For schools where advisor can be selected after the first year

[crabwalker]

Some graduate school provide a chance for student to choose their advisors based on their academic performances. Can the students choose a major different from what they are aim for, as indicated in their applicant essays?

[fuzzylogician]

I assume it depends on the department, but if they allow you to choose your advisor after the first year, they should be open to your choosing whoever you feel is most suitable. That means that they expect students to perhaps grow and change interests after the arrive at the program, so I wouldn't think that they would hold anyone up to what they wrote in the admissions essay almost two years before it's time to choose advisor. There might be complications because you would need to get the advisor's consent and they might not be taking on new advisees, but there is no general reason why you couldn't choose whoever you want.

I can tell you that in my department we get to choose advisors after the first year. I do semantics, but the phonologists (=a majorly different subfield) have told me that "they welcome converts".. so no problem there

Edited February 22, 2010 by fuzzylogician