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Hi! I'm a senior who is now applying for Chemistry PhD this year. Last year because of the pandemic our school gave us the option to have one class as credit/no credit mode and it wouldn't affect our GPA. I'm a chemistry major and biochem is not required for my major. But because I didn't have any other class to take, I took biochem along with advanced organic and the second semester of p chem. And turns out my professor was really slow at grading and not a great professor, so I ended up putting my biochem class as credit/no credit. I was wondering would this affect my grad school application? Given that biochem is not required for my major and I'm just taking it to explore more fields of chemistry? Any opinions and insights would be appreciated!! P.S.: Just a litte bit background, my GPA is 3.92 and my major GPA is 3.91.

Decision day is right around the corner--and I can't decide between the two schools. I am interested in inorganic synthesis (had been researching on nanomaterials and energy conversion in undergrad research). Both schools are providing stipends, both seem to have great professors in inorganic field.. any advice/feedback about the two schools would be appreciated!

My interests perfectly coincide with one of the professors at UChicago, but I'm a little concerned that UChicago might have less name recognition than Cornell. Also the professors at Cornell are somewhat older and, therefore, more known. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Hello! I have narrowed my list down to these two schools and I am trying to make the decision and would love an outside perspective! Wisconsin Madison: Pros: *Tons of labs that interest me, including a relatively famous PI who has shown interest in me *a location that really appeals to me (though I have never been) *good impression during visit days, people had good work life balance, the school seemed very supportive etc. Cons: *stipend seems a little low (even taking into account COL) especially because you have to pay student fees and health insurance premiums *students seemed a little aimless, like no one could really answer what are you planning after grad school? Career development did not seem to be a big focus *far from family Yale: Pros: *A select few faculty whose research I find very compelling and who have indicated I could work with them. My work is also closely adjacent to biophysics and Yale is one of the best places in the country for that research *Very generous stipend (including a fellowship and great health insurance) *Close to family *school name carries weight if I were to leave research *many career development opportunities Cons: *location does not appeal to me *most faculty I am interested in are new faculty and I worry about funding and tenure and their inexperience with mentoring *small department Let me know what you think! Thank you!

Hello all, Just want to know... Is University of New Mexico really a good school?? For PhD chemistry studies.

Hello! I have narrowed my list down to these two schools and I am trying to make the decision and would love an outside perspective! Wisconsin Madison: Pros: *Tons of labs that interest me, including a relatively famous PI who has shown interest in me *a location that really appeals to me (though I have never been) *good impression during visit days, people had good work life balance, the school seemed very supportive etc. Cons: *stipend seems a little low (even taking into account COL) especially because you have to pay student fees and health insurance premiums *students seemed a little aimless, like no one could really answer what are you planning after grad school? Career development did not seem to be a big focus *far from family Yale: Pros: *A select few faculty whose research I find very compelling and who have indicated I could work with them. My work is also closely adjacent to biophysics and Yale is one of the best places in the country for that research *Very generous stipend (including a fellowship and great health insurance) *Close to family *school name carries weight if I were to leave research Cons: *location does not appeal to me *most faculty I am interested in are new faculty and I worry about funding and tenure *small department Let me know what you think! Thank you!

Hello! I have my B.S. in Chemistry and have been a working chemist for about 5 years now but my real passion is working with animals and I am interested in pursuing a career in wildlife ecology/conservation. Does anyone have a similar experience of switching careers from chemistry to conservation/biology/etc.? I would love to just work in the field and gain experience without having to go back to school but that's probably not possible :( I do not have a strong biology background so I don't think I have much of a chance of getting accepted into graduate programs... I'm wondering if I should try getting a post baccalaureate degree in wildlife science/ecology/conservation/etc. or possibly get a graduate certificate or take some prerequisites before applying to grad school. Also, I live in Portland, OR and don't really want to move so I think my only schooling options would be online or OSU. OSU has a few different graduate programs, two of which I'd be interested in: Masters of Wildlife Science (very competitive) or a Graduate Certificate in Wildlife Management which would be easier to get into but would still require that I take prerequisites but could be a foot in the door for meeting faculty and give me an advantage if I want to enroll in the masters program later. Or I could get a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences but not sure if it's worth the time, effort, and cost. Basically I'm really confused and don't know what to do so any advice on this would be great! Thank you so much!

