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mickeykollins

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  1. Also, I just heard from one former student of this prof that he almost never responds to emails. But if you ask him questions in person, he takes plenty of time and consideration to answer and help. That former student also never even went to a conference, but that was due to failed projects and bad timing. And yes, his students take about a year longer to graduate than whats considered the avg time to graduate for this field of study Another red flag was that he mentioned that most of his students get 1-2 1st author publications, with anything higher being RARE. At another school I visited, which is similarly ranked to this school in this field of study, the students usually produce at least FOUR 1st-author pubs Of this prof's last 30 pubs, he has been 1st author about 5 times. The others who are listed as 1st author on the pubs are: 2 were produced by grad students of his, 1 by professor who was a former student of his, 5 from postdocs who were former students of his, 5 by a postdoc who works for him, and 11 from elsewhere (professor who researched at the same school, prof who was never a student of his, etc)
  2. Well, the dept plans to hire another prof in the area I'm interested in. But that prof will be an Assistant prof and non-tenured. I also don't even know who the person so I have no idea what his personality is like and whether his advising style clicks with mine or not
  3. So I've received my grad school offers and narrowed it down to 2 choices. I would like to go the first one, but theres funding issues there and I may not find out all the details until very close to the Apr 15 deadline, according to a prof. For the 2nd, its not ideal since I don't really like the location and it has only one prof doing research in my main interest for now. But according to the grad students I spoke to there, the dept plans to hire 1-2 more profs in that area, but theres no guarantee that I will like that research. Anyways, I have other interests, but they are distantly behind my main one. So much so, that I'm strongly considering reapplying. Anyways, how risky is it to attend a school where theres just one prof you really want to work for? Ever since becoming the director of a facility on campus, I heard that he's not available to students nearly as much. However, he seemed like a pretty nice guy after visiting the school. He will apply for govt grants for funding throughout the next 2 yrs. If he can't get funding that way, he still has the funding from being director of the facility. He only currently has 1 grad student, and he plans to graduate in 2 yrs. He is getting funded by that facility grant. If he hires me, and the prof can't get the govt grants, then I can get funding from the facility grant if that guy graduates. Does this professor sound reliable to work for? Or would it be a major gamble to go to that school?
  4. I sent an email to the 2nd prof to ask if he'd write me a LOR if i reapplied. Hes not responding. I'm getting REALLY nervous about this. Should I just call him?
  5. Anyways, I was thinking of being upfront anddirectly telling my 2nd previous research advisor (the one who ignored myprevious email telling him where I got into, not the prof who already told mehe won't write me LOR if i reapply) that I'm very strongly consideringreapplying. Also, I was thinking of asking if he'll write me another LOR if Ireapply. He has sometimes ignored my emails in the past, but for something assignificant as telling him where I got accepted to, he usually responds tothose kinds of emails. So I took it as a very bad sign that he ignored that.Should I ask him by email or phone? On a side not, come to think about it, I guess Ican't really blame my other advisor who wrote the LORs. He's written them forme about 3 times before. The first time, I turned down the offers I got forsummer research programs because I accepted an internship offer that was closerto home (my father was seriously ill). The 2nd, I again turned down an offerfor a research program to take care of my father who passed away shortlyafterwards. The 3rd, I applied to 1 grad program last year, but turned it down sinceit wasn't funded. So I can see why he'd be irritated that I turned down moreacceptances from his LORs. But OTOH, i don't know if I explained that I turneddown the offers the first 2 times BECAUSE of my father's serious illness. If Idid, I can see why he forgot, as he's busy with other things and I haven't seenhim in person in 3 yrs since hes at another university
  6. Thanks for your kind help again. Its not thestress of reapplying that bugs me. Its having to wait another year, whileliving at home with my mom and not making any money while researching (unless Imanage to find a tutoring job or something). If this happened last year(shortly after I graduated), it wouldn't be too devastating. But I'm startingto feel more and more like an old loser. But I guess that will make me happierthan going to school #1 or 3
  7. If I can't get the LOR from my previous research advisor, then finding 3 new LORs won't be easy and I'd imagine at most 2 of them with be decent. If I can't get into any schools that are more competitive next year than the ones I've currently been accepted to, then reapplying is pointless as much as I don't like my current options I've talked to a few of the profs that research in my main interest, and they appear to be trying to work something out with the dept to offer me some kind of funding. So there may be hope afterall. But I doubt it. Its basically like trying to admit someone after they've been rejected, not just wait-listed. Considering that I spent most of that time just looking at websites of schools, skimming through scientific papers, etc, I guess it was like spending an additional semester as an undergrad since I wasn't making any money from working during that time. Too bad he can get away with that. Screw him
