Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums. I began searching online for some info about how things work in grad school and came across these forums. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how much flexibility in terms of research that grad students have. So far I have only been accepted to 1 program and I'm not sure that I'm all that passionate about my proposed supervisors research. Should I reject and try again next year? Or should I give it a try and hope to branch out with my own interests in the future? I really don't want to go through this process again but I don't want to be stuck doing something I don't have a true passion for. Any advice would be great...
Here's the deal, and you need to be VERY honest with yourself.
1. Do you think that you will be able to secure admission in another program next year?
2. If you believe #1, do you believe that you will be able to secure admission in a program that is better suited to your needs next year.
3. If you can't answer #1 and #2 with a definitive yes, then you might want to consider still attending this program.
It's somewhat common for students to switch advisers in some programs. If you are fortunate enough that your program allows this flexibility you might still want to consider it. Many faculty will work to incorporate something that excites you into their research but the focus will still be on their core area of expertise.
There are so many variables to consider that it would be wrong for any of us to tell you what to do with the limited information provided. However, if you believe that you are not an extremely competitive applicant, then sometimes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
I know that had I gotten accepted to Oklahoma State University my first time around I would have accepted it and I would have made the best of the situation... thankfully they rejected me! It was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I wasn't a weak applicant, but I wasn't strong either, I was average to slightly below average in the pool of applicants.
If you have a strong GRE and GPA with solid research experience and all the boxes checked, I could see you rolling the dice. I am sure you learned a lot about how the whole process worked and what is being looked for now. This does improve your chances, a lot, if you integrate the feedback well from doing it this year. I was far more successful in my applications and admissions my second time at the dance.
If you feel your application was marginal and you got admitted to a program you considered a reach or stretch, I would take the money and RUN!
Mark