Hi all, I know it's early but I am starting this thread so that anyone who is applying to the 2021 application season can their credentials or news of offers once they are sent out! Feel free to share anything related to your grad school goals!

Background: I am from Eastern Europe (extremely low-income family even by local standards) Primary research area of interest: organometallic chemistry Languages: Russian (native), Ukrainian (native), English (fluent), German (a little). BSc in chemistry from #1 university in my home country (almost unknown internationally) GPA: about 92-93, which is about 4.0 on a 4-point scale I guess. Research experience: about 6.5 years (4.5 years of affiliated research and 2 years of research done without an institutional affiliation) Publications: 2 pubs in respected but specialized international journals (impact factors are about 1.5-2). One of them is first-author and another one is sole-author. In both cases, I am also the corresponding author. Working on a couple more. GRE General: 164Q (83%)/167V(98%)/4.0(55%). TOEFL iBT: 108/120 (R30 L29 S22 W27) GRE Subject: the test was canceled (TWICE!) due to COVID-19, but I'm sure I would've gotten 99 percentile. LoRs: ppl in my home country don't know about the culture of LoR-writing in the US, so I guess they should be good, but not as flattering as American letters usually are. Also, no LoR from my research advisor because he hates the US (yes, I know it's nuts!): he wrote a good letter but refused to submit it to American universities. None of my recommenders are known outside my home country. I am applying to Caltech, Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, Cornell, UChicago, Columbia and some safety schools. I'm particularly concerned about my LoRs and about my low test scores. Taking the tests wearing a facemask was a giant clusterfuck since I have a moderate asthma and breathing through the facemask is a problem. Also, my previous university is unknown outside the post-USSR area, so my GPA probably won't help me. What do you think? P.S. I know that some will say it's a flex post but it's not. I've heard that there are lot of international applicants that got rejected with better scores and more publications. I'm not sure if such rumors are true though.

Background: I am from Eastern Europe (extremely low-income family even by local standards) Primary research area of interest: organometallic chemistry Languages: Russian (native), Ukrainian (native), English (fluent), German (a little). BSc in chemistry from #1 university in my home country (almost unknown internationally) GPA: about 92-93, which is about 4.0 on a 4-point scale I guess. Research experience: about 6.5 years (4.5 years of affiliated research and 2 years of research done without an institutional affiliation) Publications: 2 pubs in respected but specialized international journals (impact factors are about 1.5-2). One of them is first-author and another one is sole-author. In both cases, I am also the corresponding author. Working on a couple more. GRE General: 164Q (83%)/167V(98%)/4.0(55%). TOEFL iBT: 108/120 (R30 L29 S22 W27) GRE Subject: the test was canceled (TWICE!) due to COVID-19, but I'm sure I would've gotten 99 percentile. LoRs: ppl in my home country don't know about the culture of LoR-writing in the US, so I guess they should be good, but not as flattering as American letters usually are. Also, no LoR from my research advisor because he hates the US (yes, I know it's nuts!): he wrote a good letter but refused to submit it to American universities. None of my recommenders are known outside my home country. I am applying to Caltech, Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, Cornell, UChicago, Columbia and some safety schools. I'm particularly concerned about my LoRs and about my low test scores. Taking the tests wearing a facemask was hell since I have a moderate asthma and breathing through the facemask is a problem. Also, my previous university is unknown outside the post-USSR area, so my GPA probably won't help me. What do you think? P.S. I know that some will say it's a flex post but it's not. I've heard that there are lot of international applicants that got rejected with better scores and more publications. I'm not sure if such rumors are true though.

