MrWizard454

Thank you everyone for the insightful responses. It definitely sounds like, while joint projects are possible, they tend to gravitate towards one single direction (or lab in this case). Depending on how things go, it looks like there may be some hard decisions in the next few weeks. As a hypothetical, does it help in any way if one of the PI's has already thought about a number of different projects where the two groups "overlap", or is this just a natural consequence of different components of research all having different paces?

Hello all, So I just recently finished my first semester in a PhD program and now find myself in the situation of having to choose a research group before the end of January and I have a couple different options open which I was hoping to get some input on, each with different positives attached. My first lab rotation was in a synthesis group which was insanely fun making all sorts of diverse materials. The group members' dynamic is great, but the PI isn't readily available and can often be harsh on his students, sometimes going beyond criticizing just their work in comments. My second round was with a photonics group. The PI is often available, is very friendly, and a great all around advisor. When I mentioned my first lab group, he brought up the possibility of working with both groups as a joint appointment and I got the impression he had a project in mind for me to possibly work on which (from his comments) matched up really well with my work from my 1st rotation. Just for some context, I'm a huge fan of nanosynthesis and photonics and pretty much spent the 6 months leading up to the start of the program researching these fields as much as I could. I definitely love the work so when the possibility of a joint appointment was brought up, I couldn't imagine a better way to putting together two different fields, with different skill sets/resources/approaches to research which I see as beneficial. But I'm also unfamiliar with how joint appointments work- I've heard they require very clear, regular communication with both PI's to make sure everyone is on the same page. My third option actually consists of several professors who are considered a part of a single "group" and they're a little more discrete as the research itself goes. I took a course with one of the professors and I know him to be an outstanding scientist/mentor/advisor (and have heard great things about the others in the group) and they have amazing collaborations, but the work itself is just not something I'm quite as enthusiastic about, at least relative to the above mentioned PI's. I was just curious what others' experiences were with this sort of thing and what they would recommend in this type of situation. Thanks in advance for the help and happy holidays.

Thank you both for the responses, I'll definitely take a look at some outreach opportunities while I'm at it. If you don't mind my asking, when would you say is the best opportunity to take up an internship during grad school? I know past the first year with course work, there's typically less structure since you're doing research full time (no start/end to the semester). Would any time during that be ideal?

Hey All, Just wanted to get some tips on a topic I've been wondering about for a while. So I'm about to start a PhD in photovoltaics or something nano-related come the Fall. I'm absolutely looking forward to it, but having spent some time in industry, I think I have a better sense of the kind of job I might want far down the line and wanted tips on how to prepare for it. I love R&D, but in the long term I'm wondering about opportunities for leadership roles in this capacity. I know a PhD by itself is pretty rigorous, but could anyone offer any tips as far as how to distinguish yourself even amongst PhD candidates? What in graduate school would you say distinguishes someone for management in comparison to other PhD students who are all working equally hard? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the heads up. Regardless, congrats on the acceptance! If you don't mind my asking, what did you think of the school while visiting? And Chesmo, I'm sorry to hear it.

By the way, anyone hear *anything* from Rutgers? They're my last school out before making my decision. I want to give them fair consideration, but I hear from a number of sources (current students in the Chem and Bio department) that this could take until the first week of April, which is really frustrating.

As a random question semi-related to this, if you're accepted to a school and go for a campus visit, has it ever happened where your admissions can be retroactively taken away? I would think no, but say on the off chance if you don't feel that you put your best foot forward during the visit? In a similar boat to the OP, and want to make sure that I ask all the appropriate questions.

Makes me feel more comfortable to hear, thank you for that. I did hear something about an agreement, but I wasn't sure if it strictly applied to acceptances or if it also took funding into account.

For anyone with experience in this, is it possible for you to lose funding/scholarship if you accept a school's offer too late? I just heard back from Stony Brook on Friday and was wondering if I'd be shooting myself in the foot by waiting to see how my other schools turn out. Granted, it's still early, but I want to make sure I take that into account.

Hey all, just recently became unemployed at the start of the new year due to my contract expiring at a major chemical company (I left on very good terms with my employers however who were very upset to see me go). Unfortunately, this is starting to have an effect on my confidence in applying to graduate programs, since my decision to go to grad school has led me to an "all or nothing" style gambit, which I'm desperate to see pay off. Majors: Chemistry, Philosophy Undergraduate GPA: 3.12 Chemistry GPA: 3.11 GRE Verbal: 162 (89%) GRE Quantitative: 160 (78%) Analytical Writing: 5.5 (98%) Chemistry GRE: 720 (54 %) Unfortunately, I didn't have the highest Chemistry GPA in undergraduate, which was largely due to starting my major about a year and a half before graduating. Luckily, one of my recommenders from undergrad who was well aware of my circumstances promised to go into detail regarding why she thinks I'm an excellent applicant and the reasons for my struggle. I've also had my personal statement reviewed by her and several others (grad students, my recommenders, etc) who assure me that it does an excellent job of outlining exactly why I will be beneficial to a PhD program. Regardless, I've spent two years since graduating in industry, because I didn't think my application (or my laboratory skills) was strong enough at the time of graduating. My first year was spent as an R&D chemist synthesizing infrared absorbing dyes and optimizing our reaction formulations, as well as production. My more recent experience (which just ended) was spent analyzing precious metal/moisture content in samples. The experience was a well-rounded mix of bench chemistry, instrumentation experience, and R&D. The manager of my laboratory put together a great recommendation vouching for my Chemistry skills, but I'm still unsure how my unorthodox career might look to an Admissions Committee. No publications, unfortunately. So a few questions this now leads me to: 1) What are my chances at getting into at least one of these listed universities: Penn State, Rutgers University, Boston College, Stony Brook University, Princeton University, or Columbia University? I do have references at both Rutgers and Stony Brook (not POI's, but other individuals important to the University), but not well enough that I'd regard either as guaranteed. 2) What methods would you all recommend to prepare in the mean time while waiting to see regarding interviews and acceptances, etc? I have more than a few grad level text books which I've purchased since graduating that I do pick my way through regularly. 3) Are there any free methods of accessing research publications? I'm often told how important it is to keep up on relevant literature, but I don't have many financially viable means of doing so (to my knowledge). 4) I've heard different things regarding how industry experience is regarded for PhD applicants. Some have told me that it makes grad students able to function more independently, but I've heard others say that unless it's entirely research focused, it will be viewed negatively. Thank you everyone and I hope this is not in poor taste on my part. Answers to any or all are appreciated.

Thanks for the tips! I read so many articles about impeccable grammar and making sure that the grad application is absolutely perfect that I forget they're human too.

Hey all, was just looking for some quick words of wisdom about a typo I made on my Rutgers Graduate application for Chemistry which I only just noticed about an hour ago (the application was submitted two weeks ago and is due on Monday). At one point, I'm asked to describe my work experience in 100 words or less where I mention working with "spend auto catalyst materials" instead of writing "spent auto catalyst materials". I have pretty solid GRE scores, two years of industry experience, great recommendation letters, and a personal statement. The error in question wasn't made on my resume or essay. Will something like this immediately toss me into the denial bin? Thanks in advance.