Accepted to Department different than that of POI?

[MadScience]

Hello!

 

I am in a bit of an odd situation and was hoping someone could offer some advice. I was accepted at one of my top choice programs (yay!) but to a department different than the department of the POI I'd like to work with. I was accepted to the organic department and he is in the inorganic department. I have contacted the school to see what the possibility is of still joining this lab, but it's Friday and I think my head will explode without any idea of the answer until Monday   Has anyone ever been in a situation like this before? Thanks!

[rayray09]

Is the chemistry department split so you can't switch? Is this a usual thing?

[Quantum Buckyball]

Hello!

 

I am in a bit of an odd situation and was hoping someone could offer some advice. I was accepted at one of my top choice programs (yay!) but to a department different than the department of the POI I'd like to work with. I was accepted to the organic department and he is in the inorganic department. I have contacted the school to see what the possibility is of still joining this lab, but it's Friday and I think my head will explode without any idea of the answer until Monday   Has anyone ever been in a situation like this before? Thanks!

Did you put down Inorganic as your first choice concentration and Organic as your second concentration?

If so, it probably meant your application did not make the first cut during the screening process by inorganic professors and made the cut after the second screening process by professors in the organic division.

[MadScience]

Is the chemistry department split so you can't switch? Is this a usual thing?

 

It's divided into different divisions - organic, inorganic, physical, theoretical, analytical, biochemical. I have no idea if switching is allowed or not though :/

 

Did you put down Inorganic as your first choice concentration and Organic as your second concentration?

If so, it probably meant your application did not make the first cut during the screening process by inorganic professors and made the cut after the second screening process by professors in the organic division.

 

I actually put Organic as my first choice and inorganic as my second. It was one of my first apps and I was still unsure how I should apply. To explain, my background is in organic but I wanted to do inorganic research. I was kind of panicking thinking I wouldn't get in anywhere since I've been out of school for a bit and working so thought I should put organic as my first choice since it may give me a better chance of acceptance, due to my background. After my first 2 applications though, I dropped this philosophy and started applying directly to inorganic or physical chem programs since I am much more interested in these areas and it turned out to not matter.

 

Does that make sense? My thought process was completely illogical at the time, I was definitely losing it and stressing out. Having a job you absolutely hate and wanting so badly to get out of it and get back into school can do that I guess lol

[bluerocket]

Most departments do not have any binding agreement to what was stated in your application--I think this sort of binding agreement is more applicable to institutes where you more or less are signing up for a group as you apply. As you point out, these were merely "choices" not an absolute. It might also be worth noting that it is absolutely not uncommon to do and complete a PhD thesis in organic chemistry and work with a POI who might be considered as inorganic, so you have many options here (I think saying that organic and inorganic are "departments" is wrong in and of itself, they are merely labels for groups for their leaning in terms of research). I would keep an open mind about these options as you talk with this professor of yours that you are interested it. This growing field of organometallic chemistry is one very much so underappreciated. The final answer being of course that most likely this does not by any means rule out the possibility of working with this POI. But I will say of more importance is whether this POI will take any students this coming year. 

[oopalfrootz]

In most places in the US, you seem to be able to choose whether you graduate in 'inorganic' or 'organic' very late in the day. 

 

I'm pretty sure you will be fine! When I was on placement in the US last summer, as the new grad students were arriving (UK terms start later) then some of them were applying to labs in totally different areas - some were looking at both organic and physical, or organic and materials, at the same time. While this is, er, bizarre at best, it at least shows that the different labels don't usually mean much when applying. I wouldn't worry! 

[tangentc]

The concentration they list you as has more to do with what advisors they think you'll want to work with than any limitations placed on you. It could be that your POI isn't accepting new students or something, but unless you were accepted to a different actual department it's highly unlikely that it put any real limitations on your choices.

[Quantum Buckyball]

It's divided into different divisions - organic, inorganic, physical, theoretical, analytical, biochemical. I have no idea if switching is allowed or not though :/

 

 

I actually put Organic as my first choice and inorganic as my second. It was one of my first apps and I was still unsure how I should apply. To explain, my background is in organic but I wanted to do inorganic research. I was kind of panicking thinking I wouldn't get in anywhere since I've been out of school for a bit and working so thought I should put organic as my first choice since it may give me a better chance of acceptance, due to my background. After my first 2 applications though, I dropped this philosophy and started applying directly to inorganic or physical chem programs since I am much more interested in these areas and it turned out to not matter.

 

Does that make sense? My thought process was completely illogical at the time, I was definitely losing it and stressing out. Having a job you absolutely hate and wanting so badly to get out of it and get back into school can do that I guess lol

If that's the case then it's really good! You'll get to choose if you want to join a orgo or inorgo group next fall.

I know a girl put down analytical as her first choice and organic as second on her application.

She got accepted to the organic division, but she still wanted to join an analytical group so she ended up interviewing a couple of analytical professors.

Long story short, she and didn't get in any analytical groups and thus had to join an organic group in the end.

I think some organic professors didn't like what she did though...

[St Andrews Lynx]

I am in a bit of an odd situation and was hoping someone could offer some advice. I was accepted at one of my top choice programs (yay!) but to a department different than the department of the POI I'd like to work with. I was accepted to the organic department and he is in the inorganic department. I have contacted the school to see what the possibility is of still joining this lab, but it's Friday and I think my head will explode without any idea of the answer until Monday   Has anyone ever been in a situation like this before? Thanks!

I would give the general advice to make sure that there are 2-3 faculty members at your top choice university whom you would be interested in working for before you officially commit to any PhD program. Just in case it turns out Prof. Dream-Inorganic isn't accepting any graduate students. 

Did you reference the POI in your Personal Statement? I reckon it couldn't hurt to send him an email explaining that you got accepted into the program and are interested in working with him, is he taking on new students et cetera. 

Good luck!

[frankstoneline]

I would give the general advice to make sure that there are 2-3 faculty members at your top choice university whom you would be interested in working for before you officially commit to any PhD program. Just in case it turns out Prof. Dream-Inorganic isn't accepting any graduate students. 

Did you reference the POI in your Personal Statement? I reckon it couldn't hurt to send him an email explaining that you got accepted into the program and are interested in working with him, is he taking on new students et cetera. 

Good luck!

 

I second this. Shoot him/her an email and ask about openings, express interest etc. It'd be best to know whether your top choice for a PI was even a possibility going into the program.

[prolixity]

I'm shocked that some universities would perpetuate this siloing of subdisciplines.  Most of the programs I've encountered, and the program I am currently in, encourage interdisciplinarianism.  

[MadScience]

Thanks everyone for the advice! You were all right, it was just a meaningless technicality and I'm allowed to work in any lab (assuming of course they have an opening!) regardless of division. Just thought I'd update you guys on what happened