I applied in my senior year without hope as my stats weren't good, but I tried to take a shot to gain some experience. I applied to about 4 schools for chemistry and biochemistry programs and got all rejects, which I wasn't too surprised since I wasn't finished taking major courses. I'm not too proud of my stats: 3.2 GPA, 3.1 major GPA, 143/154/4.0 GRE, 2.5 years of research experience (both experiences in synthesis and biochemistry research), and no pub. I graduated already, and I'm trying to apply again this upcoming cycle around October-December. I have about 6-8 months before submitting my applications, so what would be the most productive way to fill this gap? Some things that I'm already working on are: - I am currently working on GRE, and I'm also planning to take the Chemistry GRE in September. - I talked with my research advisor, and we can work on a paper to submit for one of the research I did. So, I might possibly be a second-author for the paper. - I am also trying to replenish the LORs. The research advisor said he wrote a strong one before, and he would update it more for this one. I also have different professor writing LOR for this time who is very understanding and knows me well. I'm currently looking for 3rd recommender, but it's in process for now. - I am trying to find a research position of some sort to gain more research experience. I'm not sure if that would be helpful at this point, since I just have months left. - I am getting the feeling that doing Masters to recover my GPA won't be worth the chance, since it is another investment, and I have a set goal that I want to go for PhD for academia path. I've been seeing some good constructive advice here, and I would love to hear back thoughts and comments on my situation. Thank you

I've had an unusual experience regarding my application to Boston University for their chemistry PhD program. I did not receive any information about the status of my application till mid February, when a PI of my interest contacted me asking for a Skype interview. They never followed up on my reply though, even after a reminder, and so I never had that Skype interview. Then at the end of February I got an email from the grad office saying I was on a small waitlist, stating that they could only make a limited number of initial offers and that they didn't have space for me in that initial round, hence the waitlist. I responded to that waitlist email basically saying thank you and that I look forward to the result. So my three questions: 1) Is it worrying that the PI never had the Skype call? 1) Is the waitlist email a standard boilerplate response? 2) What would my chances be of getting through the waitlist? BU is very high up on my priority list of universities. 3) Is there anything else I should do, or just wait till the 15 April deadline and see what happens? Btw, I'm an international student, if that would be of any relevance.

Hey everyone, I was hoping to get some insight into what my chances might be for admissions to PhD programs in organic chemistry. Any constructive criticism is much appreciated!! Undergrad Institution: UCLAMajor(s): ChemistryGPA in Major: 2.90, upper div: 3.0 (First two years were ROUGH--was between a 2.6-2.8 overall GPA. Third and fourth years were a significant improvement academically).Overall GPA: 3.20GRE Scores: Q: 163, V: 165, W: 5. Taking the Chem GRE in 2 weeks! Interests: Transition metal catalysis, organometallic chemistry, experimental and computational mechanistic study. Schools I'm Applying To: Princeton (my number one), UPenn, UMich, MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of MinnesotaResearch Experience: 2.5 years working in an inorganic/organic chemistry lab on boron cluster-based applications to organic synthesis. 1.5 years in a computational organic chemistry lab studying cycloadditions as well as transition metal catalysis/photoredox catalysis. Publications: First paper is inorganic/organic in Chem, authorship: 6/11. Second paper is inorganic/organic, about to submit, authorship: 2/2. Third paper is computational organic, manuscript in progress, authorship: 2/2. Fourth paper is a photoredox collaboration for which I did calculations, so I'll probably be towards the end of the authorship--manuscript in progress. Hoping to have them submitted before I apply!! Relevant Advanced Coursework: Practical and Theoretical Organic Synthesis, Organic Spectroscopic Methods, Organometallic Chemistry (grad class), Physical Organic Chemistry (grad class).Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Research fellowship for summer 2019, awarded by the department of chemistry. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for lower division organic chemistry courses (Summer 2019-present), tutor for lower division organic chemistry courses (Summer 2016-present), member of AXS, the professional chemistry fraternity (Fall 2016-present).

