Getting into grad school through the "back door"

[1f3_2kf2]

Does anyone have any success stories of getting into grad school through a "back door". I mean, not through the traditional means in some way? Let me tell you my situation:

So I have a 2.8 GPA and a BS in computer science from a top 50 university that is also a public state university. This summer I'm doing research work for a professor who gave me three A's/ A+'s. She is paying me money at part time hours. The graduate students in this professor's research group hint to me that if she signs the proper paperwork, anything can happen. Is it too much to assume that I can get back into this school for my PhD with this professor as my advisor??

[socialpsych]

So I have a 2.8 GPA and a BS in computer science from a top 50 university that is also a public state university. This summer I'm doing research work for a professor who gave me three A's/ A+'s. She is paying me money at part time hours. The graduate students in this professor's research group hint to me that if she signs the proper paperwork, anything can happen. Is it too much to assume that I can get back into this school for my PhD with this professor as my advisor??

I am not sure that counts as "not the traditional way." Working there as an RA is a great way to get a leg up when applying to a program. However, no, you should not assume that you will automatically get in; it's just that it might help your chances a lot.

I do know of a few really un-traditional cases, where applications were solicited after the deadline (in one case even after April 15th). But how is that information useful to anybody? If a trustworthy and well-respected person says he or she can get you into a program this way, then that person might not be lying. But it hardly seems like a wise thing to adopt as a gameplan!

Edited June 25, 2010 by socialpsych

[joro]

I was a RA at Stanford, but that didn't get me into the school. I specifically told them during my interview for the RA position that I wanted to go to Stanford for grad school and they seemed pretty interested in that.

[aginath]

I had a 2.6 undergrad and decided in June after graduating in May that I wanted to go to grad school in the Fall. Deadlines had all well passed, but I still approached our assistant department head while I was finishing out a student worker position during the summer. He looked at my records told me what my bottom line GRE score had to be and said he could squeeze me in on probationary measures. It worked. I got in and never looked back.

ETA: This was all 10 years ago

Edited June 26, 2010 by dacey

[anthropologygeek]

Yes there are backdoors. I have a friend who got in with a 2.1 becaus a prof agreed to take him on. Prof can get whoever the want in.

[zilch]

Wow that may have used up all the professor's good will that he/she may have earned in the department....

not necessarily. Professors want students to fill the gaps to make their research group well rounded so it's not really rare to see them admit academically weaker students who have some other positive points such as more closely related research interests, or experience working with the professor and has proven to be capable. Most departments won't really throw a fuss if the professor can justify why they're taking a student.

[njw]

I am certainly going to attempt it... I am in a terminal MA (easier to get into than the PhD as I've been out of school for 8 years) While there I am definitely going to try to make connections and get into the PhD program of the same school. If, not I will apply to other schools in the same tier (top 20 in field) I'm not trying to get in the backdoor from a gpa/gre standpoint though, but as an older student majoring in a completely different field that has a lot of good work experience. I did the somewhat safer more vocational route and did Information Systems before and worked in IT... dread it although it was decent money at this point I am completely uninterested and it is a mind numbing career (for me), now going back to do something I actually enjoy and try to be employable at it as I can't imagine another 35-40 years in corporate IT, yeowch.

I am older so have to keep my options open.

Edited July 23, 2010 by njw

[belowthree]

Our professor once told a student to apply, held open the application program for a bit after the deadline and then promptly recruited her for the lab.

It really depends on the school how much latitude a professor has, but in quite a few if a prof wants you they can take you. Sometimes they have to sign a bit of paperwork that includes exceptions to certain policies, but professors know how to do this, and do.

[thepoorstockinger]

not necessarily. Professors want students to fill the gaps to make their research group well rounded so it's not really rare to see them admit academically weaker students who have some other positive points such as more closely related research interests, or experience working with the professor and has proven to be capable. Most departments won't really throw a fuss if the professor can justify why they're taking a student.

I think that this depends heavily on who is funding the student. In many technical and some scientific fields the funding for the student is 100% coming out of the pocket of the professor/lab/research group with very, very little direct funding coming from the department or school. In those cases where funding comes mostly from the school or department (i.e. mostly the humanities and social sciences) getting a student in who is clearly "less qualified" than other applicants is much more difficult and involves faculty burning much more political capital and good will because there's a competition for scarce communal resources that are administered by the department.

[LJK]

I got in through a "back door." I was an undergraduate in a different department at the same university as my current MS program. I got a scholarship for a fifth-year (based on my undergraduate GPA, not department based) and decided that I wanted to switch to psychology over the summer. Towards the end of the summer I emailed the professor I wanted to work with about doing a research project and she invited me to come speak with her. She mentioned the MS right off the bat. That first semester she made sure that I got into the classes that the 'true' first-year students were taking even thought I had continuing undergraduate status and was unsure about whether I would want to commit to the MA if I had to pay my own way. I applied to the program for the spring semester and was admitted with funding, though not guaranteed for every semester as is policy in the department for MS students as opposed to PhD students. Being there and being interested helps a lot. But if you *need* funding, and it is in short supply, you should definitely not assume that you will be accepted. Now as a full-fledged grad student in the department, I would not assume that they would accept me into the PhD program were I to apply. It comes down to which professors have external funding, who has priority for new graduate students, and who else is applying to work with that particular professor. My department is much more strict about 'back doors' for PhD students than for Master's students as they are committing to reserving a funding slot for the student for 5 years.

[RDX]

This came from a good friend of mine.

She was doing completely nothing related to business at undergrad. It happened she worked for a business professor as RA for some pocket money. The professor liked her a lot and pulled her in. The PhD program she ended up was super competitive, like admitting 3 ppl every year.

Also from another friend of mine. He failed to secure a job. Although it's a little bit late, his professor at his department "waved" him in for the PhD, another competitive and prestigious program.

I have quite some examples at hand. It seems "backdoors" happen more than we thought. By the way, a professor I'm doing RA with clearly told me that she could not pull me in because of insufficient political capital.

Edited October 31, 2010 by RDX