- #1
Bishop556
- 37
- 4
Hello,
I'm in a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if I could get some advice on what I should do. So, I recently applied to graduate school and got rejected from every school I applied to. The reason was due to my unpreparedness and lack of confidence which seeped into my essays. I realize now that I was not ready and I made a financial and academic mistake applying as I applied primarily due to pressure. Because of this, I realized I would feel more comfortable doing a masters or post-bach program in physics. Honestly, I am unsure about what field of physics I want to study and I am feeling unsure if I really want to devote years of my life towards physics. This is why I felt that these programs could benefit me. I felt like I didn't have to be obligated to complete a 5-7 year program. I might want to complete a PhD in physics, but I don't have to be obligated to do so until after the program finalizes.
So, I was received an offer for one of the schools I applied to for a post-bach / masters program. They don't have funding for me as a post-bach student in the program I applied to, but they have graduate funding and are willing to accept me to their program. Now, this is great and wonderful as the school is pretty good in physics, but I feel like if I accept I am obligated to complete the program. It is not that I would not be interested in doing a PhD program there, but I just was hoping that through this post-bach / masters program which was funded, I could work at the school for a year or two and then reapply for graduate school if I felt that I wanted to pursue a PhD. However, if I accept the offer for a PhD, I feel obligated to complete the program and stay at there for the entire duration even though I was hoping to reapply in two years time and possibly go somewhere else. I would more than willing like to do a post-bach / masters there, I just don't want to feel obligated to do a full PhD there if I do decide to go that route.
So, what would you guys recommend I do? I feel in my gut that I should wait again and reapply. I think waiting a year while working with my current adviser would be the best route, but I am still unsure. I don't know how that would go with the school and whether they would accept me again if I reapplied. I also don't know how to explain my feelings to my adviser and my family. It would seem silly for me to waste this opportunity. I honestly feel scared about this decision in my life.
Please let me know what you would recommend.
I'm in a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if I could get some advice on what I should do. So, I recently applied to graduate school and got rejected from every school I applied to. The reason was due to my unpreparedness and lack of confidence which seeped into my essays. I realize now that I was not ready and I made a financial and academic mistake applying as I applied primarily due to pressure. Because of this, I realized I would feel more comfortable doing a masters or post-bach program in physics. Honestly, I am unsure about what field of physics I want to study and I am feeling unsure if I really want to devote years of my life towards physics. This is why I felt that these programs could benefit me. I felt like I didn't have to be obligated to complete a 5-7 year program. I might want to complete a PhD in physics, but I don't have to be obligated to do so until after the program finalizes.
So, I was received an offer for one of the schools I applied to for a post-bach / masters program. They don't have funding for me as a post-bach student in the program I applied to, but they have graduate funding and are willing to accept me to their program. Now, this is great and wonderful as the school is pretty good in physics, but I feel like if I accept I am obligated to complete the program. It is not that I would not be interested in doing a PhD program there, but I just was hoping that through this post-bach / masters program which was funded, I could work at the school for a year or two and then reapply for graduate school if I felt that I wanted to pursue a PhD. However, if I accept the offer for a PhD, I feel obligated to complete the program and stay at there for the entire duration even though I was hoping to reapply in two years time and possibly go somewhere else. I would more than willing like to do a post-bach / masters there, I just don't want to feel obligated to do a full PhD there if I do decide to go that route.
So, what would you guys recommend I do? I feel in my gut that I should wait again and reapply. I think waiting a year while working with my current adviser would be the best route, but I am still unsure. I don't know how that would go with the school and whether they would accept me again if I reapplied. I also don't know how to explain my feelings to my adviser and my family. It would seem silly for me to waste this opportunity. I honestly feel scared about this decision in my life.
Please let me know what you would recommend.