I got accepted into North Caolina State University and University of Virginia. I'm going to organic or biological chemistry, and both departments look good to me, though UVA is slightly better (I judged it based on the academic history of PIs). NCSU offers a much lower stipend than UVA. I'm an international student so I have very limited budget and it seems that if I live in NC, I won't be able to get a car because the stipend won't be enough for the car expense. The reasons that make me lean more towards NCSU are that I think NC is larger state with a greater number of population and it's also close to other well-known schools, I'm looking to work in industry afterwards, so I believe living at NC will be an advantage. I'm very lost right now as I don't know what criteria should I really look into and whether all my thoughts are right. If you have any knowledge on any of these subjects, please post a reply to help me.

Hi guys, here is my personal statement for a Chemistry PhD. program. Please take a look and give me some feedback. I appreciate any help! I can also look at yours and give feedback if you wish. Thanks!!!! A little bit about my application: GPA: 3.70, major GPA: 3.75. GRE general: 150 V, 165 Q. Although my GRE is not that high, my research professor told me to aim to top inorganic chemistry programs because of my strong research experience and the fact that English is not my first language + I take >17hrs every semester since I transferred to my current university in junior year. My nomadic life began at the age of 16 when I left my hometown to move to the biggest city in my home country, [name of the country]. Since that day, I have lived in 5 cities and traveled to 4 countries and 12 states in America. Change is my lifestyle. However, 3 things that never change in me are passion, curiosity, and a strong work ethic. With these values, I have not only overcome all obstacles from integrating into new communities but also set myself up to be ready for any challenge I will encounter in the future. My passion for chemistry is ignited by my father who is a veterinarian. I grew up helping him capping scintillation vials and watching him working with animal drugs and I was genuinely fascinated about how science impacts life and wished to be a veterinarian when I grow up. That preliminary dream motivated me to study science early in my life, which led to my first two academic achievements at the [Name of the competition] Provincial Chemistry Competition for Middle School Students and the [Name of the competition] Math Competition when I was 15. I was one of the two contestants who got the highest score on the chemistry competition and was selected for a scholarship to study at the provincial high school for talented students. However, I declined the offer. It is not fortuitous that I chose to dig more deeply into chemistry instead of sticking with my childhood plan of becoming a veterinarian. The more I learned about chemistry, the more I wanted to create. I wanted to create new chemicals that could change the world. Not so long after I won the chemistry competition, I realized this childish dream would not be practical if I kept staying in my hometown. I declined the high school for talented students offer to seek better opportunities in a bigger city. I attended a private high school and had a chance to do hands-on chemistry experiments twice a week participate in city science fairs and meet people from top universities in my country. I was also introduced to overseas education which excited my curiosity about the academic environment and life in the other hemisphere. To satisfy my curiosity, I went to the U.S. after graduating from high school. Spending my first 2 years of college at a community college where research opportunities are not available, I tried to get into some short-term chemistry research programs and industrial internships, but it is hard because of my citizenship status. At the same time, I found a huge interest in sharing my knowledge and helping people. I joined the science and writing tutor teams and developed professionalism in tutoring chemistry and math, editing students’ academic papers, and communication with my colleagues. To me, the purpose of gaining new knowledge is to share knowledge. That is my motivation for dedicating most of my college time to teaching and tutoring. I ended my first period of college with the honor of being selected as the outstanding student at [H] College for my contributions to the community. I transferred to [University___X] with intentions of looking for research opportunities and experiencing the south of the U.S., but the passion for teaching is still in me. Throughout the semesters, I operated Peer-leading team learning sessions to help students in the Inorganic Chemistry course and I became a mentor to support first-year chemistry students. These teaching and mentoring opportunities not only improve my skills but also put me in a position where I always have to update my knowledge. Also, here at [University___X] , I discovered another passion of mine. I joined Dr. [Dr. A]'s research group and was surprised by how immature I was. Little did I know that the way chemistry changes the world is not as loud as a speech from a political figure nor as emotional as a song from a