<p>i was rejected by my top choice phd but they offered me a masters program instead, which i plan to accept. it should be a one year affair. my question is, when can i reapply for a phd? can i just reapply this fall, or do i need to finish the masters first? regardless, i should be a much stronger applicant this time around. </p>
<p>my concern is my undergrad grades. they weren't very good and i'd like to show improvement before i reapply. if i reapply this fall, the phd programs won't see any of my masters grades, so do i need to wait to finish the masters, or is it my choice? will they be satisfied by the fact that i'm in a masters program in the first place?</p>
<p>i'm applying to life sciences programs btw.</p>
<p>I have a friend who got rejected from PhD but accepted to a masters program at a school. She’s doing the masters and will reapply to PhD programs once she’s finished the MA (and so will have a year off between the MA and the PhD). </p>
<p>You can apply for PhD schools while in the fall quarter of your MA, but you won’t really have anything to show for it or a big difference in your application from the previous year at that point. The fact that you’re in an MA program may not be enough to increase your chances, while waiting until after you get the MA will be a big boost (hopefully).</p>
<p>[Edit] Also, if you’re applying to the humanities or a program that requires a writing sample you can retool your MA thesis for your app. [/edit]</p>
<p>I will slightly disagree with the crowd here - you can apply during that masters year. Even though your app will not have changed much, if you work hard during that fall semester you can establish a reputation that the admissions committee will like. Remember, you will be in their school and possibly in their classes or labs - if you work hard, they will get to know you.</p>
<p>The master’s degree at your top choice PhD program may be your foot-in-the-door. I know of someone who entered as a master’s student and who was encouraged to apply to the PhD program at the beginning of her second year. All coursework done as part of the master’s degree was accepted as part of the PhD, making the transition seamless. Your case is slightly different because you’ll be in a one year program; however, if you apply to that particular PhD program again, you’ll have already proved yourself with a full semester and a half by the time they start accepting applicants. </p>
<p>If you want to apply elsewhere, I suggest waiting until you have the master’s degree. It will give you more credibility.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice. so the general consensus is that having an MA degree will boost my chances of getting into a good phd program next year? my research experience is great but i think i was rejected from the top programs because of my undergrad grades, even though i went to an ivy.</p>
<p>This is in Humanities but my son is hoping for the same results. He went to a top liberal arts college but he only minored in the subject he applied for in his MA/PhD apps. He applied to 2 Phd programs and 2 MAs. He did not get into the PhD programs. The competition was stiff with the ratio of applied/accepted being 70 to 1 in one place. He did get into his MA programs and has funding for one. So he is hoping that after the MA, he will be a “better” candidate for PhD. This will also give him a chance to know whether he really wants to get into academia or what he wants to do.</p>
<p>If you have to pay for your master’s degree it isn’t worth it, no matter what your heart says. Why is this one school that you have your heart set on your #1 choice? For legitimate reasons or because of “rankings”? University rankings are one of the biggest scams in existence today.</p>