Questions tagged [graduate-school]
On schools that award advanced academic degrees, such as masters and doctoral degrees. This tag is mainly for questions about the structure and organization of a graduate school or the fundamental experience of being a graduate student. Do not use this tag for questions about research in graduate school (use [research] instead), coursework in graduate school (use [coursework] instead), gaining admissions to graduate school (use [graduate-admissions]), etc.
2,153
questions
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5answers
1k views
Concurrent workers independently published part of my results. How to convince the referees that I got the results independently?
In my primary research project (not coauthoring with advisor), I got two results, say result A and result B, back in 2020. I wanted to submit it in 2020, but my advisor says that I need a further ...
-1
votes
0answers
139 views
Is String Theory Worth It? [closed]
Should I study String Theory in graduate school? Is it worth trying to make a career out of string theory? Will work in string theory benefit society, or is it useless mathematics? I know that ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Graduate School Topic [closed]
I am an undergraduate student with math and physics majors and I plan to go to graduate school. I am interested in both math and physics, but I want the stuff I work on to have some practical / ...
1
vote
0answers
67 views
How to be a good (Applied) Math graduate student
I am a first year graduate student in applied math at a relatively good school here in the US. I'm looking to concentrate in something at the intersection of CS and Applied Math (quantum computing ...
4
votes
4answers
449 views
Why would an international applicant with a perfect GPA and an undergraduate thesis get rejected from 16 grad schools? [duplicate]
I applied to 16 graduate schools for this coming fall. I am a transfer student at a Top 10 Public US school. I had GPA 4.00 at the time I applied (Not yet took graduate course yet, but I wrote that I ...
48
votes
9answers
6k views
How to reconcile desire to succeed in academia/willingness to prioritize research with ethical concerns about fair work practices?
I'm not 100% sure how to phrase my question, but I've been grappling with this for sometime and thought maybe the responses would provide me some insight.
I'm currently at PhD student soon to be on ...
0
votes
3answers
259 views
What should I do if I do not like research in a particular field?
This is my last semester as an undergraduate and I am taking a graduate course in a physics field I was interested in (won't mention the name since I do not want to offend anyone who is researching in ...
37
votes
10answers
7k views
Promised authorship was not given; am I supposed to get an automatic acknowledgement?
TLDR: I spent a long time helping with a paper from a group at another university. The first author, who was at the same institute as me, promised multiple times I would be one of the coauthors. But, ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Is it legal to accept this type of scholarship while on an F-1 visa?
So here's my situation: I am a student on F-1 visa who has been offered a scholarship from another university (not the one where I am studying) for a week long workshop in a subject that I research. ...
2
votes
2answers
137 views
What are the inputs and weights for US News grad program ranking?
The US News website states that their process for ranking graduate programs "involves factors ranging from the personal to the objective. [...] U.S. News is able to present the most current ...
2
votes
3answers
180 views
How important are graduate courses to a successful PhD and beyond?
I am enrolled at a small graduate program in the US. I came here because the PhD advisor I will be working with has a great reputation and because I wanted to work with her. However, the courses I am ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
Do you think it's possible to pay off student debt during a PhD?
I was recently talking to someone who mentioned that they managed to pay off around $40,000 in debt incurred from their masters program, during their PhD. They said they managed to do this from their ...
4
votes
1answer
183 views
Why does the application portal ask 'To what other programs/universities are you applying?' while applying in US universities? [duplicate]
I am applying for higher studies in US universities. Every time I fill up the online form, there is a section where they asked which other universities or programs I am applying too? Why do they ask ...
2
votes
1answer
408 views
Can my school fire me on the grounds that I have applied to another school?
I'm in the middle of a 4-year Ph.D. program on a full scholarship, in a foreign country. Due to expertise issues, lack of community, and other reasons I have decided that this program is not suitable ...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
Graduate School Admissions (Fall 2021): What are the prospects of an international applicant?
These days I have been seeing a lot of chatter on Gradcafe (forum for grad school applicants to discuss results and admission process) about decline in the percentage of admits being offered to ...
3
votes
2answers
281 views
To what extent should I mention unpleasant undergraduate experience in a graduate school statement of purpose? (pure math)
I have not enjoyed my undergraduate math program, primarily because it is not challenging enough - not enough advanced courses offered, too few research opportunities, classes are just not at the ...
