Conversation with prof. : two minds? Help!

[robhat]

Hello

This might not be the correct forum to post this one, so I apologize before hand. 

If a professor interviews you even before you have applied (in the first exchange of email itself he says he wishes to discuss potential opportunities), asks you 'something about yourself'.. and when you are done, discusses about funding, tells you he is a new prof and he already has 2 PhDs and 1 more joining in spring and current funds doesn't allow any more, and further talks about applying for fellowships, reviewing my proposals if I'm willing to write one, handing me out a conditional admit if any of the fellowships require me to be admitted first, tells me he filed a grant and is in talks with a company, and if anything materializes, he can consider a new PhD student, but ASKS me to apply for sure :

1) Is he really interested but has no funding?

2) Bluffing about the entire apply for scholarship thing because he cannot say no to my face?

I say the 2) because I wouldn't see a prof being so eager with a potential grad student if he had no funds, he must have something. Maybe he's dearly expecting some. Maybe I said something during the interview to put him off?

What do you guys think? I was initially thinking that 'oh, bad luck me, let me try to look up fellowships, write zillions of proposals right away' but the more I mull over it, the more I'm inclined to think that he's probably showing me the door.

Best
Rob

Edited November 7, 2013 by robhat

[fuzzylogician]

Hello, over-interpretation. Trust me, if someone doesn't like you they will say no. No one benefits from stringing people along. Why not just take the professor at his word? Sounds like he likes you but doesn't have funding to admit you at the moment, so he is pursuing several avenues that might allow you to join his lab - he is writing a grant, he is trying to make connections in industry, and he wants you to try and get independent funding as well (and he will help you prepare the application and review it). I fail to see what is making you interpret this as anything other than positive. 

[robhat]

^ A school promising me funding at the time of admission but denying it when I went there to enroll which is why I'm too skeptical.  

On second thought, I guess you are right. Maybe I'm thinking too much. Human brain tends to go negative first. He is interested for sure, otherwise no one would propose an interview themself without the potential-grad-student even filing an application. Also, this school is a top-10 school, an Ivy, which also happens to be my alma mater, just a different department.

Edited November 7, 2013 by robhat

[Loric]

They may really not have the funding.

 

He may not be mentioning that he also suspects one of the current students wont be continuing (by force on his part, or by choice on their part.)

 

If you want to let it play out, let it play out. The application isn't -that- expensive, right? You can say you're not showing up at the last minute, no harm no foul, if the funding doesn't materialize. Heck, keep trying other schools and see what they offer.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Loric

[fuzzylogician]

He's not promising you anything. Sounds like he was very honest about the funding situation. All you can do is try and see what happens, but I'm still not seeing how he's "bluffing."

[robhat]

I meant more on the lines of not-being-rude-on-my-face, I get your point though. I was editing my earlier response to you before I read your reply. But, thanks. It does help me to think that he's going to try. And so should I. 

Edited November 7, 2013 by robhat

[Loric]

Long sotry, but i swear it has a point:

 

Round 1 of grad school for me went thus:

 

Conference with "dance card" type interviews. I was the only student at the conference with a "full dance card" of interested schools who wanted to talk to me. The first 4 slots were 2x as long as the later slots and saved for the "top" schools if they wanted them - for all students they wanted to talk to - and given priority.

 

The same conference gave me the wrong return time so i showed up late.. looking like an idiot and the top schools literally angry at me for blowing them off. The conference "convinced" some of them to even speak to me. During which one of the professors told me "given more time to look at your statement, portfolio, I had time to question my judgement and i decided I didn't like you as much as I thought I did at first.. you're flashy, but under scrutiny your work isn't as good as i'd like..."

 

Seriously, he said that to me - loudly - in front of dozens of other people.

 

I left that conference being like "omg.. omg.. omg.." and this was literally all because i was given a card that said "return at 4pm" instead of "2pm" like everyone else. I still have the card.

 

So, i went ahead forging a new path. I called schools that didn't attend the conference but were geographically where i wanted to be (geography was a big deal with what i wanted to study) and flew out to meet some.

 

Two asked me to apply, I did. I got in. I had to choose.

 

I chose one. Told the other, "sorry, love ya, but no.."

 

1st call me, "sorry, funding. last one in, first one out.."

 

I called the second.. "OMFG take me!" "Uhh..." "Please..?" "Uhh.. hmm.. We didn't have anyone else apply yet, so.. sure."

 

1st calls me again: "Great news! You're in and funded!"

 

I sat there hating life for a while. I was like "screw it!" and just let them both ride. They were very similar, geographically near each other (an hour's drive), and one's faculty was the students of the other. Just a generational gap.. and one had newer facilities.

 

Week before, and with classes registered, all my financial aid clearly in the system (for both) I chose the school that threw more money at me. I sent an email to the 1st.. "Sorry 'bout it.."

 

What happened after that puts me where i am today and isn't terribly relevent to the point.. the point being, stuff happens. Funding is weird, and it's not because people don't like you or even want you. Crap just happens. Students come and go, things get sourced, etc.. Don't sweat it. Ride out whatever you need to ride out to see what may come.. keep your options open, and do what's best for you.