Dream PI not taking grad students for my cycle. What are my options?

[scientific]

I was accepted into my dream school! However, my dream PI  is not accepting graduate students this cycle. There are other professors and while I *can* and would be fine doing it, it's not what I really want to be doing. I know it's not the end-all-be-all of my degree but... It's disheartening.

What, realistically, are my options here?

Edited January 24, 2018 by scientific

[dr. t]

3 hours ago, scientific said:

What, realistically, are my options here?

Wait a year and apply again or go to school somewhere else. 

[rising_star]

Will your dream PI be taking second year students next year? If you haven't asked, you should!

[TakeruK]

Some options:

1. Sometimes "dream" things are nicer in the mind/on paper than in practice. I don't know a gentler way to say it, but it is also important to objectively consider all of your options once they are on the table and just because something is the "dream" choice right now, doesn't mean there aren't other better or equally good options out there. So, definitely ask about 2nd year options etc. but don't discount other places yet! From your signature it seems like you have yet to hear back from many other places.

2. Talk more with your Dream PI about the following cycle. I don't know how much of a relationship you already have with this person. If you are able to have a good conversation with them where they know how much you want to work for them and they also want you to work for them in the future, then it could still work out. Some programs don't really have you begin with your dissertation work until 2nd or 3rd year so you can focus more on coursework in the first year. Or maybe you can even defer admissions for one year so you can start next year in the Dream PI's lab. However, if you take this route, you really should make sure you have a good relationship with the Dream PI and that both of you clearly understand and are comfortable with how committed you will be to the lab next year. It would be really bad if one side expected one thing (e.g. definitely will take you into the lab) and the other expected another ("maybe" take you into the lab, depending on the next year's applicants).