singer. Chemistry changes the world on a molecular scale that most people do not even recognize. Here, I found my passion and curiosity of synthesizing molecules that can contribute to the growth of chemistry and society. In [Dr. A]’s lab, [Dr. B] and I studied the syntheses and characterizations of a class of sandwich-type mononuclear lanthanide single-molecule magnets which possesses high degrees of axial symmetry and exhibits novel magnetic properties. In this project, I learned air-sensitive manipulations, glovebox and Schlenk line techniques along with the uses of NMR, IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). As this is my first research experience, I was also taught how to plan and organize reactions before running them. My most appreciation for this project goes to the lanthanide elements. Because I did not learn a lot about lanthanides in undergraduate courses, this project made me curious about these interesting metals. This research experience also expanded my knowledge of magnetism and methods to design single-molecule magnets. Furthermore, the most important thing I got from this project is that I can finally identify my chemistry forte, which is synthetic inorganic chemistry. I continued my research journey by joining [Dr. C]’s lab. Here, I jumped into a new and fascinating project which focuses on syntheses of bio-inspired compounds that display catalytic activities for CO2 reduction and hydrogen production. Specifically, I investigated the synthesis of an unprecedented manganese compound with an [name of the ligand] ligand which, for the first time, shows a switching in the binding mode of the [name of the ligand] ligand from a tetradentate [x] ligand to a binucleating tridentate [y] ligand. The unexpected result inspired me and my mentor, Mr. [Name], to figure out how it happened. I consider this project as an exploration because over the summer, I performed more than 50 reactions, set up numerous diffusion tubes for growing crystals, and waited weeks to see the formation of the crystals. Eventually, we figured out that the role of an extraneous metal is vital to facilitate or to template the formation of the novel manganese compound. The exploration gave results that not only answer our questions about the phenomenon and motivated us to produce an academic paper, but also teach me how valuable and important patience, hard work, and critical thinking are in scientific research. The more I am excited about the results, the more I want to share them. I gave oral and poster presentations at three undergraduate research symposiums at the three biggest universities in Texas. In addition, further study of this project is also my undergraduate thesis that I am working on. This project has prepared me for graduate school in two major ways. First, I have gained strong skills and knowledge in synthetic inorganic chemistry which also reflects my interests in this subject. Second, I have learned how to effectively describe and interpret my research to audiences with different academic backgrounds and in different forms of presentations. Now I know that I can create and synthesize molecules and I want to create and synthesize more. My research experience has shown me how beautiful, important, and versatile compounds of transition metals (including lanthanides and actinides) can be. I want to keep synthesizing more coordination complexes and discover their applications from their structural, electrochemical, and magnetic properties. This, in addition to my passion for teaching, fosters my interest in pursuing a Ph.D. degree in chemistry, and [University___Y] is where I want to be to achieve this goal. Choosing inorganic chemistry as the concentration, I understand it is an interdisciplinary subject that requires knowledge in biology, physics, and materials science. I also understand that the synthesis skill that I have is not enough to solve recondite problems in real life. To do that, I need to understand problems at an interdisciplinary level. At [University___Y] , I believe I will have a chance to work toward that goal because every research group in inorganic chemistry here has a diverse research profile. My first attention is brought to Dr. [D] because her group has worked with single-molecule magnets. Moreover, I also want to be a part of her journey in quantum information science by approaching via coordination chemistry. Besides, I am also interested in Dr. [E]’s group where I can both be exposed to a variety of innovative chemical fields such as nanomaterials and nanolithography, and improve my synthesis root in coordination chemistry. Dr. [F]’s research group is also appealing to me due to their works in transition metals complexes. The [F] group can be a good place for me to utilize my passion for synthetic inorganic chemistry to apply to biological and medical fields. Committing several years for chemistry is not an easy decision but I am confident that I have enough passion, curiosity, and a strong work ethic for this challenge. Although my life has involved a lot of moving, since the day I realized the beauty and the importance of inorganic chemistry I always have a consistent goal of becoming an influential and dedicated chemist. Pursuing a Ph.D. degree from [University___Y] is a significant step toward my future. BEST!!!

