关于UW-Seattle MS Statistics学位工作申博的情况

共享一些信息，主要是和Director Galen的email

Dear sir/madam:

I have been admitted to the MS statistics-Advanced Methods and Data Analysis program recently. I like this program very much but I have a batch of questions as following:

1. I noticed that this program has switched to a professional program under the Professional & Continuing Education as quoted from the website: 'The course is being run through Professional and Continuing Education.' Then what is the difference between a program in Professional & Continuing Education and the previous one in the Department of Statistics? Will I receive a degree(masters' diploma) with the wording 'Professional & Continuing Education'? And how is the quality of teaching of this program?

2. What is the size of the incoming class?

3. As you expect, what will most of the graduates do when they finish the program? (continuing Ph.D. or finding jobs)

Thank you very much for your help in advance.

Hi XXX,

First off.   I  e-mailed the UW administration,
to be sure I got the answer to this important question absolutely right.
It is as I would have hoped and expected.
It will be a University of Washington Degree from the Statistics Department. PCE will not show up on the diploma

This degree for which you are admitted is a fairly new degree.
We admitted our first  Class(2012--2014)   in Autumn 2012,
and they will graduate this Winter or Spring of 2014.  
We kept this class small while we gained some experience.
The next Class(2013--2014) is nearing the end of the first of their two years.

Prior to instituting the new degree for which you have applied,
we did have the other "Part Time/Concurrent Master's Degree" available
---you may also have seen it on our website.
In fact, it is primarily a part time degree  taken mainly by local part time students
coming from Microsoft, Boeing, technical staff in other UW departments, etc.
We did admit a few full time students for that degree,
but we did so primarily for residents of our home  state of Washington.

So, it is without question this new degree will have more students, higher quality students,
. .иstudents with clearer objectives that they want to reach more quickly,
and that the department will devote considerably more resources
to supporting this new Masters program.

In Autumn 2012 (while we got the program set up) we took just 7 students.
In Autumn 2013 we accepted 18 students, which is the rough size we want.
This year our goal is again to admit 15 to 20 into this FT MS program to which you have been accepted.

You asked what our graduates will do once they have this MS degree.
...Of the first seven, I know that 3 have been admitted to go on to graduate school.
...Two are for sure seeking jobs::
(One of these is a Chinese girl that has a job for Spring lined up in Portland, Oregon.
She hopes to make that permanent.
An ordinary American boy came from a job with a company, and he will look for other possible jobs
knowing that he has the option to go back to an improved situation where he worked previously.)
...I haven't heard recently what the other two are up to.
I know that one of these was looking for a position here on campus,
and had some specific hopes the last time I talked to him.
The other girl was in the process of interviewing at a couple place.

I hope this is a help to you.  I know this is a very important decision for your life.
We certainly have a strong belief in your abilities and potential,
and we know that you came from a quality program
at Sun Yat  Sen University where you did very well.
We would be very pleased to have you study with us here at the University of Washington
as you continue on in the adventure of life.
Galen

Galen Shorack
Program Director.

Dear Program Director，

Thank you very much for your earnest reply to my questions. Your are really helpful! What is more important, your kindness and sincerity touch me indeed. It will be my honor to work with such a nice director like you! can't wait to see you in Seattle..
I will soon make a decision upon my further education. And I have additional questions as follows:
1. You mentioned that 3 out of 7 are going to grad schools. Could you let me know where exactly they are going? If I rank 1st or 2nd in the program by the time I apply for PhD in statistics, is it likely to get offers from Stanford/Harvard/UCB/Yale?
2. Is it possible that MS students will be accepted into the PhD program via qualifying exams or with the approval of the director? Since the class size is fairly small, I guess students in MS program may have a lot of interaction with the professors and thus professor know every student very well. So even if MS students reapply for the PhD program in statistics at UW, they might hold some kind of priviledge, don't they?
3. How likely do you think your graduates (especially non-citizens) can get full-time offers from US companies? Since the size of your first class is too small, it is hard to judge from that. But I guess it is easy for your graduates to find jobs in Seattle, isn't it? My expectation for salary is really low...
4. I recently have been put on the alternate admit list of Master of Statistical Science Program at Duke. They intend to admit a total of 12 students this year. Duke has a better general reputation but your department is ranked high as far as the discipline is concerned. Which program will benefit me better if I will do a PhD in Statistics ultimately.

Yours sincerely,

Hi XXX
One of those is among the schools you mention, one is UW, one is else.
The PhD is also highly competitive.
The advantage that someone very good would have, is that we would really know it.
Anything else I said beyond my first letter would just be speculation, and I'll avoid that.
Galen

很有用！谢谢！

UW统计很棒啊，UW就是西雅图吗？

我上过这老头的课，人很好

学习了，原来是一个新开的学位