Helenacyl

Thank you very much! I think your suggestion is really reasonable. Yeah, even though he's trying to discourage me from applying those schools, I do think he is a good professor who will think from student's perspective and try whatever to help, at least from my previous experience. After talking with him and reading all the posts following my topic, I do think I need to be more realistic: not only save my time and money, but also save professor's. He is a respectable professor. I don't want his time and energy, or even reputation, wasted or hurt because of helping me. I will still try one or two of those schools, but target more on lower-ranking schools. Thanks again!

Yeah, you are right. When I talked to him yesterday, he tried to persuade me not to apply those schools and listed many programs that he felt like I have zero probability to get into. But I am not sure how right he is, for my school doesn't have a PhD program in my field. Even though he is the head of my department, he himself said that he's not that familiar with current application market. I think one of the most important reason he concerns is his reputation. He told me that he has some contacts with professors in those schools, whom he considers might get Nobel Prize some day. From his talking, it seems that he is still on the way to build higher reputation in the field.That's why he's so careful in recommending students to those schools where the professors he desired to connect work. Yet after listing all the impossibilities and difficulties, he said if I insist, he would still write "good recommendation letter" for me. and do whatever he can to help me. But I don't know how "good" he means. Also he did doubt my ability to excel in those programs, for he said, they are genius people. but we are only smart...

I am pretty new here, so I am not sure whether my case frequently happens on others. I just got my master degree from a university ranking around 50 in US. Currently I am applying phd programs for 2013 fall. Going to top schools have been one of my dreams these years. For me, it doesn't hurt to try in my application. But my professor concerns that those top schools are long shorts for me. And my "unreasonable" application strategy may have a substantial negative impact on the reputation of recommenders. And my professor asked me to sit and talk with him regarding my application. Do you think I should insist on choosing him as my referral? Since this professor is the best referral among my referrals: he knew me well, he had very good impression about me ( I took his course before; he gave me high grade and actively offer me TA for him), and he was most renowned professor among the three (actually he is the head of my department), I really hope that he can write LOR for me. So what shall I do? What shall I say when I talk to him? I know the worst situation is that to find another professor now, which is only two or three weeks before deadlines... Any idea? Any suggestions will be appreciated!