How many schools to apply?

EvoViro
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:11:32 +0000

mtlve,

I don’t disagree that in a case like yours, applying to many umbrella programs is a wise idea. But as you know, there are major differences between your situation and that of the undergrad who doesn’t know what they want because they’ve only ever done cookbook protocols in the lab. I should have been more specific in saying most of my advice is for the undergrads, not someone who has already developed that scientific maturity and taken several years already.

When I urge people to know what they’re looking for, it isn’t just about the specific research. It’s about having a feel for PI mentoring styles they want, the kind of lab environment, program size, collaborativeness, etc. Having solid ideas about those kinds of preferences before applications was critical to me. The better someone knows their best working conditions, the more informed their choices.

When I say people need grounding and confidence, again it isn’t just about the specific research. It is my opinion that applicants really ought to have experienced the “real world” of research before they jump into graduate school. Someone has to have tried their hand to truly be confident in their ability to identify interesting research questions, design the experiments and transform the data into meaningful results. Like I said, the core of my stance is that applicants shouldn’t just be “staying on track,” which certainly isn’t the case with you.

Also, I can easily envision myself pulled in any number of different directions in the future, but it won’t be because I don’t love what I’m doing already. Keeping an open mind is just one more critical part of being a scientist.