Majors and Your Advisors...

collegeprof
Tue, 21 Dec 2004 02:29:03 +0000

“while assistant profs typically work for a few years and then move on.”

That’s ridiculous, mikemac. All professors start as assistant profs and become associate profs after 6 years (on average) if they get tenure. If they don’t get tenure, they’re just fired. I don’t think it makes sense to assume that assistant profs are systematically better or worse advisors than associate profs. Associates are more experienced, but that doesn’t necessarily make them better advisors. You need to look at the individual and whether he/she is interested in helping students. You’ll find great advisors and terrible advisors both among assistants and among associates. Ask around to learn about specific people.