SPARK | Peer Application Review for Prospective Graduate Students

SPARK | Peer Application Review for Prospective Graduate Students

The Department of Statistics and the Statistics Graduate Student Association (SGSA) at UC Berkeley are firmly committed to promoting greater equity and access in statistics education.

To help demystify the graduate school admissions process, current UC Berkeley Statistics graduate students (Ph.D.) offer a voluntary peer-mentorship initiative: SPARK (Statistics Pre-Application Review & Knowledge-sharing). Prospective graduate students can submit their draft application materials to receive personalized, constructive feedback from current students before submitting their formal applications.

Submitting to SPARK is open to students applying to any graduate program in Statistics at any U.S. university. The submission deadline for the upcoming cycle is October 26, 2026.

Program Information & Process

The primary goals of the SPARK initiative are to:

  • Provide constructive feedback: Offer prospective graduate students valuable feedback on application materials, including Statements of Purpose, Personal Statements, and CVs/Resumes.
  • Guide application framing: Help applicants understand how to frame their academic experiences, accomplishments, interests, and goals in a graduate application.
  • Reduce barriers: Support students who do not have access to mentors or individuals familiar with the graduate application process.
  • Promote equity: Foster greater equity, access, and representation in statistics and data science education.

Current UC Berkeley Ph.D. students serve as volunteer reviewers. The process operates as follows:

  1. Submit your complete first draft of application materials through our online form by October 26, 2026.
  2. A volunteer reviewer will evaluate your materials for structure, tone, clarity, and framing.
  3. Volunteers aim to return feedback between November 13 through November 20, 2026.
  4. Depending on volunteer availability, reviewers may also offer optional virtual office hours via Zoom on their own schedule to discuss feedback and answer general questions about graduate school.

We intend to offer feedback to as many applicants as possible. However, because this initiative is powered entirely by student volunteers, capacity is limited.

In the case of high demand, we will prioritize applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Submitting to SPARK does not guarantee feedback, as we may close the submission form early if volunteer feedback capacity is reached. Applicants will be notified if feedback capacity has been reached.

Submit Materials Here

Please ensure all uploaded files are in PDF format.

 

Program Disclaimers & FAQ

Important Program Policies

Is SPARK connected to the official UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions Committee?

No. Applying to SPARK does not guarantee admission to the UC Berkeley Statistics Ph.D. program and is entirely separate from the official admissions process. Reviewers are current graduate students, not faculty or members of the admissions committee.

Will participating in SPARK affect my chances of admission at UC Berkeley?

No. Participation in SPARK or information submitted to the program will not be shared with the admissions committee or faculty. Choosing to participate—or not to participate—has no bearing on your official admissions decision.

Am I required to apply to UC Berkeley if I use this service?

No. Participating in SPARK does not obligate you to apply to graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. The program is open to prospective students applying to any graduate program in Statistics at any U.S. university.

How is my personal data and submitted material used?

Your materials will be viewed exclusively by the student volunteer assigned to review your application. Information might be aggregated and anonymized to evaluate the impact and reach of this program, but individual responses and personal materials will never be published or shared.

Who can I contact if I have questions about SPARK?

If you have any questions regarding the review program or submission process, please contact the Statistics Graduate Student Association team at sgsa@stat.berkeley.edu.