Applying to PhD after MS

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm waiting for 6 (out of 7) graduate school decisions (some MS, some MS/PhD) and am planning for the scenario that I don't get into one of the four schools that I really want to get in. </p>

<p>One of the professors I did research with as an undergrad told me that it's hard to jump to a different university between MS and PhD because professors like to train/get to know students during their masters before they stick around to do PhD. I guess that this is the normal case.</p>

<p>But I might go into academia and I think not getting into a top university will limit my paths. So I was wondering if you guys know how hard it would be for me to apply for PhD to MIT/Stanford/Caltech for PhD, having completed Masters from Gatech/Umich. MIT and Stanford don't even allow students to apply for PhD directly from B.S. You would expect MIT's masters students to continue PhD in MIT. But Stanford barely gives funding to students who get accepted for Masters (so you would expect many to reject their offer) so where do they get there PhD students...from outside right? So I do have a fair shot?</p>

<p>I've heard that you can't teach at a university that is better than the place you got your PhD from..or usually that's not the case at least...so I do want graduate from an elite university..for Mechanical Engineering, do you guys think Berkeley can be mixed into that group along with MIT, Stanford, Caltech..</p>

<p>Thanks for your input</p>

2

<p>Berkeley? NOT an elite engineering school? It’s typically AT the top with the rest of those other schools you mentioned.</p>

<p>And like you said, it’s not the norm for Ph.D. graduates to get professorships at schools in higher “tiers”, but it’s not uncommon. As long as you have an advisor that’s well-known, or you really do your job in graduate school and publish quality papers, you have a good shot and moving up in rank–per say.</p>