Admissions committees?

[benzo]

I have a question about how graduate admissions committees work. I have a good relationship with a professor at one of my top choice schools. We have met a couple times to discuss our ongoing research and correspond periodically. He encouraged me to apply to his university. I am hoping that he will be on the graduate admissions committee, as he seems like someone who might possibly "go to bat" for me if my application were under discussion. However, he was the chair of the admissions committee last year. Does this mean that he likely will not be on the committee this year? Unclear how this works. It would be a bummer if he were not on the committee.

[gingin6789]

I'm not sure if every university is the same, but my thesis advisor was on the graduate admissions committee for two years.  I'm not sure if him being the chair for a year would mean he would be off the committee completely the next year ... I wish I could better answer your question!

Regardless, the fact that he knows you and wants you to apply likely means he'll put in a good word for you to the admissions committee, whether he is on the committee or not... or at least I hope he would!

[fuzzylogician]

Admissions decision are made differently in different departments so we can't really help you here. Some departments will have the same person head the admissions effort every year, with members of the committee either more or less permanent or rotating. Some will re-elect a new committee every year. Some departments send the applications out to faculty identified in the fit paragraph even if they are not on the committee to give their opinion. I know several departments that have all the faculty vote on who to accept, after the committee has read the files and ranked the candidates, and I know departments where everyone is involved in the process (usually small ones). It's good news that there is someone who knows you and is on your side, but we can't really know how much power he will have to help you.