Asking for Late Admittance

[mdog3000]

Hi all,

I wanted some opinions on what you thought the chance of gaining very late admittance would be. I'll just start off my saying I was a little unsure of what PhD programs I wanted to apply for in the fall and put it off until mid December since every school I had looked at had a deadline of Jan 15th or later. Well unfortunately one of my top choices, Stanford, had a deadline of Dec. 3 and I missed it. I think I would be a good candidate for them (4.00 GPA in dual degree Biochem/Marine Science, Goldwater Scholarship, NOAA Hollings Scholarship, lots of research experience, Phi Beta Kappa, Fulbright Finalist, and waiting to hear on NSF graduate fellowship). My question is this, if I am awarded both the Fulbright and NSF fellowship and get the professor on board, do you think I could get them to admit me now, even though I wouldnt start until Fall 2015. I need to tell NSF that I have accepted somewhere to accept the award, and right now my only option (for Stanford) would be to accept at another school and then transfer while away on my Fulbright, which is a jerk move. Obviously I still need to receive the fellowship to have this dilemna, but I just wanted to see if you think it'd be possible to get such an exception. 

[bsharpe269]

I definitely dont think that stanford would consider admitting you at this point, NSF or not. You seem like a great candidate but keep in mind that every other student who applied has similar credentials and got their applications in on time. I think that you probably need to jsut see whether you get either fulbright or NSF before making major moves. For example, if you just get NSF and you need to be accepted somewhere then your best bet might be to apply to a 1 year masters since those deadlines may not have passed. Then you can apply this fall for stanford adn other phd programs. good luck!

[beccamayworth]

I don't think it would hurt to contact your POI at Stanford and let them know of your situation (that is, when you do find out about the grants/fellowships). 

[juilletmercredi]

If you get the NSF - which is a big if - I would contact the professor in which you are interested in working with at Stanford and ask about it.  Sometimes (sometimes prestigious outside fellowships can change things.  Keep in mind, though, that places like Stanford usually have lots of NSF scholars.

 

If you don't get the NSF, I wouldn't bother.  They're unlikely to accept "I wasn't sure where I wanted to apply" as an excuse, since competitive programs like Stanford receive hundreds of applications for just a few spots.  They could accept lots of 4.0s, PBKs and people with research experience, and usually do.

[geographyrocks]

I'm confused.  You don't want to start until Fall 2015, but you want to be admitted now?  3 months after the application deadline?  Are you serious?

Did you apply to other schools to start in Fall 2015?  Does the NSF specify that you can wait a year?  Are you basing this from the fact that you're a Fulbright finalist?  What if you aren't chosen for a Fulbright?  What if you aren't chosen for the NSF fellowship as well? 

Another thing, aren't NSF fellowship given to the school first and then you get paid a monthly stipend from that?  I mean...that's how the grants that professors get works.  Would it not cause serious complications to tell NSF you are admitted and attending one school and then change it at the last minute? 

Do the schools that you've applied to know you are deferring until 2015 or are you waiting until you see if you've recieved a Fulbright to tell them? 

 

Anyway, to answer the question, probably not.  Although, it is hard to answer any question that has so many variables. 

[moderatedbliss]

If you get the Fulbright (I'm not sure which Fulbright you applied for) perhaps you could get it funded for a 1 year masters in the UK? The deadlines are rolling, and for the majority of schools it's not too late to apply. 

[rpfey]

I would say go for it if it was any other university, but you're talking about Stanford here. Unless you really have some strong personal connections with the department that could help you pull some strings, I really don't see them making an exception. An institution like Stanford won't be complicit with your plans to transfer from another institution while you're away on your Fulbright -- they have a reputation to uphold and it's absurd to think they would be willing to go along with this for a prospective graduate student. However, as others have said, you're a strong applicant and probably have a good shot when you decide to officially apply to the school. Best of luck!