-1
votes
3answers
256 views
Do students get rejected if they did bad on a graduate interview despite having a strong cv? [closed]
Long story short, I did bad in a graduate interview because I was not prepared and I am in a depressive episode but was trying to fight it, I am way better than what I presented myself as, I felt that ...
2
votes
2answers
133 views
Sending a second follow-up email for a potential PhD position
Four weeks ago I contacted the department of the University to ask whether there are PhD positions open. They emailed me some questions I needed to fill in and said that they will review my ...
4
votes
1answer
203 views
What if MS advisor pad his wife's name into my conference and journal publications?
My MS advisor who is a tenured professor in a US school is padding his wife's name into my publication papers. His wife is an PhD candidate from the same department too and she didn't have any ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
What are the possible grants/stipends/scholarships that are available in the Republic of Austria? [closed]
Yesterday I was offered to join Central European University (now situated in Vienna, Austria). The dream came true, and I was invited to get a MPA degree.
CEU Admissions Committee gave me a very ...
3
votes
1answer
286 views
Postdoctoral Catch-22
I graduated with my PhD in January. In my field (biophysics) and country (US), we only have a 1 year time window to apply for fellowships.
However, my advisor is sitting on the paper from my ...
4
votes
2answers
578 views
Are there particular areas of mathematical research that attract universities to consider someone over another?
I thought of my question when considering if I wanted to be a math professor.
Background: Currently I’m an undergraduate studying math with a concentration in computer science, and I am interested in ...
2
votes
2answers
87 views
Where Can I Get Certified Copies of Documents for Master's Applications in the United States
So in a few weeks I will be submitting applications for Master's Programs in Germany. I am a resident of the United States living in Ohio and am required to submit certified copies of my Bachelor's ...
36
votes
11answers
9k views
Professor using student paper as an example of what not to do in class?
So a professor used a grad student's paper (anonymously) as an example of what not to do or what she doesn't want to see in the papers. The student was blindsided as the student wasn't notified that ...
3
votes
1answer
122 views
Is it it bad to become a part-time student in my 4th year and do a 5th year in my undergrad if i plan on applying for grad school? [duplicate]
I'm currently a 4th-year student at a university in Ontario, Canada. Due to covid starting last year, I realized I wanted to pursue a master's after my undergrad and planned out the courses I would ...
2
votes
1answer
149 views
Choosing between PhD offers - top supervisor at my current institution or good supervisor at new university [closed]
I have offers for a funded PhD at equally prestigious universities in the same country. One is the university I did my undergrad (and doing my masters) in, with a "rising star" PhD ...
3
votes
1answer
80 views
Completing requirements for PhD programs years after undergraduate degree
A few years ago I received a Bachelor's in Computer Science and I'm planning to return to school as a non-degree student. I'd like to complete prerequisite courses for a PhD program in Mathematics ...
15
votes
3answers
5k views
Realizing no one at my school does quite what I want to do
In short: I'm three years into my Ph.D. program, have learned some things about what I seem to be good at and what not so much, and have realized I don't have as much in common with my advisor's ...
1
vote
0answers
92 views
Professor invited me to do research and I agreed, but now I am not so sure
I was invited by the professor to work with him. His area is outside of my background and I agreed because I was curious and haven't found a research area yet. After beginning to read papers and learn ...
1
vote
0answers
90 views
Need advice on options for strong recommendations to Top CS programs [closed]
I am considering applying to competitive PhD programs this year, but I am not certain who/how to ask for strong recommendation letters. I am not even sure the following experiences will yield strong ...
2
votes
0answers
82 views
Changing Fields for Graduate School
During my undergraduate years I was interested in condensed matter theory and string theory and I was debating which topic to choose for my grad school application. I finally decided to go to string ...
3
votes
3answers
253 views
How to build a better positive image of yourself to your Ph.D. advisor
I am currently a first-year Ph.D. student taking a course sequence with my Ph.D. advisor. The first class of the sequence went really well, however, the second class is not going as well. The most ...
5
votes
1answer
754 views
How do you tell a professor you interviewed with you will be going to a different program?
