Waitlisted, but the game has changed

[NellieBelle]

Hi all,

I recently posted a topic but there's been a recent development and I need some opinions.

A little background--I'd been invited to interview in February, during which time my three potential advisers all gave me the unofficial thumbs-up. The head of the program (and one of my potential advisers) told me to be "optimistic" about the results, which I should be receiving in ten days.

Fast forward to now. I just received an email from the aforementioned head/potential adviser (unsolicited--I hadn't contacted him about the decision or anything). He apologized for taking longer than expected to make a decision, but that the situation has become complicated by the fact that the program has been severely limited on how many people they can let in (originally 6, but it's looking more like 2 or 3). He goes on to tell me that they "don't know for sure whether we can offer you a position" as they have already accepted two students (who are being funded from an outside source). Other faculty members have "priority" over the available slots and haven't made a decision yet; however, there is the possibility of them admitting a third into their program.

He then proceeds to ask me if I'm still interested and whether I would be willing to work with just him, instead of the three advisers we'd originally planned, as the other two are "overwhelmed" with their current grad student load.

So I emailed the professor basically saying in so many words that I'd drop everything to work with him. The development is this: I just got accepted to do a summer apprenticeship at a prestigious university in the are of study specific to abovementioned program. Do I email the professor again to let him know? Or just wait it out?

TL;DR, I know, but your thoughts are very much appreciated!

[kaykaykay]

Hi all,

I recently posted a topic but there's been a recent development and I need some opinions.

A little background--I'd been invited to interview in February, during which time my three potential advisers all gave me the unofficial thumbs-up. The head of the program (and one of my potential advisers) told me to be "optimistic" about the results, which I should be receiving in ten days.

Fast forward to now. I just received an email from the aforementioned head/potential adviser (unsolicited--I hadn't contacted him about the decision or anything). He apologized for taking longer than expected to make a decision, but that the situation has become complicated by the fact that the program has been severely limited on how many people they can let in (originally 6, but it's looking more like 2 or 3). He goes on to tell me that they "don't know for sure whether we can offer you a position" as they have already accepted two students (who are being funded from an outside source). Other faculty members have "priority" over the available slots and haven't made a decision yet; however, there is the possibility of them admitting a third into their program.

He then proceeds to ask me if I'm still interested and whether I would be willing to work with just him, instead of the three advisers we'd originally planned, as the other two are "overwhelmed" with their current grad student load.

So I emailed the professor basically saying in so many words that I'd drop everything to work with him. The development is this: I just got accepted to do a summer apprenticeship at a prestigious university in the are of study specific to abovementioned program. Do I email the professor again to let him know? Or just wait it out?

TL;DR, I know, but your thoughts are very much appreciated!

For me it seems that the prof might be fighting for you. So I would let them know , maybe it gives them some leverage.

[nhyn]

I would let him know, since there's no harm in doing it.

I've heard directly from a professor who used to work at U of Arizona (that's where this is going on, right? I remember from reading your previous thread, when you still had your full sig), that at U of A each professor fights for their own study (as opposed to, say, UMass Amherst Cognitive where the whole department decides on the cohort), so it's worth it to help him fight for you.