Changing advisors

[b_bstevie]

So, I've been accepted to a program I was excited about, but didn't get the advisor I wanted. Is there anything I can do about it? Should I just go to the school and try to change once I'm there or should I try to take care of it before accepting the offer?

[genotype]

So, I've been accepted to a program I was excited about, but didn't get the advisor I wanted. Is there anything I can do about it? Should I just go to the school and try to change once I'm there or should I try to take care of it before accepting the offer?

Since I'm assuming there's no guarantee that you'll be able to switch, you would definitely need to consider whether you'd be happy with the advisor you've been assigned. I am guessing this relates to your other post, to which I just replied.

[jeanne]

I think it depends on the situation. I have a similar situation where the professor I wanted to work with at one of my top choices is going on sabbatical next year, but another professor is interested in working with me. The new professor's research interests are close enough to mine that I think I'd be very happy working with him. He also has a great reputation and is very proactive in getting his students published and introducing them to other people (aka networking). After visiting and having extensive conversations with him and his students, I know that the department is very willing to do joint advisors for students, so that would be a possibility for me in future years. So for me, this isn't a problem.

If you don't think you'd be happy working with that professor, then I wouldn't go there. Or at least check up front that there's a good possibility you could switch. Do you know why you didn't get your preferred advisor? If it's a funding issue, then that might change once an advanced student graduates. If it's because of another reason, then I'm guessing you'd have less luck.

[chocker]

So, I've been accepted to a program I was excited about, but didn't get the advisor I wanted. Is there anything I can do about it? Should I just go to the school and try to change once I'm there or should I try to take care of it before accepting the offer?

if you have a RA then it might be tough.

if you are TA or fellowship or self finance then be this might not be hard.

[RomulusAugustulus]

From what I understand, advisors tend to pick YOU. So I doubt you can switch now (also, that may not be the best start to your relationship with the department). Probably the advisor you wanted didn't have room for another student, or chose to work with a different applicant. If you went and didn't get along with/had conflicting research interests with your advisor, then you would probably be able to discuss switching advisors with your department.

[liszt85]

A professor I am seeking to work with recently told me that it is acceptable and understandable that a person's area of research may change multiple times over the course of his or her PhD work, in which case changing advisors would seem to follow (depending on the degree of change in research). It would be a bit tricky if you were to sign on with one advisor with the intent of switching advisors at some point, but I suppose it could conceivably be done.

I agree with the above. I was chosen by my current adviser and he was the sole reason for my being accepted to the program. So naturally I felt a sense of obligation to work with him (also because I liked his research). I'm really happy with my decision to accept his offer as I'm doing some pretty cool work with him now and wouldn't trade advisers for anything (even if you offered to have the biggest name prof in the dept advise me). However, had this not been the case, I'm pretty sure the department wouldn't have kicked me out and I would have been able to switch advisers. Before accepting the offer, my adviser also put me in touch with 3 other faculty members whose work interested me and told me I was free to collaborate with any of them. So you would always be able to do lab rotations and stuff and collaborate with the professor you wanted to work with but it would be healthy (and professional) to work for the professor who got you in and like others have told you here, if you are sure you wouldn't be happy working with him, you really should convey the message to the department and ask if you could hope to work with the other guy for your dissertation. If the answer is no, you probably shouldn't go there and consider other offers more seriously.