<p>I am going to join a research group next year, and am concerned about
what group I should join. Frankly, my primal goal at this moment is to go to
a graduate school in the U.S. (Currently I am studying outside the U.S.)</p>
<p>At my university, there is only one group in which I can pursue what
I really want to. And it is an associate professor who leads this research
group. Also, there is another attractive one that focuses on areas I am
not really interested in. A professor instructs this group.</p>
<p>In terms of applying to graduate schools, does it matter whether I work with
a professor or an associate professor? The professor of the latter research
group has plenty of experience, and I should say I can expect a better
recommendation (with better English, also) from him than that from the
associate professor.</p>
<p>Or, is it more important to have research experience in the field I really
want to study? I really would love to study it in graduate school.</p>
<p>Any help or suggestion is really appreciated.</p>
<p>My advice would be to apply to them all and see what offers come your way. I personally don't see anything wrong with working with an up and coming associate professor, especially if they are conducting research that interests you. Remember, grad school is a long-term commitment as well as preparing you for what lies beyond. If you want to become a professor, your reserach for your PhD will likely lock you into the kind of work you will be expected to complete as a professor. </p>
<p>That's the advice I'd give to someone in my shoes...but all fields are different...what is the prospective field?</p>
<p>At my university, the applying process goes like this:
1. I must apply to just one research group first.
2. If I am not enrolled, then I will have to apply to the other of my choices.
(If there is no space available in this group, I have to find another.)</p>
<p>So I have to pick up either one of my two choices.</p>
<p>If graduate school in the US is your primary goal then the most important piece of your scenario is securing the best letter of recommendation possible from a research advisor. In general grad schools care less about the specifics of the research as much as some way to gauge whether you have developed research skills which will be a benefit to their departmental research initiatives. Given these parameters you should choose based on your best assessment of how you can get the best recommendation.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the suggestions. All the comments are helpful actually :)</p>
<p>I also want to make it clear if the recommenders' titles have any impact
when the references are equally good. As I wrote, the professor has more
experience indeed and is more likely to give me a good recommendation.
But I would like to know about it just in case.</p>
<p>I don't think it matters whether it is an associate or full professor unless one of them has international name recognition in your field. There is no added prestige to your application having recs from full professors.</p>
<p>How should I judge the professors' recognition?
By how many papers he has published, by how many remarkable posts
they hold in academic organizations, or, simply, by how famous they are?</p>
<p>Honestly, I haven't decided my mind yet. For one thing, I am not
interested (almost not at all) in the research fields of the full
professor's goup, as I wrote. And for another thing,this group is
a large one. So it is not very likely for the professor to pay close
attention to every student. As a result, the recommendation from
this professor might be a vague one.</p>
<p>Any opinion or suggestion is appreciated.
Thanks,</p>