Schools that accept spring admission & that are good for organic/natural product/pharmaceutical synthesis ?

[metallocene2015]

Hi everyone, 

 

So while searching for potential grad schools to attend, I noticed that most (if not all) schools I looked at accept only admission for the fall semester. Some mentioned that spring admission would be acceptable under "very special circumstances" but didn't elaborate further. Is this common ? Does anyone know any chemistry grad schools that DO offer spring admission? Would be even better if they are also strong in organic/pharmaceutical synthesis ! Right now I am looking at the following schools:

 

UC Irvine (very interested)

UC Davis

UC Santa Barbara

UC San Diego

UIUC

UWM

UMich

UCLA

UT Austin

 

Any advice would be highly appreciated Thanks !

[St Andrews Lynx]

My advice would be to hold out to Fall admission, regardless of whether the PhD program offers Spring admission or not. Although Spring admission happens at my school (...I think...theoretically speaking...) most of the compulsory courses are only offered in the Fall. Doing Orientation Week with the ~20 folk in my cohort was a great way to bond with them: we did all the same classes together, and were all adjusting to the program at the same time. It might be harder to make friends in your cohort if you arrive midway between two cohort classes. 

 

I've also noticed that professors tend to tie their recruitment cycles to the Fall academic year. In my university, the first years will have been placed in labs with a PI by Christmas, and there aren't many spots left over come Spring (which is something to keep in mind if you want to join a popular/competitive lab). 

 

Is there a particular reason you want/need to get into a PhD program by Spring? Even if you have to do a menial low-wage job for 6 months (as I did), I think it would be better to wait until Fall. 

[metallocene2015]

Thanks for the really detailed and helpful reply ! The reason why I want to get into a PhD program by spring is because..well, basically I am trapped in a lab with a research advisor whose research interests do not fit mine and all the schools I applied to last cycle rejected me (they were all top schools). So I am basically trying to leave my current institution asap

[St Andrews Lynx]

If you applications were rejected the first time around, it is worth while thinking about why they were rejected and if there's anything you can do to strengthen them. That might mean taking time off to study for the GRE, or spending time in another academic lab to gain more/different experience. If you reapply to those competitive top schools, they will certainly look to see how your applications have changed between the two cycles. In that respect, a 4-6 month delay between preparing for Spring and Fall admissions could do a lot to improve your chances. 

 

I can sympathise. I failed my first time applying to grad schools, and had to redo the whole thing. There was a while after I'd been rejected from the American schools that I was panicking and applying to random universities in other countries, just desperate to get in somewhere. In the end that didn't work out well for me: I was applying to places I don't think I'd have been happy at, and I wasn't preparing the strongest application packages, either. Giving myself time to strengthen my application and reapply to the places I really wanted to attend - even though it delayed my PhD start date by 12 months - worked out best for me. I got into a solid program that I really like.  

[metallocene2015]

I got email replies from 8 of these schools and they all told me that they don't offer spring admissions, almost all of them saying that coursework starts in the Fall and that it would be difficult for students who enroll in the spring term to get into any courses. What if I were to enroll in the spring term to start research work and simply hold off coursework until the following fall term ? Has anyone done this or heard about other people doing this ? There's an incoming graduate student at my current institution who did just that, although I'm not sure if something like this would be possible in the US..

[eeee1923]

I sympathize with your situation but have you tried to get a research tech position anywhere? To me it seems like it would be a lot of hassle trying to find a school that allows spring admission. 

[metallocene2015]

I sympathize with your situation but have you tried to get a research tech position anywhere? To me it seems like it would be a lot of hassle trying to find a school that allows spring admission. 

I am actually about to start grad school at my current undergrad institution, so I can't really go anywhere this semester. What I was asking was, since none of the schools I am interested in accept spring admissions, is it possible to first join a research lab in the spring (without being enrolled in the school) and then start taking classes in the fall (as an officially enrolled student) ? 

[aberrant]

What I was asking was, since none of the schools I am interested in accept spring admissions, is it possible to first join a research lab in the spring (without being enrolled in the school) and then start taking classes in the fall (as an officially enrolled student) ? 

 

1. you are accepted by the program

2. if there is a faculty member who is willing to pay for your stipend, insurance, and whatever that are necessary under the school and program policy

 

then it is possible. otherwise, your situation is extremely unlikely. the only time that I know a spring admission is possible is when a student deferred the admission to begin grad school in the Fall, is when they are highly qualified but there are obligations/requirements for them to complete during the Fall semester/quarter in their alma mater. those situations are almost "an exception", though you would still call that "a spring admission" just because those students begin their first semester in grad school during Spring.

[St Andrews Lynx]

It gets more complicated if you're an international applicant to the US (the OP implied that they're currently studying in another country) because you have to think about visas. I wanted to start a rotation at my chosen school as early as possible, but my F1 visa only allowed me to enter the US 1 month before my official program start date. 

 

If your current institution is making you miserable, then my advice would be to drop out as soon as you can (thank your advisor for their time/patience, apologise but explain that it's a bad research fit for you, yada yada), apply to new grad schools and find whatever employment you can to tide you over until next Fall.