I am applying chemistry PhD for the next fall. I know that I want to do something that's related to spectroscopy. But I have experience using different spectroscopies (ultrafast, 2D) and look at different system (nanomaterials, protein) and honestly, I dont mind exploring a new area relating to spectroscopy. I dont know if should be honest in SOP and say "My interest is spectroscopy, and I dont mind the exact project"? I'm afraid that gives an impression that I dont have a passion for a beneficial cause (such as energy conservation/curing diseases) or that I'm not totally clear what project I want to do, which in reality I'm not.... Thanks in advance for any advice!

I was accepted into graduate school for MS in Pharmaceutics with a specialization in Cosmetic Science in the spring. I could not attend due to the fact that I was completing a prerequisite course and working in the evening part-time which conflicted with my grad school classes. I decided to defer admission for a semester. I am supposed to be beginning in September. However, since deferring the program, I have decided that a second bachelor's in chemistry (BA) may be a better and more cost effective choice (my first bachelor's is in psychology), so I declared a major as a post-bacc student at the university where I was taking grad school prerequisites. I have already talked to the grad school about this, but I have not asked about deferring again because I would be done with the second bachelor's in December 2020, so I would have to wait until Spring of 2021 to begin graduate school which means I may have to reapply. I would like to break into the cosmetic industry and ultimately become a cosmetic formulator and a science degree is a requirement. I currently have no experience in the field. Would it be smart to defer or decline admission to grad school and get the second bachelor's first so I can try to gain lab/work experience for a bit before grad school, or should I just go with the master's program? I have also played with the idea of possible taking a few grad school classes while getting my second degree, but that will require me to take out more student loans.

Hi everyone, I'm a college senior who will be applying to schools in the fall for a PhD program, but have a slight dilemma. I will be obtaining a BA in the spring, where most chemistry majors have BS degrees when applying to graduate school. I chose this degree because I couldn't handle the math or physical chemistry, which I am both bad at and don't have much interest in. I'm worried that not having this math/physical chem background will be detrimental to me in the application process, with most of my peers having these backgrounds. Conversely, I maintain a ~3.9 GPA and have taken many upper level chem courses, included advanced inorganic, physical organic chemistry, biochemistry, polymer chemistry, etc. I have been doing research at my home institution for ~2.5 years and have had two REU's at high level graduate institutions, and have presented several posters, but I just fret that it won't be enough. I would really like to get into a top 30 program. Have any of you had similar experiences or words of encouragement/advice? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Everyone! I am a bit worried to decide between schools. My background is computational chemistry and computational material science and I been accepted into the following schools : 1) UCLA-Chemical Engineering 2) EPFL-Chemistry and chemical engineering 3) Oxford-Chemistry (still waiting for funding ) I am a bit distressed about what to choose. Can you please help me out here? Any kind of help would be very appreciated! Thank you so much in advance!

Hi everyone, I was recently accepted to JHU and Emory for chemistry PhD program. Now I am trying to decide which is the better choice. I visited both schools and they both offer very good research and have great people. I heard rumors that JHU is very intense and competitive, however they seemed pretty laid back (which I think is great) during my visit , whereas Emory was more serious and enthusiastic. Also I am an international student, not sure if this is relevant info but just putting it out there. I would really appreciate any input. Thank you!!