  8. Thanks for the reply. In Phys and Astro, NO ONE has to pay for their school. Its expected that students will get funded some way - TA, RA, etc. The idea of someone having to pay their way in this field is outrageous. I already have spent a year working in industry and the past 5 months working part-time as a tutor and working on applications. I'm REALLY tired of waiting. Thats why even though school #2 isn't my ideal choice, it still would've been good enough for me to go there if they could fund me for my main interest. Thanks for the reply 1. I wish I could take a break. But I have to make a decision in less than 3 weeks. I've already talked to school #2 about the funding issues in my main research interest. But I haven't explained to them that I would be eager to join them if they could just provide me with some funding if i pursue my main research interest. Should I try and beg them to see if they have any other funding options other than TAing? I severely doubt it. Its really a shame that they can only provide me with a TA if I research in my secondary interest areas and CAN'T switch to my main interest 2. As for my previous research advisor, if he won't write me any more LORs, then I have to find 3 NEW LORs! I doubt that I can get more than TWO new LORs if I start research with new profs this spring and summer. So if I can't get another quality LOR from him again, I'd imagine that severely reduces the quality of schools i can get into if i reapply 3. I've already taken 1.5 years off, and if I reapply, then it'll be 2.5 years since I graduated. I'm just sick of this. I know I made the right decision to take the 1.5 years off. But I really feel ready to start and can't imagine the pain of having to wait another year to start. As much as I don't like the options at the 1st and 3rd schools, waiting ANOTHER year sounds just as bad. Living at home with my mom, unable to pay for myself (if I take this year off to research with a prof over the summer and fall, I doubt they can provide funding for me) 4. Deciding to go to a school and then not liking it is NOT fine. I'll have to endure 5 yrs of hell or deal with the turmoil of wanting to transfer or drop out
  9. Thanks for the reply. For the 1st and 3rd schools, its making me depressed, as I've even had some suicidal thoughts. For the 2nd, I actually felt happy after the visit, until I found out that its extremely unlikely that i can get funding for my main research interest. Waiting another year doesnt sound great either. I feel sick knowing that my peers are already in grad school whereas I may not enter school until at least 2 yrs after them. I never imagined being in such a hellish position. I dont even know for sure if my previous research advisor is willing to write me another LOR
  10. So I only applied to a few grad programs in my field, Physics and Astronomy, because I made a very late decision to apply to grad school after taking a year off to work in industry. As a result, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do or where to apply. I only applied to 2 top-10 schools and 4 more in the top-15 range. I didn't get into any of the top-10's but got in to 2 of the 11-15 schools. I also applied to about 8 more math and engineering schools and got into 1 Applied Math program. Theres a few catches with the schools so thats why I honestly don't really see myself being happy going to any of the schools I got into. For one of them, its only a few hours away from where I live and did my undergrad studies at. I lived in this same area my whole life and would like to go to a few environment. I didn't even like the school I did my undergrad at, due in part to troubles with adjusting to transferring there, until my last couple semesters. I guess the main reason I applied to this similar school was because its close to my family, which especially matters to me since I recently lost my father so my mother spends alot more time alone now. Also, the school was pretty strong in the research areas I was interested in. But my interests have changed now, and while this school is still fairly strong in my new interest, it only has 1 prof researching in that area, so its sort of risky in terms of whether I can get along with my advisor or not. Based on the visit, he seemed like a nice guy I could get along with. But hes recently been spending alot of time using the campus' supercomputers and not being available with his students For the 2nd school, I just visited the school and liked the feel of the dept. However, I just recently found out that they're having major funding issues in the research area that is now my main interest. Thus, they can't even guarantee supporting me on a TA if I want to do research in that area. For the 3rd one, I also haven't visited yet, but the location also seems nice. The program offers a wide range of research areas, which appealed to me, but is weak in my (now) main research interest. I'm not enthusiastic about any of my options. I would've been happy going to option #2 until I just recently heard about those problems. I'm seriously considering reapplying If I reapply, I plan to do research in my (now) main research area, and to work maybe 60 hrs/wk in it. I understand theres risks to reapplying. Come to think about it, I will need to get at least 2 new LORs since one of my previous research advisors told me he won't write me LORs again. My other research advisor didn't even respond to my email when I notified him about where I got accepted to and how I hinted that I may want to reapply next year. So I'm guessing he might not even want to write another LOR if I reapply. I guess thats because I may have annoyed him by applying to over 15 schools total (I appleid to about 8 more math and engineering schools. I got rejected from all of them).
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