Offered a project

[zbfox999]

Hi all,

I am now a master student and have applied for 4 PhD programs and only 1 professor contacted me by now and it is quiet for the other 3.

After several emails, he offered me a project, involving new concepts, 2 new programming languages (My familiar one is prohibited in this case), collecting data and creating a model to simulate a targeted activity. He gave me 8 weeks and advised me to work over 20 hours a week and report to him regularly which he marked "mandatory".

This mail made me upset. I really do not know whether some other guys have faced the same situations before. I really do not know what to do next. My opinion is, I would not want to work for this professor. Also, this university is not my first choice. However, considering no news coming from other programs and the sacrifice I will make to conduct this project, I feel sick. What is more, given that I took this work, it still does not mean I would be definitely admitted in the future.

Could some one give me some advice? Thanks very much.

[artsy16]

This sounds like an absolutely ridiculous request. I personally would follow through with it, and would instead as the department head (if he isn't that person) if this is expected of applicants/are professors allowed to do this to applicants. I agree with you in that I wouldn't want to work with this professor. If the website stated that ALL applicants would be given a project as part of admissions, that would be different, but this project seems like a huge burden (at least 20 hours a week????). I understand the pressure you're feeling since this is the only program that you've heard from, but I don't think it would be worth it or that you would be happy in short and long term if you worked with this professor.

Have you responded to his request?

 

[katpillow]

Alright, I don't know if the expectations are different for programming-related PhDs or what, but if I had a guy request something of me like this, I'd have mixed feelings too. If you have the time to pull something like that off, then go for it. If you don't, then it's understandable. Your priorities are on completing your current work. To ask you to go and do another 20+ hours of work a week for something that's not necessarily a 'for sure' offer... it's a bit much. He's asking you to put at least 3 hours a day into this. Utter nonsense. Until you're getting paid or funded to do bullshit like that, you don't owe him squat. Sounds like he's trying to take advantage of your position. Unless of course he's asking you to do this to see if you think a certain way for him, or whatever. /rant

You gotta hedge your bets. See if you can figure out to what end he wants this work to be pursued. If a publication with your name on it- maybe consider it. If not, then honestly wtf..

[TakeruK]

If he is asking you to take an unpaid project prior to admission then yeah this is very strange. 

What do you mean by "he offered [you]" a project? Usually, when I think of an "offered" project, it means either a job offer (he'll pay you 20 hours per week for 8 weeks) or an admission offer (this is the first project of your graduate degree). 

I think it would be a good idea to clarify with this professor what is going on here. If you have the time and if he is paying you and if you want to do it, then go for it. But only if all 3 things apply. I would not do 20 hours / week of free work, even if i had the time. RA work is generally valued between $20/hr to $30/hr, so this is not a small amount of free work either. 

If I was in your position and I had time to do this project, I would say that this sounds like a good opportunity and ask if this would be a research assistantship. Or, you can choose some other phrasing that makes it clear that you now want to discuss payment if you don't want to say it directly.

If I was in your position and I don't have time (or don't want to) do this project, I would thank him for the opportunity but say that you do not have time to take on a 20hr/week project right now and that you prefer to do a project right instead of rushing it with the limited time you have. You can suggest that maybe you can do this project with him after you start the program, if you get accepted. And that you look forward to it. But only say these things if you actually want to work with him.

Because he isn't making/forcing you to do this project (after all, how can he "make" you?), I'm not sure if going to the department head is going to be helpful. The department head may somehow side with the faculty member and then you are stirring up trouble for yourself for no reason. I would just politely decline if I am not interested in the professor. The only reason to go to the department head is if you feel like the professor is acting unfairly to pressure you and other potential applicants into doing free work. But doing so can also hurt you down the road so it's up to you if you want to "report" this prof or not.

[zbfox999]

53 minutes ago, artsy16 said:

This sounds like an absolutely ridiculous request. I personally would follow through with it, and would instead as the department head (if he isn't that person) if this is expected of applicants/are professors allowed to do this to applicants. I agree with you in that I wouldn't want to work with this professor. If the website stated that ALL applicants would be given a project as part of admissions, that would be different, but this project seems like a huge burden (at least 20 hours a week????). I understand the pressure you're feeling since this is the only program that you've heard from, but I don't think it would be worth it or that you would be happy in short and long term if you worked with this professor.

