<p>I got accepted into a grad school for Dept ‘A’ about a month ago. They’re not the highest on my wish-list so when they asked if I would come to their upcoming Open House, I told them I wasn’t sure since I needed to hear back from alot of schools. I waited until their deadline to say I could come. </p>
<p>What I like about Dept A is how interdisciplinary it is, as mentioned on its website. When I wasn’t sure if I wanted to apply to this program or not, I emailed to ask about if they would let me choose a thesis advisor in Dept B thats not listed as part of their program (Dept A consists of lots of profs from all sorts of different depts). I also asked if I could take lots of classes in B. I also asked if its possible to transfer in case I didn’t like Dept A. They told me if thats the case, I would have to re-apply to Dept B. But my interests have changed now, and I don’t want to work with a prof in Dept B. </p>
<p>Since I didn’t hear about my rejections from my top choices until a couple days ago, I didn’t print out my itinerary for the Open House until yesterday. When we spoke about the itinerary on the phone, they sounded a little frustrated with me and told me I was very late</p>
<p>I also asked if I could meet with some profs in Dept C that aren’t listed as part of the program. Dept A said this would be difficult to implement and that perhaps the program isn’t a good fit for me and/or I should come visit the dept at a later time when I’m more decisive. I certainly didn’t expect this because I asked the same question to a few other programs similar to Dept A at other schools, and they all were flexible to let me work with profs not listed in their program. Anyways, I responded by saying I would still like to attend.</p>
<p>But I noticed something that might be strange about the above statement. I saw a grad student in Dept A’s website who did an Independent Study with one of the profs thats listed in Dept C but not A. I’m also interested in that prof. If working with prof like that is ‘difficult to implement’, then why was this grad student allowed to do so?</p>
<p>Is there a chance they could rescind the offer? Also, about working with that prof in Dept C, should I email that prof or grad student about how they were able to work together despite what Dept C is telling me? Or wait until the Open House to speak to that grad student?</p>
<p>I doubt that they will rescind your offer; however, you seem to be ticking them off with your insistence of contacting people from other programs. They are trying to sell your on their department. If you indicate that you are mostly interested in working with people outside of the program, then they are right to question whether you are a good fit.</p>
<p>Interdisciplinary/interdepartmental work begins with a primary professor inside the home department. Let’s say that you enter a CS department with a research interest in bioinformatics. You work with a CS professor who also has that interest, and he may bring in colleagues from the biology department who can provide training that he cannot. But your CS PI is the one who directs your research, not the PIs from biology. Your work fits firmly in the CS field, not in biology, as interdisciplinary as it is. Why? Because you are supposed to be getting a degree in CS, not in biology. </p>
<p>But let’s say that the CS professor determines that you don’t need to work with a professor of biology because he already has the knowledge and lab set-up to accommodate work in bioinformatics. There’s no reason for you to go outside of the program. In that case, you will not get to work with a biology professor. </p>
<p>Remember that graduate students do not have the freedom to research whatever they want. Your work will fall under the umbrella of your PI’s larger project/interests, so that even though you will be solving problems on your own, they will be related to your PI’s interests. If you are funded, it’s because you are expected to do research for the program and your PI, not for professors in other departments. Usually, if another program is brought into a project, it’s a collaboration between professors, with the graduate students as researchers. The graduate student doesn’t get to decide who he works with outside the program.</p>
<p>I hope this clarifies what may be going on.</p>
<p>But this Dept A doesn’t have ANY profs that are ONLY part of Dept A. It is related closest to Dept B, alot of Dept A’s profs are part of B, and in most schools Depts A and B would be combined. The whole point of this separate Dept A is to encourage interdisciplinary work</p>
<p>As for Dept C, only 2 of its profs are listed in A. I would like to work with one of them, but I heard hes retiring soon. The grad student I mentioned earlier did a 1-yr independent study with a prof in C (but not part of A). She lists on her website that her only current advisor is a prof in Dept D (whos also listed in A). In most schools, Dept D and C would be combined, as they’re very closely related</p>
<p>I’m just wondering how this student got to work with that prof in Dept C (who’s not in A). Unless independent studies are handled different than the research that leads to thesis, then maybe the school just mentioned its ‘difficult to implement’ as a warning that I don’t try to transfer from A to C (I don’t intend to).</p>
<p>If I didn’t completely clarify things, then I’ll post a link to the website and reveal the depts</p>
<p>I’m sorry – all this Department A, B, and C stuff is confusing. Here’s my short answer: if a professor is not part of interdisciplinary department A, then the program probably cannot arrange for you to meet this person. If there is a hole in your schedule, you might be able to arrange it yourself.</p>
<p>“Difficult” is not the same thing as “impossible.” My grad program made it seem like there were lots of opportunities for interdisciplinary work, but in reality I only knew one student who managed to make it happen. I’m not saying that departments B and C are lying to you, but I think it’s pretty common for them to stretch the truth in order to get you locked in. I also think that you are wearing out your welcome in department A. Maybe they won’t rescind outright, but there could be an unofficial campaign afoot to nudge you towards rejecting them.</p>
<p>Lets say A = Applied Sciences, C = Chemistry, D = Biochemistry. I hope this helps. My short question is how this Applied Sciences grad student worked (as part of Independent Study) with a prof in Chemistry who isn’t part of Applied Sciences?</p>
<p>Got2beGreen, it sounds like your saying that this program makes it seems that its more interdisciplinary than it really is. But you’re also saying that its not impossible for me to work something out to work with a Chem prof thats not in Applied Sciences?</p>
<p>Anyways, I can PM whoever wants more details about this program as I’d prefer not to reveal it here</p>
<p>I’m saying that is what happened in my department, and to some extent, to me (although to be fair, I didn’t pursue it that vigorously). The one student in my department who DID manage to pursue something more interdisciplinary sort of happened into it. As his interests developed in his home department, there became a really natural overlap with one prof in particular in another department. So, he worked closely with that prof as a second advisor and he also audited a few classes in that department. He was also a very focused person, and so he was able to push some things through whereas a less driven student might have just given up.</p>