I had an email exchange and interview with this professor and I feel like I should tell her I've been accepted elsewhere to my first choice program, but writing the words down and getting the tone ...
4
votes
2answers
296 views
Acceptance in PhD Program With Unfortunate Background [duplicate]
So here is my situation: I am applying for a PhD for Fall 2022. Not too long I found ago that my ex boyfriend had used my name online to post all kinds of crap. This includes revenge porn, as well as ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
Masters to PhD Program [duplicate]
If you have done well in undergrad (i.e one of the top students of the graduating class; physics and mathematics major with highest honors; with exposure to engineering) and have done a masters for 1-...
-2
votes
1answer
234 views
Exploitation of foreign graduate students [closed]
During my time in graduate school I have noticed that many foreign graduate students basically view graduate school as a way to get into the US that wouldn't normally exist.
This creates some ...
0
votes
1answer
157 views
Does a Statement of Purpose really matter for Graduate Admissions in 2021?
I'm International Student applying for technical courses to universities in the UK and the USA, this might seem like a frequently asked question but I'm genuinely curious in knowing whether a ...
0
votes
1answer
105 views
Post Undergraduate Research
I am currently an undergraduate student who has a strong interest in becoming a theoretical physicist. I have applied to 4 physics grad schools this year but it seems that my chances for going to grad ...
1
vote
2answers
171 views
What is my graduation date?
I submitted my Master's thesis last December (2020), and it just been accepted (so in 2021), and the university will probably take many (maybe even 6) months before they actually give me the diploma (...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Applying for graduate program, documentation advice needed? [closed]
I am applying to the Masters of Management in Business Data Analytics field at University of Windsor Canada for the fall 21 intake. During the document upload process I ran into a document labeled as &...
6
votes
0answers
220 views
Losing one's teaching assistantship due to weird circumstances [closed]
So my best friend is sort of in a strange situation. We are in the same graduate program. Here's the story.
Last semester I was stuck in a class with a professor with an extremely weird way of running ...
2
votes
1answer
167 views
Graduate Recruitment weekend: faculty interview - research area mismatch
I have been invited to graduate recruitment weekend at a school (PhD applicant in biomedical imaging). I have been told about an interview scheduled with one of the faculty members.
But my background ...
4
votes
1answer
525 views
Would this be considered a valid reason to apply for deferral for graduate school admission?
I have been recently admitted to a top 5 graduate school in the US and I am considering deferring my admission by one year.
My reason is that I am currently pursuing a master's degree and under normal ...
70
votes
7answers
11k views
Supervisor has said some very disgusting things online, should I pull my name from our paper?
I’ve been interning at a research lab for 8 months now, putting upwards of 10 hours a week into our project. We find out if our first of three papers was accepted for a significantly-sized conference ...
-2
votes
2answers
136 views
Master in Europe vs Master in US for PhD admittance
I am currently an European undergraduate Senior waiting on results for various Master's applications.
I have applied to programs in both the US and Europe, my goal following my Master is to pursue a ...
1
vote
1answer
130 views
How hard is it to change a (sub-)field right after starting a CS PhD?
I am a senior undergrad in computer systems field (specifically, computer networks) and applied for CS PhD this year.
My question is:
If I find a new interest in a different field before starting a ...
0
votes
2answers
142 views
US graduate school: expected proficiency and competency in the area of specialization at the beginning of the program [closed]
I am interested in applying to graduate schools in the US in a certain sub-area of computer sciences. However, most of my educational background is in engineering (BS+MS in systems engineering from a ...
0
votes
1answer
99 views
What to do for letters of reference if you want to apply to grad school but you've been self employed?
Similar to this question How to secure recommendations and apply for PhD after having worked outside of academia for two years? but more specifically if you've been out of school and self-employed for ...
0
votes
1answer
98 views
Master's studies in France and Greece (one year per country) plausibility
This might sound a bit ridiculous, but I would love to spend a year in Greece and France and I think my master's studies might be a great time for that. However, I am not sure how plausible such an ...
3
votes
0answers
229 views
Does time taken and a poor grade for a PHD in Germany destroy chances for a post doc? [closed]
I come from a violent country that gives me no hope for the future. I cannot go back. My supervisor has more than 30 students, did not read my chapters, and insisted that I give in the first draft as ...
