UMD? Nooooo!

[drendal768]

I've been accepted for the CS Ph.D program at UMD. However, I really wanted to get to a top-5 program with a good reputation. Now I keep wondering what on earth I'm going to do with a Ph.D from Maryland. I mean, having the Ph.D (UMD) tag at the end of your name is nothing like having a name like MIT or Stanford at the end. My plan was to get an MS and then go to a top school but I didn't get accepted to any of the MS programs. So what options are available for me if I get a Ph.D from Maryland?

[arienandthesun]

I suppose you are joking?

[drendal768]

Why would I be joking? e.g. AFAIK it's impossible to get a Professorship in an Ivy or a similarly prestigious university without having a PhD from a top-5 university in the field.

[husker207]

have you looked at where the faculty in the ivies are from? You are way off!

[vincent]

The faculties at top tier universities are mostly there because of their outstanding research record or achievements. You can do that in theory in every place. I chose an even lower ranked school than Maryland (where I resigned from my admittance). The current president of Stanford graduated from CS at the school I chose. And after all, if you do well in your PhD, you will surely be considered for Postdoc positions at top tier schools.

[softwareApplicant]

I've been accepted for the CS Ph.D program at UMD. However, I really wanted to get to a top-5 program with a good reputation. Now I keep wondering what on earth I'm going to do with a Ph.D from Maryland. I mean, having the Ph.D (UMD) tag at the end of your name is nothing like having a name like MIT or Stanford at the end. My plan was to get an MS and then go to a top school but I didn't get accepted to any of the MS programs. So what options are available for me if I get a Ph.D from Maryland?

I really assume you are joking. Every year, many assistant professors from the top 20-25 schools show up in the top notch universities.

I admit that graduating from a good school is important, but more important things that you should know by now (being a PhD applicant) are:

- These rankings are not what you think they are. Think about the top conferences,there are tons of people that publish every year in top conferences, who are not in top 10 schools.

- What is important is what research (quality-wise) you do, not *where* you do it (you will probably be doing it in a good school already)

- You should focus on working with a good professor, rather than being in one of the top 5 schools. Believe me, if you don't have a good advisor, even if you are in one of those top schools, your life will be miserable, and you won't get what you expect from PhD.

I was in one of those top schools 3 years ago, then quit PhD after getting a Master's degree. I've been working since then, and now I'm going to another very good school in its field (not in top 5 btw, but in top 15), and I rejected the offer of one of the top 10 schools to go where I'm going. Because as I said, the important thing is your advisor, not the school's brand.

I would just focus on what research you will do if I were you. That's what PhD is all about after all: working with a good advisor and publishing in best conferences as much as you can. And your life will be good, trust me

[papado]

This is either an extremely elaborate trolling post, or a person who, in no way, deserves to study at UMD. If you got into academia for the prestige of having a "top-5 school" moniker next to your name, then you got in for the wrong reasons.

[Jakrabite]

This is either an extremely elaborate trolling post, or a person who, in no way, deserves to study at UMD. If you got into academia for the prestige of having a "top-5 school" moniker next to your name, then you got in for the wrong reasons.

Very well put. Totally bogus query by OP. If somebody has issues with staying in Maryland itself, I would find that perfectly understandable. But the way the question is phrased is bound to raise eyebrows. Think its a troll or a disgruntled applicant.

[djrg]

Very well put. Totally bogus query by OP. If somebody has issues with staying in Maryland itself, I would find that perfectly understandable. But the way the question is phrased is bound to raise eyebrows. Think its a troll or a disgruntled applicant.

Definitively... I guess if he is so ashamed of going to a great school like UMD... there are many people in the forum who would be willing to trade positions with him...