How far can you trust rankings in chemistry in usgradnews?

[mterabithia]

Hi,

 

Since most of you already got university acceptances I am just wondering in order to select a good university what ranking will be a factor of consideration. However, what are the best ways to get an idea about these rankings of particular field of study?  

[electron]

I believe these rankings are based on surveys from people in the field, so you should take them with a grain of salt for that reason alone.

 

But ultimately, what most matters is the professor you work for. Think about it; there are outstanding profs at universities that are ranked lower who may be just as impactful or more as profs at top 5 universities despite being at a smaller or lower impact school. But your PI is the one funding your research, publishing your papers, and writing your recommendation for a post-doc.

 

You should find out the funding and publication records of particular professors you are interested in. That information is far more important than school ranking.

Edited February 4, 2015 by electron

[ucdude]

How exactly do you see the funding of a professor? I'm guessing # of publications is somewhat indicative of funding, and you can find how many publications they are a part of on something like scifinder...

[electron]

Look in the acknowledgements section of the papers they publish. There they will indicate funding sources. Make sure to look at their funding for all of their projects because they may not list all of their funding in each paper.

 

Sometimes they will also list their funding on their websites or in their CVs, but not everone does that. (Which reminds me, their CV will also tell you if they have won any big awards or get asked to give important presentations- a few other signs of a good PI)

 

You can also ask, but I wouldn't do that personally. Seems tacky and not very respectful, but I don't know.

 

 

I should add, look at where former group members have gone on after grad school. If group alumni are frequently getting good positions for post-docs, that really speaks to the PI's abilities as a mentor.

Edited February 4, 2015 by electron

[ghostar]

How exactly do you see the funding of a professor? I'm guessing # of publications is somewhat indicative of funding, and you can find how many publications they are a part of on something like scifinder...

www.grantome.com

[doyouevenchop]

I think it depends on what you want to do with your PhD.  I'm currently looking at industry/biotech/pharma/startups, so I think having a big name is important - obviously the professor you end up under is more important and will have a bigger direct impact on your life, but it is silly to think that prestige and name recognition are not important. I do not want to do a post-doc, unless I absolutely have to.

 

Also, cost of living, activities, and the area itself. You have a school like Kansas, leader in med chem - but you have to live in Kansas for 5 years. I'm a very outdoorsy person, so living in a place with nice weather and mountains/lakes/beaches/trails/etc is important to me. 

Edited February 5, 2015 by doyouevenchop