chemgeek

I have a question that some people may or may not have experience with. It is starting to seem somewhat likely that there will be no summer funding in my lab. Backstory: I'm in my third year of a PhD in chemistry. I joined a new professors lab when I came ( I know, risky!). He burned through start-up funds faster than I think was smart planning. No grants have come through. We've been publishing papers all along though. And, the department I'm in does not seem inclined to front him any bridge funds until he gets funded on his own. Since I enrolled, the department has actively cut the number of teaching positions available, so getting one in the summer is like striking pay dirt. There simply are not enough for all the people that need them. I am waiting to hear back about a fellowship I applied for and should hear in late May. My advisor is also waiting to hear back about 3 grants, which we should know about by late may too. Even if some of these come through, there's not a likely chance we will see the money immediately. My last paycheck for being a teaching assistant this semester is the last week of May. So my question is, what would you do? I could not do research for the summer and try to scramble and find some type of retail work. I could do part-time work and then be in lab to at least keep research moving. Or I can work as if nothing has changed and feel debased that I'm not being compensated. I'm single and as I started grad school straight out of undergrad I don't have a lot of savings and taking out more loans is not something I would consider. The idea of losing three months progress sucks because I REALLY don't want to be in grad school any longer than is necessary at this point, but I'm not in a financial position really to be unpaid for three whole months. Has anyone been through this or seen it happen in other departments?

Some people have listed on the results page that they got accepted/rejected over the phone. Did you guys call professors and get told politely your result or did you call the admissions office? Most of their websites say they will not give out that information over the phone. The waiting is driving me crazy!

I got one of those too. I think you're pretty much in, as long as you don't do something unspeakable at the open house, like show up naked. I unfortunately already agreed to go to another open house that weekend Hopefully they let me visit another day.

I hoped waiting would get easier once I'd heard from some schools and got an initial acceptance. But it really hasn't! I still feel like I'm going crazy.

ishyesh, what do your stats look like? I applied to a couple of overlapping schools but have not heard from them yet.