maru58

That is good to know that I'm not alone in this. Did you decide to jon the program?

Thank you very much, rising_star and TakeruK! I had talked to my advisor and he is writing a grant. He told me he expected to fund me with his grant next year and beyond. But if it can't happen next year then I will continue TA-ting. He's a new professor so he needs PhD students to work on his research to have as many published papers as possible in the near future. That's why he told me he'll make sure my TA work won't be heavy and that I can start working on guided research with him after the first semester. So I'm hopeful. It seems like they're trying to get me RA funding. But if for some reason it is still not available next year then I have a back up option of TA-ing. For me, it's nice to know that since it's better than nothing I have other offers with guaranteed funding for 4 years. But they are nowhere in the same rank with this program. I just wonder if this one is low risk enough to take on and forego all the guaranteed funding offers

Thanks. I did talk to some current students and they pretty much said that it depends largely on my advisor, who is pretty new. That's why I asked the department head to see how often students get enough funding to finish their program. And I got the answer above. It looks like if my advisor cannot secure a grant for me next year, then TA funding is available as long as I do a good job?

Hello, So I have spent the last month freaking out, weighing my PhD offers. And now it's getting close to the time to make that decision. I have decided to accept an offer from a pretty good ranking PhD program (Top 10 - none of my other offers come close). In my acceptance letter, it is said that I will be funded for the first year and then funding will be renewed for future years based on my good performance and funds availability. Worried about the "funds availability" part, I had emailed the department head about the change to get funded until finishing my degree and he said that in my situation, I'll quote, after TA-ing for the first year, "your advisor will appoint you to an RA position and if this is not available, TA funding for future years is dependent on your performance." Does it mean that if I'm doing well, there's a good chance that I will be funded throughout my degree (around 3-4 years)? Are there any more questions you think I should ask him at this point before making my commitment? Any advice would be deeply appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Update on my situation: I have tried to get more information on funding at school A to no avail. Graduate program coordinator said that the department does not document this information and funding depends on advisors (now it looks like I will have to have another talk with my potential advisor). The current students are not sure about how PhD students there do financially and they won't reveal much about their personal situations. I'm afraid when I ask my advisor about the chance PhD students at the department get funded for the entire degree, he would say he does know know since he's new. So, funding situation at A seems pretty weak

When I already put everything I had in my application? What could they possibly ask me at this point? I had made it very clear on my application why I chose the program, research interests, career choice, accomplishments, etc. This skype interview is supposed to make decision about funding but I'm not sure what to prepare? Thanks.

Has anyone currently been in this program? I have been accepted with a generous funding and I'm wondering about the reputation, future job aspects, opportunities to stay in academia if I get my PhD in Natural Resources here. Thanks very much.

Thank you very much. I just email the graduate program coordinator. Hope it will clear something up for me.

Thanks for your advice. Do you think it would be appropriate if I email a department chair to ask about the chance that PhD students get funding for their entire degrees at the department? My new professor is not sure about that since he's new and I'm afraid I'd offend him if I come to another professor for information.

Thank you very much, everyone, for your very helpful perspectives. It looks like A has turned the table and has the most votes now. My young professor at A has few articles published since he just started. But he currently has 4 articles in submission and some other research projects ongoing so I'm hopeful that I can collaborate with him to result in some published articles during my PhD. We both need that.

At school B, the program director will be my advisor for the first year (I'll be TAing the first year) then I can choose an advisor whose research interests me the most so in the first few semesters I can decide who I want to be my advisor and can have both a general advisor and a research advisor. At school A, since the young professor supported my application and I was accepted so that I can work on his project, I think he will be my research professor. He already has a few research projects lined up that he wants me to work on. However, I also TA the first year so I'll report to another professor (a more experienced associate professor). I think the young professor felt my uneasiness having him as the sole advisor so he said it wouldn't matter who i will choose as advisor later (if i don't like him) as long as I decide to come.

Basically nothing would happen. Although it's very not recommended to accept then reject an offer. It ruins the school's planning and probably it's not good for someone from your country who later applies to the same program. If you already have an I-20 issue you would have to request your international student office to release your SEVIS number to the new school (that you decide to attend).

I have an update on my situation after talking to POIs at Universities A and B: Professor at B said that the chance that I will have guaranteed funding for my entire degree is close to 100% (most admitted PhD students got guaranteed funding through the program) and after the degree I'll have the opportunities to teach classes in the department (because teaching that subject is really in demand there). Professor at A said that he expects me to work with him over the summer so I'll have funding for the summer as well. He also said he'll try his best to secure funding for me throughout my studies, and on the school website it looks like the department is committed to fund its PhD students through their entire degrees but again he's a new professor so I'm not sure. I emailed one current student but haven't heard back from them yet. Will email another student today. Professor at C is still MIA which really makes me concerned :/ I thought professors at Ivy aren't supposed to be this non-communicative What do you think about my updated situation? Thanks

Hello, I was called for an interview for funding at a university that already accepted me. However, I just developed some sort of seasonal allergies which make my eyes water uncontrollably every 5 mins. My allergies usually last for more than a week. The interview is in 2 days. I don't think it would be a good idea to meet potential professors looking like I'm crying so I'm thinking about cancel the interview. How accepting universities are regarding cancelled interviews? Would it hurt my chance? Should I show up anyway? Thanks.

Thank you very much!

It is definitely important to me. Is contacting current students at the department to ask about their funding situation a good idea? Also, is it possible (and if yes, how) to ask another professor (more experienced) with the same research interests to be co-advisor?

Thanks very much everyone. Looks like B gets the most votes here. Chai_latte: I was just lazy to type all of it. It's subject to satisfactory performance. I guess if you do a good job with TA/RAship + maintain good academic performance (above certain GPA) then you're good. I just talked to the young professor at University A and he said that the idea is he'll support me second year and beyond with his grant. But I'm afraid if he doesn't get grant approved. He also said that if the grant does not go through then I may continue TA-ing. On the department website, it says that for students who already had masters in a technical field like me, the PhD only takes 3 three years and they expect to fund these students for 3 years. Does that look like that they'll have fund for me throughout the course of my studies? The young professor seems passionate. He recommended me a few books to read to prepare for research and classes there, and he said that he'll make sure that I'll do light TA work so that I can start doing research. I'm only sure I want to do research. I'm not sure about going to industry or stay in academia, but my current goal is to have a few papers published during the PhD. I'm afraid if I go with B and if I decide later on to stay in academia my chance would be limited

Hello, THanks very much for your opinion. Would you still choose B if its ranking (according to USnews) is top 70 compared to A and C (among top 10)?

Sorry I think I posted this in the wrong place? How can I delete this to avoid duplicate? Sorry

Duplicate topic. Deleted. Sorry

Hello, I have been accepted with funding to several schools and now I'm having a hard time making the very important decision so I'd appreciate your inputs on my situation. 3 of my school choices are: University A: - My program is ranked pretty high here. It's an interdisciplinary program with one aspect among top 5 and another aspect among top 20 of the US. - Good funding for 9 months, not sure about the summer yet. - Funding guaranteed for the first year and is expected to renew for the next 3 years subject to performance and fund availability. - Advisor is a young professor who just came to the Uni last year. His goal is to have lots of papers published in respected journals, which is also my goal. He seems a really nice and passionate person and he wishes to train me to be a great researcher. But again, he's a fairly new professor, so I'm a bit worried. - School location is not really ideal. It's not really remote and it has things going on but it's not considered an exciting place to live. - Good internship opportunities since some of the companies I wish to intern/work for is close by (2-3 hours away). - I have to move from another state (I'm terrible at moving). University B: - Lower ranked program. - Good funding, guaranteed for first year and is expected to renew for the next 3 years subject to performance (note: they don't say subject to fund availability, so I assume they'll have enough fund for me for the next 3 years?) - Paid summer appointment guaranteed. - They like me so much they give me $5k more in fellowship for the first year. - Advisor is an associate professor who already has quite a bit accomplishments. - Locate right 7 miles from where I live now. - Nice college town with a lot of friends I already am close to. University C: - Highly ranked program (among top 10). - Prestigious school. - Too remote. In the middle of nowhere, which is really really depressing for me to live in for the next 4 years. - Funding guaranteed for 1st year. Not certain about years after. - Advisor not very communicative. I tried to ask her about my assistantship and 2nd year funding but she didn't respond to me (yet! - it's been 2 weeks). - Good experienced advisor. All 3 programs are very much aligned with my research interests. I wish to work in research positions (either in academia or government agency or industry) after getting my PhD. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks :-)

Such as environmental and natural resources science/economics, energy resources, renewable energy, etc? I've been looking but they're not in any definite category? Thanks a lot.

Thanks very much for your response, GeoDUDE! I might very well be misunderstanding my situation, which is more often than I can count tbh. I did RA for my Master and never TAed before so I really did not know how it works. I will contact the professor who recommended me I guess, since he asked me to join his research group. I'm just surpised that I was offered a TA rather than an RA since he sent me a long email explaining his current research projects and wanted me to work with him on said research.

Hello, Recently I got an admission offer with funding and tuition waiver from one of my top schools for PhD program. I was contacted by a potential advisor asking if I'm interested in his research. I said I am and a few days later I got the offer with funding from the department. However, it says in the offer letter that I will have to report to another professor, not the professor contacting me, even though it mentions that he was the one recommending my application. And my assistantship is TA not RA while I thought I would have a chance to work as an RA in his lab. The letter does specify, however, that the TA is for the first year then it might transition to RA in the second year subject to performance satisfaction and fund availability. My questions are: 1) Should I approach the professor who contacted me and ask him about the second year? (such as when I could join his research team, as his research areas are very much aligned with my interests and I'm more interested in doing research to have papers published than TA-ing, and also about a chance for summer research?) 2) Is it normal to be asked to join the research group of one professor but have to report to another professor (who I didn't contact and didn't contact me)? 3) Should I ask the professor about funding for the second year and beyond, as I'm concerned about the "subject to...fund availability" part? I'm afraid to be cut off after the first year because of lack of fund. If that's possible then I'll be more likely to accept offers from other schools that guarantee funding me for 4 years for a certain project. Thanks very much in advance for your help!