miggity99

First off, some background info. I just recently graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. I'm starting grad school in the fall at the same school I graduated from because I started working on a project for a professor and I want to finish it as a PhD project (my school has a direct PhD program which allows you to bypass a masters and go straight to a PhD). Now I had less than stellar grades through my college career mainly because I didn't care most of the time. I ended with a 3.0 which isn't too bad. I didn't realize I wanted to go to grad school until I started doing the research I'm doing now, but by then my GPA wouldn't move much no matter what grades I made.

Ok, on to the good stuff. The professor I work for will be my major professor in the fall when I officialy start grad school. She said that she needed another PhD student. I expressed my concerns that my grades weren't good enough to get into the PhD program and I told her I had made a D and an F in a class. She told me not to worry about it and she would take care of everything because she's on the graduate committee that decides if you get into the PhD program here.

So I submitted my application without a care in the world thinking I'm a shoe in and my professor would take care of everything. I was very wrong.

A few days ago my professor sent me an EMAIL telling me that I wasn't getting into the PhD program. The reasons were a D and an F in recent semsters. She told me that the other members of the graduate committee didn't find this acceptable AND SHE AGREED!!! Now she told me she faced a delima because she neede another PhD student and couldn't afford to pay a PhD student and a masters student (I'm to become a masters student now). She got the department to pay for my funding for the first year, but after that it's up in the air.

I feel betrayed. She told me one thing and did the complete opposite. My question to everybody is what would you do if you were in my situation? I've considered working for a different professor, applying to a different grad school, and just sending out my resume and trying to find a job. How would you handle this situation?

Derwood

Sounds like this professor overstepped her bounds by promising you something before consulting the grad comittee. Though it's her fault that you have been misled, unfortunately there really isn't anything you can do to overturn the comittee's decision. It's probably too late to apply for grad schools for the fall, but maybe take a year off and reapply to other places for next year?

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NotMinus

I would look for another professor. I would also contacted PhD's who have compelted their docteret (sp?) under that professor and find out what the experience was like. This could simply be a sign of things to come from your origonal professor. I also think that you seem motivated to get a PhD, don't let this small thing change what you want to do. Let her know you want to be in the PhD program and the masters programs is simply unnacceptable, look into applying with other professors or schools.

Journeyman

Hey, you've got funding for your first year in the Master's program. And if *they* think a D and an F is unacceptable... well maybe you should take the Master's and then apply (there or elsewhere) to get a PhD to help grad comittee's overlook those two grades.

Jackebear

Wow...another trust issue. There was a great thread about that a few weeks ago. I understand everything your going through and you are going to have to call it a hard (but useful) lesson on life.

Words and handshake don't mean a tenth of what they did in our parents time. From now on get things in writing and if you have to, buy a micro-cassette recorder and turn in on when you walk into a room you are doing business in. Of course, it won't stand up in court but if they go against what you were told play the tape and see what happens. I used to be so trusting (some call it gullible) and was hurt many times before I demanded things in writing. If they didn't want to do that I knew they were people I couldn't deal with.

Take the master's and go on from there. Good luck to you.

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miggity99

UPDATE: I'm meeting with another professor in the department today to discuss being his masters student. The job will pay about $300 more a month than with my current one.

Pretty sure I'm gonna say adios to my professor.

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gar1976

Not to be a dick, but college professors, for the most part, have no idea how the real world operates.

This one, for example, could learn a little about trust, responsibilty, and communication.

Email dis = teh weak
Promising something she could not deliver = worse

pig

Sounds like you've already got a plan, but as someone who is just now getting through with Grad. School, I strongly encourage you not to work with the professor that misled you. In the end, character issues are easily as important as anything else.

I think that if you can get your Masters under another prof, then that is the best solution. It sounds like you may have problems transferring programs completely, and since you're in where you are, take advantage of it. You may find that you don't really care for graduate school after all and decide to leave with the Masters. If you do enjoy it and do well, you may very well be able to roll over into continuation to a Ph.D., depending on your grades and research at the Master's level.

If you have to stay with the original prof, make the best of it and then re-evaluate after your Masters. I agree that the email notification is inappropriate in this case, but many professors end up being professors partly because they're not so good in social situations. Did she say anything acknowledging the circumstances or apologizing? If she didn't, then I'd watch out. Is she tenured yet, or on tenure track? Profs in search of tenure can be cold-hearted about these issues, if they perceive them to affect their standing in the department / probablility of obtaining tenure.

good luck.

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miggity99

I made my decision and I'm going with another prof. It's just not worth the risk of having her let me down again.

She's a new professor and I think she's trying to impress all the department staff, but at the same time she's neglecting her grad students. I'm just lucky I didn't sign a contract with her and I'm free to go.

Her only grad student is also considering leaving since he got a job offer with Kimberly-Clark. I think if they offer him anything over $60K he'll leave. Then my prof would be up shit creek without a paddle.

Sucks for her.

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Chemical Engineers do it with packed beds...

wonderwench

Welcome to the world of academic politics. Never trust that one person can get anything done - unless he or she is an incredibly powerful department chair.

Good luck with the new professor.