs