<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>I have to decide where to go to Chemistry grad school by April 15th (in ~1 week!) and I need some perspective. I am heavily leaning towards UCLA at this point... I hit it off well with one of the professors, was excited about the research, liked the school, the program. It was a great match in my opinion and I feel like I could be happy there for five years. My mentor doesn't agree and feels that I would commit career suicide by attending UCLA for my Ph.D. He argues that the school is on a downward spiral, having lost big name professors like Stoddart and possibly Yaghi in the last five years. He also claims to have never heard of the professor I'm interested in and associate's that with the professor not being very good. She got tenure ~4 years ago, and I feel like she's up-and-coming even though maybe she isn't a household name yet. He prefers I go somewhere else like Northwestern...the research in the department was interesting to me, but didn't grab me the same way it did at UCLA. I also didn't click well with the department, the students, nor hit it off with any of the professors. At UCLA, I'm really excited about two of the professor's research and the opportunities presented to me when I visited...but my mentor does raise concerns about the status of UCLA in the scientific/academic world.</p>
<p>I haven't decided what I want to do after graduate school, though I am considering becoming a professor (not necessarily at a tier 1, mind you. It would be great to get offers at top-five schools, but I've let go of hunting for that prestige. I just want to teach at a decent top 20 school, preferably in California to be near my sig. other... I wouldn't mind working at UC Davis for example). I just want to know, have any of you heard the same thing? UCLA is currently "ranked" at #12 or #10 depending where you look... but is UCLA's chemistry department reputation going downhill? Do people ignore you if you have a Ph.D. from UCLA (I mean, I know it's not MIT, but still)? Any UCLA alum out there? Where did you end up for your post-doc; did you get a post-doc on a higher-rung school? Did any of you become a professor? I think I really want to go there, but at the same time, I'm concerned about what options I'll have after I graduate. I want to be able to obtain a good post-doc position that will leave me some choices for my career later.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys.</p>
<p>If you can succeed and blow people’s minds at UCLA, do it. It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you put out phenomenal papers. </p>
<p>From what I understand, it’s quite difficult to get an assistant professorship at a school like UC Davis, where the faculty is new and up-and-coming. Their program is on the upswing, with great research going on, but what do I know? I’m just starting my chemical physics program in Fall too.</p>
<p>I’m currently a senior Biochem major at UCLA (used to be a chem major, though). I currently work in a physical chem lab with a pretty well known PI that has worked with Stoddart, Yaghi, and the like. While I can say that I’ve seen things definitely change, and it is going to get worse, I’m not sure how much of an effect it will have on graduate education if you at least have a few faculty you’re interested in working with. It seems like more professors have been taking long sabbaticals, with some leaving, but most seem like they’re gonna test the waters for just how bad it gets. Other institutions are probably chomping at the bit to offer bigger paychecks. Who is the professor you’re interested in working with?</p>
<p>I know nothing about Northwestern, so I can’t help you there. What school are you coming from?</p>
<p>I am mostly interested in Tim Deming’s lab and Heather Maynard’s lab. I am coming from UC Berkeley with about 2 years research from the Frechet lab. I’d like to get more training in polymer chemistry and expand my skill set in cell biology, nanotech, and engineering.</p>
<p>Is putting out awesome publications synonymous with working with awesome professors?.. I feel like at this point in my education (or in any senior’s education) I/we don’t have enough experience to know what research is actually impactful or important or cool in the field. All I know is what excites me now and what I think I’ll still enjoy working on five years later. I want to make sure I’m not closing any doors in the future, but I also want to be completely motivated by what I do and I feel like a big part of that is what I see immediately in front of me and not necessarily what I might need in the future. I just wonder, can I make something out of the “nothing” that my mentor is telling me? (he really offends me sometimes) I really want to believe that I can still achieve my goals by not going to a top 5 school. I mean, obviously students are still applying and going to UCLA, so it can’t be all that bad… right?</p>