Have you responded to his request?

 

First he asked how much time do I have. I replied roughly 10 hours/week. He said at least 20 and I said I would like a try. Meanwhile I asked multiple times for what the topic could be but he did not mention. Then after 4 days, he suddenly gave the project and details inside with a new e-mail. However, I don't really know what the 4 days' gap really means. I assume he tried to contact other prospective applicants... I haven't responded by now after I received this project email.

I personally don't think that it is for real that one applicant will be given a project for admission consideration. I searched similar cases on the Internet but got nothing.

[zbfox999]

44 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

If he is asking you to take an unpaid project prior to admission then yeah this is very strange. 

What do you mean by "he offered [you]" a project? Usually, when I think of an "offered" project, it means either a job offer (he'll pay you 20 hours per week for 8 weeks) or an admission offer (this is the first project of your graduate degree). 

I think it would be a good idea to clarify with this professor what is going on here. If you have the time and if he is paying you and if you want to do it, then go for it. But only if all 3 things apply. I would not do 20 hours / week of free work, even if i had the time. RA work is generally valued between $20/hr to $30/hr, so this is not a small amount of free work either. 

If I was in your position and I had time to do this project, I would say that this sounds like a good opportunity and ask if this would be a research assistantship. Or, you can choose some other phrasing that makes it clear that you now want to discuss payment if you don't want to say it directly.

If I was in your position and I don't have time (or don't want to) do this project, I would thank him for the opportunity but say that you do not have time to take on a 20hr/week project right now and that you prefer to do a project right instead of rushing it with the limited time you have. You can suggest that maybe you can do this project with him after you start the program, if you get accepted. And that you look forward to it. But only say these things if you actually want to work with him.

Because he isn't making/forcing you to do this project (after all, how can he "make" you?), I'm not sure if going to the department head is going to be helpful. The department head may somehow side with the faculty member and then you are stirring up trouble for yourself for no reason. I would just politely decline if I am not interested in the professor. The only reason to go to the department head is if you feel like the professor is acting unfairly to pressure you and other potential applicants into doing free work. But doing so can also hurt you down the road so it's up to you if you want to "report" this prof or not.

He said he wanted to make sure this area was suitable for me by giving the project and would make his decision at any time. It is an unpaid work. My current idea is, I do some work but not to the 20 hours/week extent, because I believe it is unreasonable to take this work without being admitted. At least, this is a study opportunity and a mild solution (I think) to this dilemma. But I have a concern here. Can he turn my application rejected because of his personal feelings?

[ChrisTOEFert]

This is very, very odd.  I would e-mail the department head and not do a thing until I heard back.  If you are worried and feel like he is bullying you, you can just say you don't want to do the project and thank him/her for their time and just forget about it.  I have never heard of a school doing something like this...is it in North America?

[zbfox999]

53 minutes ago, ChrisTOEFert said:

This is very, very odd.  I would e-mail the department head and not do a thing until I heard back.  If you are worried and feel like he is bullying you, you can just say you don't want to do the project and thank him/her for their time and just forget about it.  I have never heard of a school doing something like this...is it in North America?

Correct. Ranked top 100 US universities.

[TakeruK]

5 hours ago, zbfox999 said:

He said he wanted to make sure this area was suitable for me by giving the project and would make his decision at any time. It is an unpaid work. My current idea is, I do some work but not to the 20 hours/week extent, because I believe it is unreasonable to take this work without being admitted. At least, this is a study opportunity and a mild solution (I think) to this dilemma. But I have a concern here. Can he turn my application rejected because of his personal feelings?

Yeah, I think this is very strange too. If you want to attend this school but are concerned that this professor will harm your application, I would contact the department head to let the head know that you received this strange request and you will not be doing a project for free. I would also let the professor know that you cannot work for free also.

If you don't want to attend this school anymore, then it would probably be best to decline the project and move on. You could still tell the department head if you wish, but it might hurt you more than it helps.

[rising_star]

I wouldn't spend 20 hours a week for 8 weeks working on a project unpaid and with no future funding guaranteed. It sounds like this professor needs a RA but doesn't have the money to pay one, so they're asking you to do the work instead. Don't fall for the trap. Instead, take @TakeruK's advice about contacting the department head. If not the department head, then the Director of Graduate Studies.