Help !

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procrastinator
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:22 am

Help !

Post by procrastinator » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:42 am

I realize not many folks here will know about this, but here is my situation - i have been accepted at a 60-70 rank (US News) US school in Physics and Astronomy, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Astrophysics. The IISc program has course work for a year, following which i can join either IISc or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for my PhD (It's a joint program).These are essentially the top schools of India. I am interested in Astro theory and HEP expt (LHC baby).
So,
1. Where should i go?
2. Which place would i find more conducive to improvin my PGRE (very low for Asian applicants), then applyin again to better US schools (aiming for Rank 20-30) after a year or two? I will need recommendations from the place i go to. Is this a common enough occurrence in US schools - leaving after MS with recs too?

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grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Help !

Post by grae313 » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:54 am

procrastinator wrote:I realize not many folks here will know about this, but here is my situation - i have been accepted at a 60-70 rank (US News) US school in Physics and Astronomy, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Astrophysics. The IISc program has course work for a year, following which i can join either IISc or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for my PhD (It's a joint program).These are essentially the top schools of India. I am interested in Astro theory and HEP expt (LHC baby).
So,
1. Where should i go?
2. Which place would i find more conducive to improvin my PGRE (very low for Asian applicants), then applyin again to better US schools (aiming for Rank 20-30) after a year or two? I will need recommendations from the place i go to. Is this a common enough occurrence in US schools - leaving after MS with recs too?
If you were not accepted specifically into a *terminal* masters program in the US, it is pretty rare to leave and it is expected that you will finish your PhD there unless there are extenuating or unusual circumstances. The reason is that schools make a huge funding commitment to you when they accept you, and your end of the contract is that you stay there, do good research there, and get your PhD there.

blackcat007
Posts: 378
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:14 am

Re: Help !

Post by blackcat007 » Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:08 am

procrastinator wrote:I realize not many folks here will know about this, but here is my situation - i have been accepted at a 60-70 rank (US News) US school in Physics and Astronomy, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Astrophysics. The IISc program has course work for a year, following which i can join either IISc or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for my PhD (It's a joint program).These are essentially the top schools of India. I am interested in Astro theory and HEP expt (LHC baby).
So,
1. Where should i go?
2. Which place would i find more conducive to improvin my PGRE (very low for Asian applicants), then applyin again to better US schools (aiming for Rank 20-30) after a year or two? I will need recommendations from the place i go to. Is this a common enough occurrence in US schools - leaving after MS with recs too?
Hi i am also from india, i know the reputation of IISc and TIFR..
your question is a bit difficult to answer. you want to goto top schools of US no matter what, since you mentioned in your second question that even if you join the top programs of India you would still be retaking PGRE. If i would in your place i would go for the US schools because:
1. Credit transfer is easy
2. the faculty might be an alumni of a top school like harvard or stanford, in that case you will get reco from people known to the top schools.
3.(I have heard this) grad course work in IISc will keep you very busy, in comparison to US coursework, in that case you will also jeopardize your grad grades while preparing for PGRE.
4. Plenty of scopes to goto the top schools for talk, conferences and even for exposure..

procrastinator
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:22 am

Re: Help !

Post by procrastinator » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:11 pm

blackcat007 wrote:
procrastinator wrote:I realize not many folks here will know about this, but here is my situation - i have been accepted at a 60-70 rank (US News) US school in Physics and Astronomy, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Astrophysics. The IISc program has course work for a year, following which i can join either IISc or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for my PhD (It's a joint program).These are essentially the top schools of India. I am interested in Astro theory and HEP expt (LHC baby).
So,
1. Where should i go?
2. Which place would i find more conducive to improvin my PGRE (very low for Asian applicants), then applyin again to better US schools (aiming for Rank 20-30) after a year or two? I will need recommendations from the place i go to. Is this a common enough occurrence in US schools - leaving after MS with recs too?
Hi i am also from india, i know the reputation of IISc and TIFR..
your question is a bit difficult to answer. you want to goto top schools of US no matter what, since you mentioned in your second question that even if you join the top programs of India you would still be retaking PGRE. If i would in your place i would go for the US schools because:
1. Credit transfer is easy
2. the faculty might be an alumni of a top school like harvard or stanford, in that case you will get reco from people known to the top schools.
3.(I have heard this) grad course work in IISc will keep you very busy, in comparison to US coursework, in that case you will also jeopardize your grad grades while preparing for PGRE.
4. Plenty of scopes to goto the top schools for talk, conferences and even for exposure..
Thanks for the replies. To blackcat - i'd like to go to the US, but as pointed out above, it might turn out that the school just wouldnt let me go!(By not givin recs) What then? :cry:

blackcat007
Posts: 378
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:14 am

Re: Help !

Post by blackcat007 » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:23 pm

procrastinator wrote:
blackcat007 wrote:
procrastinator wrote:I realize not many folks here will know about this, but here is my situation - i have been accepted at a 60-70 rank (US News) US school in Physics and Astronomy, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Astrophysics. The IISc program has course work for a year, following which i can join either IISc or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for my PhD (It's a joint program).These are essentially the top schools of India. I am interested in Astro theory and HEP expt (LHC baby).
So,
1. Where should i go?
2. Which place would i find more conducive to improvin my PGRE (very low for Asian applicants), then applyin again to better US schools (aiming for Rank 20-30) after a year or two? I will need recommendations from the place i go to. Is this a common enough occurrence in US schools - leaving after MS with recs too?
Hi i am also from india, i know the reputation of IISc and TIFR..
your question is a bit difficult to answer. you want to goto top schools of US no matter what, since you mentioned in your second question that even if you join the top programs of India you would still be retaking PGRE. If i would in your place i would go for the US schools because:
1. Credit transfer is easy
2. the faculty might be an alumni of a top school like harvard or stanford, in that case you will get reco from people known to the top schools.
3.(I have heard this) grad course work in IISc will keep you very busy, in comparison to US coursework, in that case you will also jeopardize your grad grades while preparing for PGRE.
4. Plenty of scopes to goto the top schools for talk, conferences and even for exposure..
Thanks for the replies. To blackcat - i'd like to go to the US, but as pointed out above, it might turn out that the school just wouldnt let me go!(By not givin recs) What then? :cry:
its something i cannot answer, may be instead of just leaving behind your degree you can opt for credit transfer, where you will be able to continue from where you left. and i have heard that it is a common practice in US, better ask someone who is already in US..

procrastinator
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:22 am

Re: Help !

Post by procrastinator » Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:52 am

There doesnt seem to be a consensus on how easy/common it is to leave a US PhD program after a MS, with recs....



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