<p>There are a lot of people at UCLA interested in polymer chemistry and nanomaterials, as well as a host of other REALLY FREAKING COOL related fields with the CNSI right on campus. The problem is, they’re in a lot of other fields as well as the chem department. For example, the professor of my Biomaterials class last quarter was a polymer chemist in the bioengineering department. I’m not sure how lenient the chemistry grad program is with allowing you to do rotations in outside labs. I know the biochemistry and molecular bio program allows it but doesn’t want you to pick a PI outside of BMB. I’ve heard good things about Dr. Maynard and I was interested in her work myself. There’s the Gimzewski lab, which I work in. We do a lot of interdisciplinary projects as well as lots of microscopy (mostly AFM and STM). Basically anything dealing with nanotech. Dr. Paul Weiss is also in the chem department as well as Director of the CNSI, but he does a lot of microscopy as well. </p>
<p>I will say though, while picking a PI who is really well known absolutely has its benefits, they are busy and often don’t have as much time to dedicate to grad students as they should. Its better to pick a lab you enjoy working with and really excel at what you do. </p>
<p>After getting into the Biochemistry and Molecular Bio grad program, I realized I probably should have applied to chemistry. Theres a lot more variety in terms of what you can do.</p>
<p>I think if I work with Deming or Maynard, I will have the opportunity to do joint projects with other departments. Deming himself is not in the Chemistry department. I’m also really interested in the MCST program and having access to the CNSI.</p>
<p>Do you think the reputation of UCLA will be the ultimate limiting factor in how much I can advance myself in the field? I mean, I can spend five years working really hard on something I enjoy (or think I enjoy at this point) and get out good publications… But when I apply for post-docs (at better schools hopefully), will the status of UCLA prevent me from getting my foot in the door? Do you know of anyone who came from UCLA that got into decent post-doc or professor positions?</p>
<p>I think it’s a little unfair that top 5 schools almost automatically have a foot in the door just because of the name, regardless of the work they did, and the students coming from non-top fives have to try a little harder to get an interview even if they did better work in grad school. I wish they would look at the work you did first, and the school name secondary. But I guess that’s just how this field works.</p>
<p>My ultimate goal is to obtain a post-doc (or 2) at higher-ranked institutions and, after all is said and done, re-settle in California as a professor so I can start my family life.</p>
<p>Its hard to say. I’ve always looked at UCLA’s chem department very favorably, but I didn’t really know about much else. What is Northwestern ranked? If you don’t think you’re going to be happy there on any level, don’t go. It’ll be a cursed decision from the start. You’ll dread wanting to move, especially to the midwest (though Chicago is a great city). </p>
<p>Are the stipends comparable? I’d recommend not living in the UCLA grad apartments as they are incredibly overpriced (1200+ to split a 2 bedroom is insane…). You can find a lot cheaper apartments in cooler areas below Wilshire for a lot less, especially if you have a car/bike. Parking on campus SUUUUCKKSSSS (~700/year), so get a bike. Westwood is like a big mall, and unlike the aesthetic of Berkeley whatsoever. Don’t get stuck in the “westwood bubble”, though I’m sure this is less likely as a grad student. Plenty of interesting things to do in this enormous city.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks for staying on this thread with me. It’s nice having someone to talk to… especially hard to talk to people in my lab because they all went to Berkeley for the same reasons.</p>
<p>When did you join UCLA? Of the people you know who graduated, how many went on to post-docs and where? Could you ask around maybe? (Then, if I go to UCLA this Fall, I will bake you cookies =) ) How’s funding been in your opinion? I hear a lot of students have had to teach more than their first year just to maintain their funding… this true? If so, how does that affect your ability to research?</p>
<p>U.S. News & World ranks Northwestern as #10 and UCLA as #12, though on other rankings I’ve seen it the other way around. The website shows the 2007 rankings though (2010 rankings are out in 3 days). See, based off this, I felt UCLA was a good choice too, but my mentor thinks because of all the recent events at UCLA (namely, good professors leaving) that the department’s reputation is heading downhill. I worry about what this might mean for my career in the future, but I really really want to make it work if it’s possible. It sucks when everyone has high expectations of you. I have high expectations of myself too, but I feel like it might be possible for me to achieve the same things without going to a better school. Like I said, I never considered UCLA a bad school (I still don’t) but my mentor makes it seem serious.</p>
<p>I could see myself living in Northwestern, though I prefer being in California. I get worried about detaching from my family (my family seems prone to that). I would also be leaving a boyfriend of 5 years behind if I do and LA would make it easier. I know for any hard-core career driven person these factors should be secondary… but it’s hard to just ignore these things.</p>
<p>Oh, yeah, and Northwestern offered $26000 while UCLA offered $27500. Haha, a 1 bedroom in Berkeley is $1000-1200 on average so that’s cheap to me! =P I was actually planning on living in the grad housing for the first year just to get my bearings. I noticed the price too, but since I’ve lived on a budget similar or worse than that before, I figured I could manage.</p>