Hello everyone: I am trying to decide between UCLA and UCSF for a Biochemistry PhD and I would appreciate any input. Does anyone know which place has better success for academic vs industry employment and what the reputation is at both locations? Both programs have great research, advisers, and students. Thank you everyone in advance for your input!

Has anyone heard anything about interviews for the OxCam NIH Partnership program?

I am a female international student, got my BS in the US. I'm finishing my application but I think I'm not applying to enough schools. Undergrad School: A small, non-research, liberal art women's college in the US Undergrad Major: Chemistry Undergrad GPA: 3.95 out of 4.0 GRE: Q = 170 , V = 157 , AW = 5.0 TOEFL iBT: 114 (S = 25) Chemistry Subject GRE: I bombed it, so I won't send it in unless it says "highly recommended" Courses: I had all the basic required Chemistry classes except Inorganic Chemistry Took the only advanced Chem class available (Advanced Organic Spectroscopy) Research Experience: _1.5 years working at an oceanography lab on 2 projects _ 2 independent projects on trivial stuff (method developments) _ 2 internships at the state's toxicology lab (building reference library) and an industrial R&D lab (work on a method development projects) _ A bunch of independent mini-research projects for classes. _ All of my research projects (big or small, academic or industrial) are presented at either school/Southern regional seminars and conferences. No publication Other relevant info: _ Award for outstanding chemistry senior, award for academic achievement, members of honor societies _ 3 years working as a tutor for Sciences classes LORs: _One solid letter from my professor (taught me 5 classes and oversaw my projects) _One okay-good one from my lab's PI (pretty famous in her field, but I'm not applying to her field unfortunately lol) _One good one from my academic advisor SOPs: I'm tailoring my SOP to each program I'm applying to make sure my interest and experience are relevant to the said program. Applying: Duke, Purdue, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, GaTech, Emory Am I aiming too high for schools in the 30s rank? I try to apply to private institutions tho. What are other programs should I try that would be more in my range? Also, is it too late now to contact professors? Thank you for your input!

Hi I am not a native English speaker, It would be great If you could correct my mistakes in my SOP thank you very much. and i want to end it few more sentences, like USA will be the great place etc. please help https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jAoI0MRenPGLux1SBMmo5DeH1fIRPHmBTN37C48lqnw/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs

I would like some advice from current grad students in the chemistry field who got a BS in chemical engineering; I am currently getting a dual degree BS in chemistry and engineering. I have to transfer to another school to get the engineering part of my degree and I think it will be about 2.5-3 years at that school. I am already in my third year at my current school, so that would be six years total from the start because I would start on my engineering degree in Fall 2019. Because it is a dual degree, there are four classes that most chemistry majors must take that I am not required to take and just have to finish up next semester with a few math courses required for the engineering part. However, I really think I want to go to grad school for analytical chemistry. I've started realizing if I pursue this path then getting the engineering degree would be pointless as I would not ever apply it to a job (right?). It would be a major waste of time and money (was planning to go to Georgia Tech). If I am lucky I could finish grad school in 5-6 years, so I would finish around 2025 (I would have to finish those few chemistry courses if I switched to just a regular chemistry degree and because of how they are offered at my school would not be able to finish until Summer 2019 or Fall 2019). If i pursue the engineering degree and end up going to grad school anyways then I would not be finished with school for 9-10 years! I still really enjoy engineering, but I love analytical chemistry more than anything, so I am really feeling like I should not waste those 2.5-3 years of my time (and money! since grad school is "free"), but at the same time a Chemical Engineering Degree from GA tech would be able to land me a great job. I want to go to grad school because again, I love analytical chemistry and would love to specialize in it. I love research and I know that is a must for grad school. But thinking about going to GA tech and taking more specific chemical engineering classes also makes me very excited. Should I just say screw it and go for the engineering degree as well? Or is it a much smarter idea to not waste my time and money? I suppose I could always apply to grad school at tech because they have a decent enough chemistry department.