Admissions Track Declaration Process
As part of your application process, all prospective students are required to carefully select their specialized educational path during the initial application phase. This page outlines the step-by-step track declaration process and critical selection criteria to help you plan your application effectively.
1. Dual-Track Selection
When submitting your application through the official Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Admissions portal, you must state your track preferences:
- First-Choice Track Declaration: This represents your primary area of academic concentration (e.g., General Statistics, Statistical Machine Learning & AI, or Risk & Financial Modeling).
- Second-Choice Track Declaration: This functions as an automatic backup path in the event that your primary choice is oversubscribed or highly restricted.
2. Default Placements for Unspecified Applications
To ensure a seamless evaluation, a default placement protocol is enforced for incomplete or non-declared applications. Admitted applicants who do not express a track preference within the active GSAS application system will automatically be placed into the General Statistics Track.
3. Highly Competitive ML/AI Track Standards
Applicants must note that admission to the Statistical Machine Learning & AI Track is expected to be highly competitive. The admissions committee evaluates candidates based on academic background, quantitative proficiency, and technical experience. Because of this competitive environment, applicants are strongly advised to select their first and second choices strategically. Remember, if the ML/AI track is listed as your second-choice option, you will not receive automatic backup consideration.
4. Admission Notification and Track Assignment
All candidates who are admitted to the Statistics MA program will receive official communication detailing their formal track assignment. The track placement details are shared within days following receipt of the formal GSAS admission letter.