EE - Change PhD program after Master from decent to better US school - LORs?

[blubb]

Hi all,

I applied for PhD in EE in the US but didnt get into my very favorite school.

Now I will go to a less popular school but I might want to apply for PhD again to a better one.

Is it possible to change the university (in the US) after finishing the Master when studying in a PhD program? Do you think any professor would write me LORs for these applications or would they be too upset?

I know that really depends on the situation but do you have any good advice?

Thanks

[chessmathter]

Same problem for me

[ghanada]

This is more from my personal view and other fellow grad student views as I have not discussed it with professors, but I believe it is generally frowned upon to leave the PhD program after getting your Masters. I think you are potentially blackballing yourself from academia. It basically just looks like you wanted to come in and get a free Masters and then leave. You waste the school's time and your adviser's time and worst of all you take another potential student's spot that legitimately wants to go there. I would also think that any future schools would be very cautious with your application since you went to another school and left after a Masters. In their eyes, they might think you would just do that again. I would also think your adviser would not write you the best LOR. Imagine if your were the advisor, you are doing work you are proud of, building up good relationships, and then you find out one of your students never wanted to be in your lab to begin with and then they want to leave for another university which basically means they used you to get a Masters, and then they ask you for a letter of rec?

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I am against the attitude of accepting a PhD spot with no intention of finishing. If you like the school you are accepted to and you like the work they are doing, you should go there and be happy. Stop worrying so much about rankings, I know plenty of successful engineers that didn't goto a top 50 school and came out with great jobs and are happy. What matters the most is that you are doing good research with people you like and being productive in publishing. If your accepted school doesn't offer you these things, than you should just take time off, improve your app, and then re-apply to your desired school in the future.

[blubb]

I dont only consider rankings (like arwu). This should not be a discussion about rankings but more about switching the univ after masters when I applied for ultimate PhD.

I read somewhere that changing the research group inside one university might make the professor upset, but in the end its better than wasting time in a lab where I cannot do what I want to do. So why not changing the university? Wouldnt the professors understand this or even support with a LOR?;-) Any professors in this forum? ;-P

any more opinions on that?

[mobilemayhem]

I dont only consider rankings (like arwu). This should not be a discussion about rankings but more about switching the univ after masters when I applied for ultimate PhD.

I read somewhere that changing the research group inside one university might make the professor upset, but in the end its better than wasting time in a lab where I cannot do what I want to do. So why not changing the university? Wouldnt the professors understand this or even support with a LOR?;-) Any professors in this forum? ;-P

any more opinions on that?

From your other post it looks like you applied to pretty much all of the top 10 EE programs in America. These schools are hard enough for even Americans to get into let alone international students. As for going from MS to PhD, you would have been in a better position if you had just applied for MS programs to begin with. At least if you come in as a MS student at a university, a Professor will know that you aren't going to be around long. It wouldn't be as damaging if you came in as a PhD student. Also it is really really TOUGH to go from a MS program a different university into a top EE program. If I were you, I would either reapply next year or keep what you have and make the best out of it.

Edited March 19, 2012 by mobilemayhem

[blubb]

I dont get why it is even more tough to come to a top program with a MS already, thought that would be easier especially when coming from a 3 yrs bachelor ....

[HassE]

I'm somewhat in a similar situation. I've been at my school for almost a year now and am looking to acquire my MS and apply to better ranked PhDs closer to the east coast (hometown, most important is I'm too far away from home). My best advice for you would be to acquire your MS first and be very frank about that. I would not join a research group expecting the Professor to fund you for your full PhD when in reality your planning on leaving after an MS. Tell them you want to do an MS-thesis first then decide about your future, or try just to be funded through TAs. It's perfectly acceptable if you feel that the school is not a fit for you after your accepted in. Don't try to think that once you enter into a PhD, that you are held hostage there for the next 4-6 years. Just remember it is 4-6 years, so if your not completely happen, don't see there. Just remember that it also IS NOT okay to tell your Professor you will be doing research for him for your PhD when in fact you leave after your MS; now that is not okay.

Also, until you pass your qualifying exam your still an MS student, and not a PhD student. So in a way, your in a MS program first. Whether you decide to stop and get your MS en route to your PhD is your decision.

However, i looked at the list of schools you applied too. I'm not sure what else you got accepted into, but Purdue is a top school. You ought to feel impressed about that. Just because you didn't get into UIUC or Stanford does not mean you'll be able to get accepted into them again in 1-2 years.