<p>Obviously I don’t know enough about the departments you are considering to really comment specifically on your case, so I was just conjecturing. I think Momwaitingfornew has a good take on it . . . if it becomes clear that a prof in the “other” department can offer you something that your “home” department can’t, then you have a reason to want to collaborate with that other department. However, that doesn’t mean that your home department will bend over backwards to make that happen for you. That’s why I said that while it may not be impossible, it might still be really difficult.</p>
<p>I am not going to address the particulars of your situation.</p>
<p>I am not surprised by the blunt response you received from the graduate program you have been accepted at, I think their patience is wearing thin. This program is obviously not high on your list of programs you want to attend and you are not trying very hard to disguise that. They invest a considerable amount of resources into their graduate students and I can see why they are put out with a student who considers them to be a consolation prize.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why you are so worked up over who your advisor will be at this early date. Don’t you have a core curriculum to complete first? Given that you have already changed your mind about who you would like to work with before the program has even begun it doesn’t seem that far-fetched to me that you might change your mind again after a year of the core classes. In graduate school yes it is possible to take classes outside of your department but I found it very difficult because I was so busy with the commitments I had in the department that was funding me.</p>
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<p>Yes, they could rescind your offer. Speak privately with the graduate student. Do not email the professor, he might say something to the someone in department A.</p>
<p>Yes, the core cirriculum consists of taking at least 10 classes in its dept, at least 3 in another dept, and at least 3 in either dept. Yes, I understand that I could change my mind again. This school I think got the wrong impression with me in that I’m not certain that I want to work with a prof in ‘Chemistry’ thats not in ‘Applied Science’. I just asked about the possibiltiy and if I could meet with them on Open house</p>
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<p>You mean email the grad student? I just did that</p>
<p>If I were them, I wouldn’t want you anymore. This is really a way to get off on the wrong foot. And your professional career post-graduate school depends upon these folks, and you don’t seem to be treating them with very much respect. </p>
<p>After visiting the Open house, I found out that the grad student had no problems with the head of the dept when she worked with profs that are NOT part of the program. She (and the other grad students) mentioned the program is very flexible</p>
<p>However, I just found out on Friday, after I emailed to ask about the financial package I’d be offered, that I won’t be offered ANY funding! This is for a phD program, so I was shocked to hear this. In this field of study, most phD admits get funded. The original acceptance letter I got a month ago didn’t mention details about funding, so thats why I emailed to find out. Based on gradcafe (but very few people posted their results for this program), the program doesn’t send out financial offers until AFTER the open house. So I guess the Open house serves as an interview?</p>
<p>I don’t know much about past students, but it seemed that all the current grad students got funded when they were accepted. During the programs Open house, there was no mention about one having to pay his/her own expenses and it seemed that all admits got funding. I tried emailing the head of the dept to find out why, but of course he ignored it.</p>
<p>I really do think he’s angry at me for misunderstood reasons. During the open house, i was late to my arrange meeting with him because I had an appointment with another prof (who’s LISTED as part of the program) in another building because it took about 15-20 minutes to walk back and forth. I didn’t get a chance to explain this to him. Also, i missed the tour of one of the facilities since I had to get my picture taken by the secretary and got lost from the group. </p>
<p>But if he’s angry at me for wanting to do research with profs that aren’t part of the program, then that doesn’t make sense to me since that grad student I mentioned earlier worked with 3 profs that AREN’T part of the program.</p>
<p>If I apologized about the misunderstandings above and re-expressed interest in the program, could I possibly negotiate a way for him to reconsider funding?</p>
<p>I do not think that there is likely anything you can do at this point. While your desires were not unreasonable, you have not addressed them well and have had some bad luck. At this point it seems that they have decided that you are not really the kind of student they want in their department, and since they cannot rescind admission they have simply not made any funding available to you. On the bright side, there is not really anything else they can do to you (unless you do something so stupid that they CAN rescind admission) so you might as well try talking to the professor. On the down side, it is almost certain that there is nothing to be done - if funding offers have been made, then the money is committed unless and until people turn them down. They are NOT going to consider you for a fellowship at this point, so your funding chances depend on one of the handful of students who got a TA or RA in your area turning them down, and on your then being the next nest candidate.</p>
<p>Realistically, if you really want this school now you are going to have to fund at least your first year. After that, presuming that you rehabilitate your image with at least SOMEONE in the department, you will again be able to compete for an assistantship.</p>
<p>I suspect that your problems started with that first communication with the department. One of the basic premises with programs, whether undergraduate or grad, is that they want to be loved. From the very beginning of you discussions with this department, you made it clear that they weren’t your top choice. Even if in reality they weren’t, you should always make your love for the department obvious. You made it sound to them as if you weren’t really interested in going to the school, and they probably wondered why you didn’t just apply to the department that you really were interested in. Even if you did have a great interest in this program, it sounds to me like it wasn’t communicated very well. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they didn’t give you funding- they fund students who will help with their research, not defect to another department after the admitting department has put a lot of money into you. </p>
<p>The only thing that could really help now is if you make it obvious that you are interested in this department, specifically. Reassure them that your interests have changed, and that this department matches them. That their money will be well spent on you, and you will make positive contributions to the community.</p>