I'm an undergraduate currently applying for Fall 2016 Master's programs in Statistics (or sometimes Applied Statistics, depending on the program).
One of my applications has this question:
If you are applying for a master's degree, do you intend to continue for the doctoral degree?
The options are yes/no/not applicable.
Here's the thing–I honestly don't know. I could really see myself doing either. My eventual goals are something like data analysis/statistical modeling, especially with social science implications–although I've done a little bit of undergraduate "research" coding web apps that involve visual inference and statistical tests.
I'm not applying to any PhD programs not because I definitely don't want a PhD, but because my academic record is a bit weaker than most (I got a D in a math class my freshman year, cleared up some ADHD issues before my sophomore year, and have done really well since).
Soul-searching about what I really want more notwithstanding, would it be a greater sin to say "yes" and then not go on for a doctorate, or would the alternative be worse? If I say "yes," will my application be judged more harshly?