Hedging Bets By Applying to Different/Multiple Departments

[SymmetryOfImperfection]

If you really want to go to a few particular schools, is it possible to "hedge risks" by applying to multiple departments?

In addition, I have another question regarding "hedging risk" in graduate applications. Some fields of graduate study are much more competitive than others. For example, at Northwestern, the admission rate for materials science graduates is 17%, while the admission rate for chemistry is 35% and physics 20%!

I'm interested in interdisciplinary materials science/physical chemistry/condensed matter physics. I think this will also apply to those with interdisciplinary interests elsewhere such as political economics or computational biology. Does it make more sense to apply to the least selective program that still does the same research at a particular school, or to apply to more selective departments with a wider faculty selection?

[runaway]

I think most programs specify you can only apply to one department each cycle, but this might vary.

As for percentages, don't discount self-selectivity. A high percentage of applicants might be accepted, but it could be that the program by and large attracts applicants with very specifically tailored interests and extensive CVs which make them a good fit.

Bottom line: just apply for the department, and with the POI, for which YOU are best suited to work with. The best way to hedge your bets is just to make sure your application is tailored to the program, and that you communicate why you are a natural fit for that program/school/dept.

(caveat: I'm in the humanities, so things might be slightly different for the sciences. someone else please chime in if so.)

Edited September 26, 2012 by runaway

[emmm]

It isn't really that different from applying to a number of schools. I don't understand the issue, I guess. In my case, I was limited to one city, so I applied to all the programs I thought I'd be happy in and I would have been willing to go to any of them. Some schools DO restrict you to applying to only one department/cycle, but I think that is a kind of silly policy.

Edited September 27, 2012 by emmm

[3point14]

I've been told by a couple advisers that, although it varies greatly from school to school, some places frown upon this kind of thing. They see it as you not really knowing what you want to do. But, like I said, this varies. A lot of the applications I filled out asked if I was applying to multiple programs within that school.

[SymmetryOfImperfection]

I think most programs specify you can only apply to one department each cycle, but this might vary.

As for percentages, don't discount self-selectivity. A high percentage of applicants might be accepted, but it could be that the program by and large attracts applicants with very specifically tailored interests and extensive CVs which make them a good fit.

Bottom line: just apply for the department, and with the POI, for which YOU are best suited to work with. The best way to hedge your bets is just to make sure your application is tailored to the program, and that you communicate why you are a natural fit for that program/school/dept.

(caveat: I'm in the humanities, so things might be slightly different for the sciences. someone else please chime in if so.)

I think that even with self selectivity of candidates, the selective schools (not saying how good they actually are; some highly selective schools may not be strong in some areas) will still reject more people than less selective schools regardless of self selectivity. Also, self selectivity should be by school, so the ratio between different programs should still be valid, no?

Also I looked at some statistics, and it seems that the higher the ranking of the school the more applicants there are.

It isn't really that different from applying to a number of schools. I don't understand the issue, I guess. In my case, I was limited to one city, so I applied to all the programs I thought I'd be happy in and I would have been willing to go to any of them. Some schools DO restrict you to applying to only one department/cycle, but I think that is a kind of silly policy.

So its like this. There are 2 departments both with research you're interested in. Could be interested in biostatistics and one professor is in statistics department and one is in biology. But the statistics program is highly selective with a <10% admission rate while biology is 20%. Does it make sense to apply to biology, even though applying to statistics may be better in the long term or you like the statistics professor a better, simply to get a better chance of actually doing biostatistics research? And would schools frown on applying to both?

[surefire]

I applied to a total of four programs; two in one school and two in another. This made sense as my interests kind of straddle a few disciplines. I did this primarily to get the best odds of fit, not the best odds of acceptance. The main thing is to make sure that your not stepping on any POI toes. If you have someone in mind that is maybe cross-appointed, you need to check with them to see in what program they are willing to support your application/research. It is possible that you could be affiliated with that person in some way regardless, but they may only be willing to supervise if you are in program x, as opposed to y. As such, they might be peeved if you cite them as a prospect in BOTH apps (this, as well, might be the kind of faux pas that would suggest that you're not really sure what you're doing/what your interests are). Just my experience.

[ktel]

I applied to Canadian schools where each department has their own separate admissions process. I applied to 2 different engineering departments at one school and was accepted into both. There was a little bit of awkwardness when one POI emailed my current supervisor to congratulate him on getting me, when my supervisor really had no idea I was applying elsewhere.