Max Planck Doctorate in Earth System Modeling for 2011

[chocolate_blanche]

Hi guys,

I dont know where to post this since it is a German admission round.

However is there anyone here who has applied to the International Max Planck Research School in Earth System Modeling? They say that by the middle of November if we dont hear from them then it is a No. So does anyone know whether they have begun sending our invitations for interviews yet? The suspension is just killing, especially for the fact that they will be MIA for the rejected ones. I am still yet applying to US schools but a cushion admission in Europe (and this is a great school) would be really nice!

Many thanks,

[eklavya]

Hi guys,

I dont know where to post this since it is a German admission round.

However is there anyone here who has applied to the International Max Planck Research School in Earth System Modeling? They say that by the middle of November if we dont hear from them then it is a No. So does anyone know whether they have begun sending our invitations for interviews yet? The suspension is just killing, especially for the fact that they will be MIA for the rejected ones. I am still yet applying to US schools but a cushion admission in Europe (and this is a great school) would be really nice!

Many thanks,

i am adding my reply with my limited knowledge on the german (esp. max planck) admission procedure. i did an internship last summer with max planck institute for chemical ecology. i gathered this info from the folks (from US and other countries) i worked with. but boy, is europe shweet!!

first off, honestly, european schools shouldn't be regarded as cushion/backup because they are hard to get into. not because they are necessarily better than any US schools we have here, but because the procedure is horribly excruciating and the papertrail never ends. you'll have to jump through so so many hoops and hurdles.

and are you applying for MS, PhD? if you don't already have an MS degree and are applying for a PhD, forget it. germans like to see that you have academic progression in a 'linear' model, i.e., BS - MS - PhD.

about the decision deadline, it differs. as far as i know, all max planck centers are (/have to be) affiliated to local universities. but they don't like to follow university procedures and deadlines all the time. so they do things the way they like.. and is often totally random. if you haven't heard from them, simply email them or just wait. patience pays off sometimes.

that said, good luck! max planck institutes are great at what they do.