Already work with my dream mentor...

[ck926]

I'm currently in my last year of undergrad, and will soon be applying to PhD programs for the fall of 2014. I've always been advised that it's a good idea to seek out potential mentors, and email them to get a conversation going. However, I already work with the advisor who is my first choice; I am a research assistant in his lab, and he is my chair for my honors thesis. His research is completely in line with what I want to do, and we get along well on a personal and professional level. I know it seems like it should be easy to bring up since I already know him so well, but I feel like it could be awkward just saying so out of the blue. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to bring up the fact that this program is my first choice, and that I would like to work with him?

[student12345]

Is the program highly ranked? If it is one of the very top programs in your field I'd say it should be okay, but I'd be weary of doing both your BA and PhD in the same institution otherwise. You say that the research being done by your advisor is exactly what you want to do, but have you looked at the research being done by the top researchers your field? It could very well be that the work being done elsewhere is more interesting, or at least it will be to you in the future. Depending on the field, it could be very bad to only be exposed to one research environment.

[ck926]

Is the program highly ranked? If it is one of the very top programs in your field I'd say it should be okay, but I'd be weary of doing both your BA and PhD in the same institution otherwise. You say that the research being done by your advisor is exactly what you want to do, but have you looked at the research being done by the top researchers your field? It could very well be that the work being done elsewhere is more interesting, or at least it will be to you in the future. Depending on the field, it could be very bad to only be exposed to one research environment.

It's known as a good program, but not one of the top in my field. My advisor does research that is extremely unique to the field, and I have only found one other program that researches something even similar. I have worked in other research labs before (in my field), and I'm confident that this is what I want to continue researching. As for looking into what the top researchers in my field do; most of them research things that are more commonplace in the discipline. I'm still applying to other schools with similar research, but I just want to get the conversation going early on so he knows that I'm at least interested. 

Edited April 8, 2013 by ckreutzer

[tarrman]

It definitely wouldn't be awkward asking him out of the blue. Just tell him you're interested in working withhim again for your Ph.D. and ask if he's accepting students.

[sdt13]

Just don't take it personally if they suggest it's not a good idea. I applied to a professor in my department whom I've worked with quite a bit (although he's not my advisor, he was my advisor's PhD advisor). While he is THE guy in my field, he felt that I should broaden my research and take what I've learned and apply it elsewhere (mind you, I've been in this lab 4 years), despite him being one of only two POIs that match my research interests perfectly. We are currently working on a grant together through the next year and so we will obviously have a collaborative relationship instead.

 

[juilletmercredi]

I think the "academic incest" effect is overstated, personally.  It's nice to go elsewhere for your PhD but if the best place for you intellectually is where you already are, and the research is a great fit, there's nothing wrong staying where you are even if it's not the very best place in your field.  Obviously you don't want to stay at a mediocre to poor institution, but a good or great place can develop you just as well.  Being a grad student is different from being an undergrad.

 

I agree that broadening your interests is a great idea and working with other people is better for your personal network and your personal development.  It's one of the reasons I don't plan to apply for a postdoc at my graduate institution, even though they have a postdoc almost perfectly aligned with my research interests.  When you have people from two or three different institutions who are willing to vouch for how great you are - and who spread that information within their networks - then that is the best.  But it's not a *bad* thing to stay put, it's just not *as good* as going somewhere else.

 

Of course, this is also field-dependent.